Reflections
Charles Camero
Favorite Filipino Dish: KARE-KAREEE
Favorite Place in the Philippines:
Favorite Filipino Artist: Ben & Ben
How were you able to apply the skills you gained in this course to other subjects?
There are different courses that were included in the website which means that subjects combined their summative tasks in order to deliver a website that contains information about the different topics of science, math, technology, culture and traditions. With that, in order to accomplish and finish the website with quality and completeness, the website needs teamwork and coordination because the website for ICT will contain different courses, especially most of the courses that will be included in the website are specialized STEM subjects.
With that said. The skills that I have applied in ICT are applications of using google docs, google slides, pixlr, spreadsheets (Google sheets), website designing mainly through the use of Adobe Spark and WIX, etc. Which means that these are the applications and ICT knowledge that I have learned to use and applied it to different courses. This knowledge about technology and its uses enhanced my skills specifically in the applications of this knowledge to the projects in ICT and in the website for the final assessment. It made editing and creating different projects much easier and enjoyable because before the ICT course my knowledge about the applications were not yet fully enhanced and established.
Lastly, I was able to apply what I have learned and gained from this course to other subjects by contributing to the betterment of the projects or the website of our group. In addition, it made my projects and outputs more organized and coordinated. With that, I will carry and bring the knowledge that I have learned in this course as I study for college and also in my career as a doctor, because I believe that this knowledge will help me use and maximize technology.
How do you see the application of lessons beyond the school setting?
The knowledge that I learned and gained from Information Technology (ICT) will be my forever knowledge as I travel my life because these concepts are not only applicable to ICT, but these concepts and knowledge are also applicable to other fields such as math and science. My dream career is to become a medical doctor particularly a surgeon, with that, before i reach that dream career, there will be many and several challenges that i should surpass, and with these knowledge gained about the use of different applications on editing and creating outputs through the use of different applications will help me to organize and be coordinated with my studies. I believe in the idea that “learning is an unending process”, with that said, our generation today highly depends on the use of technology while learning, which means that we as students need to have knowledge on the use of technology and because of ICT and learning the different concepts especially my favourite part of ICT is the mail merge and the website designing helped me to become efficient and organized in terms of sorting data be coordinated when studying.
My favourite topic for ICT that I have learned in ICT is the use of AUTOCRAT in mail merging made my life easier in terms of distributing emails to different people. With that, I can apply this knowledge in my college and my dream career by arranging and sorting documents that will be used and to be sent in an organized and systematic process. Secondly is the spreadsheets, in which we were taught to apply functions in the google sheets to perform specific functions such as sumifs, sumif, countif, countifs, etc. In addition, one of my favourite topics is website designing in which I thought that Google Sites was the only website builder that is composed of different options and settings for website building but as i learn and embark on a journey as a grade 12 student, i also learned wix and adobe spark for websites and webpages. These are one of my favourite topics on ICT but for me all of the topics that we have discussed for this semester are useful and enjoyable. With that, i will bring these competencies to my future career as a medical doctor, in which this would help me to make my life easier in terms of managing and organizing my task.
What part of the course did you find most enjoyable or useful? Explain.
Actually, every moment that I shared about ICT and the different subjects that collaborated with ICT, I found it meaningful and enjoyable, especially my group. My group are the best, understanding, dedicated, strategic, and intelligent people in which, i observed that in every group work that were assigned, we always think outside of the box where we all strive to create a project beyond expectations and for me that is the true essence of being a student, a student who will always be curious and eager to innovate and create new ideas. I am very thankful to meet this group because with these people I learned to enjoy while learning and accomplish tasks. I was used to working systematically and with organization but this group works systematically and organized while enjoying. I will be forever thankful that I met this group in my life.
For me, I enjoyed all the topics of the ICT course because it taught me to be much more efficient and organized in terms of data and information. But the part of the course that I enjoyed the most is the mail merging, spreadsheets, and website builders applications, mainly Wix and Adobe Spark. These topics for me are the topic that i enjoyed because at first i thought we need to send emails one by one but learning mail merge, it made my life easier and it taught me to be organized in terms of emails. Secondly, the spreadsheet functions, in which i was amazed while learning and applying the spreadsheets functions for the tasks because with that it made me realize that spreadsheets is truly the best application to use when organizing several data.
