# data[].attributes.headline
Introductory Lesson - First Lesson - Divergent Thinking (23/07/2024)

# data[].attributes.subject
Introductory Lesson - First Lesson - Divergent Thinking (23/07/2024)

# data[].attributes.body
Today in our first lesson of Action Project, we were required to apply divergent thinking to two questions in our randomised groups. The first question we were given was, 'How many ways can you shave a monkey?' In the beginning, our ideas were scarce and we were less able to think of creative ways because we hadn't fully applied divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is straying away from the regular/normal way of thinking. Our minds were focused on realistic and applicable ideas rather than applying divergent thinking to figure out more ways to shave a monkey. When given the second prompt, 'How many ways can you paint an elephant?' We were able to find many more ideas (19 ideas). We applied divergent thinking which allowed us to steer away from typical thinking views to gather more ways to paint an elephant. I believe the task was very prompting as it allowed us to think on a more in-depth level. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fWvGAaZKQU8lleEGr4yX4VOUvgPe8zGxIXflqDDZ7Dg/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
In our second and third lessons of Action Project, we completed a '1+1 = 1' activity which required selecting a random animal and a random household item to create one product. We brainstormed with a partner (Jiani), additionally, we were required to choose random objects in the classroom and combine them to create a unique product. We applied critical thinking skills and 'thought outside the box' to create bizarre and creative products. The task required innovation and imagination, allowing us to dive deeper and think about more products that may not be practical.

# data[].attributes.body
Today, in our last lesson of week 1, we were required to complete two tasks called, 'alternative uses' and 'lunchtime activity'. In the first task, we were given three objects and were to brainstorm alternative uses for the objects. Our first object was an umbrella, we came up with ideas such as a sword, a racket, a fielding bat, a walking cane, a defence weapon...etc. For our second object, we were given a water bottle to brainstorm about. We devised various ideas such as a water gun, a replacement for an IV drip, an earthquake detector, a watering can...etc. For our final object, we received a ping pong ball, we came up with ideas such as gun ammo, a carnival game object, a light bulb shell...etc.

From this activity, we learnt of the many innovative ways we can use currently existing objects to create other inventions. I found it very intriguing and thought-provoking as it allowed us to branch out of the boundaries of our minds. Before we were given these series of tasks, 'how to shave a monkey', '1+1=1' and 'random input', our minds were very limited in terms of the capacity of creative ideas we had, however, after these activities, we were able to be more creative.

In our second task, we were to review and rate our lunches that day. We decided to create a scale of when our moods went up and down and what affected our lunch. This was so that we could eventually use this information to create a solution to the problem in future lessons. This allowed me to reflect on my choices and take time to think about real-life scenarios and how solutions can be applied.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1POlAM2LNxD6UGcSFLMGalW2-RTZfRnHwOx_Fn-91peA/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.headline
29/07/24 - 30/07/24: Redesigning Lunchtime Experiences

# data[].attributes.subject
29/07/24 - 30/07/24: Redesigning Lunchtime Experiences

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout this week, we focused on interviewing our partners for our lunchtime design activity and redesigning the lunchtime experience. My partner was Dice and I was to understand their lunchtime experience properly in order to 'redesign' their lunch experience. In order to properly redesign their lunch, I needed to understand why scores fluctuated on their scale during certain scenarios to see what was good and what was bad about their lunch. I found that Dice did not like being alone and enjoyed having conversations and having a bit of a challenge in their activities. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1POlAM2LNxD6UGcSFLMGalW2-RTZfRnHwOx_Fn-91peA/edit?usp=sharing

I believe I have used the interview time to effectively pinpoint areas of Dice's lunchtime that raised problems in their lunch experience. It allowed me to communicate with the target 'consumer' to create a solution for a 'group' of people rather than just a 'solution'.

# data[].attributes.body
In this lesson, we had to create our 'pitch' and present it to the class. For my pitch, I chose to focus on the 'how might we' question of, 'How might we change being alone and being disrupted by loud students in hallways for Dice so that they can be content in their lunchtimes.'

My solution to this was creating an area with seating and tables indoors that were situated in classrooms with teacher supervision. Classrooms will be much quieter and suit the needs of students such as Dice who like more quiet spaces.

