1. Explain how you grew as a writer in this project.

Be specific, go back through your

essay to find evidence. If possible, compare specific examples from an earlier draft
with your final draft, and discuss how your essay changed, and why those changes
made it a stronger piece of writing.

I have grown as a writer this semester. My essay is great evidence for this. At the
beginning of the year I was an ok writer, I knew about TEA paragraphs and I read enough to
be able to read, but I didn’t have any organization or direction. Early on we learned about
Show Don’t Tell which is a writing style where you write out everything without telling the
reader what is happening. Something like, “The wind felt like daggers digging into my face,
burning it red with its ferocity.” This shows you what is happening, making the wind out to
be daggers that burn, as opposed to “the wind was windy.” The second example is telling
and the first is an example of showing. An exercise we had to do was turn a normal phrase
into a shown phrase. Ex: The monkey was evil, turns into - Back at the zoo everyone became
appalled at the monkey. Hackles raised, teeth bared, the hair devil flung crap wildly about,
all the while banging its chest and screaming. A group of small children watched on in
captivated horror while their parents attempted to drag them away to something more
subtle and kind.

My writing has evolved past this. In my essay I wrote whole passages in this way, something
that I had never done before. I used these skills to express my ideas in a more story-like
way. In my essay I wrote, “As I come closer she pulls the child out of the way, his body going
limp and flying towards her, a deep look of disgust spreading over her wrinkled face, she
glares at me.” This tries to show you what is happening instead of telling you.

2. What are your biggest take-aways from this project and how have they transformed
the way you see the world or yourself? This could be from any part of the project:
the content, the essay and mask, the design thinking process, exhibition prep, or the
exhibition itself.

My biggest takeaway from this exhibition and project is how wrong everyone is
when it comes to teenagers and their common stereotypes. I took a poll from the school’s
teachers and a few students where I asked them, how many teens do you think use
marajuana, and how many teens do you think drink alcohol. I took their answers and found
the average. The average was 43% give or take a few percent. This is a massive number. I
would have found a higher percentage, but I interviewed a few students who lowered the
average, most teachers were guessing in the 50% to 70% range. The average marajuana use
in the last month for Colorado is only 6.46% and alcohol is 10%. This means most of our
teachers, who are around teenagers almost everyday, have a false image of their students.
Imagine the rest of the population. All in all, I realized people have a lot wrong about
teenagers.

3. How do you feel you have grown as a project worker and student throughout the
course of this semester? Be specific and provide evidence!

I think I have really grown as a project worker this semester. I believe this because of the
risks I am now willing to take on my projects. I have to admit that I didn’t take very many
risks in our exhibition project, but I think I threw myself out there for my mask. The kahoot
was a little basic, though Finn and I put a massive amount of effort into it(basic things can
still be good). The mask I made represented teenage stereotypes and how there is
something “different” underneath the mask we wear. My top mask was a teenager smoking
and being lazy, but underneath was a skeleton with bright colors. I never would have taken
the risk to make a skeleton underneath in the past. I was scared that it wouldn’t represent
the real teenager if it was just colorful, so I had to make it a skeleton, as well, to represent
how things aren’t just amazing. I hope my mask represents that. In the past I tried to create
something that appeased everyone. In the beginning of the year I worked with some friends
to create a theory of development mini project. This project didn’t turn out amazing, and I
think I could have spent more time and energy on it. My mask was a lot different. I think it
was a lot more refined and professional.

4. Describe what you did as a group member and how it contributed to the success of
our exhibition. Include what you would change or do differently if you were to do
this project again.

Our group functioned well, but also not so well… It was interesting. There were a lot of
different aspects of our final project, we had a PSA, a game, and a poster, but we all worked
together in some way to get everything done. Finn and I started working together on the
game while Zander worked on his PSA. This is the only time that we were divided. We came
together a little later and I helped Zander to record and add footage to his PSA, which
turned out well. The kahoot was mainly created by Finn and I, but Zander helped to inspire
it. I think I was on task most of the time and that I played a role as partner with Finn for
most of the work. Neither of us were trying to force the other to do anything, so we
mutually worked together.