With that, I enjoyed learning ICT and all the subjects for the first semester because it taught me different knowledge and core values that I can apply in the real world especially on my college life and on my career as a medical doctor.
Alaina Natalia Y. Ligot
Favorite Filipino Dish: PALABOOOOK
Favorite Place in the Philippines: Baguio because of the horses + memories :D
Favorite Filipino Artist: IV of Spades - they just have too many iconic songs!
How were you able to apply the skills you gained in this course to other subjects?
ICT improved my technical skills with Wix, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and Pixlr. These technical skills positively affected my outputs in other subjects. For example, my improved skillset with Google Slides enabled me to make good, clean, and interactive presentations for subjects like Biology and Chemistry. Also, the technical skills related to Google Sheets helped a lot with data organization.
Aside from these technical skills, ICT has also developed some soft skills like determination/persistence, critical thinking, and the ability to work with others. The course’s activities required me to be persistent (in spite of my frustration), a critical thinker, and a dedicated learner (for self-improvement and, well, learning!). For context, the first ones that come to mind are the spreadsheets with Google Sheets <3
These soft skills carried over into my other subjects. There, I learned how to consciously listen to and learn from others. I also was a more creative problem solver when it came to group activities. :D
How do you see the application of lessons beyond the school setting?
Of course, knowledge and mastery of platforms like Wix, Google Sheets, and Pixlr will forever be relevant. Google Sheets is great with crunching numbers and storing data, which makes it great for things like task trackers or personal finance records (or optimizing tasks @ future workplaces, too!). Wix will be great for any personal site or passion projects I may pursue in the future. Lastly, Pixlr is great for creating design elements, posters, and image elements in general (most likely for passion projects or gifts to other people :D).
BUT! Aside from this mastery, working with each platform has improved or trained my creativity, critical thinking, and workflow. Using creative platforms like Wix and Pixlr has made me more sure of my creativity. Also, I began thinking about problems from varying angles. Lastly, the activities in ICT have made me more aware of inefficiencies in my workflow. Thus, I can begin correcting them :) These are all valuable abilities that I can apply continuously as I grow outside of the school setting.
What part of the course did you find most enjoyable or useful? Explain.
I most enjoyed the lessons with Google Sheets! Before this semester, I just had a basic understanding of formulas and cell formatting on Excel / Google Sheets. Now, I am #enlightened! I can do many more things that help me stay efficient.
With conditional formatting, formulas, functions, and *AUTOCRAT*, I can maximize the efficiency of my Google Sheets. Going through Google Forms results are a breeze now, and I find that I can now make tables prettier and more comprehensive!
Additionally, the Google Sheets activities and lessons were pleasantly challenging and very hands-on, which I absolutely adore! It reinforced the concept that you can approach a problem from multiple different angles while still solving it. I loved the format of the class as well where we could see how our peers went through the activities.
ICT is truly a blessing not-so-in-disguise, and I am just happy to have learned about so many things through the course! I’m smiling just thinking about how much fun I had!
Syeda Fizza Fatima
Favorite Filipino Dish: halal Fil dishes are hard to find so I haven’t had any yet :(
Favorite Place in the Philippines: Baguio and Batangas!!
Favorite Filipino Artist: I haven’t listened to OPM except for one song for a CPAR assignment, it was cute :(
MAGKAHAWAK ANG ATING KAMAY (-arlou)
How were you able to apply the skills you gained in this course to other subjects?
This course has helped me sharpen a variety of tech-related skills. The numerous practice exercises allowed me to practice the commands and shortcuts learnt.
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We started the semester with sessions on Mail Merge. I was new to adding applications to your Excel Sheet and all I could think about while doing these activities was how I could have used this feature during my internship because I spent a lot of time making invitations for seminars.
