For the PEDS project, there wasn’t a significant aspect in which I was assigned to do and be responsible for it because majority of the onside work was done collectively since this project was assigned. For instance, the initial surveys were done in pairs, where I worked with a partner to complete it. When creating the Poll Everywhere edition of the powerpoint lesson, we all contributed to the questions equally. We all collaboratively worked on the final survey made for students to determine based on their opinions whether or not this project was successful. However, I did feel that my contribution to this project did not match to those from my group. This is because I wasn’t always included in their conversations and decisions made for this project. It was a bit unfair. The first time when we were responsible to go afterschool to communicate with the teacher and layout our project, a few members including myself were not able to come for some reasons. So, we concluded that any two people should go, and communicate with the teacher to introduce this project and our plans. Hence, only two people went.
Overtime, this became a major barrier of communication within our group. Just because I couldn’t commit myself to the meetings the first time, I was not notified for the future ones as they had already planned. I was unaware of many of these meetings which were the most important part of this project in order for it to bring successful results. In addition to that, they did not update me with any new plans they had planned with the teacher, instead I was blamed sometimes for not being involved enough. Furthermore, the day on which the in-class lesson was organized to teach the class the lesson using Poll Everywhere, was the day that I was absent due to a field trip. This was the significant element of this project and I missed it, which is also why I feel that my contributions too little. Moreover, sometimes a couple members were unwilling to do the tasks and finish things up. They lacked motivation and did not put enough efforts. Personally, I never lacked willingness to get tasks done especially for this project, meaning Biology was not an issue for this project. It was because this project was flexible and since every part that I contributed to was collaboratively done, it was all finished during class and consumed less time. For these reasons, I was not able to contribute much and this is why I believe our PEDs project was unsuccessful. All in all, the major issue was the gap of communication in our group (between a group of grade elevens and one grade twelve). As I mentioned before, the biggest cause of this unsuccessful project was the lack of communication (at least on my side it was). So, if I had to change anything, I’d make sure I talk to my group members firmly and discuss with them our next steps properly and also ensure that the meetings with the teacher is not just with two people, but with all members. This way, the issue of communication will be eliminated within the group as well as with the teacher. Transparency would solve a chunk of the issues that I believe caused this project to be unsuccessful. Another minor thing I would change about this project is organizing more in-class lessons with the teacher because we in fact only had one meeting where we received the chance to teach the class a lesson. Having more of the in-class sessions would mean that we have more data and more data is better when drawing conclusions. I feel that with only one lesson done in class, the results cannot be conclusive enough to confirm whether this PED is a success or not. One suggestion I would give is that maybe have the teacher organize these groups instead of creating our own that way no distractions can distract the friends and let them off-track. What I discovered while working with my group is that when friends go with friends they are more likely to get themselves hooked to something and go on a completely different track. They tend to distract themselves in useless talks and not get the work completed in time. So, having the teacher to organize the teams would be suitable and beneficial to the students because they are forced to work with each other and contribute so that if one does not, they are being covered-up by their friend.
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The article on Addiction and Distraction, written by Tony Schwartz summates how distraction on the internet is practiced as a habit which interrupts daily routines. The author connects this idea and elaborates by describing his experience of how he realized his insane addiction to the internet. He realized his compulsive behaviors towards internet through the close observations on his deteriorating health. The effects on health were quite detrimental as he drank lots of diet soda, and increases consumption of alcohol almost every day and was no longer exercising regularly as he used to before.
Similarly, I also find myself addicted to distraction. Like Tony, I am compelled towards Facebook, which is my primary interface for distraction instead of checking emails. Now, that I recall the effects of distraction, I remember that I snacked too frequently when being distracted. The hunger for some reason just drastically increases at an instant and other time it makes me sick of it. My resolution was very much like Tony’s ambitious plan. I informed my father to shutdown Wi-Fi after bedtime. This plan showed positive results, my chronic procrastination reduced by a great amount and I was more focused and my irregular cravings for food had stopped. This issue is not only relatable to the author and me, rather to every being who utilizes internet as a part of their daily routines. The distraction nature of the internet is definitely a problem because many internet users have not yet realized of how major this problem is and can become. Others who know that this problem exists cannot map out a way from this problem. The rest who are like me and Tony still remain the victims of distraction of internet; though know how to manage time and internet wisely so that it would not interrupt our lives with a negative impact. As mentioned in the article, Tony references a survey in which it states of how millennials check emails outside of work more than during work hours. This evidently proves how distraction caused by internet (in this case with emails) is accumulating as a major concern. Distraction to the internet is so widespread that it’s hard to control. It causes build-up of pressure because distraction causes one to fall behind in schedule which pressurizes them to work harder to get the task done on time. This pressure can cause the change in eating habits which directly impacts on their heath and cause more issues of not taken care of them. Distraction on the internet can also cause the unnecessary shopping which results in less wealth. There are so many more issues; the ones listed just scrap the surface of the problem. If I tried to disconnect myself from the internet, I wouldn’t be able to function appropriately because I’d feel as I am lacking the information which I need to harness it from the internet. I believe that the point of vacation is to enjoy it in every aspect as one would wish. Personally, I would hate to have myself disconnected from the internet. Otherwise, it would kill the purpose of vacation. I want to enjoy moments in my vacation and be in touch with the world (in terms of information and with long-distance relatives). As a result, I would not eat properly because I would feel that I am incomplete (missing out on the information that I should know) if I were disconnected from the internet. Hence, in a way I would go insanely crazy without internet on a vacation. Schools should address this issue because as mentioned above, many individuals are unaware of the existence of this issue. More importantly, it should be addressed to students in the school because majority of them struggle to create an effective plan on how to evade distraction from the internet. They suffer the consequences such as stress form the pressure created from the distraction on internet and seek opportunities to reduce the impacts. They should be educated on this topic so that they can know how to improve their current results with few simple, personal steps. |
AuthorA grade 12, who is always mistaken as a niner. Archives
January 2017
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