Critiquing Indonesia’s Educational System Via Creative Writing

After the personal project was announced, my mind went to several projects I've done in the past and sought out inspiration from those experiences. One experience that stood out to me was my Community Project, where me and a few of my friends taught a group of lower class students in a small community. From that experience I was able to gain a lot of new perspectives and knowledge on how unfair Indonesia’s education system really is. Combining it with my love for stories and writing, I decided on using my voice for good and expressing the critique I have in a creative manner. Though I am not known for my outgoing and advocating personality. As being reserved and quiet has been the general characteristic people put me in. But this is a chance for me to come out of my shell and address a growing problem so solutions can be discussed, and what better way of addressing a problem than utilising one's freedom of expression. Therefore, I’ve decided that my learning goal would be to expand my knowledge regarding Indonesia’s troubling educational system and its effects on the lives of children.

Product Goal

As for the execution of my learning goal, I hope to create a product in the form of a fictional novel. Reading has always been a hobby since childhood, but as of recently I’ve taken an interest in writing. Especially with fiction, where you can still bring forward an important discussion using fitting allegories, making it accessible and easier to understand. My story takes place in a setting similar to modern day Jakarta, striking to tell the story of both the beauty and threats in its streets. It will also be character forward, highlighting how inadequate education affects children from different groups. My intention is to make the novel as relatable as possible, reaching out to readers that understands the struggles written in the pages. It’s also important for me to be satisfied with my final product, and not submit for the sake of submitting. So, to sum, my product goal will be a social commentary novel critiquing my observations made during my learning process.

Reflection

Creating a story centred around a topic I've been passionate about for years is no easy task. I had to travel way beyond my comfort zone to develop a deeper understanding regarding my topic and be brave enough to put it into words. During the first few months I had trouble figuring out an idea for my novel, jumping from one story to another. I had to sort through ideas and restart a few times before settling on one story. This trained me to be more organised with my project, and to not be afraid to restart for the sake of making the best out of my novel. I also had to ask for feedback from people qualified to judge my product. Such as teachers and professional writers. I had to keep an open mind to their input, making sure that I take everything into consideration while still staying true to my original plan. I tried to not take anything personally, learning how to portray a professional reaction to every input that comes my way. This not only improved my work but gave me a chance to engage in a professional conversation. Training me for more likely interactions to come. I also learned to be more creative and ask questions for myself to answer. But speaking out and asking for input wasn’t the scariest part of my project, it was the novel writing. Having to create an original story set in an original world pushed me to my creative limits. Because simply stating that an event happened isn’t enough, I had to look into reasoning and implement callbacks to that specific event just to enrich my story. It made me pay attention to the smallest details and to never settle for less. One final takeaway I had from my product is in creating the different illustrations. Painting and visual arts was always a side hobby that I rarely showed off. But after creating the illustration for my book I uncovered a new interest in telling a story through art, an interest that I may explore further after the project.

Product Evaluation

If I were to stick with the criterias set, I would conclude that my product is fairly successful. But there are some notable improvements to be made to better the quality of my novel. The main fault of the novel was in the lack of world building and story length. Creating an original fictional world requires dedication and high levels of creativity, hence why if I were given an extension on the product, I would construct a more detailed world. By expanding the world, I would also expand the story. Adding more series of events that’ll force each character to show growth, rather than the slow-moving narrative I presented. When I shared my survey, I made sure to send it to specific people I knew would understand the stake of my project and those who would relate to the context of my story. So I chose to send it to six different people, a combination of elementary school students, professional educators, and former IB students. Doing so not only gave me the best result, but also accurate feedback from people who know the sheer importance of my project. However, I do feel like I’ve underestimated myself in terms of product criteria. Because most of the criteria have been easily reached and surpassed the original expectation. But this only shows how I was underestimating myself during the beginning of the project. Now I am confident in my final product even with the minor improvements.