Facing challenges...

During the recent HackUmass I attended, my team and I decided to work on a project to create a website for Mount Holyoke College where a user can know the nearest parking lot after inputting their current location. We had a strict timeline where we were supposed to submit our project within a short period. We created a detailed plan outlining every step of the process. We decided to create an app. However, as seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours and hours, we started encountering a lot of unforeseen challenges that almost led to us quitting. Despite these setbacks, I, as the team leader, was reluctant to forgo our original plan because we had invested so much time and effort into it already. We then kept doing our best and spending sleepless nights trying to fix our code and learning new things to get our code to work. Looking at how my group was suffering to produce an outcome, I realized I should have been more flexible and willing to adjust my approach and go for a website instead of an application. I realized that by clinging to the initial plan for too long, I wasted valuable time and resources. Learning from this experience, I now recognize the importance of recognizing when a plan is no longer viable and being willing to adapt accordingly.

 In another situation, during my data visualization class,  I encountered a problem that seemed very undoable because I had to incorporate so many tools that were related to the sentiment of my data set which was about child abuse in the United States from my current point of view. I tried approaching the visualization in so many ways that seemed impossible and couldn't find a solution. Frustrated, I decided to take a step back and look at the problem from a different perspective. I sought input from colleagues, attended office hours, and sought previous projects. After that, I was able to identify blind spots in my approach and uncover new avenues for exploration. Ultimately, this shift in perspective led me to a breakthrough solution that I hadn't considered before. This experience taught me the importance of embracing diverse viewpoints and remaining open to alternative ways of thinking. I used black push pins of different sizes and shapes as my tools which matched with the sad theme and sentiment of the data set.

 In both of these situations, I learned the importance of flexibility and adaptability when faced with unexpected challenges. Creating a plan is essential for providing direction and structure, but it's equally important to recognize when that plan needs to be revised or abandoned altogether. By approaching problems from different perspectives and remaining open to new insights, we can overcome obstacles and achieve success in even the most challenging circumstances.

DO I BELONG HERE...?

When the Circuit Playground Express was shared and I realized we would be using Arduino, I was excited about it and very curious. I was particularly excited because in the last hackathon I participated in, other competitors used Arduino so much and most of them won certain prizes so I was excited to also know about it. I was also curious because I wanted to know what and how much I can do with that software to bring out an output on the Circuit Playground. I was also curious because I wanted to know what others did to win prizes at the hackathon.

Seeing the board also made me wonder “what can I do with this”?

Seeing the playground and knowing that I was about to learn Arduino actually reinforced my sense of belonging in the Tech space. Going into the hackathon, I only went in with the mindset that "I can only work on software ; hardware is way out of my league" so  it made me realize that I am capable of doing other things and not only things I think I can do.

Encountering an error in the Arduino software initially made me frustrated and very disappointed. Since that was the first time most of us were doing something of that sort, everyone needed the attention of the TAs and the lecturers and I was getting more frustrated when I didn’t have anyone to ask. I realized my reaction was natural and I thought I was left behind since I saw a lot of lights on people’s playground and mine was very blank. I then got hold of Prof. Rachel, who sat with me and helped me ( we realized I didn’t install a driver and the Fimbel laptops work better with it than mine) I then stuck to using the Fimbel laptops for all the playground labs and it worked!

 The factors that came into play were interest, passion, skills, aptitude, learning style, community and support and my long term goals. My interest to learn the hardware aspects of this is what pushed me to do this. Since I took Intro to Computer Science in my first semester, I had little knowledge on coding so that was a plus that contributed to me knowing it was for me. For my learning style, I learn better with hands-on learning like what we do in class. For community and support, there were alot of faculty and TAs  who were more than ready to help around including peers who helped us that day and that really motivated me. Also something that really motivates me is my long term goals.  Might never know where I will need such skills.

MASTERING THE FEEDBACK LOOP

The subtle art of giving and receiving feedback

Feedback from my peers, authorities, and even my parents plays a crucial role in my growth as well as my development. It serves as a guide that helps me navigate different aspects of life. Sometimes, receiving feedback evokes fear in me and I have grown to learn that I would have to overcome these obstacles in order to fully gain from the feedback.

I have also grown to realize that those who give me feedback don't do it to criticize me but to offer valuable insights. Even if the feedback is challenging or doesn't go in line with your initial expectations, I have learned to approach it with an open mind and a growth mindset.

