This reflection (a double-length reflection) is an in-depth look back at the past 6 weeks in particular, but can also address aspects of the Senior Project that took place before the experiential portion of your project. Take your time with these prompts, think deeply, write down responses or talk them through with a peer or adult, and try to answer as many of these as possible, with detail. These questions are designed to help you reflect on your process and also to move you towards an understanding of what you want to share with your audience on Senior Project Evening.

Since the Covid-19 epidemic and Stay at Home orders has affected your original plan for your Senior Project Experience, please reflect on your current essential question.

Re-read all your previous documentation posts, including your previous Critical Reflections.

 

1. Take a look back at your essential question. Did you answer it? Do you think that question was a good frame for your Senior Project? If not, how would you phrase that question now?

 

I think that I did answer my essential question since I went through the process of editing and trying to tell a story through documentary filming. However, upon reflection, I feel like it would have also been an interesting essential question to ask what is it like to live on a ranch in Montana? Or what is it like to be a cattle rancher? Since I feel like I also answered those questions and the answers to those questions will probably be what I get to tell people about in the end anyway. 

 

1. You had a sense of what you would learn and do during the Senior Project. Did you have to adjust your expectations?

 

I think I learned much more during this experience than I ever thought I would. Going into the project I thought I already knew a good amount about cattle ranching just from visiting my uncle and spending time with him. However, after actually living with him for an extended period of time and following him around all day I continued to learn more and more each day. 

 

1. What challenges did you face throughout your project? How did you overcome those challenges?

 

The main challenge that I faced which I spoke about before was the issue with the sound of the video. I overcame this challenge though by just getting separate voiceover footage and also by muting the clips that I already had. 

 

1. What surprises did you experience? What were the unexpected moments of learning or experience?

 

When I was planning to do this project I thought that I would just film mostly daily life on the ranch, but when I went there was actually a lot more happening. Since it was spring when I went I got to see the baby cows be born and that is definitely something that surprised me and something that I did not think that I would get to see when I planned this project.

 

1. What questions has the Senior Project raised for you? (Personal, institutional, philosophical, global, etc.)

 

I think that now at the end of my project experience I am actually left with more answers than questions since I now feel like I have a good understanding of cattle ranching. However, I guess just because of the time of year that I went and the time that this project took place I only got to see certain aspects of ranching so I guess it could be interesting to observe a rancher year-round. 

 

1. What would you do differently if you could do a Senior Project again?

 

For my project, the only thing that I think that I would change is to get some kind of mic for my camera that muffles the sound of the wind.

 

1. What was the hardest aspect of the Senior Project process and experience? Most rewarding?

For me, the hardest aspect of this project was editing together my footage. Going into this project I was not really well versed in making videos or documentaries for that matter so this was definitely the part of the project that required me to do the most learning. It was also the most difficult because I also did most of this on my own as well. On the other hand, the most rewarding part of this project was just being able to spend time with my uncle and his livestock. 

 

1. What is the one thing you want your audience to learn or understand from your presentation on Senior Project Evening?

 

The one thing that I really want people to learn from my presentation is that ranching is so much more complex than people might originally think. I also want them to leave knowing the genuine compassion that most ranchers feel for their cattle.