I found this activity interesting as many students had similar problems, additionally, I learnt that when pitching, I should be looking more toward the audience instead of the teacher as I am pitching to everyone not just the teacher.

# data[].attributes.body
In this lesson, we were to create our first summative assessment. We finished off the previous pitches from the lesson prior and then were introduced to our new task which would be graded. We worked in a group of 3, I was in a group with Dice and Jiani. We were to design a solution to a problem in a council area and then create an infomercial to pitch the solution to the class. Firstly, we chose councils in our areas and brainstormed problems for each of them. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_JkkwZ6efwzISiD72EVMrWKWYGak4sr1KIbbbVnClyM/edit?usp=sharing

This task required us to critically think about problems in each of our councils that could eventually have a solution created.

# data[].attributes.body
Absent - Japanese Excursion.

# data[].attributes.body
In these lessons, our group (Dice, Jiani and I) chose a council to focus on. We decided to focus on the Burnside Council as 2 out of 3 group members were familiar with the Burnside Council issues. We then decided on our top few choices for problems in the Burnside Council area and eventually chose lighting problems in the Burnside Council area to base our spin-off project on. Our top few choices included litter problems, lighting problems, traffic congestion and parking. Jiani and I then began to create a survey to send out to the school so that we could collect their opinions on the situation as Dice was absent from one lesson. Additionally, we began to research and gather sources and statistics from annual traffic reports to support our problem.

We utilised key collaboration and communication skills to assign roles and communicate with each other. We also communicated our choices to Dice.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_JkkwZ6efwzISiD72EVMrWKWYGak4sr1KIbbbVnClyM/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
In these lessons, our group began to work on the script for our infomercial. We had already gathered statistics to support our points in the infomercial and had begun on writing the script so that we could proceed to filming quickly. We also sent out our Google form to the school and received 144 responses. We also made sure that the developing questions about our problem were answered e.g. 'Where is the problem?', 'Who is the target?' and 'Why is this problem happening?'. Not only did we complete these things with some members absent, we also brainstormed solutions and decided on a solution.

We communicated well and effectively which allowed us to be much more organised and be on track to filming.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_JkkwZ6efwzISiD72EVMrWKWYGak4sr1KIbbbVnClyM/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
In these lessons, we completed our filming. In our first lesson, we mainly filmed Jiani's parts as we were a little short on time because we caught each other up with the work we had done. However, in our second lesson, we managed to finish all our filming. During our filming, we made sure that each of us used someone's phone to record audio in case the audio on camera was scuffed. This productivity allowed us to have time to edit our work. We also made sure we chose certain angles and areas of the school that would appeal to the audience and made sure to include a shot with everyone in it. Since we finished our filming early, we were also editing our videos in class and uploading them to a drive shared with the group members. Filming was completed by Dice and I and editing was completed by everyone in the group. Jiani and I also took out-of-class time to meet up with each other to film a creative aspect for our infomercial. Overall, we communicated and collaborated efficiently and effectively which meant we didn't have to be extremely stressed about deadlines.

# data[].attributes.body
During this time, we worked on our final touches and submitted our work. Additionally, if areas of the audio were scuffed or unclear, we re-recorded it as a group to ensure that the audio would be audible. This required a lot of time and communication with each other. I believe this entire spin-off project allowed our group to work well together even if we weren't completely familiar with each other. (See google classroom for infomercial video).

# data[].attributes.body
After finishing our first summative, we began to work on our INNOV8 project which would carry onto term 2. Our group members (Dice, Jiani and I) first started with brainstorming and planning. We decided to brainstorm ideas for the groups Learning, Enterprise and Health & Wellbeing. Ultimately, we followed more into the area of Health & Wellbeing whilst including some aspects of enterprise and learning. I came up with an idea in the learning aspect which was an interactive learning tool designed for certain groups e.g. those with financial difficulties, learning disabilities, students afraid to associate with other people due to bullying, anxiety...etc. I particularly enjoyed this task as it allowed me to go more in-depth and in detail with all the ideas that I had inside my head.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HKjsMYxSsY2gCI-BVKAcWmooVhtPg2ap_MSyCdqrAuM/edit?usp=sharing

# data[].attributes.body
This week, we focused on in-class grading our spin-off projects. All our infomercials were presented to the class and graded according to the rubric. We watched everyone's infomercials and provided verbal feedback from an audience perspective. Our grade was originally an 18.5/20 but after negotiation, it got bumped to a 19/20. We were marked on many criteria, they were 'Collaboration/Communication, Research & Creativity'. Our group lacked in the area of creativity however, we learnt from this and are currently brainstorming even more creative ways for our INNOV8 project.

