When I was writing my book, there were several crucial phases of production each of which required a different types of thinking skills.
The first phase was the collection of sources and research materials to use. I needed to find all the research I needed for my book. Since the book is non-fictional, I needed to find a significant amount of information about the authoritarian leaders. In order to do this, I needed to use thinking skills to decide what sources were acceptable to use, what information to use from each source. I needed to effectively find a multitude of reliable sources.
I initially considered structuring the book before this phase, but I realized that it would be detrimental to fully commit to a structure/outline before actually finding the information to include.
The second phase was the compilation of the research I had accumulated into a readable draft. I needed to appropriately structure my information in an interesting way to the audience. I needed to use thinking skills to figure out how to keep the book interesting to the reader while remaining information heavy.
The third phase of the product creation phase was to send out the working draft to friends and family members. I emphasized the importance of constructive criticism and encouraged the inclusion of as many comments as possible.
The fourth phase was the incorporation of the feedback into my product. I got a lot of useful feedback, but the common consensus seemed to be that it was unfinished. I required thinking skills to integrate the feedback I received with my product; In some areas, I just needed to smoothen edges, but in other areas, I needed to majorly rework the phrasing and information included. This overhaul did require a lot of hard work and sacrificing of areas of the book I had grown attached to, but in the end, my book was more well-rounded.
The entire process of writing this book was rather enjoyable, but at times, difficult. I did feel like giving up sometimes, but I decided to persevere and continue on. Ultimately, this perseverance paid off, and finishing my final product was satisfying.
Due to the research heavy nature of my personal project, I have learnt a lot about my topic and global context.
My topic is “Authoritarian Leaders: How to tell if they are authoritarian, and why people seem to idolize them (with historical case studies).” In order to write the book, I had to do intensive research work, finding a mix of primary and secondary information to document the case studies of dictators and explain their traits and impact on the public. In the pursuit of this knowledge, I could extend my knowledge and understanding of my topic extremely effectively.
I could also develop my understanding of the global context, Identities and Relationships since I did more research into the identities of the authoritarian leaders, what makes them authoritarian, their traits and how they get power. I also looked into the relationships between the authoritarian leaders and their people, why the people idolized the leaders and looked up to them so much. I also further looked into how the identities of the leaders and people affected the relationships between them, for example, the relationship between the leaders’ charisma and the impressionable nature of the people.
Through the development of my product, I had a balanced, all rounded advancement as an IB learner due to developments in a vast array of IB skills.
Since the project is extremely research intensive, it gave me the chance to develop myself as an inquirer. In my pursuit for knowledge, I developed my curiosity, learned how to research well, and found good data. I could truly use my love for learning to find out more about authoritarian leaders with refined research skills.
I also developed myself as a communicator since I am writing a book to communicate with my target audience. I learned to express ideas and convey information efficiently and eloquently. I could also communicate with my supervisor and my peers with regard to the writing process of the report. I could ask doubts without reservations and get help while also lending a hand to struggling peers.
Through the time I spent writing my book, I had to make difficult choices and reflect a lot on what I wanted my book to convey and how it would use research and knowledge to convey that message. I had to give thought into the impact I want my book to give and how I would deliver that impact well. I could also self-reflect a lot to assess my strengths and weaknesses so that I could work on my weaknesses or get help and hone my strengths even further.
The first phase was the collection of sources and research materials to use. I needed to find all the research I needed for my book. Since the book is non-fictional, I needed to find a significant amount of information about the authoritarian leaders. In order to do this, I needed to use thinking skills to decide what sources were acceptable to use, what information to use from each source. I needed to effectively find a multitude of reliable sources.
I initially considered structuring the book before this phase, but I realized that it would be detrimental to fully commit to a structure/outline before actually finding the information to include.
The second phase was the compilation of the research I had accumulated into a readable draft. I needed to appropriately structure my information in an interesting way to the audience. I needed to use thinking skills to figure out how to keep the book interesting to the reader while remaining information heavy.
The third phase of the product creation phase was to send out the working draft to friends and family members. I emphasized the importance of constructive criticism and encouraged the inclusion of as many comments as possible.
The fourth phase was the incorporation of the feedback into my product. I got a lot of useful feedback, but the common consensus seemed to be that it was unfinished. I required thinking skills to integrate the feedback I received with my product; In some areas, I just needed to smoothen edges, but in other areas, I needed to majorly rework the phrasing and information included. This overhaul did require a lot of hard work and sacrificing of areas of the book I had grown attached to, but in the end, my book was more well-rounded.
The entire process of writing this book was rather enjoyable, but at times, difficult. I did feel like giving up sometimes, but I decided to persevere and continue on. Ultimately, this perseverance paid off, and finishing my final product was satisfying.
Due to the research heavy nature of my personal project, I have learnt a lot about my topic and global context.
My topic is “Authoritarian Leaders: How to tell if they are authoritarian, and why people seem to idolize them (with historical case studies).” In order to write the book, I had to do intensive research work, finding a mix of primary and secondary information to document the case studies of dictators and explain their traits and impact on the public. In the pursuit of this knowledge, I could extend my knowledge and understanding of my topic extremely effectively.
I could also develop my understanding of the global context, Identities and Relationships since I did more research into the identities of the authoritarian leaders, what makes them authoritarian, their traits and how they get power. I also looked into the relationships between the authoritarian leaders and their people, why the people idolized the leaders and looked up to them so much. I also further looked into how the identities of the leaders and people affected the relationships between them, for example, the relationship between the leaders’ charisma and the impressionable nature of the people.
Through the development of my product, I had a balanced, all rounded advancement as an IB learner due to developments in a vast array of IB skills.
Since the project is extremely research intensive, it gave me the chance to develop myself as an inquirer. In my pursuit for knowledge, I developed my curiosity, learned how to research well, and found good data. I could truly use my love for learning to find out more about authoritarian leaders with refined research skills.
I also developed myself as a communicator since I am writing a book to communicate with my target audience. I learned to express ideas and convey information efficiently and eloquently. I could also communicate with my supervisor and my peers with regard to the writing process of the report. I could ask doubts without reservations and get help while also lending a hand to struggling peers.
Through the time I spent writing my book, I had to make difficult choices and reflect a lot on what I wanted my book to convey and how it would use research and knowledge to convey that message. I had to give thought into the impact I want my book to give and how I would deliver that impact well. I could also self-reflect a lot to assess my strengths and weaknesses so that I could work on my weaknesses or get help and hone my strengths even further.