PLAN
After completing the PLAN phase, I think what went well is how smoothly the whole planning with ACRES went. We managed to have a meeting with them to share our ideas with them. They were very open to working with us. They showed us around their site, shares with us the works that they do and even agreed to lending us props to aid us in the exhibition. This whole process also gave me the chance to speak to a few experts in the field on their thoughts about Wildlife in Singapore, Illegal Wildlife Trade as well as Wildlife Protection. It showed me the different point of views one can have regarding these topics. However, I think a challenge that I was facing this period was that it was quite overwhelming to decide on the content I would like to share as each topic has a variety of possible areas to research on. Hence, something I would improve on for the next phase would be to have an open mind when researching on the possible content. I will do my research first then compare it against the poll results to see what content the target audience are interested in.
PERFORM
The whole execution of our exhibition was a huge success in which almost everything went smoothly. We managed to set up the exhibition on time, our volunteers were punctual and they were well familiarised with the content that they needed to present. Something that I definitely learnt was to step out of my comfort zone, to approach people when walking past. It was definitely a challenge at the beginning because I was scared of being rejected. However, I learnt that there is no harm trying because if you don't try, you will never know if they are inclined to listen or not. Another challenge was that during these 2 days, I was missing out on important lessons. This whole process taught me how to prioritise my time better. A learning point would be that after months of planning for this event, it was important that I gave my best for the last push.
MONITOR
The Monitor phase was very important as well as I needed to be able to keep track of all the tasks that I had to do. I also had to ensure that I am able to meet all the deadlines set. Throughout this whole project, the use of a Gantt Chart was especially useful as I was able to see all my pending tasks at one glance and I am able to see the time I have for each task. Some challenges I faced was not being able to meet the deadlines I set for myself. However, this whole process taught me that being consistent is very helpful. As long as I set aside time for GL on a weekly basis, I was able to do the things I needed to do. Besides, the use of an initial poll and feedback form given after the event helped monitor the impact our event had on our target audience.
REFLECT
After the completing the whole project, there are definitely a few learning points that I am taking away from me.
Firstly, I learnt that knowing how to time manage is a very important skill and would help in my future assignments and work. As this whole module is self directed, knowing how to manage my time along with my other commitments was something that I had to learn along the way. There were times where school work was taking a toll on me but I learnt how to put aside time for each commitment I had. I learned that depending on the different weeks and deadlines, some weeks I had to spend more time on GL as compared to my other tasks.
Secondly, I learnt to step out of my comfort zone. Being a veterinary technology student, designing is something that I have zero experience in. Neither do any of my current modules offer such a learning experience. By deciding to take on the content curator role for this project, it was something I wasn't very confident in. I had to step out of my comfort zone to try something that I have no experience in. Lots of research on designing posters had to be done to better equip me with the skills to do so.
Overall, although there were many challenges that I faced, such as working with another organisation at the last minute. I learnt that things doesn't always go the way it is planned and often times, being flexible and open-minded helped me embrace these changes. Despite all these, the whole process was an enjoyable one to me.