Pilot Quarter 2 Narrative Semester 1 By: Grace Wilcox
Every quarter in Pilot is different for me, I stay within the similar focus but go in new directions. For example, I found new ways to improve my learning like learning stories in ASL, doing research about common health problems and diseases where I live and how to prevent them and I challenged myself with new ideas with the 30 day social media detox. This quarter has been very productive and I have learned and grown as a student. I know this because my way of thinking has changed and keeps changing every time I read something or research something new. For English I have written a college essay, a paper on omnivore's, frugivores, carnivores and herbivores, a slideshow on the Mayflower settlers and the plimoth plantation, and a thirty day social media detox and reflective paper. I am also reading 4 books including Many Ways to Be Deaf, This Was America, Nora Webster and Deaf In America. I wanted to learn more about the mayflower because I don't remember learning about it in elementary school and I think it's a important part of american history. The Plimoth plantation also related to my genealogy studies because my ancestors were on the Mayflower and lived in barnstable MA after immigrating to the US from England. After I finish these books I am going to write up a reflection and talk about that the author and the message from the story. Some things that did not work well was how I didn't always have time to read and it was hard to balance the time I needed to read and the time for other things. I have a lot of books I would like to read but not alot of time to read it or I cant if it's loud in the pilot room. Things that did work well was how I blogged and communicated with my advisors. I met every Monday with Laura and kept in touch with Brian and Caroline through email and set up meetings to discuss my plans. I enjoyed my study for PE this semester because I was doing activities like spin, working out, horseback riding and yoga. I have realized how important fitness is for your welling being. I have learned about health problems and disease and how diet and exercise affects and causes them. This is a study that really interested me after watching a film on the animal farming industry and I have changed improved my diet since reading about this. I kept a log of all my time spent on PE and this was a new challenge for me. It was hard to do this because I didn't always remember to write it down but it really pushed me to reach my goal. You have to get a certain amount of hours and this forced me to see how much time and effort I was putting into my exercises. Everytime I had a riding lesson, went to a spin class etc I would record it. For language this semester I have been improving my signing and fluency skills by practicing a lot and finding new ways to challenge myself. One thing I found that worked well this semester was I found a new way to practice by teaching myself new signs through watching stories told in ASL. I would see what I understood and if I didnt I could see what the word was with the subtitles. The I would write all the signs in order of the story and then practice signing it. Next semester I am going to be doing a lot of reading and reflections. I am going increase how often I practice ASL to every B1. This is the best time to practice for me and it is before i meet with Laura. I hope I am able to continue my genealogy with ancestry and see if I can get a membership to be able to see records. I am also going to finish my project on common health problems and diseases. I will be no longer be doing PE and will just have ASL and English to focus on. In ASL next semester I am going to connect with Linsey an interpreter in burlington and see if we can meet. I am going to practice by watching stories in ASL and practicing every blue day.