BELOW, see 3 Samples of Observing for Learning reports completed by SelfDesign learners, with responses from Learning Consultants included.
SAMPLE 1 (Learning activities identified in orange, report in pink, Learning Consultant comments in blue)
Observing for Learning-Weekly
0. Being Present – Spiritual
1. Planning Personal Planning - Scheduling - Observations - Evaluations
2. Wellness Health
Walk I went on a walk with my brother on Tuesday. At first we just walked down the road, but then he decided to bushwhack. To say the least, it was very interesting! I trust you stayed a good distance away while this was happening!
Run My brother and I ran along a Fairwinds trail, but instead of taking the normal way home, we went on an unusual way, cutting close through and walking across(on boards) a lake with a beaver dam in the center. You took my favorite trail....
Sports Club This week, we played a version of baseball, with teams. Since there is only one person allowed on a base, you get put out if you are on second and the ball isn't hit hard enough so that you can run to home! My favorite place to play when I am in the outfield is right near the batter, so that I can anticipate their moves. Which way they hit the ball depends largely on which side of the ball they are standing. I think that's neat that you figured that out by yourself. It IS a big factor in playing defense and where to position players. If somebody needs to get home, you usually have to get ready in the very back of the gym, because that is where they are probably going to hit the ball.
Dance My dance partner finally came back this week.........and had weeks of our dance to catch up on! We are especially working on positioning now; where we are during certain parts of our dance. I'm glad you are back in the groove with your partner. Things will move along a little smoother now, I trust.
3. Languaging
Wrote stories: Elsie, A Night in the Wilderness, Thistlethorn Elsie is in the Girls' Writing Club you would like to read it, and the story is a description of itself! It certainly is. I enjoyed reading your short story about the homeless young girl, Elsie. The other two are not in the Girls' Writing Club, so here are concise summeries: A Night in the Wilderness is about a family who is stranded in the wilderness for a
night, and Thistlethorn is set in the Middle Ages. It is about Elize, a serf's daughter, whose family is struck with the plague, and one by one die. Elize, for some odd reason, doesn't catch the plague, even though she is in close contact with her family. She was lucky not to get that disease too. Are these stories quite long or are they short stories, like "Elsie"?
Currently working on another story, Family This story is about Montana, a colored girl who lives with all her relations in a subdivision in Ontario in 1932. Her cousin, Homer, excels at many sports, and is Montana's best friend as well as her cousin, so she is devastated when Homer is diagnosed with bone cancer. This is a good storyline, Carine. It will be interesting to see where your imagination takes this story.
Free reading I got a Bible for my birthday and I have decided that I want to read through the whole Bible. I am currently on Exodus, which is about all the ceremonies performed as Moses is bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.
Marking on spelling and grammar This is what it sounds like.........marking and marking! And more marking!
4. Humanities -
Read about Ancient Rome All I can say after reading about Ancient Rome is this: I would NOT have wanted to be a gladiator! They led such miserable lifes, risking killing themselves for amusement of others. I agree, Carine. It seems they existed largely as entertainment for the nobility, at great risk to themselves.
Read about the U.S.A. states where she is going for a holiday For our holiday(which we are taking from March 19th to two weeks later, whenever that is), we are taking a ferry and then we are driving through Washington, Oregon, California(not all in the same day), and finally, our destination.......Yuma, Arizona, where we will spend six days lying around, apparently. Fortunately, I will have something to read, since I am bringing the Lord of the Rings trilogy on our trip. I think it is a good plan for you to have a large amount of reading material available on such a trip. You
always surprise me by how fast you whip through books.
5. Culture -
Rosetta Stone French In Unit Nine, they start piling on the Writing and Dictations! Now, you can expect two or three to a page, one time four!-and there are more of the typing kind. There is also a slightly smaller screen, probably part of the Grade Nine French. I noticed that the questions start to come fast and furious. You are doing a good job with your listening comprehension to be able to keep up to this pace of questions.
6. SelfDesigning -
7. Logic - Math -
Volume This lesson was about finding the volume of various simple shapes(see Volume of Composite Solids)
Surface Area of Composite Solids This is easy: you just divide the composite shape into several simple shapes, calculate the areas of those, and add it all together! Yes, that's it exactly! I'm glad you can see that these problems are no more complex than the ones with one area to be calculated, only longer.
Volume of Composite Solids Same as Surface Area of Composite Solids, except you find the volume of the several simple shapes and add it all together.
Enlargements and Reductions This was just enlarging and reducing formulas. It applys to everyday life in things such as cookie recipes, cement mixtures........and figuring out your budget and how much air to put in your bike tires and how much cloth to cut while you're sewing and.....
8. Livingry - Tools for Living - Applied Skills - Information Technology - Financial Management - Career
Cleaned her brother's music studio
Baked muffins My brother and I found a NEW muffin recipe. It was blueberry, with this delicious cinnamon topping, but for a twist, we stuck some white chocolate chips in as well! It gave it an interesting flavor! Yes, it was. I didn't seem to have too much to sample, though. I guess that means that the natives enjoyed it a lot and didn't leave too much behind!
