Here's the big picture:
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| I would make this picture larger, but it wouldn't fit on the page! Click here for a bigger image. |
Overall Feeling
I do think that this project was worth my time and effort because I gained a lot of knowledge and experience through it. I volunteered at least twice a week in the timespan on my project (totals up to about _ times), and I was able to volunteer at three different literacy places. (When I went to find more places, I was told that the programs were at the beginning of the year, so I was too late!) The first is the place I most visited, which is after school at the Winnie Units in Punahou. I helped 2nd and 4th graders improve their literacy skills, and it was really enjoyable. The kids are great to help, but they do get distracted a lot! I'm still (and I will for as long as I have 2:30 breaks) volunteering there twice a cycle, although school is almost over. I made a post about how this program works, which you can visit here. I signed up to volunteer at this place just for KEY Club and this project, and I've gotten so much out of it that I'm going to keep on continuing volunteering. I didn't only help Punahou students; I went to a literacy program that benefited low income families, and I found that experience very rewarding.
These volunteering opportunities I've done have really made this project worth it for me! I knew that illiteracy is a problem, but I didn't realise how much of the population (you can read more here) is affected! I know I can't much of a difference by myself, so I brought some friends. I want more people to be aware of the issue now, and it made more motivated to create those videos (UPDATE: I uploaded the videos I'm talking about in the post above!). This project was definitely worth my time and effort because not only did I learn more about literacy, but I know not to take being literate for granted--and I've made relationships with kids (when a little came up and hugged me, I was so touched!!!I'm not allowed to name people because of privacy, but she's so cute!!! ).
My essential question when I first started this project: Why is literacy so important?
After completing this project, I would freak out if someone asked me this! Literacy is extremely important because of how neglected this topic is. Many people, especially at Punahou, take for granted the ability to read and write--I know I do. One out of five (about 20%) of people in Hawaii aren't able to do tasks like read a menu or something as important as reading how to properly take medication. This question has been answered to me in so many different ways, and I hope it's apparent throughout this blog. I see how much I grown from just volunteering for community service to actually looking forward to 2:30 breaks (no offense English) so that I could help out the 2nd and 4th graders with their literacy problems. I want them to succeed and realise that they shouldn't be taking reading/writing for granted either.
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| Some 4th graders I helped at Literacy! The guy on the left only got one wrong that day! |
How I Think Mrs. Balaconis Should Assess This Project
My teacher, Mrs. Balaconis, will be grading this project based on
Breadth: Does this project include both a reading and a written component? Have you included a written reflection?
These two posts (Part 1 and Part 2) are my reflection, and this blog shows my reading/writing. I have posted my volunteering experiences, what I've learned about all the different types of relevant literacy (Children's literacy, Adult literacy, and Hawaii literacy), and the process of my videos. I made sure to do thorough research and to write it in a (hopefully) interesting way.
Depth: Does this project reflect thoughtful engagement with the process in every step?
I think that Mrs. Balaconis should know that I spent most of my weekends working on my video at home or my dad's office and that during the weekdays, I volunteered at literacy libraries. I reflected upon these experiences through this blog (starting with the post "Quality Project"), so look through this!!!
Accuracy: Does this project reflect careful attention to editing, eliminating careless mistakes that deflect attention from the product?
I went to get feedback from my family to make sure that there were no problems; I didn't want to have a bias when trying to improve my work. Sometimes I was irritated at what my dad had to say (he was extremely honest), but I feel like I needed that honesty to help refine what I've done--I'm very grateful for his feedback. (See my post about the errors I've made while working on my videos) I also tried to proofread my blog at least twice--and I did catch a bunch of typos--so I think that helped to eliminate careless mistakes.
Completeness: Does this product itself feel rich and satisfying, leaving the audience with a sense of fullness or satisfaction?
I think that this blog tied everything together--the places I volunteered at, the research I've done, and the videos I've made. I sure hope that it's rich and satisfying because I do think that this blog helps. I hope to give the audience more knowledge about literacy and to become more involved, as this is important if we want to stop illiteracy and educate people.
Precision: In the accompanying reflection, has the creator of the project included specific details addressing the process, evaluating the project, and reflecting upon the learning experience?
I feel like this entire blog is a reflection of my project, which is mostly doing something (either helping at the Winnie Units or creating either of my videos). I tried to include all my missteps, improvements and research that all amount to the contents of this blog. To make the blog interesting, I added images and tried to make an occasional joke while still being serious about the issue. I think I made it clear what I have to done to help
Visual appeal: Is this product aesthetically pleasing, leaving the audience with a sense of awe in the time of energy spent toward its presentation?
The video resolution is not very high because I used my Mom's iPad, transfered to my computer, downloaded it to iMovie, added sound, and converted it to Quicktime, and then uploaded it to YouTube, but I feel like that doesn't take away from the video. The added sound make my videos a little more interesting (like I added page turning, explosion, and fire crackling sounds) and appealing.
May these odds be in my favor! :D
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| The logo for an Oklahoma literacy program |
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