Finally....

When I was came to University , I don't know about we have a session to improve our skills. I think we work  only with computers but my thought is a wrong one. After the attending university ,i know about the subject called PPD (Personal Progress Development). In first day , we think this is unnecessory thing to us  and also this is time wasting thing. After few session we can understand  values of this session.  We enjoy some of PPD activities 

I think , i gained from PPD session is blog post writing. I didn't write any blog post before coming university. But  in this session, I know How to create a blog, How to write a blog page and also how to maintain it. Also we can know about some HTML coding methods. After the blog creation, We wrote every activities doing in PPD session as a blog post .

These following  activities we did in PPD session. We gained Leadership qualities, Communication skills, Decision making talents, Creativity, Planing skills, Public speaking, Presentation skills, Time management, Team work and etc. These are the essential things to our future life.

 ** My first Blog post is "What is PPD ?.. ".I search that in Internet and write it. Also I include importance of this session in that heading . But i don't think , we can gain that importance in this session. but it is a wrong thought .In now i know the importance of that one.

 ** Second blog post is "Paper tower challenge..".  Madam Sarasi said us to built a tower using paper .Madam gave us to papers to build that one. Winners of this activity who  built the tallest tower .We gained importance of proper plan and how to work in a team.

 ** Third blog topic is "What we learnt from PPD Session".Briefly introduction of importance of PPD session .Get information using  Internet .

 ** Fourth blog post is "University of Kelaniya". That day we go arround the university and take photos. After that we give introductions about that places in the blog post.In this session I also know about the some places in university before i didn't go.

 ** Fifth blog post is  "Lava river challenge & Stand on  Paper".Lava river challenge is ,we have to cross the lava river by using paper plates. We coldn't put legs  without plates in river and we must keep all the paper plates with human touch .We loss the human touch, we will loss that plate.It is team game .We learnt from that How imporatance of planning,How to work with a team.

Stand of paper game is everyone in the team to keep their feet on the paper and have no part of their body touching the floor.The whole group should stand on the paper to the command without standing out of the paper. After the well finish, the paper would be folded into half and again doing the game. The game continues for few rounds until all groups fails.

 ** The sixth blog post  is "Life goals ". It is  a mind map about "Life Goals". We make a mind map on our future goals under three categories. We do a presentation about it. This activity we clearly know about the future goals .

 ** Final blog post  is "Out Bounding training at Naval Camp....".  We went to the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee for two days. First day we do some activities ,fire camp and  a talent show. Second day we go through the forest and visited the Navy Museum.

Out Bounding training at Naval Camp....

PPD lecturer Ms. Sarasi had organised a new event for both batch of software engineering students studied in University of Kelaniya. It was a out bound training program. I think 70 of students participated that in both batch and 3 of academic staff including with Madam Sarasi.We started to go to Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee to get new experience at about 3.00am in University of Kelaniya. We had our breakfast on the way.We got a batch photo near a tank on the way.  We reached  the main gate of Navy Camp-Trincomalee at  about 10 a.m.First they gave us place to  change our clothes suitable for activities that we are doing in their.After that we got our lunch in  Naval Institute.Then A one of naval officer introduced about the program very briefly. We were separated into four groups to start our program.They gave name for each group. I was in group "Bravo".

As our first activity ,we had to go through a wood frame without any touching in one side to other side. It can participate only 8 members on a group. Seven members of the our group sucessfully did that task.

In our second activity ,Ten people from the group were participate in this game.One is the leader and other nine are the players .In this task we had a pass a small teak ball through a small pipe in leader's order. There was a destination to where the teak ball  should be passed.But our group could not reach the final line within the time that naval officers  gave us.

As our third activity , They gave us a plastic pipe with some holes. We have to fill that pipe. It was the funniest game ever i was seen. We had to close one open end by keep that on one of our team members stomach. After  we can close other holes by other team member's hand and we have to fill that by carrying water from sea by our hands and mouth.Our team completed the task with a least time. 

In our fourth activity,It was  volley ball game but something different.We had to pass the volleyball one side to another side using  by  "cama" .Four of the members of group pass the ball in leaders order and another member caught that in other side. It is not hard one burt different.

as our last activity , Itwas a tug-o-war. Though it was a common game. but it was very difficult in beach side.