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Through the sessions on Google Slides, I learnt about the Explore Tab which helped me find graphics for my presentation faster. I have also used this tab for finding pictures for assignments other than presentations because it helped me find accurate photos which are usually in .png form already. I also learnt about customizing themes, I always assumed that you’re stuck with what you choose and that the themes aren’t customizable so this feature was a revelation for me. I always thought Google Slides did not offer much but these sessions changed my mind for the better.
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The next set of sessions were on Google Sheets. I enjoyed these sessions because I’ve always liked making commands and formulae (be it in Basic or Excel). However, I learnt a handful of new commands and was able to play around with them in the tasks assigned. I was able to make a detailed assignment tracker for teachers as well as students and I believe these skills will help me a lot in the future as Excel is a cardinal part of almost every profession.
Moving on to Pixlr and Piktochart, I was new to both of these applications and was impressed by the variety of picture editing tools Pixlr offers. Pixlr can be used to refine photographs and even make graphics from scratch. It can come in handy for assignments like diagram or poster making.
I was new to Adobe Spark too. I enjoyed its user-friendly interface and how it provides a small set of tools to customize pre-existing layouts and themes. This application can be used for submitting assignments with different parts. It will make the submission more attractive and easier to navigate.
Of course, knowledge and mastery of platforms like Wix, Google Sheets, and Pixlr will forever be relevant. Google Sheets is great with crunching numbers and storing data, which makes it great for things like task trackers or personal finance records (or optimizing tasks @ future workplaces, too!). Wix will be great for any personal site or passion projects I may pursue in the future. Lastly, Pixlr is great for creating design elements, posters, and image elements in general (most likely for passion projects or gifts to other people :D).
How do you see the application of lessons beyond the school setting?
Being tech savvy is a plus point for almost every profession. This course provided training and practice in a variety of applications which I’m sure will be used somewhere in my future endeavors.
I learnt the importance of delegating tasks. I am somebody who doesn’t trust others with important work because I feel like others might mess it up or not do it well enough. So I always felt it was better to do the whole thing myself instead of letting others do it and then spend hours correcting it.
However, with my talented group mates, I was able to trust them with our work, knowing that they would make it better instead of messing it up. We would divide tasks and help each other in any way possible, while also enjoying the creative process.
With these assignments, I was able to polish the attitudes I have in a group setting. As someone who was always the leader, I usually had personalised approaches to tasks since I was used to getting stuff done on my own. But from these group tasks, I was able to see things from others’ perspective and tried to be a better group mate instead of a better individual worker.
What part of the course did you find most enjoyable or useful? Explain.
The sessions I enjoyed the most were the lessons on Google Sheets. There is an odd satisfaction linked to writing formulae or programming and it is amazing to see it all work and come together.
It was almost therapeutic which is why I would save my Sheets assignments for the night. I would lay on my bed with my cat with soft music playing in the background and complete my last assignment for the day.
Apart from the sessions, I think the aspect I enjoyed the most were all the group and pair assignments. When working with my groupmates, I saw their methodical approach to things. I am a person who can not stay focused on an assignment for too long which is why I do everything in phases, depending on what subject I feel like doing. But while working with my groupmates, I saw how collected they were, with organized tabs, to-do lists, and a calculated approach to everything.
I got to learn a lot from them. By observing their way of working, I was able to identify points of improvement in my studying habits as well as my personality.
These assignments also served as a team bonding experience. At the start of the semester, we got along well but didn’t really know much about each other's lives. While working together, small conversations would show you the way they look at life and other things, which let you learn about them.
Meeting and learning from new people was an opportunity I hadn’t gotten in a long time because I joined CSA after the lockdown started, so most of my interactions with students were shallow. These large assignments helped change that, and improve my SHS experience :)
John Arlo F. Sanchez
Favorite Filipino Dish: Bicol Express, taho, balot, laing, menudo
Favorite Place in the Philippines: Palawan!
