Azyani's - Individual Reflection

Written by: 3T04 Azyani Bte Abu Samah (04) S10170155A

As we conclude our Capstone Project, I feel a myriad of emotions when I look back on the journey which has positively raised my awareness of present Early Childhood issues as well as developing my personal growth.

Selection of Topic. Initially, I found it difficult to decide on a topic which I wanted to expound on for the entire Capstone Project. Thus, I researched and read up on current issues to aid in my decision. Furthermore, I recalled my previous experiences in preschool settings and reflected on the disparities amongst them. Recently, I was attached to a preschool centre which makes use of many technological tools in their curriculum, which opposed another centre I observed which makes use of a minimal amount. This raised my curiosity, leading me to form questions such as “How do preschool centres differ in the use of technology?” and “What exactly determines the amount of technological use present in preschool settings?” Combine these questions with the realisation that technological means are constantly advancing and will soon be indispensable even for young children, it sparked my interest in pursuing the topic.

Interview with Centre Principal. Following that, the interview with the Centre Principal was a valuable opportunity and learning experience which resulted in some key take-aways. First, I learnt the importance of being open-minded when gathering different perspectives on a topic which I have pre-conceived opinions on. This greatly helps in being objective when approaching the interview and ensures that the questions asked are not biased or one-sided based on my own perspectives on the topic. From here, it allowed me to broaden my view of the topic as I learnt to be accepting of others’ opinions which may usually differ from our own’s.

Sharing of Action Plan with Centre Principal. Subsequently, the post-interview process involved creating an action plan. The Centre Principal provided us with valuable feedback, in which we took into consideration when constructing the final version of our action plan. For instance, she mentioned that the workshop for teachers was a good idea which she strongly supported, yet there were some loopholes to our plan. Hence, we continued to develop our plan by following her advice to create a lifelong platform for sharing of information among teachers, which proved to be effective in making sure that the action plan had continuity in learning that did not necessarily end once the workshop was over. Therefore, this made me realise that our ideas required further enhancements which were effective through critical thinking, keeping in mind that there is always room for improvements, and most importantly, by getting a second opinion from a more knowledgeable and experienced individual.

Problem-solving Skills. That being said, I grew significantly more mature in my thinking throughout the duration of this project. It was not a smooth journey and we faced several obstacles along the way, yet it provided opportunities to refine my problem-solving skills. For instance, although we planned questions for the interview, I quickly realised that it did not go according to plan which evoked quick, on-the-feet thinking, being flexible and adapting to the needs of the situation to reach our desired goals. Hence, my groupmates and I applied questioning strategies to probe relevant answers from the principal.

Communication Skills. Working with my groupmates on this project has allowed me to enhance my communication abilities, which proved to be highly critical throughout the entire process. Collaborating in a group of three has allowed for more efficient communication among us to meet-up and have discussions. As such, it was important to convey the necessary information to one another to ensure that everyone is always on the same page and that we have reached a consensus. In turn, this minimised the conflicts, misunderstandings and disagreements from occurring.

Organisational Skills. Being an individual who is highly organised, it served me well in minimising feelings of confusion, frustration and disorientation. Hence, this project enhanced my abilities to maintain organisational techniques, in terms of organising questions for the interview and questionnaire. This is to ensure that the interviewee and readers can comprehend the information being conveyed effectively. Furthermore, when creating the website and recommendation resources, my group and I organised everything clearly and ensured they were in order. In turn, this allowed the flow of the resources needed to be easily accessible and was carried out as smoothly as possible.

The entire process of developing the project has been a fruitful and meaningful learning experience. At the end of the day, our group successfully and effectively worked together, which made me become a better learner, student and team-player from this journey.