4^TH BLOG - REVIEW – 14/11/2013

Strengths developed:

1 IT Skills

Example I have refreshed my memory on how to use a spread sheet and how to put in formulae. Also I have furthered my understanding of how a computer generally works.

2 Helpful

Example I have been learning more in IT which has allowed me to know more so when people are stuck or ask for help, I can show them what to do and give them advice. I have tried to go out of my way to help people.

3 Efficiency

Example I have been able to complete my work even quicker and to still complete it up to the same standards that I usually set myself.

New strengths

1 Tolerance

Example I have been able to tolerate more things that I don’t particularly enjoy doing. This also improves my patience as if I can patiently wait until something demanding and tedious is over then that really helps my patience skills.

2 Trustworthy

Example You can give me a task to do and a deadline and I will complete it. In groups or pairs I will hold my end of the bargain and complete my fair share of the work and maybe even go beyond should that be required.

Improvements

1 Patience

Example I have become more patient so when a webpage or a document is not responding I wait for it to come back on instead of trying to make it work which can make it slower. I can also last for a long and tedious time for something to finish and not to show any frustration or anger.

2 Forgetfulness

Example I have improved my memory so I haven’t forgotten to do a piece of work for the deadline recently. Also I haven't forgotten what time a lesson starts or what time to catch a bus in the middle of the day or in the middle of the afternoon.

New areas for improvement 

1 Selfish

Example I finish my own work before helping other people with theirs.

It is important to not be selfish as this means that you put other people before you, it allows you to think of others before yourself so that you can help them instead of helping yourself.

I will improve it by changing my mind-set from thinking of myself to thinking about others who may be in need of help.

I will have made some progress on this when I put others before myself, and going out of my way to help other people even if it means giving up something for me. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013 although I would really prefer to show a big improvement for this one immediately.

I will know if it has improved when I am constantly putting other people’s needs before my own and helping as many people as much as I can.

2 Lazy

Example I have the opportunity to go that extra bit further but decide not to.

It is important not to be lazy as that allows me to get up and do something extra instead of laying down and doing something that won’t help me that much.

I will improve this skill by changing my mind-set and by getting up and doing something that may help someone instead of just doing something that takes little energy and doesn’t help people too much.

I will have made some progress on this when I regularly get up and do something helpful and useful for other people. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013 although I would really prefer to show a big improvement for this one immediately.

I will know if it has improved if I find myself getting up more to do something helpful and useful for someone else or even for myself.

3^RD BLOG - REVIEW – 24/10/2013

Strengths developed:

 

1 Self motivated

Example: I have become more self-motivated which has allowed me to keep on top of my coursework and my assignments. I can self motivate myself even more to drive through any boredom to complete a task.

2 Organised

Example: I have become more organised which allows me to find things quicker than before as I have it organised. I have been sorting out a couple of routines to make sure that College goes as smoothly as possible.

3 Time management

Example: I have improved my time management which has allowed me to arrange for me to fit my work around me getting home to relax. I have been organising myself to fit my College lessons and Personal Directed Study hours so that I don't have to wait long for a bus home in the middle of the day or afternoon.

New strengths

1 IT skills

Example: I have improved my IT skills so that I can use a computer faster and better than before. I have been improving my typing speed so that I can type faster and trying to reduce any typing mistakes or errors that would slow me down to erase the mistake.

2 Efficiency

Example: I have become more efficient so that I can complete my set work as quickly and as thoroughly as I can. I try to think of ideas and what to put in my work as quickly as possible so that I have that idea in my head  so that I know what I'm meant to be writing about even if my brain laspses and I can't think of what exactly to put, at least I know what I am writing about so that I can think about what to put and get back to working as quickly as possible.

Improvements

1 Attention span

Example: I have improved my attention span. This allows me to stay focused for longer when doing work so I can complete as much as possible without getting distracted and losing focus, or when listening to others so that I can understand as much of what they are saying as possible and possibly help them out if I understood enough to give them advice.

2 Shy - confidence

Example: I have improved my confidence so that I can do more things without getting worried or nervous. I can talk at the front of the class while not being as nervous as I used to be which allows me to get the higher marks as I can make better eye contact and speak more clearly.

New areas for improvement

1 Stubborn – closed minded

Example: I can stay focused on an idea without considering any other ideas for a group task.

It is important to improve this skill as that will allow me to consider other ideas.

I will improve this skill by allowing myself to be more open minded.

I will have made some progress on this when I think about every idea put out of there instead of just one. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know if it has improved when I am more open minded and can consider other ideas apart from just the one.

 

2 Quiet

Example: When doing group work I can often be quiet when I think that my group can do enough talking to get the job done.

It is important to improve on this skill as my contribution could be helpful so I need to speak more.

I will have made some progress on this when I talk more in groups to help my group out. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know if this has improved when I can make a positive contribution to my team or not.

2^nd BLOG - REVIEW – 02/10/2013

Strengths developed:

1 Helpful

Example: I have been more helpful so when people ask me for help I tell them as much as I know about what they want specifically. I have also been working on my IT skills so when people ask me specifically about things for IT I can be more helpful and have more knowledge to impart.

2 Self motivated

Example: I have become more self-motivated which helps me to get on top of my assignments. I can get through more tedious tasks and more tedious pieces of work so that I can get through my work as efficiently as possible.

