Self-Regulated Learning

Meet the Robbinsons, 2007

Disney please don't sue me, this is for educational purposes, this is your thing and I'm broke.

Jan 25, 2022

Reflection About Class

(the future project reflection is below this one)

Our group had finished level 5 in the game and arrived at level 6. The puzzle seemed more complicated and more variables needed to be considered. Yet we were not discouraged since we had already shown ourselves that we can do it from our prior experience in the past levels. “Alrighty then, this looks fun and complicated. So what’s the plan, team?”

Here’s the quirky thing about life, you never know what to expect next. Not really. People are wired to find patterns to make future endeavors easier and faster, however what happens when something you’ve never seen or done before presents itself to you? In this class about self-regulated learning, it reminded me of when I started to learn tennis at seven years old. That being said, in these future reflections, I might bring up my journey with tennis, computer science and later show their similarities and differences to explain my thought process.

Back to self-regulating. The lesson taught me about the very human experience of fear is of course very common whenever coming in contact with a new challenge. I definitely felt terrified the first time I registered for a computer science course. Imagine a dramatic voice saying, “Oh no, what have I done! My grades! All is lost!” At least that is what it felt like. You know what else felt the same way? The first time I played tennis against my older sister. “Well here is where I take my last stance on this Earth.” I was a very dramatic child at 7. These two scenarios are great examples of when I definitely did not practice self-regulation, at least at the start.

The videos explained that fear of failure is certainly valid, however one can learn to self-regulate with every time we try and try again at something. After maybe feeling a bit challenged, face the issue with an attitude less chaotic than mine at 7. First, plan out a strategy on how to go about the situation. Second, try out the strategy. If it didn’t work out, try it out again! All the information your brain received from the first try will definitely help you accomplish it easier the next time. Self-regulation is not about forcing yourself to be perfect to deal with something, but rather evolving along with every plan that you carry out. That’s where the most enriching learning can come from.

Now, in class, apart from validating my younger and present self’s feelings of anxiety, we also took part in a class activity. The students were split into groups to play a game while using the self-regulating method we had learned in class. At first, I was excited to play a game; I love games! Then I found out it was a logic based game and that was when I toned down my excitement because logic isn’t one of my biggest strengths. We had to take turns being a planner and a do-er. The strategies that were created were based on how to paint a sphere in a certain design for each level. For example, how color should be painted first, what materials should be used, and in what order. At the end of putting into practice one plan at the time, the group would reflect on what steps worked and where it didn’t. That way we would know where exactly the issue was and didn’t have to rethink the whole strategy all over again at the beginning. This was good to experience, because where your strengths and weaknesses lie will also bring more self-awareness for future improvement.

After my third plan failed in a level I said, “Sorry, I think I need a minute to let my head clear because how do we make the eyes be black? Any ideas?”

“Oh I think I got it! What if we do it this way…?” Someone in my group had come to my aid like a digital knight (zoom class).

The activity not only demonstrated the importance of looking at issues strategically for them to be easier to go about them, but also taught me that a strategy could very well be asking for help. Collaboration and communication with other people is really important. I was shown how everyone holds different ways of thinking, ways of doing things, and perspectives. There was this level where we all kept coming up with plan after plan that had gotten stuck, until something had clicked in one of my group members’ brains and she had completed the level with a triumphant smile. I clapped of course because I seriously don’t think I would have come up with that strategy on my own. At least, not at that moment, no. The game became so much fun after we all succeeded in the levels together by seeing how our plans would flourish by getting to see the painted design of the sphere become exactly as the picture. We figured out the game together after failing to know the rules or laws of the game until we got it and agreed that planning and evaluating results later made everything more clearer.

Self-regulating learning is about slowing down. Taking a step back and thinking about the whole picture. This way, one does not charge without a plan into battle and then get lost in the middle of a mountain valley. Metaphorically, of course. Stopping to analyse all the resources around helps in creating a plan. Guidance from others counts as a resource as well. Creating technical projects requires a certain attention and perseverance in the methods that one develops into a habit as they go along in their CS journey. I hope it will become a habit for me as well since I’m just starting. How exciting!

“Okay, so who wants to try out the next level?”

Claudia Gonzalez , CS 107 Week 1

Jan 26, 2022

Reflection About Future Projects in This Class

(it's this one)

My initial reaction to seeing the Dandelion Painting project was a vocal one, “I’m going to cry from happiness!” Then my reaction to seeing the robot project was, “That’s so cute! But oh gosh, how many late nights will this be. I don’t care! Let’s go!”

A more in depth analysis of my reactions to future projects consists of two things– delightment and doubts. As someone with a huge passion for flowers and lights, I only feel total determination to learn all I can to be able to make such a beautiful digital circuit painting. Do I know how to make one? No. Am I afraid that I won’t be able to build it? Not necessarily. The reason for this is because like in the previous class we talked about taking on challenges and I reflected earlier on how in various situations when I’ve felt scared or not capable of accomplishing something, it was only a matter of going about things in a different way that could have made the whole process easier.

From what I’ve already learned, I am going to have to use a self-regulating learning process to probably get over my fear for the programming of the robot and the building of circuits. The method of planning, trying it out, and evaluating to re-do the whole process again until success. After a whole class reflecting on the effectiveness of putting aside self-doubt and making space to figure out all the tools I already have or need makes it clearer in my mind that success is possible. Learning the skills needed to build these projects are possible. All it takes is a strategic approach.

The first thing I plan to do is accept the fact that I will probably need help and guidance for this project. I open myself up to being willing to reach out to fellow classmates or mentors whenever I have questions. Knowing this, I will also welcome anyone who asks me a question. If I know the answer I will certainly guide them. However, I very much see myself asking a lot of questions in the future. Next, once we start the projects, I will see what other resources I have at my disposal to create a more specific plan in the future. In the end, I’ll keep following the method of “plan - do - evaluate”.

Executing my plan will probably take place during class or if the projects are assigned as homework probably in the Fimble Lab. There I also have mentors and teachers that could help me if I get stuck or have a question. The fact that there is a place I could go for help eases my worries a lot. Then I’ll start building after I actually have written an outline of the steps I follow. Writing things down aid me a lot in remembering important information. Otherwise, I might skip a step or forget it all together. Then whoops, there I go crying because my flowers won’t turn on or flash pretty colors. See? We don’t want the end of the world here, I tell myself.

As I start creating the project, through trial and error, I will be evaluating if what I am doing is working by comparing it to the examples or what is expected of me. If let’s say my robot won’t move, I won’t decide I failed all together. Maybe I did some steps right at the beginning or made a tiny syntax error. My evaluation will consist of a thorough revision of everything I had previously done and the result of each single step. Not the end of the world yet, Claudia!

Even when everything works out I will go back to check things over. There is always room for improvement! So, I expect to collaborate with others to see things from other perspectives. Just like the painting spheres games, everyone could be solving the same puzzle but in different and effective ways.

The most common phrase I am probably going to say during this whole journey is, “Let’s try this again.”