-Hear Me Out-
Reflection - Plan
In the beginning, my GL journey started out as a group project. Together with 5 other students, we were tasked to collaborate and execute an event targeted towards helping an identified group of people within society that would result in mutual benefit. This task would prove to be difficult, given certain limitations of GL as the module was seemingly designed to be undertaken as an individual project. Nevertheless, I believe ‘Resilience’ was the driving force which constantly reminded my group and I to adapt to change despite multiple trials and tribulations. Eventually, the group disbanded, and GL was to be done individually. This led me to reassess expectations I had set for myself and to consider how my personal interests could direct me towards a topic that could produce a similar mutual benefit, where I could learn from different groups of people in society as well as contribute towards their cause somehow.
Shortly after, I decided to organize my thoughts using various brainstorming tools. However, none of them came close to being as effective as mind mapping did. The photo below shows a mindmap of my original idea to work among the hearing-impaired and to understand their culture. This idea had been conceived after multiple rounds of personal reflection that required me to dig deep within and recall the unique experiences I’ve had as an individual with them and how each encounter with the hearing-impaired might have been a greater calling to serve them. Through this mindmap, I was able to gain clarity and purpose as to what exactly I wished to achieve by working with this unique group of people in society and how I was to go about achieving it.
Lastly, I would like to showcase the self-assessment results I attained from having utilized an online student profiling tool.
How terribly ironic it is to be an auditory learner when one’s project revolves around hearing loss, don’t you think? Well, this actually proved to be useful as I was able to recognize the need to try different styles of learning that best enabled me to internalize and process all the new information I was going to come across. For example, when it comes to learning Sign Language as a hearing individual, I tend to speak to remind myself of the word I am trying to sign and by doing so I associate the word I hear with gestures that help me accurately sign the respective word!
Reflection - Perform
Having planned the course of my project using an Excel sheet timeline (can be found in the linked Google Drive), it was now time to make tangible the plans that were once only ideas in my head. Some of my efforts that I wish to highlight through this E-portfolio include the learning of Singapore Sign Language (SGSL), a survey conducted among tertiary students, an online course to develop my presentation skills and lastly, interviews with 2 unique individuals who provided me with perspective beyond words. More information about each of the steps I took towards completing this project can be found by navigating through this site.
By going for SGSL lessons, conducting surveys and interviews with people, I have come to recognize the importance of effective communication when one wishes to collaborate purposefully. Given that this project’s topic is particularly sensitive to the lives of those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, it was important that in every conversation or question I posed to my target audience, I made sure to be considerate and empathetic towards the feelings of those who may be uncomfortable with being open about their personal lives and experiences.
For example, I learnt that when referring to someone as ‘deaf’ or ‘hard-of-hearing’, it might make a great difference to some with regard to how they are addressed while it might not make a big difference to others. In doing so, I believe I have cultivated a greater sense of empathy and awareness about how I communicate when it comes to sensitive topics. These are lessons I will definitely remember and will want to carry with me for the rest of my life as a I go on to interact with others who I may not know much about, thus I will want to be considerate and open to the idea that everyone is a unique individual that should be respected and treated equally.
Reflection - Monitor
After having carried out most of my plans, I needed to ensure that I was on the right track every now and then. By using tools like Learning Logs and having consultations with my Learning Facilitator, I was able to clarify doubts I had and modify plans that had not gone smoothly in order to achieve the plans I had set out for myself earlier despite setbacks along the way. To me, being ‘Self-Directed’ is more than just having the freedom to decide and guide one’s self. To be self-directed is to be humble and accept that one can also stumble at times and that although we are given the freedom to chart our own paths, a balance must be found between wanting to pursue excellence in all that we do and being realistic with our ourselves in order to avoid creating unrealistic expectations. In other words, to know one’s limitations and to decide what one’s priorities are so that we can make the best use of our time without disappointing ourselves.
During this period, I recognized that there were times where I found it tough to balance the workload coming from my diploma, having to work on GL and getting sufficient rest. This led to me stumble for a period where I could not follow my initial timeline that was proposed. It was only after consultation with my Learning Facilitator, had I re-adjusted my sights and reminded myself that only with proper time management could I achieve all the objectives I had set for myself while getting sufficient rest. I strongly believe this experience is not unique to this project and will be encountered again in future. I hope that by learning from this experience, I can make use tools such as Gantt Charts and even the PPMR model to monitor each step I take towards performing a task or learning a new skill.
Reflection - Reflect
All in all, I realize that while my project may not have been all I expected it to be, I have come a long way in terms of acquiring new skills, forging new friendships and discovering more about myself. If there was anything that I could do differently, I would have really liked to have been able to better understand how some of our local schools are already making use of technology to improve the classroom experience for hearing-impaired students. One such school is Canossian School, where the use of FM technology has physically helped students to learn through improved hearing as well as the presence of specialized educators who are aware and are able to provide the necessary physical, emotional and social help to students who need it most.
One more item that I would liked to develop is the use of online learning tools such as Coursera. Having completed a fully online 10-Hour course on how to give a successful presentation, I was amazed at how such platforms grant accessibility to knowledge and skills that were previously only available if someone attended a course in-person at a physical school. During this course, I was tasked to read multiple research articles and answer quizzes with strict passing requirements. Once, I was even tasked to submit a video of myself practicing several techniques to carry myself better in front of an audience as part of an assignment. Through this experience, I recognize that education does not always necessary equal schooling and with the variety of courses available it truly shows that learning is meant to be lifelong for people of all ages and backgrounds, provided that they have the will and want to learn. This is a learning tool that I wish to continue using to not only acquire new skills but to widen my perspectives and improve on skills I may already have as well.
Besides this, GL has helped me recognize that I am a constant work in progress. While I should be proud of my own efforts and progress I have made, I must constantly want to monitor and improve myself in the way I use my head, heart and hands. These three aspects which represent knowledge, empathy and initiative respectively are what personally defines servant leadership to me, a value that I try to place great emphasis on in my life. I truly believe that if ask ourselves “what we have to offer’’ rather than ‘’what we stand to receive’’ the value of servant leadership can be assimilated and embodied by those who prioritise it. Therefore, I hope to recall and apply these lessons learnt in future no matter what the circumstances may be, bearing in mind that I am a constant work in progress.