3 Organised

Example: I have become more organised which helps me to find thing easier to save me time. I have been organising myself around bus journeys home so that I can organise my time so that I have enough time to catch the hourly bus and fit in enough Personal Directed Study hours to keep on top of the average time I am meant to spend in a study zone doing my work.

 

New strengths

1 Confidence

Example: I have improved my confidence which has allowed me to talk more during presentations and to not be as nervous during them. This allows me to speak more clearly than before and also to make more eye contact and to have more of a speaking role than before.

2 Team work

Example: I have improved my team working skills so that I can work better in a team with other people. I take up a bigger role in teams now so that I can give a bigger contribution but also I give people and their ideas even more respect than before now and make better decisions and have more of a voice in the decision making process.

 

Improvements

 

1 Attention span

Example: I have improved my attention span which helps me to stay focused for longer in a conversation, doing work or just listening to somebody.  I can listen for longer to other people which allows me to understand what they are talking about and may put me in a position to give them advice or guidance on what we are talking about. I can also pay more attention to my work so that I can complete my work more efficiently with me spending less time daydreaming because I don't want to pay attention to my work.

2 Shy

Example: I have become less shy by improving my confidence so that I can do more things without being nervous. These are things such as speaking in front of the class in a group, pair or solo presentation where I can make more eye contact and speak more clearly due to me being more confident.

New areas for improvement

1              Patience

Example: When my computer is being slow I don’t wait for it to work, I try to do something about it.

This skill is important as it can reduce my stress levels and can make everything run more smoothly.

I will improve this skill by resisting the urge to do something and to wait patiently.

I will have made some progress on this once I have been patient and it has paid off. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know I have improved when I can easily wait for something to work without me influencing it.

2              Forgetful

Example: Sometimes I forget to do a piece of work or I leave something behind.

Improving on this is important as it will hinder me and cost me time when I could be working.

I will improve this by putting a mental note in my mind and maybe by typing or writing a note somewhere telling me not to forget something.

I will have made progress on this when I can remember a multiple number of things without needing to think about it. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know when I have made some progress on this when I can remember to do different things a number of times without forgetting.

1^st BLOG – 16/09/2013

Introduction

Introduce yourself: My name is Christopher Bass and I am 16 years old. I am a sports fan with my favourite sports being football, Formula 1 and basketball. I am a big Chelsea FC fan with football being my favourite sport of all. For Formula 1 my current favourite F1 driver is Nico Hulkenberg while for basketball I pay attention to the NBA and my favourite basketball team is Orlando Magic. I also like to play video games with my favourites probably being the Call Of Duty franchise on the Xbox 360.

Strengths

1 Self motivated

Example: Being self-motivated allows me to not need other people to give me encouragement for me to complete a task or a goal; I can do it on my own. This allows me to keep going and to keep working even through more menial and tedious tasks.

2 Organised

Example: Being organised allows me to keep on top of deadlines and to be prepared for what is to come so that I don’t get left behind. This also allows me to organise my lessons and Personal Directed Study hours around me catching the hourly bus home or to get to college.

3 Helpful

Example: Being helpful allows me to give people advice or if I’m unable to give them advice on the topic, direct them to someone who may be able to give them advice. I am trying to improve this further by improving my knowledge in IT so that when people ask me for help in lessons or if they get stuck, I can give them some help.

4 Time management

Example: Being able to manage my time allows me to dedicate the amount of time needed for certain tasks so that I can get my work done as fast as possible. This allows me to get my work done as efficiently as possible so that I can spend more time relaxing and not working.

 

Areas for improvement

1 Shy

Example: Being confident would help me to communicate better and to help me with any public speaking.

Being confident is important as it can allow me to do things that I wouldn't normally feel comfortable doing.

I will improve my confidence by trying to talk to someone new very often.

I will have made progress on this once I am no longer nervous over public speaking or talking to strangers. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know that I have made progress in this once I can confidently do public speaking and talk to strangers.

2 Note taking

Example: Note taking would help so that I could write down a shortened version of what I’m being taught or going through and for it to still make sense.

This skill is important as it allows me to write less and for a shorter period of time and still be able to understand what I have written and gone through.

I will improve this skill by practising writing notes or just by writing notes generally in classes.

I will have made some progress on this when I can take notes effectively and when I can refer back to my notes and understand the work that was done in class. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know when I have improved in this skill when I can read through my notes and understand exactly what it means.

3 Eye contact

Example: Making eye contact with someone can help me to read their body language which can help in determining the mood that the person is in.

This skill is important as it can allow me to understand the mood of the person that I am in a conversation with.

I will improve on this skill by practising making eye contact with someone I am in a conversation with for as long as possible.

I will have made some progress in this after I am comfortable with looking someone in the eyes for a 10 second period of time. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know if I have improved if I can stay in eye contact with someone for at least 10 seconds.

4 Attention span

Example: Having a long attention span would help me stay on task for longer without feeling the need to give my brain a rest.

This skill is important as it can allow me to stay focussed on a task or a goal for longer which could lead to better results or finishing faster.

I will improve this skill by practising staying focussed on certain tasks in everyday life without being distracted or just daydreaming. I can also get more sleep so my brain is better rested.

I will have made some progress on this after I have improved my mind so that I can stay focussed. I want to have shown improvements for this by the 13/12/2013.

I will know if it has improved when I can stay focussed on a task or goal for longer than I already can.