Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive statement.
I think that I did really well for my activity for the first time teaching an aikido class by myself. It was a class of 28 and I think I did the best that I could do to keep them on track as to where the class was and everybody seemed to enjoy it.

(2) Questions to consider.
a. What would I give myself on the 2-hour and why?
I believe that I deserve an AE because not only did I prepare as much as I can and practice the presentation 4 times. I also think that I conveyed what I was trying to say as far as content and answers to my EQ. I also, after every answer, did a little re-cap of what the answer is as well as how it relates back to my EQ and how it would make me a successful aikido practitioner. I also incorporated my product with my 2-hour as an activity to help the students understand what aikido is all about as well as the three answers to my EQ.

b. What would I give myself on the senior project as a whole? Why?
I believe that I deserve an AE- because I feel that I was pretty solid when it came to the different components, but when it came to certain ones, such as service learning, exit interview, and even 2-hour presentation, I feel that I really tried to set the bar higher for me so that I could do a better job.

(3) What worked for me in senior project?
Resources, this is the main thing that worked for me throughout the year simply because I have been practicing aikido for at least 5 years and in those 5 years I had developed connections which made it easier for me to get my interview in on time as well as getting things such as independent component 1 and service learning done.

(4) What didn't work for me in senior project?
The only thing that I say that didn't work for me was science fair. because I feel that science fair was a completely different to my senior project simply because it didn't help me answer my EQ like all the other components did. I far as work it was very stressful at times, but also very do-able, if you are stressed about doing work it's probably because you have no time outside of school to do the work or you have been procrastinating, but maybe that's just me.

(5) Finding Value
I feel that this will be a very cliche answer, but it has really helped me use my time efficiently. An example of this is me balancing a Trigonometry class and I-Poly work at the same time, and the same with a Pre-calculus class this semester. I can also now present efficiently and effectively an example to this should be my 2-hour presentation, I gave a lesson to a class for more than an hour, that's a great achievement for a high school student. I believe that I can take these skills that I have aquired during my time at I-Poly and bring them to college whether it be having to present for 30 minutes or just simply manage my time so that I have time both for fun and work. I hope to use these skills as well as others at the college level to help me become a successful student.

2-Hour Presentation

2-hour lesson plan.

I-Search

I-Search rough draft.

Service Learning

Literal:

• Service learning google doc Calendar
• Francis Takahashi

Interpretive:
The most important thing that I have learned at my time of service learning is that it's all about your creativity. Creativity is important in aikido because in a fight you will most likely not stick to a single technique to fend off a few guys. With creativity you can switch through different techniques as people are running towards you, and if you get really good you could switch through different techniques during a technique! It's all about creativity, see what you can come up with.

Applied:
Service learning really helped with my first answer to my essential question: Moving with precise footwork and positioning. Why? Well because as I was teaching the kids they had many problems of understanding the different steps of the technique, and when I had them preform the technique on me I noticed that without the right steps/movements the move's efficiency greatly decreased. I then concluded that this is important for all of aikido's techniques.

(2) Sensei Francis Takahashi

Independent Component 2

Google Docs Calender
Evidence:
Journal entries is what I did again to keep track of everything that I did for my independent component. The pages again are a little out of order but just follow the numbers 1-10!

L:
I, Paul Navarro, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.

I did various ki exercises to try and develop my ki for 30 hours.

I:
Controlling your ki, from what I have research and also partially experienced, takes a number of years. Although I did not achieve my goal of controlling my ki in the little amount of time that I had I did feel different afterward, I felt more controlling as to where my mind would wonder off to and I was able to become more at peace.

A:
It defiantly helped my EQ because I feel like I have proved that my first answer: controlling your ki to become a successful aikido practitioner as valid. Why? Well if you become more calm even by trying to develop your ki , keep in mind that keeping calm is needed to be in control of a fight or encounter, then once you are able to control your ki you will not only stay calm in the heat of a battle but also be able to control your energy and make your techniques stronger.

Helping 2013

Interviewee: Antonio Ayala
Date and Time: 4/25/12 1:30pm in Pang's classroom.

1) What ideas do you have for you senior topic and why?

• Either locksmith or managing a locksmith business because it seems interesting and my brother has recently started a small company of his own.
• When choosing a topic make sure that you have all your connections before senior year starts so that once it actually starts then you will be able to get the things you need easily and efficiently.

2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting?

• Like I have just said, my brother has recently started a business mainly about installing locks, but also creating them. I also might try to volunteer at 21st century, hopefully help them out with installing locks.
• Well it good that you already have an idea of where you are going for service learning that puts you one step ahead of everybody else. Just a heads up, make sure you find at least two people to interview because you can interview a person at least twice.

3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

• I hope that there are some really good ones and the topics are really diverse.
• I think there will be some pretty good topics as long as the people doing them prepare for a good amount of time, and there are many different topics although there are many people doing just medicine.

4) Any questions about senior topic?

• How is the work load?
• Well I would say as long as you are on top of everything then you will just be fine. There is a lot of work for senior year but all you have to do is just do it and not get behind. The most important thing about senior year is your connections, so make sure that you have that down. You'll do just fine.

Answers

Answer 1: Controlling your ki.

Answer 2: Moving with precise footwork and positioning.

Answer 3: Ability to defeat your opponent without seriously injuring them.

Answer#3

EQ: I will adress my EQ simply by stating it, "What is the best way to become a successful aikido practitioner?"

Answer 3: The best way to become a successful aikido practitioner is to be able to successfully take down your enemy without seriously injuring them.

Evidence: Aikido is all about promoting peace and harmony, as an aikido practitioner you don't use brute force when defending yourself from an attacker, and most aikido practitioners believe that by promoting peace it'll always bring victory.

