Questions:
1. What did you intend to accomplish with your 20time project? What
did you actually accomplish with your 20time project?
2. Describe
the impact of your project on yourself and others. How could you use what
you learned to create a positive change in someone else or the community?
3. What roadblocks did you run into? What were the areas of the
project that were more difficult than you expected them to be?
4. What
new learning, if any, did you gain because of the roadblock? Did the
roadblock give you new insight, change the course of the project, etc.?
How?
5. Finish this sentence: The thing about this kind of learning that
works best for me is….
6.
Finish this sentence: The
thing about this kind of learning that is a challenge for me is...
7. Would you consider your project a success? A failure? Somewhere in
between? Explain your answer.
8. Estimate how much time you spent on your 20-Time project per week.
9. How
does what you did in 20-Time connect with the IB Learner Profile (see
Moodle or Intro Packet for the IB Learner Profile qualities)? Discuss any and
all qualities that apply.
10. How
does what you did in 20-Time show relevant learning in your English class?
Things that may apply: written communication, oral communication,
collaboration, research skills, technology/digital media skills, reading
skills, etc.
11. What
advice would you have for teachers who are doing 20-time projects in the
future? What would you tell them that would make the project go more
smoothly or more successfully
12. What
advice would you have for students who are doing a 20-time project in the
future? What would you tell them that would make the project go more
smoothly or more successfully?
13. Will you continue with your independent learning/creating beyond
this class? Why or why not?
14. Anything else you would like me to know? (optional)
My answers:
1. My plan was to improve my banjo-playing
skills and learn more about the bluegrass style. I researched bluegrass music
and history, but still have only a bit of a grasp on the mechanics of the
actual style. I had a few songs in mind that I wanted to learn, but I was never
able to. I did, however, get better at banjo-playing in general and learned
basic chords and scales.
2.
Through this project, I was able to
become a better-rounded musician and also a happier person every Friday J I could create
positive change by possibly teaching others, but more likely I could play for
others who might enjoy it and even create my own bluegrass band.
3.
It was difficult finding anyone to turn
to for help because I couldn’t find anyone in the area who played banjo.
Finding music to learn was hard because there isn’t much banjo tab available
and trying to learn a piece by ear was difficult because I wasn’t that familiar
with the instrument.
4.
I learned that sometimes it’s going to
cost some money to get what you want done. There were a lot of handy books and
lessons and music available online but I didn’t really want to spend the money.
Had I not been a broke teenager, I think these would’ve helped me a lot.
5.
The thing about this kind of learning
that works best for me is that it’s fun and it’s something I genuinely want to
learn more about.
6.
The thing about this kind of learning
that is a challenge for me is that sometimes I have too much fun and not enough
learning. I think that I could’ve learned more if I were more focused.
7.
I’d say it’s somewhere In between. I
definitely got better at the banjo, but not nearly to the extent to which I
would’ve hoped to. 20-time didn’t miraculously give me all the time I wanted to
work on my skill. I was so so busy this spring so that is definitely a factor.
I also wasn’t able to learn all of the songs I originally wanted to.
8.
I spent the hour each Friday practicing
banjo and I’d say I spent around 2 hours per week outside of class working on
my project.
9.
Open-minded: learning the banjo and
associated music opened me up to a variety of new genres of music that I
otherwise wouldn’t know much about.
Inquirers: this trait
is all about following your natural curiosity, which is what 20-time is all
about – I genuinely wanted to know more about the instrument and music and that’s
what I did.
Balanced: Even if I
didn’t get as good as I wanted to, 20-time provided me with a creative outlet
in an otherwise monotonous school week. I came to class every Friday excited
and left class happy, which was a great change from the typical feelings of
dread/stress constantly found during the school year.
10.
20-time taught me better digital
media/technology skills as I had to figure out how to set up my own blog,
create a nicely-done video, and upload said videos and other links to the blog.
Additionally, I learned to share what I learned through not only the website
but also at the pitch, where I had to speak with a lot of other peoples –
friends and strangers alike.
11.
Do it! It’s fun! Also, get students really
pumped up about the Pitch! I was really unsure about it at first, but I had a
lot of time while I was there. Make sure the students are really passionate
about what they’re doing. Blogs are awesome and fun.
12.
Pick something you really want to do and are
passionate about. Don’t expect that the project will automatically make time
for you – it’ll still be hard with school and everything, but keep it up. Also,
create some clear goals for yourself and benchmarks in the beginning so you can
continually make progress. Don’t be afraid to share your projects with friends
and family!
13.
Heck yes, the banjo is a lot of fun and
I always want to become a better and more well-rounded musician.
