MY JOURNEY FROM 2:14-2:03 IN THE 800M
Lachlan Doehmann Year 10 Oscar
Word Count: [number of words]
Wesley College – Glen Waverley
2018
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 1
Criterion A: Investigating 3
The Goal
Global Context 4
Prior Learning 4
Research Skills 5
Criterion B: Investigating 6
Success Criteria 6
Project Plan & Development 6
Self-Management Skills 7
Criterion C: Taking Action 8
Product Documentation 8
Thinking Skills 8
Communication and Social Skills 9
Criterion D: Reflecting 10
Product Evaluation 10
Reflection on Understanding Global Context 11
Personal Development as an IB Learner 11
Appendices 7
Appendix 1: Criterion A
1A: Source Evaluation
1B: Library Session Reflection on Research
1C: Survey Research for Personal Project
Appendix 2 : Criterion B
A: Product Success Criteria
B: Project Plan and Development (GANTT Chart)
C: Project Plan/Self Management Skills (Supervisor Meeting Emails)
Appendix 3: Criterion C
A: Product Documentation
Appendix 4: Journal Entries
A:
B:
C:
D:
Appendix 5:
Bibliography 8
Introduction
Physical and mental health in people and sporting athletes is a very important part of everyday life and can make up part of anyone's ‘identity’ and overall health and wellbeing. I have been involved in sport, most specifically running, from a very young age. I have experienced the positive benefits of sport in life; improved mood, concentration, reduced stress, improved sleeping habits, healthy weight, boosted self confidence which all in turn leads to a positive life. This was my inspiration for the theme of my personal project.
Criterion A: Investigating
The Goal
The goal of my personal project is to explore the global context of Identities and Relationships, particularly personal and physical health and wellbeing. My goal is to maintain fitness and make the final of the U16 boys 800m for the National Track and Field Championships in March 2018, as well as monitor my sport psychology along the way and how this affects my progress. This will require countless hours of hardwork and dedication to training, maintaining mental and physical health and everything that goes along with it. To showcase this in my outcome and product, I aim to maintain a detailed training diary of my schedule and feelings during the project, as well as create a informative yet motivational video montage and product/journey of all the major competitions leading up to the final championship. I believe creating a pictorial showcase with a video is the best way to convey this. Throughout my journey of documenting my mental and physical health and creating my product, I will gain and learn skills and attributes on a personal level that in turn will also help others.
Global Context
To quote Koffi Annan, former UN Secretary-General “Sport is a universal language that can bring people together, no matter what their origin, background, and religious beliefs or economic status”. Therefore, I have chosen the global context of Identities and Relationships for my project as sport is a 'universal language'. Through the product of a video, people around the world and community can see it and understand it, thus using it as a 'universal language'. As The Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport states, “sport promotes involvement, integration and responsibility in society and contributes to the development of the community”. With my own involvement with Victorian Little Athletics, Athletics Victoria, Athletics Australia and Box Hill Athletic Club, it has provided me with a connectedness to a community both on a personal and social level that extends beyond just my local community but also to a National level.
Through the creation and product of my final outcome, I will be exploring the effects of mental and physical health on the sporting endeavours of an athlete. The global context of Identities and Relationships fits well for my personal project as the physical and mental health of an athlete or any person can ultimately show a part of who they are, thus linking back to the global context of the ‘identity’ of a person and their ‘relationships’ with others through physical exercise, sport and health.
Prior Learning
I am an accomplished athlete that has competed at a National Level since the age of 12, this has helped me develop a significant interest in the field of sport, physical health and psychology. I have also been competing at Little Athletics since I was 6 years old both in track and field and cross country each year, with varying levels of competition at a Regional, State and National level. More recently I have also been competing at a more senior level with Athletics Victoria. In addition to this I train 6 times a week in both the areas of aerobic and strengthening sessions which provides me with an insight into every facet of what I am currently studying for my project. I was also keeping a regular training diary which helped me reflect on my progress during training leading up to Nationals 2018 and proved invaluable.
