ʻŌlelo Noʻeau
'O ka makapo wale no ka mea hapapa i ka pouli.
Only the blind gropes in the darkness.
Create goals to brighten your path of education
Over semester 2, I have grown as a person in both a mental and academic sense. This ʻōlelo noʻeau, written by Mary Kawena Pukui, represents my growth because it explains that in order for me to grow, I had goals to fulfill. During semester 2, I tried to make goals to fulfill because like the ʻōlelo noʻeau says, you need to know where you’re going to get there. According to the website, http://www.k12.hi.us/~waianaeh/waianhi/olelo.html, the meaning behind this ʻōlelo noʻeau is “if you have no direction in life, you'll get nowhere”. I know that I have grown because I have taken new challenges. (Taking new challenges was one of my goals for semester 2.) For example, this quarter, I decided to go up and teach my classmates a biology topic I had researched. My ability to be able to teach shows not only that I have a strong knowledge foundation in that topic; it also shows that I am developing life skills, such as being able to effectively communicate with others, that will aid me in my pursue of becoming a successful person. Additionally, after I presented, I used my metacognition skills to reflect on how I could communicate my message best. I also asked my classmates if I was able to teach them the new topic well, and they all said that I had completed the task. Another goal of mine was to have better time-management skills. An example of my growth in the area of time-management is being able to balance sports and school. I used time-management skills to make sure I finished all of my work (with quality!) on time as well as being dedicated to my sport. In conclusion, by using goals to keep me on track, I was able to grow as a person and not “grope in the darkness”.
Looking Towards the Future
I have big plans for the future. I like to think of myself as someone who people will respect and feel comfortable following. In 10 years from now, I hope to be a leader. From my personal experience, I have learned that leaders take many different forms. Whether it’s in the form of a governor, a novel entrepreneur, or even just a parent, I want to be there to positively influence someone’s life. In order to get to where I want to be, I need to take good record of the stuff I’m doing now. This e-Portfolio serves as one form of documentation that I will use to look back on to see how much I have progressed over the years. The past is just fuel for the future, so seeing the kind of work I do now for my e-Portfolio will set the bare minimum standard of the kind of work I need to do in the future. On the smaller scale, I will also use this ePortfolio to remind me how I grew as a student during this school year. This ePortfolio is a piece of work that I created over an extended period of time and is set up in a way that allows me to view both the new and old posts. I will use this ePortfolio to compare my science skills, such as being able to effectively write CER, and how they have progressed during the school year. Looking back and assessing my progress is an important part of metacognition because it not only tells you how much you have already progressed; it sets the standard for how much more you have to grow in the future.
Aloha mai no, aloha aku; o ka huhu ka mea e ola 'ole ai.
When love is given, love should be returned. Anger is the thing that gives no life.
I am a very social person. I believe that this ‘ōlelo no’eau, which is written by Mary Kawena Pukui and is from the book ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hawaiian Proverbs and Poetical Sayings, clearly captures my whole mindset about how to interact with others. Giving love to all people, regardless of all of the faults that they have or mistakes they make, is a value that I hold in high regard. Everyone is beautiful and purely awesome in some way or another to me. I think that this belief is made evident when I intermingle with others. For example, at school, some people refer to me as “Mom” for several reasons. I am constantly trying to drill a sense of responsibility into my friends by telling them, “Do your homework!” or “Get off Tumblr/Facebook!” Even though this behavior may seem bossy or controlling to other people, I mean it in a very loving way. I really want all of my friends (and everyone in that matter) to fulfill their dreams and be successful! Secondly, I always make sure that my friends know that I care about them and that the love I have for them is pretty much infinite. Every day I give each of my friends a bear hug, and at minimum, tell them at least once that I love them. (You can ask any of them. I think they’re sick of hearing about it already. :P) Too bad for them though! They’re just going to have to get over it because that’s just the person I am! I will always love them. I will always believe that caring for others is what makes the world go round. :)
I ka mōhala ʻana o ka lehua ʻalohi, ola ke kumulāʻau holoʻokoʻa.
When the bright lehua is blossoming, it gives life to the whole tree.
Representing my family well is very important to me. This concept is very close to my heart and that is why I wrote this as the ʻōlelo noʻeau that represents my DNA. I believe that when children thrive, it brings pride to the whole family. I remember when I passed a test with flying colors, and for the next week or so, that teacher would compliment my determination to do well. She would say that I “gave a good face to my family”. That to me was one of the best compliments because everyone is connected to their ancestors through DNA. When children do their best, it not only makes the whole family look good, but it also brings a sense of pride that warms the familyʻs heart.
Waiho ka hilahila ma ka hale.
Leave your shame at home.
I am not afraid to learn. This old-time ʻōlelo noʻeau, told to me by Kumu 'Akina (written by Mary Kawena Pukui), tells us that you should never be shame; leave that shame, that hillahila, at home. I know that the statement "I am not afraid to learn" might sound silly or funny to some people, but I feel that this statement holds a lot of power and truth. I am not afraid to be bestowed with knowledge. I recognize that it is my kuleana to learn and retain the mana'o of past generations, so that future generation can know this valuable mana'o as well. I exemplify the fulfill of this kuleana by asking questions when I don't understand the material that we're learning. I go in and talk story with the kumu if I don't understand. Basically, I do everything I can in order to grasp the concepts I need to grasp for class. I am not afraid to admit that I don't understand because if I don't come to that realization, I would never be able to learn. I feel that this ʻōlelo noʻeau represents me at this specific time in my life because this is a challenging year academically for me. With A.P. and Honors classes, I have a lot of work and material that I am expected to learn. I can't be afraid to accept that sometimes I'm just not going to get the information being thrown as me. I can't be afraid, or too shame, to go up in front of the class and teach or point out a teacher's error because if I let shame prevent me from doing things like that, I will miss out on so much knowledge and ultimately power.
Photo Credit:
Link: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h97/Fair_One_Of_The_Last_Dusk/Miscellaneous/Wallpapers/LinkSittingWallpaper.jpg
Sun: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5021/5664803915_00373d3975_z.jpg
Link: http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h97/Fair_One_Of_The_Last_Dusk/Miscellaneous/Wallpapers/LinkSittingWallpaper.jpg
Sun: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5021/5664803915_00373d3975_z.jpg