The Experience Film

As our final extra project, we have created a film that goes through several important aspects of our placement and this allowed us to really reflect back to all that we have done. It made us realize some of the mistakes we have done, and recognize some of the skills we needed to develop. But it also made us think about what we accomplished and what we were able to gain from the service learning experience. And so, here is our feature presentation:

Below I went through each of the different parts of the film to explain more and reflect on that aspect of our placement:

Part One

Here we have a couple of clips showing our interaction with our supervisors, Lana and Wanda, and we discuss our relationship with them. We also reveal one of the issues that we had near the beginning of our placement. We completed the second set of slides way too late (we finished the day before it was to be presented) and Wanda was not too pleased with that. She needed more time to be able to go through them so that we can then post the student version. However, as mentioned in the film, we made sure that did not happen again. This part of the video made me think about how much our supervisors cared about us. They were always willing to help us out whenever we were unclear about something, and they wanted to make sure that we always did our best. Thus, with the issue, in a sense Wanda wanted us to realize how careless we were to not realize the slides should have been done earlier. I was able to learn from this experience, to realize I need to be able to make good decisions and be aware of what needs to be done. These events allow me to try to be more responsible in the future, especially if I will have to work for new supervisors. 

Part Two

In this part of the video, we go through several aspects of how we prepare for the seminars and our interactions with each other in the LSS team. First of all, we show how we decided that instead of one person completing the slides by himself, we should all contribute (and then one person will be “in charge” of that lab). Also, we show how I would sometimes need more time to review the concepts from CHMB42 that I may have forgotten and that there were times in which Donald and I would not agree on something. Furthermore, it showed that there have been occasions in which Taleen and I get along very well and we are able to work efficiently together. This included a clip of the one time that we ended up presenting together (besides the Jeopardy! seminars). Lastly, in this section it showed how Donald and I would be busy preparing for seminars right up until right before we present. All of this makes me reflect upon how the placement was never easy-going, and that there were times that I should have tried to become more prepared ahead of time. It allowed me to realize that at first I took the placement kind of lightly, but then I knew I had to be able to work hard to perform well. Also, it made me realize that working with others can also be difficult at times, and I needed to be able to find ways to come up with a solution to any problems that may arise. Through these experiences, I have been able to develop some time management and teamwork skills that I can apply to any of my future aspirations.

Part Three

In the next section, we went through our presentation skills and how we dealt with the feedback we got from students. It showed how there have been times that I have been unclear or unsure about how to answer a question and how there were other times that Donald and I were disorganized during a presentation. Also, one of the clips showed how we knew that our presentation skills were poor but how we felt that we were improving significantly as shown by the students and our supervisors. Furthermore, some clips showed how I took the student surveys too seriously and how I became discouraged about their negative feedback. Lastly, this section showed how there were times where our supervisors could not help but take over sometimes to explain things more clearly. This section made me think about how fortunate I was to be able to get so much exposure in presenting, since this is an important skill that I will definitely need for the future. It was skill that was certainly underdeveloped for me at first, and through all this I was able to work on improving it a lot more. Through this placement, I have been able to become more confident and clear when I present, and I can carry on what I learned to future education and work.

Part Four

In the final section of our film, we discuss some of the things we learned by being LSS mentors, such as the fact that teaching can be more difficult than it may seem at first. We also discuss how we realized some of the challenges that professors likely go through, such as feeling pressures from unsatisfied students and trying to engage students to participate in lecture. We also show some final clips of all of us presenting together for one of the final Jeopardy! seminars. Finally, I also mention some of the important skills that I felt I developed in this placement (presentation, teamwork, and leadership skills). With these final scenes of the film, it made me think about how the girls, and Donald and I, portrayed two very different extremes in many aspects. As we progressed in our placement, we were able to realize that we all needed to find a balance, and we worked to becoming better team members so that we could perform more efficiently. Also, these concluding statements made me realize how this placement has been very beneficial for me, as it allowed me to gain so much more than I expected. After this experience, I feel I could be more qualified to become a teaching assistant, as it has also helped me to better understand CHMB42 concepts on top of the other work-related skills I developed. Last of all, by fulfilling this placement, I feel that I have become more prepared for my future goals, such as my goal to become a doctor, and as I continue to work towards this, I will continue to apply what I learned to the new situations and challenges I face.