Sustainable Design
Sustainable Project Description
I thought this project did not roll out as well as it could have. A lot of us weren’t really engaged in the projects that we came up with. That made it harder for us to stay on task and be interested in it. I think that next time we could roll it out with more of a set plan for the project rather than have it be so free. I think when kids at this age have so much freedom with projects they don't use their time as wisely as they should.
I thought that the guest speakers helped out a lot with the sustainable design project. I had no clue what I wanted to build at the beginning of the project. But once we went to Turtle Lake Refuge, it opened up so many ideas for me. I then wanted to build a greenhouse at our school. I think it's a really good idea to use these field trips for future freshmen because not only are they learning more about our community, but it also helps us to think creatively about ideas.
Sustainable design in my own words is an eco-friendly model that helps our ecosystem and community get together without destroying the planet. Being sustainable means that it can depend on itself to live. This makes it better for the planet, our wallets, and our communities as a whole.
Outdoor/Final Prototype Description
At the beginning of the project, I was set on building a greenhouse. I had done research and had wanted to start fundraising. Once our interviewers had observed our project, there were a lot of problems that they brought up. For example, they said that fundraising wouldn't get us nearly enough money to build it. And if we did build it, who would water and take care of it in the summer when schools out? After the interviewers shared their thoughts I started to think of another project that was more realistic.
There were definitely times in this projects when I wasn't using my time like I should have been. I work a lot better when there are directions rather than having so much freedom. I also had a lot of work done as well as accomplishments during this project. When we first started this project we began with a plan of building a greenhouse, although thing had not worked out like it should have, our group still managed to split up and create our own mini projects! Some of our group joined other groups to help out.
During this sustainable design project, I accomplished a few things. I helped kids paint their projects as well as paint parts of my own projects. Halfway through this project,
I was asked to help with the mini ramp project. I started helping them by making thank- you cards to all the people who had helped fundraise and make the mini ramp project possible. I helped them with building the structure of the mini ramp as well. Overall,
I wish I could have done more or had come up with a better idea that I could have stuck with and make happen.
Sustainable Design Project Reflection
The 21st-century skill that I learned most during this project was problem-solving. During this project, there were a lot of issues that occurred and many times that my partner and I had to fix them. In doing so, it opened my mind to creative thinking. For example, when my partner and I were starting to paint the panels, we realized that they were all broken. Because of creatively thinking, we decided to get scrap wood and screw it in on the missing pieces to make a full panel before painting.
One 21st-century skill that I need to work on is managing my time better. I feel that it is hard for me to focus on one thing at a time and I found myself struggling with it for the whole project. For example, a time that this had happened was when I was helping with the mini ramp project. It was hard for me to focus on the task that was given, which lead me to chat with friends for parts of this project and not use my time wisely.
There have definitely been many struggles in this project but my partners and I successfully persevered. Ainsley, my partner, and I helped with the mini ramp project that the AHS students had fundraised for. Here and there, we would get frustrated with each other and at the equipment, we were using. There were also many times when people in the group would get upset at one another. In order to solve this, we were all able to reflect on ourselves and take our own time to realize our effect on others.
My partner and I had started a project painting wooden panels. Once we started painting we realized that the panels were not going to work because the wood was too old and was falling apart. So, we ended up skipping that project and starting another one. There were definitely times in the project where we could have kept going on the task given but we ended the projects instead of finishing.
From the start of this project, I was expecting to have a nice greenhouse and to clean the environment of Animas. I was hoping that the school was going to be a different place with everything that the freshmen had created. But, after the projects were done, I realized that everything we hoped for didn't happen because we didn’t have enough money to fund everyone's project. In this project, I also realized that painting all around the school made Animas have such an awesome environment. The teachers here want art everywhere and not a lot of schools are okay with kids expressing themselves on the walls of the school.
The advice I would give to a student beginning the project is to pick a task that's realistic and that doesn't need a lot of money to complete. I found that many of the students were picking projects that were almost impossible because they needed a ton of money and apps like ‘GoFundMe’ to work. I found that it doesn't work in the amount of time that you are given. Also, my advice is to do a project that you are interested in. You want to be excited to do it in order to get it done. I think this project is such an awesome opportunity to put something into our school that shows meaning.
