The way I used critical thinking towards my Capstone Project was when I was reading the chapters of the human body's systems that my mentor gave me to read once a week. What I read in just one chapter was very detailed and descriptive of the functions and the many significant parts in the system, in which I had to try to comprehend what I was reading. Each chapter was about maybe five to six pages long including front and back, so I was trying to absorb all the information that was there. While I was reading I had to really think and understand what the chapter was telling me and the purposes of all the functions. Through communication I was able to discuss what I read with my mentor and ask questions on subjects that I didn't understand. I liked the discussions because it helped me envision the picture of the system's working parts, how it functions, and why it does that. I collaborated putting together the knowledge that I learned from my readings and trying to incorporate them into how it's important to massage, as well as the human body. With creativity, I performed massages in different environments. I had to improvise on how to make the person that I'm working on comfortable when we're at school, such as the environment. I worked on someone on the grass, which was a very good idea because it was outside away from distractions and in a peaceful area.
Personally I gained knowledge about massage and what type of medicine it was. It never occurred to me that massage therapy was a natural remedy for illnesses and how different it is compared to medical treatments. I learned that natural remedies, whether it's massage or a homemade family remedy, takes time for it to take effect and to see results. The problem is also treated from the source. It's treatment that works in the long run. Medical is the quicker and unnatural way to healing. It treats the problem, but not from the source. All this was new to me and I thought it was very interesting. Socially, I gained confidence in speaking and working with other people. I've been able to get out of my comfort zone to get my work done and to accomplish tasks that I've never done before. Intellectually, I learned about how massage affects different body systems. In the very beginning, I thought that massage only affected muscles, tissues and nerves, but I actually learned that it affects so much more than that. My knowledge from those three subjects have expended into a more in depth understanding of the body.
Challenges that I've encountered was finding a mentor that relates to the topic of my research paper. There are so many possible mentors that I could pick, but it was hard trying to find someone who is willing to give time in their schedule to be my mentor, teach me, and is in a nearby area. Getting out of my comfort zone was also a challenge, because I had to do things on my own that I have never done before, such as talking to people for information in order for me to complete parts of my project. I usually don't talk as often when I'm learning about something and it was a bit hard for me to talk more that I'm used to, but now I feel a lot more comfortable. Another was feeling uncomfortable with touching people's faces in massage class, but I soon got over it because in order for me to properly learn I had to overcome that uncomfortable feeling. Now, I don't mind giving random people facial massages and I enjoy it. Lastly was the journey into my Capstone Project. I think this was the greatest challenge of all for me. It really wasn't much of the "doing" of a particular task, but more of how I'm going to approach it, what's I'm going to do about it, and what will happen during and after that particular task. One way I overcame it was becoming organized. I tried not think about it too much and I simply set goals one by one. That way I can focus on only one thing at a time and get it done. Once it was done, I can move on.