In terms of subject-specific knowledge I had acquired before undertaking this project, I studied the subject of psychology for one term in my 9th year at school, as well as the benefits of sport on health and wellbeing through the subject of Physical Education. This provided me with the understanding of the positive outcomes and benefits of physical exercise in sport as well as the emotional aspect of it, participating with fellow students. This along with my own personal endeavours in athletics has provided me with various self management skills such as discipline, organisation and dedication to all areas of life.
Research Skills
The research skills that I used for my project were from my own personal experience (prior knowledge), my strength and conditioning coach Chris White, my athletic coach Tim O’Shaughnessy and also from the internet. I also have read a variety of books on the topic of 800m training which have been vital to my mental and physical health. My sister Madeleine is also studying psychology at Melbourne University which have been invaluable to help me with various topics relating to mental health and athletics. I asked a number of athletes and coaches to view the video to provide me with feedback so as to help me improve the presentation of the footage. I have also viewed numerous YouTube videos on competing and training for the 800m along with Athletic Victoria recap footage to inspire me with ideas of how to present my film.
Criterion B: Planning
Success Criteria
The design criteria is crucial for measuring and creating a product that follows guidelines and expectations. I have set a list of four strong criterion that will ensure that my final product will be suitable and of expected standard. These criteria (see appendix 2A) for the product to be aesthetically pleasing, engaging, truthful and clear towards the goal will provide me with a set aspiration and outlook on the product. The criteria of the product being aesthetically pleasing connects to my goal through the product needing to attract and interest the viewer, motivating them and inspiring them to see the beneficial side of sport and exercise(see appendix A). If the product is not visually satisfying (low level), the viewer will not be able to experience the true purpose and meaning of the video thus detracting from the product. The set levels of low (1-3), medium (4-7) and high (7-10) out of a scale of 1-10 for criteria 1 and 2 are suitable methods of evaluation. Set levels of low (high number of errors), medium (small errors) and high (few to no errors) for criteria 3 and low (negative feedback), medium (moderate) including high (positive) for criteria 4 are achievable. For each individual success criteria it will give me certain levels to work to and will also afford me with a marking scale of how well each specific criteria (see appendix 3A) has been completed after the product has been completed.
Project Plan and Development
Initially, when I planned this project I set out to complete the different parts of the project with reference to a timeline/plan. I did this by creating a thorough GANTT chart with the online programme of ‘TeamGANTT’ (see appendix 2B). I set out and planned for major dates and milestones such as term breaks, supervisor meetings, exams, creating of product, work experience and final submission dates. I used the completion percentage system the programme provided throughout the project for each criteria and prioritised other specific tasks with a to do list. I also used the setting off ‘all dates’ then ‘In progress” to prioritise and focus on tasks at one time. to take some I hoped that this would go to plan for the most part but inevitably there were some problems and changes that were made as the project was undertaken due to unforeseen circumstances. This included the first supervisor meeting (#1) being conducted a little later than expected and more so the second (#2) and third (#3) being organised at later dates than planned (see appendix 2B/2C). Although these meetings didn’t fit the time frame planned for, they were great with providing me with advice closer to the final deadline, if not greater benefit than if they were undertaken with the original timeframe. One of the parts that worked well with the programme of GANTT chart was the time allocated to working on the different aspects of the project as well as the time planned for the production and completion of the product in the term 2 break. This planning provided me with a clear outlook on the project and strengthened my self-management skills.
Self-management Skills
The physical component of this project required me to have strong resilience and perseverance before starting, as well as monitoring my emotional and mental state throughout on top of my usual work. While I maintained motivation for the training, I found that working on the project itself presented some difficulties, such as remaining on schedule and finding the energy outside my training regime and school routine to work on the other components.
At the beginning of the project, I strayed from my initial plan due in part to distractions and an unclear direction from my initial idea. Once I refined my project goal and plan, I found I had much better self-management skills. I could pay more attention to following the timeline that I set out, and had better direction as to where I needed to spend my time. The longer I spent on the project, the more accustomed I became to the kind of time I needed to spend on taking notes and recording my training.
