In this semester, I have been apart of the Specialised Basketball course and have learnt a lot over this period. I have become a better basketball player as I have improved my skills and knowledge of the game. I have participated in new drills and completed my physicality aspect that has made me stronger not only for basketball but also other sports.
Offence
Throughout this semester, I’ve completed a lot of drills and received coaching that has resulted me in improving my offensive abilities. These new skills have allowed me to move the defender and get past them more often so I can shoot easier shots. I regularly put this into action when playing 2v2 where I was able to space my teammate away from me and then go 1 on 1 against my defender and score easy layups. I have also improved my shooting after practising a lot and perfecting my form. This means I try to have everything in line and straight to the basket with a fluent action and a flick of the wrist at the end.
Defence
I’ve also learnt a lot about how to play defence properly so I can prevent my opponent from scoring and make it really difficult for them. I now know that the best way to defend is sliding at the start but as soon as they get past, you have to turn and run to a point where you can cut them off and force them in another direction. We completed a few drills that helped us improve this and I found the best way to get better was to put it into action in real gameplay.
Strengths and Weaknesses
I believe that my strengths are my playmaking and leadership where I can organise my team and pass the ball around to get the best shot possible. I also think that I’m quite a good defender so I can defend most players especially the opposing teams main ball handler.
I also have areas that I can keep working on including my shooting and ability to get past taller and bigger defenders that are able to stay in front of me. I also want to keep improving my on ball defending and I’m going to do this by trying to defend the best player on the opposition anytime that I play a game.
All in all, this semester was a great chance for me to have fun with my friends playing basketball whilst also learning how to get better. The video footage allowed me to identify my weaknesses so I could improve them and implement that at our next session.
In Science, we were faced with a project where we had to design a building that could withstand the effects of an earthquake. The earthquake was simulated by a 10 second shaking of the table our building was sitting on. Our building was made out of spaghetti and we used the blu tack to stick it together. Other materials we could use were scissors, a knife and a ruler. The building must have had a minimum height of 60cm and the base couldn’t exceed a 30*30 area. We were hoping to build a structure that fit those parameters as it showed we worked as a team in order to overcome challenges we were faced with.
Our first design (pictured below) was quite poor as we didn’t really think about how it would connect together and stay upright. When we tried to build the design, it didn’t even stand up so we knew it definitely wouldn’t withstand the earthquake simulation.
Our final design (pictured below) was very effective after we made the necessary adjustments. It was very stable during the simulation and was still standing after the 10 seconds.
Communicating:
I think that the engineering process to design and build our structure was very helpful and we benefited from it a lot. At first, we went over the task in detail, making sure that all of our team knew what we had to do so that we had the best chance of succeeding. After that, we started on our research where we found out the best designs and shapes to implement on our building that would withstand the earthquake. Using this research, we drew our first design with specific measurements and calculated the amount of spaghetti and blu-tac needed. Then, we built our first design but found that it was very unstable so we made a few major adjustments. Once we created this new prototype, it was time to test it out by simulating the earthquake. While the earthquake was happening, we observed our building to see how stable it was and if there were any small adjustments we would have to make. After, we discussed what we saw, evaluated how we thought it responded and decided to add some cross bracing that would serve as extra support for the corners.
I also believe that there were a few changes that we could make to the engineering process. If we had more time, I think that we should’ve have added a bit more testing but also different types of testing. This means we can see if our building will stand up to any type or severity of shaking and earthquakes. We can also do further testing on the different parts of the building to see if every aspect of our design is stable. We can do this by putting extra pressure on a specific part rather than the whole building where some other parts can carry the load. This would improve the outcome of our building because we would be able to find out if we have a building that is stable all over with each part of it carrying an equal amount of pressure.
Teamwork:
A major component of our success in this challenge was our ability to work as a team and this was shown through the roles of each team member.
Myself: Reporter- Made sure that we had everything together and done on time.
Matthew: Equipment manager- Made sure we had all the equipment in the class and ready to go. Main builder of the tower.
Ben: Project manager- The leader of the group, made sure everyone knew what they were doing.
Scarlett: Spokesperson- Talked to others and found out more information.
During the creation of our building, we had many problems that we had to address and figure out. To solve these problems, we met together and discussed it in a respectful manner so we could come up with a solution. Ben took charge of these conversations as he was the project manager and made sure everyone was happy with the adjustments we were going to make.
Reflecting on our group, I think that everyone had strengths that they brought to the team. When we combined these different strengths together, we had a full complete team that was ready to tackle the challenge ahead. Ben brought intelligence and good mathematical skills to calculate the measurements of our design. He was also a leader for the group who kept everyone on task. Matthew is very good with his hands so he was the main builder of the design and we relied on him to do any challenging tasks or make adjustments when the building might fall over. Scarlett was quite particular which meant she really examined the design to make sure all the spaghetti was stuck together and helped put it together. I was quite involved with the creating of the building and proposed any adjustments that we could make.
All in all, I think that this challenge was an effective way to build on our creative, teamwork and leadership skills whilst learning a bit out earthquakes and the designs that can withstand them.
This semester in Lock, we did a range of things including rock climbing, fishing and bush cooking. Rock climbing was a great example of how we used the capabilities such as collaboration, effective communication and resilience. I feel like I used collaboration when I worked together with my peers to set up the rock climbing wall. We had to make sure the ground anchor was connected properly with all the carabiners clipped on. If we didn’t do this someone might have fallen off and injured themselves. Effective communication was also a major part of having a successful rock climb. I used it when I was the belayer and had to check on the person who was climbing, telling them I was ready and where they needed to move their feet or hands. Finally, I think I needed to use resilience whilst I was climbing. This was because sometimes I fell off but I had to get back up again and try until I completed it. If I didn’t have resilience then I don’t think I would have made it to the top of the wall.
Leave no trace was a major part of our thinking in Outdoor ED as we strived to be kinder to the environment. We demonstrated our understanding when we went fishing with Pete. This was because we had to cut our line and make sure we disposed of it correctly without it flying away. We also had to follow the concept when we were bush cooking. This meant we burnt our wood down to ashes, dug a slops-pit and cleaned up after ourselves.
In outdoor ED, we started to do snorkelling and had our first trip to Coogee. We had a great time swimming around, spotting fish and exploring the shipwreck. In term 2, we moved on to orienteering and archery which were some very fun activities.
Some capabilities that I think I have displayed in these courses include:
Collaboration
Problem Solving
Leadership
Effective Communication
Organisation
I showed the capability of organisation in snorkelling when I had to make sure I had all the right equipment such as goggles, fins and bathers ready for the day out. I improved this skill throughout the time in snorkelling because I got all my equipment ready the night before. In orienteering, I showcased the capabilities of leadership and problem solving. I used problem solving to find markers on the courses and look at the map closer for clues where it might be. I also displayed the skill of leadership to talk to my teammates and give my input about where we should go.
All in all, our Outdoor ED class (Muir) was a great way to have fun, work on our capabilities and build better relationships with our peers.
