alexbcas

[alexbcas]

[alexbcas]

CAS Project Proporsal Form

[alexbcas]

[alexbcas]

CAS Learning outcomes

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

In my creativity, learning the bass, I had to find the technique and styles of music which fit me the most. Although I’ve quickly found that my preferred technique of strumming is fingering, I also found that due to that I have to put more work into practicing with the pick. Even though I found a technique which I feel confident in, I realise the need to come out of my comfort zone so I can progress even more in the long run.

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

I’ve started learning the bass with almost no previous experience in playing instruments. Even though it was challenging at first, as I had to learn everything from scratch I also felt immensely motivated as I was finally making one of my dreams come true. I had to overcome the challenge of learning the music theory, which was quite difficult as I wanted to immediately start playing songs, my patience brought effects, as I now have the ability to play my dream instrument.

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

Planning was a critical step of organising the school bake sale. Me and my team had to find the right time, place and people who would bring the cakes and take care of the sale. Me and my team also had to find and contact a place to which we could donate the mattresses, covers and sheets.

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

All of my CAS experiences required me to be very committed. In my activity, going to the gym, I had to follow a schedule which, if not followed, would possibly ruin my progress. Throughout my service preparation, the choir rehearsals, I had to be present every week, as missing a rehearsal would mean a setback for both me, and the other members.

5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

Throughout my bass learning journey I’ve been communicating and collaborating with other people who play instruments. The most significant one was my friend who plays electric guitar, and with whom I regularly exchanged feedback, as well as chose songs to learn and play together. This collaboration had a great impact on my progress, as I had someone to both, notice my mistakes, and motivate me.

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

I was one of the organisers and workers at the schools bake sale, which was held to gather money for sleep hygiene products for lonely mothers. Although our fundraising was small and could only afford to support one place, me and my team had done a lot of research on the importance of sleep hygiene and how it isn’t affordable for everyone.

7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

Although my actions throughout the participation in the school choir have always been done with an intention of doing something good for others, it made me realise how much my actions can affect a lot of people. As the school choir is a very small community, every person who belongs to it plays a crucial role. Even one person missing during a performance makes a huge difference to the way it turns out. Therefore, if I decided to not come to a performance, this decision would not only impact me, but also the members and the audience.

[alexbcas]

CAS Summary

-What did you enjoy most about CAS?

Throughout the months of my CAS experience I had the opportunity to try a variety of new experiences and activities that I might’ve never tried otherwise. Despite sometimes being challenging, having to partake in the things I chose to do (Practicing the bass, training, being a member of a choir) regularly helped to motivate me when I didn’t feel like practicing, training or coming to practice.

- What was your greatest challenge and how did you overcome this?

The biggest challenge for me was overcoming my own limits. The most significant one was performing with the choir as I am naturally a very introverted and shy person. Taking part in the performances required me to go out of my comfort zone and, even though it was a challenge, with each performance I became more confident and started to find joy in being able to bring people happiness with our performances.

- What abilities and skills did you develop most significantly in CAS?

The most significant skill I developed throughout my CAS experience was communication and collaboration. In case of the choir performances I needed to communicate and synchronise well with the other members. In playing bass I needed to learn to receive feedback and apply it to my practice. As I always attended the gym with my friend, it was important for us to communicate and figure out a schedule that fits both of us.

- Which IB Learners profile attributes did you develop through CAS experiences?

Through my CAS experiences I’ve developed a lot of IB Learners profile attributes:

•Inquier

•Knowledgable

•Communicator

•Principled

•Risk-Taker

•Balanced

•Reflective

[alexbcas]

May-Activity 2

I’ve completed my second activity of May by going to the gym. It was very difficult to motivate myself, especially with school taking up most of my time, but I thankfully managed to find the time to complete my training. Lately I’ve been focusing on cardio exercises, and I’ve found that I really enjoy doing them.

[alexbcas]

May-Activity 1

I’ve completed my first activity of May by going to the gym. The biggest challenge was motivating myself to go there, but completing my workout was very gratifying.

[alexbcas]

May-Creativity 2

I completed my second creativity of May by playing the bass. Lately I’ve been trying to improve my technique rather than just learning new songs, it’s definitely more difficult than I imagined, but i’m trying to be patient with myself. I’m also continuing to learn the song "Zombie" by The Cranberries

[alexbcas]

May-Creativity 1

As always, I completed my first creativity of the month by playing bass.

Although challenging, it was also very fun and rewarding to see my progress. Right now I’m learning the song "Zombie" by The Cranberries

[alexbcas]

May - Service Preparation 2

As my second service of the month, I’ve attended the weekly school choir rehearsal.

Reflection

The school choir is preparing for upcoming performances, and so we’re working really hard to improve. Lately I’ve been feeling like i’m not making any progress, which made my motivation lower. Additionally with many upcoming deadlines I found myself questioning whether putting as much of my energy and time into the choir was worth it. Although I managed to overcome these thoughts and actively participate in the rehearsals this month, I will have to work on my mentality regarding my participation in the choir, especially with the upcoming performances.

[alexbcas]

Service preparation-May 1

Reflection

As always, I’ve had a great time practicing with the other choir members. I feel that I’m making steady progress, which makes me feel glad and motivated to continue my efforts.

As the rehearsals take place after school hours, I do sometimes struggle with my motivation, however I still haven’t allowed this to make me give up.

[alexbcas]

April -Service 2

I’ve completed my second service of April by taking part in the graduation choir performance.

Reflection

The choir members spent months preparing for the performance and the results showed it. Although I must admit that it wasn’t the best performance by me as an individual, it was definitely the best one we performed until now as a choir. I feel very proud of how much we’ve improved since our previous performance, and the success will only motivate us to do better in the future.

[alexbcas]

April-Creativity 2

Ive completed my second creativity of April by continuing to practice the bass.

Reflection

The longer I’m learning, the more progress I see, however I also choose more difficult songs to learn. After around two afternoons of practice I’m able to play the intro to "Supermassive black hole" by Muse, unfortunately the chorus is even harder. Nonetheless, I’m practicing hard and the progress is steady.

[alexbcas]

April-Creativity 1

I’ve completed my first CAS creativity of April by practicing the bass.

Reflection

Due to the amount of school assignments I had I didn’t have a lot of time to play the bass, still I tried to practice as much as possible. I can see progress, especially compared to my beginnings, however there’s still a long way ahead of me. I’m currently learning "Supermassive black hole" by Muse, although it’s quite challenging I also find it fun.

[alexbcas]

April-Activity 1

I’ve completed my first activity of the month by going to the gym.

Reflection

My knee is injured again but since I have to keep going to the gym, and completing my service, I chose to continue doing light cardio workouts. This time I only did treadmill, and although it was very tiring and quite painful, I managed to do the whole workout successfully.

[alexbcas]

April-Service preparation 1

I’ve completed my service of the month by attending the school choir practice.

Reflection

This was the last practice before our performance at the graduation ceremony, which was both motivating and stressful. Thankfully the practice went well, and I feel confident both in my own performance and the overall performance as a choir.

[alexbcas]

March-Activity 2

I’ve completed my second activity of march by going to the gym.

Reflection

I’m still focusing on cardio, however, to add some variety I decided to try the bike this time. Because it was something new, I had a lot of fun, however the pain in my hips increased a day after. I might have to switch back to regular treadmill. Overall, the training went well.