Criterion C: Taking Action
Product Documentation
Through my journey of physical and mental health throughout training and competition building up to the Australian National Track and Field Championships for 2018 , other athletes and people can gain an insight on what it is like, and also relate themselves to the product and outcome created.
I like to learn visually so I felt the most effective way to convey my emotions and connect with my audience was for my final product to be a video. I’ve done some research on the power of visual learning and what percentage of people are visual learners, it’s as high as 65%. Visual learning helps us store information longer, it quickly and simply conveys the message I’m conveying(see appendix 3A). I also believe it provides a better understanding of what I undertook to achieve a National qualifying time which then enabled me to compete in Sydney.
I decided that I would film each race that I competed in over the season so that I could replay the footage and reflect on my technique and racing strategy. This footage was essential for me to edit and compile into the final product. I also had taken photos of various medal presentations and strength sessions which I also incorporated into the video. I initially started using a video editing program on Windows that proved too clumsy and difficult to use so I then had to switch to an Apple product that was a lot easier and self intuitive. I also researched some suitable non-intrusive music that worked well as an overlay for the video.
Thinking Skills
My initial thinking skills I started out with were fairly simple and straightforward as to how I was going to approach the project. As the project progressed and I understood the criteria more thoroughly, along with the regular documenting of my process journal, my thinking skills broadened. I had been used to collaborating mainly with teachers and since undertaking this project I’ve sought help and feedback from a variety of different sources ie coaches, fellow athletes and family. Once I reached out to these people, such as my coach Tim O’Shaughnessy for his guidance on my training plan or my sister for her opinions on psychology, I found that my progress and confidence greatly improved. Rather than just looking for what a teacher might expect, using other opportunities has really motivated me in my thinking skills and has encouraged me to extend my way of thinking about things with their input.
I was also always looking for the correct answer, this project has encouraged me to take risks and has resulted in my thinking skills improving. I have also been forced to ask numerous questions of myself and also of my educators which has been crucial to improving my thinking skills. I have enjoyed asking others for their assessment of my product and this has helped me become more self-aware.
Early on in the project, I felt like I was very set and attached to an idea, and found it difficult to commit to moving on to a better idea, which wasted a lot of time in the beginning of the project timeline (appendix 2B). This project has helped me be more willing to change my mindset, and work on new and better rounded ideas, rather than becoming attached to previously done work simply because I spent time on it.
Communication and Social Skills
At the beginning of the project I found it fairly difficult to communicate, particularly with teachers, I was quite hesitant to ask questions. There were a number of things that I was unsure about, and was not confident enough to admit I couldn’t find the answers online. As I progressed and matured over the term of the project I undertook the Morrisby assessment and it identified me as an introvert, so I then decided to work on this because if I didn’t take risks with asking questions, providing feedback in the form of emails with my Supervisor I would fall behind and this would be detrimental to my success in completing the project. I understand communication is not just about speaking, it’s also about listening, so I spent some quality time with some peers looking at what they were doing on their projects and I also made sure I was attentive at the meetings I had with my Supervisor.
Upon reflection I now have more confidence with sending emails, asking questions of teachers and my supervisor and I am continuing to work on improving these areas of my learning. See Appendix 2C for an example of the emails I sent to my Supervisor.
Criterion D: Reflecting
Product Evaluation
Initially when I first started out I was unsure of how I could incorporate my passion of athletics into a project that would be appropriate. My original goal was to investigate how sport psychology and science affects athletic performance and I was going to create a poster demonstrating the benefits and limitations of physical and mental health in sport/athletic performance. My original inquiry question was “How does Psychology of an athlete affect personal performance and wellbeing of athletes? What makes an athlete better than another”. I knew fitness was relevant to global health so I then thought I should document my athletic progress and journey to convey the benefits psychology and physically on a personal level through a video.
I believe the product is a good representation pictorially of what the process involved to gain the necessary qualifying time to run at Nationals and also it shows the difficult and at times arduous commitment to become and compete at an elite level.
I sought feedback from various friends and family and the most encouraging comments was when I showed the video to my coach Tim O’Shaughnessy. Although he had seen me compete at most if not all races, when he watched the footage he replied via email with one word “brilliant”. So with this simple one word summation I felt I had achieved what I set out to do!