Favorite Filipino Artist: Francisco Mañosa - the most influential Filipino architect. He was ambitious, driven and innovative, which led to the rise of famous buildings such as the EDSA shrine, The Coconut Palace, and the Davao Pearl Farm to name a few. Just like him, I want to contribute to my country - the Philippines.
How were you able to apply the skills you gained in this course to other subjects?
I learned how to prioritize, organize and structure tasks, especially in a group setting. A website is a big project that requires numerous fields from design, to content creation, management, to branding. I believe that prioritizing the fundamental aspects first allowed our group to progress at an efficient rate. I used this skill in my other subjects, especially math, science and CPAR. In these subjects, I am assigned with tasks that require different things. For instance, creating an infographic or presentation. Just like when I worked with my group to create a website, I used the skill of prioritizing fundamental tasks, and focusing on finishing them first, before adding the excessive tasks, such as refining the design and writing a script for the presentation. I believe that this had me more efficient in doing my requirements in other subjects, which is something I find is valuable.
Another skill is the skill of experimenting, which has helped me a lot in science subjects. I learned that ‘there never is a perfect idea’ and that ‘I’d never know it is a perfect idea until I try it’. So by this, our group encouraged each other to try out all of the ideas we brought up, leaving nothing to regret. Not only were we able to clear up our assumptions on ideas, but we were able to build on our existing ideas, to make them even better. This has helped me in science subjects, because there is a lot of ‘doing’ instead of merely ‘planning;. By doing so, I was able to learn and understand science subjects more deeply, through the experience that I have gained. Building this website has helped me build the ‘try and learn’ mindset.
In ICT, I learned technical skills that I will definitely use in the future. These include presentation skills in Google slides, website design in Adobe Spark and Wix, and spreadsheet manipulation in Google SHeets. The best part is that they are applicable in most of my other subjects.
How do you see the application of lessons beyond the school setting?
I learned how to conduct and participate in group discussions efficiently and effectively. I realized that it is better to say one’s opinion, no matter how insignificant it may seem, because it allows for a more well-rounded and well-informed decision. I believe that this will help me in my future career, as I will be working with other people frequently. I learned how to efficiently hold meetings by staying focused on the end goal, while still being open-minded to other ideas. I learned to focus on my member’s strengths such as their outstanding creativity, and passion, while improving their weaknesses, such as indecisiveness and getting distracted. The ability for me to understand and complement my group members has grown over the past months, and I believe that this skill will be valuable in the future.
I also learned to be open to new ideas and concepts, as well as not to shy away from them. I also learned how to listen to other people attentively and to know what to say and when to say them. I learned when to give feedback or constructive criticism, and when to stay quiet and listen.
Group skills aside, I developed the skill of setting goals for myself and to stay focused on achieving them no matter what - even if this meant learning a new skill, or trusting someone else to fulfill their responsibility. I have learned not just to rely on myself, but also to rely on others. If I can increase my trust for myself and others, I will be able to increase the likelihood of people putting their trust in me. As an aspiring leader, that aspect is very valuable, and I will continue to develop that.
What part of the course did you find most enjoyable or useful? Explain.
My favorite parts of the course were mainly two things:
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Getting to discuss various ideas with my wonderful groupmates
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The opportunity to bring out my creative side
I am very comfortable working alone, as I believe it is the most productive way to do things. It really works for myself.
It was through this project that I got to know the beauty of working with talented, creative and passionate people. The feeling I get whenever we come up with something creative is extraordinary great. I loved it when we got to build ideas upon ideas, as it got us closer to the end goal.
At times I realized that discussions and ideas were off-topic or would jump from one another sporadically. I didn’t like it at first, because I am used to having organized, methodical thoughts. However, there are people who think so energetically that they cannot help going from one idea to the next. These were my groupmates. I’ve grown to understand the genius behind them and decided to make the most of it.
With too much focus on getting things done, it was refreshing to see the care-free, creative minded thinking that was evident in my groupmates.
I enjoyed it. I learned from it. I can’t wait to be able to think like that.
Through this project, I not only got to bond with my groupmates, but I also got to see my inner self, the kind of person I am, and the kind of person I wish to become.