Source: I will just bring the sources and present them to the class.

3-Column Chart

3 Column Chart

Room Creativity

1) I think the room would be too small but I will hopefully be provided with mats.
2) Answer 1: There are a few exercises to improve your ki and I will have them do a few of them for the activity.
Answer 2: I will be preforming different techniques but incorrectly and they will have to tell me what I had done wrong.

Answer 2

EQ: I will be addressing it by simply saying it in my presentation: What is the best way to become a successful aikido practitioner?

Answer 2: The best way to become a successful aikido practitioner is to move with precise footwork and positioning.

Evidence: Quickly show what would happen if you don't have the right positioning, show why it's VERY important.

Source: I have a couple of books to talk about, it just goes over different techniques and step-by-step how to do them.

The Product

Product: I have gained new connections.
Whether it would be a connection to a job at another dojo, because they attend several others, or if it were to just be for a favor.

A piece of evidence would be in my service learning, where I help teach classes, basically a teacher's assistant. Doing service learning is what got me these connections, working with all these people I developed a closer relationship with them.
These are the people that I have made connections with, well most of them, I have not yet worked with some of them. Connections are key to success.

Fourth Interview Questions

So of these questions may have been used in previous interviews but am interviewing somebody that I have not interviewed before.
1) What is the best way to become a successful aikido practitioner?
2) What is your view of a successful aikido practitioner?
3) What do you think is the most important aspect in aikido? Why?
4) What is it that you tend to emphasize when you teach aikido? Why?
5) How do you think that somebody that is just starting should approach aikido?
6) How important do you believe the philosophy of aikido is? Do you need to know it to further your training?
7) Do you believe that a student should train with an open mind? Why or why not?
8) When face with a situation, wherever it may be, how would a successful aikido practitioner handle it?
9) Have you ever tried any other type of martial art? If so, how would they differ from aikido? If not, how do you think they differ?
10) What was your view on aikido when you first started?
11) Has it changed? If so, how and why? If not, do you think it will if you keep training in aikido?
12) What would you say be the most significant idea/aspect that somebody could get out of after training in aikido for a number of years?
13) What has kept you in aikido for this many years?
14) How would one go about in becoming a successful aikido practitioner?
15) How did your view of aikido change from when you were a student to an instructor?
16) How well do you think one should know the technique before they could say that they have mastered it?
17) What are your views on ki? Why?
18) Do you think that it is necessary for a aikido practitioner to control it? Why or why not?
19) How important do you thing your footwork and positioning is? Why?
20) How do people who are just starting off in aikido tend to mess up when it comes to technique in the moves? Why do you think it happens?

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

1) I plan on trying to control my ki. I will do this by training and also performing the different exercises that specifically help you control your ki.

2) Well it's basically just 30 hours of training, so I just have to put the time and effort into it.

3) Well it relates because one of the answers is to be able to control your ki. Plus with training it also helps me support another answer: to be able to move with precise footwork and positioning.

Independent Component 1

Google Docs Calender.
Evidence:
Journal entries for this Independent Component. Sorry that it's a little out of order, page 1 is just a brief summary of what I was going to do so I didn't think I had to add it in.

 L:
I, Paul Navarro, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.
I complete 30 hours of training at my dojo which occurred every Saturday.

I:
There is much I have learned from the 38 hours of training that I have done. I have learned to slow down to make sure that you understand what it is that you are actually doing before you try and put speed into your techniques. Another thing is that you have to go in with the right mindset. You have to go there not expecting to be the absolute best, you have to go in thinking that you are going to have fun or just learn. Last thing that I learned is that teaching is the only way to get to know and be able to do the technique/material better. Not the only way but it is the best way.

A:
Well now that the 30 hours are over with I actually think that I have two more answer to my EQ. One of them being: to teach people. To become a successful aikido practitioner you have to teach people how to do aikido because then you'll actually learn and get to know it more. You retain about 95% of the technique if you teach it, so it just shows that this is a good way to become a successful aikido practitioner.
Another answer that I have come up with was having the right mindset. Because if you go into practice with the thought of you going to be good right off the bat, showing everybody how good you are, you are going to go nowhere. But if you go in with an open mind ready to learn then you will learn you'll actually tend to get the hang of it faster as well. That is why I thought that this would also be a good answer.

Presentation 2 Rough Draft

20 minute rough draft here.

Answer 1

1) Controlling your ki
2) Controlling your ki helps your body flow more smoothly; thus making it easier to get behind the person. To perfectly control your ki also allows you to use their momentum to actually take them down without using any of your strength. Using ki is basically what aikido is all about, but it does take numerous hours to figure out how to use and control your ki. To be able to use and master your ki will ultimately make you a master of aikido.
3) The Complete Step-by-step Guide to Martial Arts, Tai Chi and Aikido by Goodman, Fay.
Advanced Aikido by Dang, Phong Thong and Lynn Seiser.

Service Learning

1) In Alhambra a dojo called Aikido Academy USA.
2) Francis Takahashi
3) I am like a teacher's aid for the children class I mainly just do what they tell me to do. I recently helped them test the children to see if they can move onto the next belt.
4) I say I have worked about 20-30 hours all together.

Third Interview Questions

1) What is the best way to become a successful aikido practitioner?
2) What do you believe is the most important aspect in aikido?
3) What do you tend to emphasize when teaching aikido?
4) How important do you think the philosophy of aikido is?
5) What do you think a successful aikido practitioner is?
6) What has kept you in aikido for this many years?
7) What kind of mindset should a person have while training in aikido?
8) If a person were to approach aikido with a different mindset how do you think it'll affect their performance and overall training?
9) With a situation at hand how would a successful aikido practitioner handle the situation?
10) How should one go about in becoming a successful aikido practitioner?