If I could change or improve on anything I would have liked to have a more elaborate software program to edit the videos and layer the soundtrack. I also would have liked to have more professional footage, but I did the best I could with the resources I had available.
Reflecting on Understanding Global Context
Every time I train I feel better, even when I’m already feeling ok! I know exercise has many benefits, not only for my physical health but also I know it has a positive impact on my mental health. As I exercise my brain is stimulated with chemicals that improve my mood and parts of my brain that are responsible for learning and memory. It can reduce the risk of illnesses like diabetes, cancer, dementia, heart and lung disease and high blood pressure. Connections through exercise in programs that I have been involved in is known to extend one’s life. I know I sleep better when I exercise and I worry less. All these benefits that I have outlined if applied on a global scale with just 30 minutes a day of exercise can benefit people worldwide.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) states the “fourth leading risk factor for global mortality is physical inactivity causing an estimated 3.2 million deaths globally”. I believe through education and knowledge, health care workers and schools can provide opportunities to improve physical activity and from the statistics listed it’s imperative for the longevity of humans.
I hope that the product I’ve produced can show that if I can commit to a program and reach an elite level any one can do something in their lives to help themselves become fitter, healthier and better in general. I know the people that have watched my video not only admire the hard work I’ve put in but also have said that they will endeavour to improve their own routines to incorporate more exercise.
Personal Development as an IB Learner
Upon reflection of the journey of investigating, planning and taking action for my project I have matured and learnt a lot about myself. I have developed a keen interest in my own mental health and the psychology behind training and competing and more importantly dealing with the disappointment of not necessarily meeting the goals that I may have aspired to during the months of preparation for Nationals. I know that my success in 2019 is dependent on what I have learnt from the past year of training physically and mentally which excites me. I have learnt to dwell and reflect on the positive aspects so that I can look ahead to the future, not just as an athlete but also as a student undertaking the final two years of my studies. I have learnt how to plan and work independently which I now understand is vital for my future success heading into University as well.
I have really enjoyed learning about the global impact of exercise and how exercise can build relationships and friendships which are vital for strong communities which in turn leads to strong cultural connections on a much larger scale and then connect countries together as well.
I have also found the process journal, planning and documentation has helped me develop complex reasoning and organisational skills which may have been a lot weaker had it not been for undertaking the Personal Project.
The project has also meant I’ve taken risks that I may not have previously undertaken. I certainly would have never made a video of my training and competitions. I am very proud of the product and it’s been invaluable in conveying to family, friends and associates at all levels just how hard it is to be an elite athlete.
I love the global aspect of IB learning, it has made me really conscience of how things that I do at a local level can and will have an impact internationally as I have now made a goal of competing in Germany (during my exchange) next year so I can experience things beyond the comfort zone of my local club. This will be a risk but also an amazing opportunity to meet and compete in a different culture and international environment. IB has really helped me see that I can do this and succeed at it too.
Overall I have grown as a individual and I really appreciate the opportunity doing this project has given me to develop and I eagerly look ahead to my future studies.
Appendices:
Criterion A:
Appendix 1A: Source Evaluation
Appendix 1B: Library Session Reflection on Research
Appendix 1C: Survey Research for Personal Project
Criterion B:
Appendix 2A: Product Success Criteria
Product/Outcome Success Criteria
Personal Project: To explore the relationship between mental health (sport psychology) and peak physical health through my own athletic journey, and create a video documenting this.
Criterion 1: Journey video is aesthetically pleasing
Evaluation Method: Survey multiple people and ask them to rate the product (video) from 1 to 10 in terms of visual aesthetic, with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.
Low
Medium
High
1-3: Product looks amateur and is not visually satisfying. Apparent errors detract from quality of video.
4-7: Video runs with few visual distractions but is not harmonious overall in terms of aesthetic. Improvement still could be made to improve visual quality.
7-10: Video feels and looks unified and in style, easy to watch in terms of visual and textual affects and placement.
Criterion 2: Video is engaging and maintains interest
Evaluation Method: Survey multiple people about their engagement with the video and ask them to rate their attention level on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest.