All these task, We learn How to work with team, How to do something in leader's order, What is the importance of comunicate with others .

At about  6.00 pm we return to accommodation place  and get ready for dinner in formal dress. After that we returned the same place and make a camp fire and do some activities like drama,singing songs and dance.after that we had our dinner and returned to the accommodation place.

In our secand day at Naval and Maritime Academy .

As the first day we were divided into four groups. Then the task was go through the forest by using compass and map. We start that session also leader's order. They taught us how to face unexpected situations can be happened in the jungle. At the destination we had our tea in beautiful beach side.

After that task we went to see  Naval Museum.We can also get a knowleadge of boats and their technology in this place. also we got information about importance of trincomalee. In this session we also could see LTTE terrorist's boats and their own technology and other thing use in a war. We got our lunch in their and we finished our training session.After that we came back to University of Kelaniya at about 12.00 pm. 

We got nice experience in that session. Also I  thanks for all of the Naval Officers and Madam Sarasi to supply  new experience for us...

Life Goals

As usual in our PPD session ,Madam Sarasi gave us new task .She said us design a clearly description of our living goal in a bristle board which she gave us.So we first divide our goals into three main categories.. 

1. Personal goal
2. Academic goal
3. Professional goal

Under these categories we designed our goals in board she gave us . Also we presented it in front of the my batch mates and madam Sarasi . My goals are,

Academic goal

• Within for years complete my Software Engineering  degree in University of Kelaniya with a class.
• Within my university time will get a Diploma in Computer Networking and robotics.
• Improve my knowledge in computer field .

Personal goal

• Love to travel two or three countries.
• Buy a car in my own money .
• Look after my family members well .

Professional goal

• Got a job in  Company and get experience how to work there
• After got experience join a large company which has big brand name in our field

barter puzzle

Last PPD session was an enjoyable session for us. First we were divided in to 3 groups by madam Sarasi. She was given a three pictures for three groups.We remember that picture.Then Madam said to  leader to tear it in to 100 pieces. Then madam Sarasi took 10 pieces from each group and mixed them all and divided them into three groups. We had to make the picture with a given 45 minute by using pieces of picture . 

 

So we decided to divide our group into subgroups to remake the picture. A one sub group solve front part, another sub group solve the bottom part, and other sub group solve the middle part. We search missing pieces in other group's pieces and exchange their missing one.

All team failed to win this session. but we learnt more from this activity. Some of them are , How to work with team , How to work with other teams , How to  do something within given time , etc..

Lava River Challenge & Stand on Paper

Doing this activity. We can get theses learning outcomes.

• problem solving skill
• communication skill
• leadership
• cooperation

Lava River

First we were devided in to 3 groups and one group had 8 members.Four plates were given to one team to play this game.We should cross the Lava River by using the given plates.So we can't touch the lava river.plates can't placed without human/part of the human on it. If any tile stayed without human touch it will be taken out.Any number of members can go any number of time across the river.

If we lost the human touch of the plate, that plate will be taken. The group that crosses the river in the minimum time will win the game.Those who did this minimum time. They called as winners.

Stand on Paper

We were provided by a paper.The objective of the game was for everyone to keep their feet on the paper and have no part of their body touching the floor.The whole group should stand on the paper to the command without standing out of the paper. After the well finish, the paper would be folded into half and again doing the game. The game continues for few rounds until all groups fails.

University of Keaniya

The University of Kelaniya is a state university of Sri Lanka.It is situated in Dalugama,Kelaniya.The University consists of 7 Faculties and 50 Departments.
Faculties are:

• Humanities
• Social science
• Science
• Commerce and management 
• Graduate studies
• Computing and technology 

Today I am going to show you information about some places in university of kelaniya.

1.  Medical center 
2.  Library 
3.  Faculty of science 
4.  Dharmaloka hall 
5.  Main play ground

 Medical center 

It is situated in front of faculty of management and it is near to faculty of computing.The university health service is organized to help the students of the university to lead an active life free from diseases.This service mainly for students,but staff both academic and non-academic can make use of the service.it is one of important unit in university.It has two units. They are western medical and ayurvedic unit.