8. Science - Ecology
Science experiment This was just more of what I did at Science Club the last time I went(to see, look in Observing for Learning a couple of weeks ago). Okay....
Science Club This week, we got strips of litmus paper and a little color chart, and started seeing what the color of certain mixtures on the litmus paper was. The neutral colors were around 6 or 7, a yellowish. I still have an experiment with cabbage water in it, to do right before the next Science Club. What is your prediction for what numbers will come up for the cabbage, Carine? In other words, how acidic or alkaline is it?
10. Creativity - Artistic and Creative Activity
music (instrument or voice) , art, dance, performance, creative expression in any media, poetry, pottery, fashion, design in any media
Preperation for vocal festival All my vocal festival is the Monday, March 14th, and THursday, March 17th. I have three things on each day, or four things on one day and two on the other......something like that. On the first day, I definitely have my Musical Theatre (yay!) and my Folk Song, which will be accompanied by my brother. You have quite a few performances lined up this year, more than ever before. I hope all goes well for you.
Piano lesson and practice We did some jazz chords at this lesson. Now I won't have a lesson for three weeks, because of Vocal Festival and holidays. Yes, the festival takes up some time each spring, but it's been a worthwhile experience for you, based on your comments and reactions.
Theory lesson and homework Lesson Ten is very long, but we will hopefully be finished it soon! I am learning how to write sixteenth rests! That sounds like a very short break--about as long as my lunch break the other day when I was rushed!
11. Philosophy - Ethics and Ontology
12. Learning Committee - Family Meetings – Overall Planning and Evaluation
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SAMPLE 2 - (Learning Consultant comments in blue)
0. Being Present – Spiritual
I have started not externalizing my feelings automatically. I am concerned because usually I say how or act how i feel 100% of the time. I wonder if it has anything to do with time of year.? I am going to be experimenting with different techniques of centering the self. Hopefully within the next month I will be back to my self and have the tools to stay that way. Why do you think it has to do with this time of year? Has anything happened to you in the spring in your life? Usually it is a happy time because the weather is warm and the sun is shining. I am sure it will pass if you just treat yourself well - sleep, eat, run, meditate, play, play music, be with friends......
1. Planning / Personal Planning -
I had a long talk with my dad about my approach to next year's situation.
I expressed my desire to buy a house and to start saving money. I also expressed to him the plan i have as to how I am going to find a house suitable to move into. We shared concerns and ideas as to how to generate money and how to allow myself to continue with my current stream of life and education. sounds like a good year ahead of me. That is so great that you and your dad can talk. I am confident that you have a good year ahead - you are the creator of your own destiny and you want good things for yourself! so you will make them happen. Yay Aaron!
2. Wellness Health –
Running as usual is a good way to focus energy and relax myself and also to ensure I function to the best of my ability physically. I loved running this week due to the fact I found it quite easy. no aches or pains during running. YAY!
3. Languaging
I planned out a few people in the campaign the d&d group is going on, one of which is crooked peet. crooked peet is a 117 year old mage wizard of vecna, an organization based in the city or mamsire (the party's point of origin) bases on controlling government affairs from afar while maintaining a healthy share of the city's riches. again - I have no idea what you are talking about but I am glad you have found d&d in your life. I am reading Victors book now and I understand why you found it so great when you were reading it!
8. Livingry -
I baked some chocolate chip cookies for my dad this week. They turned out fairly well aside from being flat, covering the entire cookie sheet and being very crisp.:D i learned to never substitute Crisco for butter. butter is better for you too....
10. Creativity - Artistic and Creative Activity
I wrote a nice song about the sky and the stars. I like writing lyrics when my songs are slow and repetitive in rhythm. I enjoy playing slower songs much more then heavy power songs. there is something about the way a guitar carries the beauty of each note wholey that makes slow quiet songs more appealing. It must be so great to be able to create a song - lyrics and music - I have been making up simple songs for River and I sing them to him all the time and doug wrote a beautiful song called cry me a River! River claps his hands when Doug starts to play the song on the guitar!
Bye for now - thanks for the report!
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SAMPLE 3 - (Learning Consultant comments in green)
Essence/Spirit
Meditation is doing me good... I tend to be a fairly ungrounded person, and one of the things that this does is it helps to ground me somewhat. I go for walking meditation as well as yoga and sitting meditation. The raging waters in my head are calming and stilling ;)
Some rambling questions: How did meditation arise?! Who was the first meditator?! I mean, do you think we could have been meditating thousands of years ago ... I'll bet we were, because it seems the kind of activity that humans are suited for as we ... waited alongside game trails for hours or days, worked at menial chores like gathering berries, nuts, grassess and firewood and then cooked or made clothing or wove baskets .... Do you think we meditate because it's really good for us to do to 'calm our raging waters and chattering monkeys' and help restore energy and focus attention? It seems like a divine gift to those willing to receive it!