Low
Medium
High
1-3: Video loses interest quickly and is repetitive. Even viewers interesting in the topic have trouble maintaining engagement.
4-7: Video maintains general engagement but has issues with length and/or creating interest. Improvements could be made.
7-10: Video is presented in innovative manner that is clear and easy to understanding. Viewers who are not familiar with the topic will have their interest maintained.
Criterion 3: Product is accurate to facts and truthful
Evaluation Method: Check results against external sources online as well as other facts that required research or personal knowledge.
Low
Medium
High
High number of errors in numerical data and definitions. Information is falsified multiple times.
Small number of errors in numerical data and definitions. Information is mostly accurate and correct.
Few to no errors in numerical data and definitions. High level of accuracy in researched facts.
Criterion 4: Product conveys student’s progress towards goal clearly and succinctly
Evaluation Method: Survey coaches and training partners on their opinion on the accuracy of the video.
Low
Medium
High
Negative feedback: Surveyed participants feel that the video does accurately convey progress and is confusing or misleading. Information may be out of order or have large gaps that detract from the clarity.
Moderate feedback: Surveyed participants feel that the video conveys the journey with moderate accuracy. In general, the progress is presented clearly but may have errors or confusing elements that detract from the product.
Positive feedback: Surveyed participants feel that the video accurately and clearly presents progress and the journey. There are little to no errors.
Appendix 2B: GANTT chart
First half of GANTT Chart
Second Half of GANTT Chart
Appendix 2C: Supervisor meeting emails
#1
#2
Criterion C:
Appendix 3A: Product documentation
Appendix 4: Journal Entries
A: Entry from 3/25/18
Today’s training was really difficult at Ferny Creek. The cold weather and early morning on top of my already busy week made it really difficult to wake up at 6am and make the journey when it was raining. Earlier this week I mentioned that I completed one of the most difficult training sessions in my roster, a full set of timed 400m sprints. I was still feeling tired and sore from that session, so Ferny was particularly taxing. I went in with a really negative mindset, but after I finished the training and pushed myself to complete it, I actually felt really proud of my efforts. I felt a really notable lift in my mood after I finished the run, even if I was incredibly tired at the end of it. I felt more talkative and more positive, and had a better psychological outlook on my day.
B: Entry from 5/5/18
I’ve found that, while iMovie is a relatively simple program to use, it also has a lot of limitations, some that I discovered today that were really frustrating. While it’s much better than the Microsoft program that I tried to use on my personal computer, which I mentioned before was really limited and outdated, there are some functions on iMovie that don’t work as well as I expected them to. I tried to alter some of the text captions, but found there was no tool for directly inputting text, without using any of the prebuilt text slides. These slides were mainly meant for short titles, so trying to include the information, quotes or longer titles that I wanted to proved challenging. Most of these pre-built frames move the text, or change the shape of it over a brief period of time, which made it really hard to read. I’ve been testing some solutions for this, and so far I’ve found the most effective method is to screenshot the static text and replace the frame as a photo, rather than a text screen.
C: Entry from 5/20/18
Today I finished my project and I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. I found a lot of solutions for the problems that I was having, like the text and image resolution, as well as the display of the portrait vs landscape orientated photos. The one issue that I didn’t expect was how long it would take to export my video from iMovie to a file. The estimated time jumped from 3 minutes to 7 hours and then back again, before the file promptly disappeared from my desktop, which made me really worried. I tried to export it to YouTube as well, just in case, before I closed the iMovie project, which was having a lot of lag issues still from the last couple of days. The file was massive when I finished, 2GB of film. It eventually loaded up by this afternoon, and I found a USB I’ll be able to present the movie from as well. I have two online backups, one on a private YouTube channel, and one on Google Drive (though that one takes a while to load, open and play), so hopefully I won’t have issues with the file.
Bibliography:
Every research resource you used should be listed here.
(Cited correctly – In text citing should also be done)
Use harvard
https://prod.teamgantt.com/gantt/schedule/?ids=1208530#&ids=1208530&user=&custom=&company=&hide_completed=false&date_filter=&color_filter=