This document contains an 11 paragraph reflective summary by a student on their semester long project on amputations. The student discusses their research process, challenges collaborating with their group, organizing information, incorporating a personal connection through a family member, and how skills like questioning, evaluating sources, and organizing knowledge helped with the project. The student felt voice threads and Symbaloo enhanced their learning and they look forward to applying 21st century skills like research and analytical reading in the future.

1. Olivia Lullie
Lester
10th Honors World Lit/Comp.
2 May 2012
End of Semester Summative Reflection
1. My topic for this project was amputations. During the research part of the project, I
learned many different things about the psychological responses of an amputee. For
example, I learned that negative thoughts are especially prevalent in people who have had
an amputation due to trauma (usually members of the armed forces who were injured
while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan). Even though I did find the answers to a lot of my
questions, I am still curious about how an amputation can affect the amputee’s family.
2. My group and I had a very hard time finding the correct information on our topic. We
used the databases that were given to us from Ms. Hamilton and we tried many different
key words but the information was still scarce. I hadn’t tried using sweet search yet and
when I finally had, I found many more sources. I didn’t feel my group and I had a
difficult time collaborating. We had a few debates while working on the final product but
we eventually came to an agreement.
3. The most challenging part of the project was defiantly organizing all of our information
and writing the shaping sheet after we finished all of our research. We had so much

2. information for each of our minor topics, and it was a little overwhelming at times. I
found that being able to choose any topic we wanted was the most rewarding because it
gave me a chance to choose something I’m really passionate about.
4. In all honesty, the books and the fishbowl discussions had no influence on my choice of
an issue because I had already made a decision about what my topic would be about.
However, the books definitely helped me get more interested in war and it created more
of an emotional attachment rather than just an educational one.
5. I believe reading the non-fiction articles really made me understand how serious this
issue really is. The articles made me understand how much dedication an amputee must
have and how difficult it is for them to move on after having an amputation. Also, in a
way, I’m living with this issue because a cousin of mine is a triple amputee, so this topic
had already made a lasting impact on me.
6. I feel I did a very good job of finding the right information for my topic and narrowing it
down to what was most important and what was needed in the final product to show that
amputations are the biggest issue in war today. Also, I am very proud of myself for being
able to incorporate my cousin’s story into this project. I was able to make the project
personal. And in a persuasive project, personal experiences are always good. I also
wanted to learn all I could about amputations not just because it was a school project but
because this specific issue affected someone that I love. And I feel I’ve accomplished
that.
7. The most challenging thing in this project was finding a way to show that amputations
are the biggest crisis in wars today. There are so many different issues in war it was hard
to try and persuade other people that my topic was the worst out of all of them. While

3. researching, I came across an article that discussed all of the effects amputations have on
soldiers and veterans. The article mentioned that amputations can cause PTSD,
depression, embarrassment, and unemployment. This proves that amputations are one of
the worst issues in war because it can cause almost anything.
8. 1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning helped me while
working on this project. I had already had some knowledge on this topic because of my
cousin who is a triple amputee. 1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame
the search for new understanding. We were required to create one main question
followed by three sub-questions. This process helped me to narrow down my research,
and find the information that was most important. 1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select
appropriate sources to answer questions. I learned how to do the CRAP test more
effectively this semester because I found that some of the information was harder to find.
2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful. After I finished my research, I organized all
of my information into three chunks. I used 3.3.2 Respect the differing interests and
experiences of others, and seek a variety of viewpoints. This method helped me to realize
that if I listen to others, then they will listen to me. In my group, we were all respectful of
each other’s experiences and ideas for the project.
9. My group and I did a voice thread. Because I had only ever done a prezi, I was not
completely sure how a voice thread would turn out. After working on it for a few days, I
feel it is a very good tool to use. It has definitely enhanced my learning process in this
project. In a voice thread, I was able to explain my topic through talking. And in my
opinion, being able to explain my topic using my voice instead of using words on a
screen made it more interesting.

4. 10. I decided to use Symbaloo because it’s much more organized and I had already had the
knowledge of how to use it. On my Symbaloo, I have some databases that I found were
helpful, I have links to some articles I used while researching, and I also have different
links to things I thought were important. For example, I put a link to the daily agenda, a
link to Easybib, a link to my Gmail, etc. I think the way I used Symbaloo was really
helpful; it gave me a place to go where I could just have everything right in front of me
and it made me feel very organized. Therefore, I would definitely use it next year in some
of my other classes and I will probably use it the same way I used it for this project.
Symbaloo is a way of showing that I am the type of person who needs things to be
organized in order for me to understand and to be sure that I have everything I need. It
shows that because Symbaloo is a way of organizing all important sources and links
needed for a specific project.
11. This year has taught me a lot about 21st century learning. I’ve learned skills in digital text
products and general research papers. I am now able to narrow my search to one main
topic and if necessary, three subtopics. Being able to narrow down my research will help
me save time and help me find the most important information first. As far as analytical
reading, Mrs. Lester has taught me how to break down every passage in a book and really
understand the in-depth meaning, which will help me next year with the other books I
will be required to read.