Project Outline

For the Year 8 Poetry Unit, each member of our cohort composed an individual Poetry Anthology. Every collection of poems consisted of 5 pieces, each with a unique form and an accompanying statement of intent. In order to complete this task and ensure it was at a high standard, we were briefed for a few weeks on the nuances and requirements of a good poem. This included reviewing and analysing poems, detecting poetic devices and broadening our knowledge of poetic forms. We also completed a formal poetry analysis midway through this unit.

Collaboration is essential for effective group work and is the secret ingredient that opens up a lot of possibilities. Collaboration involves networking and interacting with peers, in order to develop our strengths and communicate effectively. It is the act of working with others effectively and efficiently towards a shared goal. Above all, collaboration is encouraging others and bringing out the best qualities of each individual.

The Current Affairs Production was a perfect example of group collaboration. This task was a follow up assignment after the “Individual Creation of a Script” assessment. During this task, we had studied written a short response on a Current Affairs, and then proceeded to write our own script, based on a prompt we chose. We were then organised into groups and chose a script to recreate. The collaborative process began the moment we began our group work.

I took a decisive role in determining the structure and nature of our script production. Although it was Jacob’s script we chose to re-enact, I aided in the process of arranging scenes, scheduling rehearsals and generally making ends meet. Without allocating roles or designating responsibilities to each group member, effective collaboration would not have been possible. Jacob was the editor and scene arranger, I was essentially the director and also an actor, Rohan was the lead actor and Ivan was a costume designer, also helping out with odd jobs and tasks.

This process taught me a lot about collaboration, whilst also allowing me to hone my existing collaboration skills. This included listening and communicating effectively, encouraging others, practicing proactivity and innovation, and remaining disciplined and organised throughout the activity. Each person in the group stuck to their roles, ensuing a successful Current Affairs Production.

Learner Agency refers to taking initiative and being proactive in your own learning. It is the ability to make independent decisions in developing and diversifying my skillset. I use learner agency to further myself, and also to develop myself as an individual.

An example of me utilising learner agency was me taking the initiative when it came to Poetry Analysis. I was eager to better my short response skills, and so took it upon myself to practice poetry analysis. I started by looking and reading some poems out of class, simply identifying poetic techniques and devices.

Next, I looked at the feedback on my old short response assignments and took into consideration all the different things I could improve on. This included paragraph structure, using the key words of the question, integrating quotes correctly, and explaining my examples in more depth. I analysed a few poems I found online and practiced analysing them. After a few poems, I felt much more confident and prepared going into the assessment.

I received a good mark for my poetry analysis, significantly higher than that of my other short responses. However, this was only possible due to me utilising Learner Agency. Learner Agency has proved invaluable, and the freedom it provides is both well-worth it and rewarding.

How These Activities Demonstrate If I Have Achieved These Capabilities

The Current Affairs Production demonstrated how I had utilised the capability of collaboration in various ways. It was an excellent exercise in communication and group-work, encouraging each individual to develop their strengths and contribute to the group.

Without each member actively practicing the capability of collaboration, our end product would have been much more disjointed and lower quality. Rehearsing each scene on time and at a high standard was a challenge, as many times group members were absent, or our costumes did not fit the scene. We had to innovate and work together to come up with a viable solution each time.

Practicing poetry analysis demonstrated the capability of Learner Agency as it meant I took initiative, was proactive and drove my own learning. Learner Agency is essential for self-development, and after practicing my short response skills were greatly improved.

Overall, Year 8 English has been an invaluable experience as it has taught me the true strength of collaboration, and the possibilities available through the utilisation of the Learner Agency capability.