Personal Planning
I had a discussion with my dad about myself and my life and what I wanted. One of the things that came up was that "I want to be smart and know a lot." Sure, who doesn't, you might ask. So I'm going to map out areas of where to go with that, then how to be that, and then I'll get going.
Hmmm ... I tend to think ...
1. that you already ARE smart and have all the resources and inner wisdom to make excellent choices, and
2. that what might additionally help enhance your wisdom are various experiences and exposure to, and practise of various 'strategies of excellence'!
It’s not a new book and it is often available in 2nd hand bookstores for a couple of bucks!
Activity/Wellness
I went for a long walk this week. Sort of a walking meditation. It was very grounding and enjoyable.
Guitar/Singing/Reading/Writing/Speaking
Every day I played more or less half an hour of guitar. I'm improving quickly, but I'm really concerned about my carpal tunnel syndrome. I'm going to go get that checked out as soon as possible. I may have to take a three month or more break from playing guitar, typing, ultimate, etc.—anything that will hurt my wrists at all.
Ouch! Do watch this ... RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) is very serious, and can certainly affect young people. A suggestion: try a compress of 'cold pressed castor oil' (it's cheap, available at health food stores) swathed with a cotton cloth (the oil is goopy) and hot water bottle for 20-30 minutes; 4-5 times and you should note some improvement.
Singing is going well... there is not much to say about it, though. I had a good lesson and I've been practicing at home.
I have been reading little articles here and there,such as groundsquirrels using ultrasound for short-distance distress calls (this is really efficient because their predators can't hear it, and it is easy to direct), the Chinese governor's visit to Canada following the Dalai Lama. He lied a lot. He said that they were not suppressing Tibetan religion (they are, they are a lot), they are investing a lot of money to rebuild monasteries that they ruined (yeah... but for a tourist attraction), their classes for buddhist monks are beneficial because those people are part of China too, and they should be educated about patriotism (hmmmm I
smell cultural genocide). I know that these are lies first-hand. I know someone who went to Tibet to visit the Dalai Lama, and he saw people who had had half their limbs cut off because they had been caught with Tibetan manuscripts, or speaking that language and things like that. He saw this evidence, in fact he was attacked (literally) by it. Anyhow I'm somewhat upset about it. I read about Ontario's new legislation that makes it illegal for kids to drop out of school until they are 18. I read about Google's job recruitment techniques that include crazy mind twisters and mathematical puzzles and funny questions instead of interviews.
I have also been writing in my journal. Dreams, days, thoughts and ideas. Thank goodness for writing, because if I didn't write things down I would forget most of them I think![
I continue to read The Summer of the Leprechauns by Tanis Helliwell. It is very entertaining and wisdomful.
Congratulations on consuming this wide range of information and processing it ... without retreating into despair ... and I mean this, after all, there are signs aplenty confirming human idiocy and our inhumanity, and it would not be a sign of Insanity but Sanity to react to this by racing screaming down the block. Some do, and they are inappropriately labeled as psychotic, schrizophrenic, hyper-sensitive, etc. I think it takes an exceptional sense of balance to survive - and thrive -amidst such chaos. 'Balancing' involves many of the activities in which you participate (meditation, exercise, sharing, etc.) and purposefully 'dwelling in the light of our existance', as I phrase it. We all have such light in us and of us, the trick being to recognize it and co-mingle with it without extinguishing it.
You might be really interested in learning about Ann Mortifiee, a very talented BC woman (singer, songwriter, actor, activist) whom I have long admired, and who lives with a great deal of personal integrity, IMO. Here’s her website: www.annmortifee.com/
On Friday I had a marvelous day of letting go! My friend and I stood on his balcony in the cove, icing our barefeet on the tiles, and we stood and watched for a while. Then I started to laugh! Usually when I'm in public I sort of choke my giggles down, but this time I just let go and laughed and laughed and laughed. The cove is a place that I'm generally afraid to be in... I get that cold feeling of fear whenever I go there. I laughed some more, and then I began to see people I know, and most of them I love very much. Little Danika whom I first met at Xenia, along with her mom and dad. My dad and my sister; Wayne
Kozak. I smiled and chatted with them from the balcony, and they went on their way. I tried to explain the word 'fungled' that I had created, and that was what started me talking about my plans for writing a story—mostly about the forest in the story. It was a good time for me—I unharnessed a lot of good energy. Happy energy!
Hooray for happy energy!!
Creativity/Artistic Expression
I used drawing as an outlet for expression this week. Ink pen; not overly complicated drawings. I'm experimenting with different expressions in eyes using somewhat subtle changes. When I draw just the eye, it seems to have a lot of expressions depending on when, how long and what mood I'm in when I look at it. I suspect it is merely my reflection on paper.
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