I enjoyed this in-class grading technique as we were allowed to express opinions and hear more opinions from other students as well as learn more from other people's assignments.

# data[].attributes.headline
Creating a Marketing Pitch  +  Be my critical friend task + Creating Sketches of Prototypes + Mockups - 15/10/24 + 17/10/24 + 18/10/24

# data[].attributes.subject
Creating a Marketing Pitch  +  Be my critical friend task + Creating Sketches of Prototypes + Mockups - 15/10/24 + 17/10/24 + 18/10/24

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout the first week of action project, we started off incredibly busy. Jiani and I were caught up by Dice about what our Innov8 Expo product and problem was based on the ideas we had brainstormed and planned beforehand. Afterwards, we continued to work on a script and slideshow for our marketing pitch presentations which would be presented on the 24th of October. Later on in the week when Jiani was absent, Dice and I conducted a peer feedback with Jinjin's group. We received a series of links:

https://pocketflipz.com/

https://www.stumptownkilts.com/pockets

https://www.amazon.com/attachable-pocket/s?k=attachable+pocket

https://www.etsy.com/au/market/attachable_pockets

https://www.clothingarts.com/products/attachable-bottle-pocket

These links were to be considered in the creation of our product.

Additionally, throughout this week, we designed paper mockups of our product for our belt PocketPal prototype, designed a business name and logo and I designed a physical prototype in my own time. Furthermore, we discussed sizing considerations for the PocketPal and our aims for the PocketPal.

# data[].attributes.headline
Working on Marketing Pitch + Working on Prototypes +  - 21/10/24 + 22/10/24

# data[].attributes.subject
Working on Marketing Pitch + Working on Prototypes +  - 21/10/24 + 22/10/24

# data[].attributes.body
Throughout week 2 of action project, our group began to work on our prototypes to further develop them and took on effective discussions about things to consider such as:

1. Functionality

2. Design

3. What if people didn't want to wear belts?

We applied these considerations into our future endeavours and focused on finishing the slides. I worked on slides regarding the funding model, stake holders, target market, creation process and worked on the creation of the PocketPal. We also discussed creative ways and aspects to present our marketing pitch e.g. an act presenting the problem of pockets.

# data[].attributes.body
We presented our marketing pitch first to our class. In the beginning of our pitch, we acted out a scenario of which bags were a hassle and pocket space was a problem. Afterwards, we presented our slideshow to the audience however, we were unable to present quite a few aspects of our slideshow as the act took up majority of our presentation time. This would then be an area of improvement that we focused on for our upcoming expo. We then received questions from the teachers and a small, brief feedback. We spent the rest of the class time listening to the rest of the presenations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Working on Innov8 Expo Main Pitch + Posters + Slides + Prototypes + Listening to Other Presentations - 29/10/24 + 31/10/24 + 1/11/24

# data[].attributes.subject
Working on Innov8 Expo Main Pitch + Posters + Slides + Prototypes + Listening to Other Presentations - 29/10/24 + 31/10/24 + 1/11/24

# data[].attributes.body
For the beginning of the week, we spent our time listening to the remaining marketing pitch presentations. Towards the end of the week, we had created posters, slides, more prototypes for the expo in Week 6. We discussed what main aspects we wanted on our posters to engage the audience and discussed the themes we wanted present throughout our posters.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGVGR-ICsI/ZpHpYmxI6QqnZO3tpFtQcg/edit?utm_content=DAGVGR-ICsI&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGWyNM4zWQ/ic88ENaRCJ4gj3MTirgARg/edit?utm_content=DAGWyNM4zWQ&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGT5Gesaf0/9XPR-Hj9l5OvqecV46M-yA/edit?utm_content=DAGT5 Gesaf0&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