To prevent the sting of difficult feedback from getting to me and preventing me from improving my work, I would focus on separating feedback from my sense of self-worth because understanding that feedback is about our work and not about us as individuals, would help us to receive it more objectively. Also, actively listening during feedback sessions without becoming defensive or interrupting would allow me to fully grasp the insights being provided. 

Also, we can seek to unpack feedback to gain a better understanding of its implications for our work. This then leads me to the second prompt. In my opinion, one effective way to strategize is to analyze the feedback and identify my areas for improvement. We can also categorize them into themes and identify patterns that would provide valuable insight into our work’s strengths and weaknesses. Also, seeking clarification and further elaboration on feedback can provide additional context to enable us to interpret it more effectively.

I would end with an example where here in college, I always just looked at the grade and ignored the feedback initially. But then once, I decided to know the reason why a particular answer I gave was wrong and then read the feedback. I then realized how important feedback has been since then. It helped me see a pattern of where I always go wrong when I solve a math problem for instance. This helped to improve my grade as I began to focus more on the areas that made me make silly mistakes.

Emotional Intelligence: Navigating Academic Challenges and Fostering Collaboration 

During a particularly challenging course (Intergrated Science), I found myself overwhelmed with stress and anxiety about upcoming exams and assignments. I could never complete my assignments without someone's help ad exams felt like I was at war. Few days before the exams, I realized I was just freaking out and I could not remember anything I was studying but instead of letting these emotions consume me, I practiced self-regulation by creating a study plan and breaking down tasks into manageable steps. By acknowledging my emotions and taking respective steps to address them, I was able to navigate the course more effectively and maintain a healthier balance between academic demands and personal well-being. I was able to understand a few topics and got a B which was the best grade I have ever had in Integrated Science

In a group project where we ere supposed to come up with a presentation about a topic in social science, I encountered a situation where a team member was expressing frustration and dissatisfaction with our progress. She wanted us to make the whole presentation in Canva while we all agreed on Microsoft PowerPoint. Instead of reacting defensively or ignoring her concerns, I tried to exercise empathy and understanding towards her emotional state. I told her since it was an academic work and the lecturer was more focused on our content and not on how creative we are, using PowerPoint would be the best option. By actively listening to their perspective and validating their feelings, I was able to foster open communication and work together to find solutions to our challenges. I realized that she just loved to use Canva to come up creative presentation so I assigned her to choosing a creative PowerPoint template and we incorporated one presentation from a Canva design she made. This experience taught me the importance of recognizing and responding to the emotional needs of my collaborators, ultimately strengthening our teamwork and achieving better outcomes.

Journey Through EmotoBot: Navigating Self-Efficacy, Mindset, and Emotional Intelligence 

Before starting the EmotoBot activity, I might have had doubts about my ability to build a bot capable of expressing emotions (because of the wires and all the complicated stuff). However, through the process of learning and experimenting with programming and also through the help of Kim who knew a little about screw drivers and all,  I gradually developed a more growth-oriented mindset and increased confidence in my abilities. I then came to class on Thursday with the growth-mindset and was very excited as we started with the main project. This shift in mindset allowed me to approach the task with greater optimism and resilience, believing that I could overcome challenges and succeed in building the bot.

Throughout the EmotoBot activity, I engaged in self-regulated learning by setting goals, monitoring my progress, and adjusting my strategies as needed. I actively sought out resources and people especially Kim, asked questions, and experimented with different coding techniques to achieve the desired outcome. By taking ownership of my learning process and being proactive in seeking support when needed, I was able to effectively navigate the complexities of programming and successfully build the EmotoBot.

As I collaborated with my teammate, Kim and instructors during the EmotoBot activity, I practiced active listening and demonstrated cognitive flexibility by considering different perspectives and integrating feedback into my work. By remaining open-minded and adaptable, I was able to learn from others' insights and refine my approach to programming the bot.

 Emotional intelligence: Building the EmotoBot also provided an opportunity to exercise emotional intelligence by considering the emotional expressions conveyed by the bot and understanding how they might impact interactions with users. I reflected on the significance of empathy, and emotional authenticity in designing the bot's responses, ensuring that it could effectively convey a range of emotions in a meaningful and relatable way.

 Looking back on my experience with the EmotoBot activity, I would say to my former self: "Believe in your ability to learn and grow. Embrace challenges as opportunities for development, and trust in your capacity to overcome obstacles along the way. Stay curious, stay resilient, and stay open to the possibilities that lie ahead. You are capable of achieving more than you imagine.