I thought this project did not roll out as well as it could have. A lot of us weren’t really engaged in the projects that we came up with. That made it harder for us to stay on task and be interested in it. I think that next time we could roll it out with more of a set plan for the project rather than have it be so free. I think when kids at this age have so much freedom with projects they don't use their time as wisely as they should.
I thought that the guest speakers helped out a lot with the sustainable design project. I had no clue what I wanted to build at the beginning of the project. But once we went to Turtle Lake Refuge, it opened up so many ideas for me. I then wanted to build a greenhouse at our school. I think it's a really good idea to use these field trips for future freshmen because not only are they learning more about our community, but it also helps us to think creatively about ideas.
Sustainable design in my own words is an eco-friendly model that helps our ecosystem and community get together without destroying the planet. Being sustainable means that it can depend on itself to live. This makes it better for the planet, our wallets, and our communities as a whole.
Outdoor/Final Prototype Description
At the beginning of the project, I was set on building a greenhouse. I had done research and had wanted to start fundraising. Once our interviewers had observed our project, there were a lot of problems that they brought up. For example, they said that fundraising wouldn't get us nearly enough money to build it. And if we did build it, who would water and take care of it in the summer when schools out? After the interviewers shared their thoughts I started to think of another project that was more realistic.
There were definitely times in this projects when I wasn't using my time like I should have been. I work a lot better when there are directions rather than having so much freedom. I also had a lot of work done as well as accomplishments during this project. When we first started this project we began with a plan of building a greenhouse, although thing had not worked out like it should have, our group still managed to split up and create our own mini projects! Some of our group joined other groups to help out.
During this sustainable design project, I accomplished a few things. I helped kids paint their projects as well as paint parts of my own projects. Halfway through this project,
I was asked to help with the mini ramp project. I started helping them by making thank- you cards to all the people who had helped fundraise and make the mini ramp project possible. I helped them with building the structure of the mini ramp as well. Overall,
I wish I could have done more or had come up with a better idea that I could have stuck with and make happen.
Sustainable Design Project Reflection
The 21st-century skill that I learned most during this project was problem-solving. During this project, there were a lot of issues that occurred and many times that my partner and I had to fix them. In doing so, it opened my mind to creative thinking. For example, when my partner and I were starting to paint the panels, we realized that they were all broken. Because of creatively thinking, we decided to get scrap wood and screw it in on the missing pieces to make a full panel before painting.
One 21st-century skill that I need to work on is managing my time better. I feel that it is hard for me to focus on one thing at a time and I found myself struggling with it for the whole project. For example, a time that this had happened was when I was helping with the mini ramp project. It was hard for me to focus on the task that was given, which lead me to chat with friends for parts of this project and not use my time wisely.
There have definitely been many struggles in this project but my partners and I successfully persevered. Ainsley, my partner, and I helped with the mini ramp project that the AHS students had fundraised for. Here and there, we would get frustrated with each other and at the equipment, we were using. There were also many times when people in the group would get upset at one another. In order to solve this, we were all able to reflect on ourselves and take our own time to realize our effect on others.
My partner and I had started a project painting wooden panels. Once we started painting we realized that the panels were not going to work because the wood was too old and was falling apart. So, we ended up skipping that project and starting another one. There were definitely times in the project where we could have kept going on the task given but we ended the projects instead of finishing.
From the start of this project, I was expecting to have a nice greenhouse and to clean the environment of Animas. I was hoping that the school was going to be a different place with everything that the freshmen had created. But, after the projects were done, I realized that everything we hoped for didn't happen because we didn’t have enough money to fund everyone's project. In this project, I also realized that painting all around the school made Animas have such an awesome environment. The teachers here want art everywhere and not a lot of schools are okay with kids expressing themselves on the walls of the school.
The advice I would give to a student beginning the project is to pick a task that's realistic and that doesn't need a lot of money to complete. I found that many of the students were picking projects that were almost impossible because they needed a ton of money and apps like ‘GoFundMe’ to work. I found that it doesn't work in the amount of time that you are given. Also, my advice is to do a project that you are interested in. You want to be excited to do it in order to get it done. I think this project is such an awesome opportunity to put something into our school that shows meaning.