Patrick Melendez

       The great thing about the Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC) is that it not only shapes you academically, but also socially, and emotionally. When I first arrived at ACLC in sixth grade I was not sure I would enjoy ACLC. I was a shy, awkward, unsociable kid. I didn’t want to get involved in the school’s culture and activities. However, I have grown considerably. I had a 5th grade level “academic level” where my reading, math, science, history, and foreign langue skills were nowhere near where they are today. When I first started at ACLC I had barely if not non thinking and reasoning skills but now I am a true learner. Because of my old shy and awkward personality I was unable to working with others was very difficult. I can say now this is no longer true. My ability to use technology is far more advance from where it was before. The school has allowed me to develop in terms of my personality, academics, thinking skills, collaborative ability, and technological proficiency.

       The community of ACLC has helped me come out of my shell and learn to interact. Before ACLC I had lacked many personal skills. Most importantly, I lacked self-confidence. ACLC has allowed me to become confident in myself through its democratic structure. It gave me encouragement to try something new and different. As a result, I have become an active member of the community. When issues arise, I am not afraid to voice opinions. Sometimes these opinions are mine, and sometimes they belong to my fellow learners. When I feel a goal is important I find it impossible to give up or give in. This is especially true when I feel justice is not being done. I care very deeply about the rights and experience of others. I have learned how to navigate the politics of the school environment and believe that this will serve me well in my future career. The other area where I have experienced significant growth is in my ability to socialize. I am an introvert and when I was younger this side of me dominated. I only had two friends and never “hung out” with anyone after school. With access to free periods and a sense of security and provided by the community, of acceptance I was able to form new friendships and interact with others. I can say now as a senior that I have relationships with everyone in my grade and many others from lower grades as well. ACLC played an important role in my personal growth.

       ACLC has also provided me with many academic skills. I have read and written interpretations of many works of literature. In mathematics, I have taken every class that ACLC has to offer mastering Calculus in my junior year. And, I completed Spanish Three as a sophomore, which allowed me to not only learn a different language but another culture and how language work. My world has expanded in history classes. With my knowledge of history I am able to relate past events to current events and have a greater understanding of them. I have a strong love for the sciences which allow to gain a greater understanding of the world. I have actively participated in three science fairs on the county level placing 3rd place my freshmen year and 2nd my sophomore and junior years. All of this would not be possible without good listening skills which I have practiced in all of my classes. Learner Led Conferences, Drama class and other projects over the years have improved my speaking skills. This makes it easy to make presentations to all types of groups including the ACLC Governing Board and the diplomatic houses of the Episcopal Church. As a runner with Encinal’s cross-country and track teams, I recognize the importance of a healthy body in order to maintain my academic goals. I make sure I eat right and stay physically active. At ACLC I have constructed a base for the rest of my academic career.

       I believe something that is particularly unique about ACLC is that it helps foster what makes a learner a learner more than other schools. At ACLC we are able to discover how we learn and what “techniques” work best for us. I know for me I have discovered that I learn very well using flash cards and by repeatedly working on example problems. But ACLC has taught me a lot of other different types of learning strategies, such as note taking, discussions, and annotating. Before I arrived at ACLC I was not able to “think out of the box.” Now I feel like I am able to come up with creative and new ideas. Leadership has helped me with this skill immensely. By planning CCC every week I (and the rest of leadership class) had to come up with fun interactive activities in a sort amount of time. In my biology class we learned a lot about seeing both sides of an issue, the positives and the trade-offs, and then we picked a side. This has helped me a lot on in making decisions which I know will be a big importance when I am off as an individual at college. ACLC has a very unique “system” with the CLCS Board, Governing Board, Leadership, PAC, facilitators, ect… Understanding this system is extremely important to be able to “survive” in it. By understanding the process of a proposal and how it is discussed in leadership you are more able to write a proposal that is more likely to pass. As a learner I have researched and gained knowledge about how ACLC works, which has helped me with decisions and improving ACLC. As a Governing Board representative and formerly as a Leadership member it was a part of my duty to solve problems in our community. LLCs and many of my classes have taught me how to use visual images to display an idea. These images can then help others understand what is being presented.

       My favorite part of ACLC is the community aspect and how this allows people to grow and learn. At ACLC there are a lot of group projects were you have to work as a team, such as the rollercoaster, boat races, and the geological timeline. I always make sure I am the best team player I can be. On the rollercoaster project it was my idea to go with the theme “underwater” which was agreed upon by my teammates. One of my favorite weird enjoyable activities is to help others learn. This year I have helped my friends revise their personal statement for colleges. As a leadership member I feel like I was able to make valid arguments on things which have made people agree with my opinion. One of my greatest accomplishes as a leadership member was for my junior year I was able to get my small group motivated and involved so much we actually won small group competitions. ACLC has taught me how to compromise, for example the playing cards in the center proposal. Leadership passed the proposal but the facilitators did not approve of the idea of having cards played in the center. In the end we created a compromise where learners could play cards in the center only if they are respectful and if it is after lunch. I have learned that a more diverse group is the productive group. When choosing partners for a project, I usually try to team up with different types of people, the artist, the good researcher, the planer, all these different qualities and backgrounds.

      Being able to use technology is a very important in today’s world. Throughout the years I have become proficient in the use of Microsoft Word. Not only have I learned to use it for writing but also other tricks like making graphs or make a newspaper. I have also become very good at using PowerPoint because I have been using it for many years in classes. For example, in World History I created a PowerPoint on Desmond Tutu for a project on civil rights activists. At ACLC I have learned how to avoid “tech crashes.” If the printer is not working at home I can email my work to myself and print it at school. If the internet is down I can use my iphone to get the information I need. I am ready to go out to the real world and apply my knowledge of technology in college and future profession.

      The Alameda Community Learning Center has helped make me the person I am today. ACLC has improved my personality making me a more active sociable person. I have gained a broad range of academic knowledge preparing me for the rest of my academic life. ACLC’s unique structure has allowed me to grow in regards of thinking and reasoning. Through projects and leadership I have learned how to collaborate with others to help achieve a higher goal. ACLC has allowed me to become knowledgeable of technology and how it works. ACLC has shaped me into the person I am today and has prepared me for future endeavors.

Reflection

Patrick

Melendez