The past six years I’ve attended  Alameda Community Learning Center have been some of the most challenging but fundamental learning experiences I’ve ever been part off. The unique, diverse style of teaching and friendly community vibes has been one of the best experiences for me, since the beginning of seventh grade.

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Personal Qualities, Work Habits, and Attitude:

 

The ACLC unique style of learning was all new to me coming from a charter school in sixth grade. The first couple of days I was a little intimidated by my facilitators when asking questions, or needing extra help with assignments, but later on I realized there was no need to be hesitant when asking a question. A skill that I picked up right away was time management. With project periods between your classes, I was able to finish one to two assignments before even leaving school.  Having responsibility was another key tool I began to realize is something import that ACLC want me to do whenever doing assignments. One of the common responsibilities at ACLC for me was doing a group  projects. Taking initiative in do my part in a project still to this day is important because I never wanted to be that partner that didn't do any work in the project or be known to my peer as a slacker with work. The years i've spent at ACLC have really prepared me for what to be expected in the next life challenges I will face.

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New basics:

 

To me, the past four years were about facing the academic challenges to strive for good grades and to have a great resume for colleges. With required classes every year such as english, math,science, history, and an elective at ACLC, it surprising how much I can learn within such a short period of time. For instance in an English language class, I know  the basics teaching of what English is and how I can use it for day to day communication. In class, I learned how to write a resume. Having this skill under my belt, I can use it toward applying for jobs in the future.  Even history, my projects we surrounded by past events where i've had to make poster for class or power points. Without all the skills we have learned from the past four years of high school, we would not be able to focus and write our own path of destiny, confident of where it may lead us.

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Thinking and Reasoning Skills:

 

Throughout high school, thinking and reasoning skills are something you need to have and are beneficial to all who do use them. ACLC for me has opened windows into different aspects in my thinking and reasoning skills for projects. English class was a place for me to bring in my creative thinking skills when writing essays or coming up with poems. When having to do decision making during projects, for example in my biology class, my partner and I would break up the work to finish the projects and we would both put into what we thought was best for the final projects. Whether adding in some information or taking out a sentence. ACLC has allowed independence in my assignments by looking at something in a different lens or meaning than others do. I think ACLC has helped me to understand the overall picture,  as I perceive it.

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Interpersonal Abilities:

 

I would say i'm a great team player. My favorite type of group to work with are people who have diversity, with their own style of collaboration while working on and  projects. Also caring about the presentation of the project as a piece of work that you can hear the whole class clapping with satisfaction. I think this is a great groups to work with because the ideas we all have can really show in the projects we do together.  I think that's another great thing about ACLC, we all try to have is the community of the school work together either putting the school together on the first day of school, to the end of the school year where everyone is helping clean up. One project in my biology class I thought showed a lot of diversity collaboration was my evolution timeline project. In my group we all had similar and different ideas about what was going to be on the poster and who was going to do what. I thought what I provided for the project was having responsibility in doing the work I was doing and helping others with their part as well. In the end our final piece  showed what we all contributed to the project. Another project the entire school and I tried our best on is the science fair. Completing the final touches to our board and presentation after the long months spent on our science fair project, we all wanted the grade that deserves a ribbon. Doing any presentation, I want the viewers to give good feedback about my work. For me, ACLC has made it a little more easy when i'm presenting for a job interview or just a school project.

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Technology:

 

While attending ACLC, the reliability of technology has shaped me into doing everthing on the computer or my phone.  Going to the the computer lab in my elementary school, I remember just learning how to use a computer, how to type a report, or research something on the web. It was an introduction to something that will consume my day to day life as a needed product. At ACLC we take the use of technology to the next level of learning. Since the first day attending ACLC, students would always be on the computer working and researching on assignments or searching the web on their phone. I've never really learned how to properly research something on the web or put my typing skills to a good use until going into my daily classes. One of the first, but soon to be many projects that was all digital my sophomore year, was creating a website with a group about a current topic. It was definitely something i've never done before for any class, but it was really useful for me to learn.  Every day I find that ACLC is moving toward a more paperless school, and encouraging the learners to use technology for assignments. Something that so very common for learners to do in any class when presenting projects is creating prezis or power points for English or History, which i've done since the first day entering into my ACLC classes.  We are living in a generation that is all about technology with everything thing we do, whether going on social media, or looking up a recipe on the web. It's amazing how far we've gotten the past years and are still moving forward with new ideas about what the next iPhone may have that can beat the old one and the competitors. Technology in unlimited with possibilities for everyone.

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Conclusion

 

Overall, ACLC has given me the possibility with  improving and learning new skills, based on the curriculum provided and support from my facilitators. Coming out of ACLC has an independent skilled learner has helped me prepare for what college will throw at me for the next four years. But the past four years at ACLC have shaped my education as a powerful tool for the outside world of high school which will bring me far. Working with groups on projects and having a flexible schedule, i've become self-aware of the importance of time management and what a team builder really is. ACLC will be for me the stepping stones to a great future during and after college.