Library

 It is situated behind the administrator.It is very important for students to improve academic and non academic things.The library was located in several places and finally moved to its present building in 1977.The present library collection encompasses over 230,000 books pertaining to various academic disciplines ranging from Archaeology to Zoology and subscriptions to about 150 academic journals. Further, the library provides electronic access to full- text databases through the terminals located in the Library.

Faculty of science 

Faculty of science in the university of Kelaniya was started in 1967 .It can be seen from the main road which is situated in the left side of the Kelani kanda. It provides education for many undergraduates with maximum effort.When we enter through the main entrance of the faculty we can see the science faculty building which consist with the dean office also.Then we can see the main ground which helps to improve lots of hidden abilities of the undergraduates.Then we can see cthe Dharmaloka hall.When we pass the Dharmaloka hall ,the IT center is in the right side
.

Dharmaloka Hall
It is situated behind the ground.We called it to 'DH'.We use it to functions and some other things. 

 Main play ground

It is situated in faculty of science premises.it is a very big playground.it has a huge boundary wall.we use the playground for our physical training exercises and drills.We also play many games like football, cricket, baseball, rugby, hokey etc.our university annual sports meet is held on our playground.we learn all types of games and sports with discipline and sportsmanship here.I am proud of my university main play ground.

What we learnt from PPD Session

In My first topic I should talk about What is PPD..Now i mention about What i learnt from PPD session in our university life..
I think you also know about What is PPD?

PPD means : aims to encourage an individual to become more self-aware and self-reliant and pay attention to their overall growth while planning for the future. Personal development plans can be applied to a wide range of contexts involving a career, education, relationship or for self improvement..

We can improve our communication skills, team work, creativity and etc in this PPD session and we can get many goals and actions  in this session.Some of them are measurable, achievable, relevant ,time related,and desicion making.They are very useful for building our personality.

We improve our communication progress

We got chance to communicate with our friends in English. Because there are some Tamil and Foriegn students in our batch who can't speak sinhala.so we have to communicate in English with them in our PPD session. Also madam told us dont use sinhala in our PPd session and always talk with others using in English.Then we can improve our knowledge of English and how to communicate with others.

We improve our team working progress 

 In this session, we can build up good relationship between others. It is the best thing i get to my life .we do a drama,and paper tower challenge as a group work.We try to respect others and their ideas.we can improve our creativity and thinking. Also I learnt how to respect others idea and its valuable.

This is if we can get goals and actions in PPD Session..

Measurable  :  We need to know when we have succeeded. Therefore outline as precisely as possible what skills and knowledge wewill have acquired have when we have achieved your goal.

Achievable  :  The goal should be achievable and within our capacity and constraints. we should not set ourself goals that are impossible or unrealistic to achieve.

Relevant   :  think to ourself, are these the right goals? Will they help we get to where we want to be?

Time related   :  ealistically consider how much time do we need to achieve our goal? Some goals can be achieved in the short-term, some may take a long time to achieve. Setting time related goals will be helpful in organising our time effectively and breaking down the goal to smaller elements. With long term goals milestones are extremely important to keep we motivated to achieve our longer term goal.

We can get many benifits in PPD session.. Some of them are mentioned in above the post..
Some are,

• A better understanding of ourself and how we know ourself.
• Being in a better position to make appropriate choices to meet our aspirations.
• Greater awareness of our needs and how to meet these.
• Greater awareness of the unique contribution we can make.
• Gaining a clearer focus to our learning.
• Helping to keep our self motivated.
• A better understanding of how we learn and how to improve our performance.
• More enjoyment and less stress from our learning as we become consciously skilled.
• More awareness of how to apply our learning to new problems and contexts.
• Reflective thinking skills that can strengthen academic performance.
• Clearer ideas about the kind of life and work we want.
• Greater confidence in the choices we make.
• Greater confidence in the skills, qualities and attributes we bring to the career of our choice.
• Being in a better position to compete for jobs.
• Being better able to discuss your skills, personal qualities and competences with employers.
• Better problem-solving and planning skills.
• Developing the positive attitudes and approaches associated with successful professional life.

Some of them are mentioned .. It 's not all .. We can get many advantages in this PPD session..