# data[].attributes.headline
Receive feedback for marketing pitch + Worked on Innov8 Expo + Brochures + Creating To-Do List + Business Cards - 4/11/24 + 5/11/24

# data[].attributes.subject
Receive feedback for marketing pitch + Worked on Innov8 Expo + Brochures + Creating To-Do List + Business Cards - 4/11/24 + 5/11/24

# data[].attributes.body
In week 4, we received feedback for our marketing pitches that we had presented a week and a half before. Our feedback consisted of:

Positives:

Good, clear speaking

Nice introduction that engages audience

Clear research and collaboration

Feedback:

TIMING!!

Is this product going to be useful in the real market?

Explanation of the solution could have been stronger; how impactful is this product?

Price of product

Don't read off script

From this feedback, we learnt that memorising our scripts and took into consideration that our scripts and information needed to be more concise so that the audience could hear and process more of our information that we were unable to present in the timeframe. Furthermore, throughout the week we started to complete brochures, create to-do lists and business cards. We assigned roles to each member, for example, I was to work on posters, the infographic, brochures in collaboration with Jiani. Additionally, I was in charge of the creation of the PocketPals. https://www.canva.com/design/DAGVvpqi5tA/VEFbVws5qDCVvmzVPQdRSQ/edit?utm_content=DAGVvpqi5tA&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGVNG_bT0w/oN2F4JJ_Rp0S6bLFHqTMgQ/edit?utm_content=DAGVNG_bT0w&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

# data[].attributes.headline
Experimenting Potential Ideas for Belt-less Pockets + Google Sites + Infographic  - 12/11/24 + 14/11/24 + 15/11/24

# data[].attributes.subject
Experimenting Potential Ideas for Belt-less Pockets + Google Sites + Infographic  - 12/11/24 + 14/11/24 + 15/11/24

# data[].attributes.body
In the last week before our Action Project Expo, I started developing ideas to create PocketPals that wouldn't require a belt for attachment. This design instead used a nanny pin instead of rivets so that there would be no permanent alteration for the clothing. Additionally, our group created a google sites and infographic that would be printed. In this week, we also began to print some of our poster designs and resources to see how they would look like on paper. We also printed our business cards using cartridge paper. We also presented our one-minute pitches to the class and sought feedback. https://sites.google.com/d/1kDfb0f6PjTHLLKH5WHKBFfjO9LEx0_8h/p/1OvUC7aaVMjs5c1WYx8Y-QcbdAkQsBakT/edit

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGWyfugslo/EJZguo10BEITbavytzHBPQ/edit?utm_content=DAGWyfugslo&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

# data[].attributes.headline
Expo - Final Preparations + Presenting - Overall + Final Reflection - 18/11/24 + 19/11/24

# data[].attributes.subject
Expo - Final Preparations + Presenting - Overall + Final Reflection - 18/11/24 + 19/11/24

# data[].attributes.body
In our last two lessons before our expo, our group started practiced our 1-minute pitched so that we were able to memorise it for the expo. Furthermore, I created a 3-minute pitch for extra preparation. We printed the remaining resources e.g. infographic, prize posters, brochures...etc. I also printed and prepared cue cards in case it was needed. Jiani and I cut the brochures and folded them into size. Additionally, we had the idea of an innovative game that would require people to pick a card out of a pocket to win a prize, this allowed them to understand the functionality of the PocketPal and also see how much weight the PocketPal has the potential to hold.

Expo Reflection:

In the end, our expo was successful as our group was able to present without needing our cue cards. We set up effectively with decorations and prizes and our work spread out across our space. Furthermore, we had spread out roles evenly in terms of speaking and demonstration so everyone had a role in contributing to the expo. I was also able to successfully create a prototype of a belt-less PocketPal design.

Overall Action Project Reflection:

Overall, our group showed key collaboration and communication skills which involved discussing ideas with each other and understanding different perspectives. This allowed our group to explore deeper into new ideas rather than staying close-minded. Furthermore, this expressed our characters well as we were keen learners and open-minded to each other's ideas and accepting of feedback from peers, teachers and each other.