One of my 200 hour electives that I’m currently undertaking is design and technology, a subject I chose because I like creating new things and finding possible solutions for a given problem.
I recently noticed how my planning and goals have evolved through this elective, especially during this term’s unit Children’s Market. In this unit, we have been given the task to plan, design, and create a children’s party for a young child, with an underlying theme, a venue, decorations and entertainment, as well as creating some of our own recipes for the menu.
Luckily, we get to work together in pairs for this task, and I decided to partner with one of my friends who also does Design and Tech. Being the flex she is, she’s known for finishing her work ahead of everyone else, and completing her projects to a very high standard. I’ve really enjoyed working with her so far, and we have both co-operated well and worked effectively together on our portfolio.
As I said before, I’ve noticed that my planning and goal setting skills have transformed, especially during this term. Working with another person has helped me build my skills further, as well as picking up tricks to work dynamically in a group. We’ve tackled our portfolio in stages – having a goal to finish a specific part of the portfolio in each lesson, and (depending by how many lessons that week) by the end of the week. Both of us communicate effectively, and express our ideas to the other, making sure we’re both clear on what we’re aiming to complete by the end of the lesson and week.
I’m really glad that I’ve started improving these skills, as it was difficult for me to plan, create goals and actually stick to them previously. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m working with another person and staying motivated or if there are less distractions around me, but either way, I’m really pleased that I’ve improved! I’m a little surprised as well that Design and Technology has taught me these new skills, and I know I definitely should and will apply this to all my other subjects.