College Portfolio project
Dear Reader of my Portfolio:
For this project, I was required to answer personal questions in order to answer a bigger question: What’s next for me? I decided that going to a four-year college or university after graduating high school was the right choice for me. The product of this project was to create a College Portfolio which contained short writings that helped categorized ideas and make decisions about my future, personal Frequently Asked Questions that I researched the answers to, and a personal statement for a college of my choosing. The information that help in the making of these writings and decisions were several articles that ranged from “Want to Get Into College? Learn to Fail” to “Not Going to College is a Viable Option.” Reading about others opinion on things that I often think about was helpful because it gave me a different perspective. For my personal FAQ, I asked questions about the academic and the social part of college because I learned that all aspects of college life is something that I should know. Like, are pets allowed, which I found the answer to be yes, if it is a fish in a tank 10 gallons or less. Questions like this might be seen as useless or odd and they are in their own way but they are also helpful. I also learned some tips for financial aid, picking a major, types of colleges, and applications. I found these to be extremely helpful because I am in the process of all of those things.
Things like rereading an article or highlighting important information, were just some of the helpful tips that I learned and put to practice. Doing this made me understand and remember what the author was writing. Putting my thoughts onto a piece of paper was a process that helped me make decisions like what colleges I can see myself going to and if I think I should go to college at all. I feel that reading an article then writing about my thoughts on it was a more effective way of understanding the writing and my thoughts.
I found two things to be difficult during this project. The first is organizing my thoughts in a way that was easy to understand and easy to read. The second was the personal FAQ, making questions that were researchable and then answering the question in a way that made sense. I found these elements of the project difficult because I find some information important that might not be considered important by others. The organizing my thoughts was difficult because in my mind information will not make sense but once I write it down it makes more sense and it changes how I want to write it.
I felt that I grew in more than one learning outcome but the one I feel that I grew the most was Agency. I feel that I grew in Agency because to me agency is like grit and grit is perseverance. In the beginning, I started to feel that my writing would never get to a final draft stage but I had grit. I had my teachers, friends, and myself proofread my papers more than once. I stayed after school, can in during my T.A. period, and did work at home. Before this project I would probably just have my work read once and call it a day. I feel better about my growth as a student and because of this growth I feel more prepared for college.
I feel that help would be needed in the areas of time management. I got all that I needed done but if my time management skills were better they could have been done faster. If they were done faster I would of had my peers read my work one last time. If my peers read my work one last time then I could of made last edits.
Sincerely,
Sarah Rafanan
For this project, I was required to answer personal questions in order to answer a bigger question: What’s next for me? I decided that going to a four-year college or university after graduating high school was the right choice for me. The product of this project was to create a College Portfolio which contained short writings that helped categorized ideas and make decisions about my future, personal Frequently Asked Questions that I researched the answers to, and a personal statement for a college of my choosing. The information that help in the making of these writings and decisions were several articles that ranged from “Want to Get Into College? Learn to Fail” to “Not Going to College is a Viable Option.” Reading about others opinion on things that I often think about was helpful because it gave me a different perspective. For my personal FAQ, I asked questions about the academic and the social part of college because I learned that all aspects of college life is something that I should know. Like, are pets allowed, which I found the answer to be yes, if it is a fish in a tank 10 gallons or less. Questions like this might be seen as useless or odd and they are in their own way but they are also helpful. I also learned some tips for financial aid, picking a major, types of colleges, and applications. I found these to be extremely helpful because I am in the process of all of those things.
Things like rereading an article or highlighting important information, were just some of the helpful tips that I learned and put to practice. Doing this made me understand and remember what the author was writing. Putting my thoughts onto a piece of paper was a process that helped me make decisions like what colleges I can see myself going to and if I think I should go to college at all. I feel that reading an article then writing about my thoughts on it was a more effective way of understanding the writing and my thoughts.
I found two things to be difficult during this project. The first is organizing my thoughts in a way that was easy to understand and easy to read. The second was the personal FAQ, making questions that were researchable and then answering the question in a way that made sense. I found these elements of the project difficult because I find some information important that might not be considered important by others. The organizing my thoughts was difficult because in my mind information will not make sense but once I write it down it makes more sense and it changes how I want to write it.
I felt that I grew in more than one learning outcome but the one I feel that I grew the most was Agency. I feel that I grew in Agency because to me agency is like grit and grit is perseverance. In the beginning, I started to feel that my writing would never get to a final draft stage but I had grit. I had my teachers, friends, and myself proofread my papers more than once. I stayed after school, can in during my T.A. period, and did work at home. Before this project I would probably just have my work read once and call it a day. I feel better about my growth as a student and because of this growth I feel more prepared for college.
I feel that help would be needed in the areas of time management. I got all that I needed done but if my time management skills were better they could have been done faster. If they were done faster I would of had my peers read my work one last time. If my peers read my work one last time then I could of made last edits.
Sincerely,
Sarah Rafanan
Nature of Man and the US government.
For this project, I was asked to create a product that is geared towards 8th graders to further inform them of the US founding documents and Enlightenment philosophers. The client of this project is Mr. McCoy, who is the educator of the 8th graders. The product that my group and I chose to create was a series of videos based off of the Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, and 5 different philosophers. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Montesquieu, and Niccoló Machiavelli were the philosophers that we decided to focus on because we thought that those philosophers had both different and similar views on the nature of man and their influence on the US government.
Time management was one thing that I can say that I definitely learned in this project. Working before, during, and after school to get this project done because we wanted to make something that took a lot of work. Some additional information that we needed to complete our video consisted of in class handouts and websites that had to do with our topic. I really liked the worksheets about the the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence because they help me fully understand the text and to help put information into my own words.
John Locke’s ideas on the government were used to help the Founding Fathers create the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. John Locke’s view on government is that people should give up some of their rights in order for the government to protect them but if the government fails to protect them, the people have the right to overthrow the government. This is different from Thomas Hobbes view on government. Hobbes also believed that the people should give up some of their rights for the government to protect them. The difference is that Hobbes believed that one of the rights the people gave up was the right to overthrow the government and start anew. Learning thing like this was helpful in connecting the founding documents to the ideas of others.
The most difficult thing about this project was coming before and after school to work on our video when I had other work that needed to get done. Another thing that was hard to deal with was my group members missing the first couple days of learning about the information we needed to teach. I should of had Mr. Means teach me how to edit videos instead of relying on my group members. Other than that I feel that I did a good job with communicating, and completing my share of the work.
I feel that Agency is something that I constantly grow in because this project had me thinking that my group and I should've just done a website. Then I remember to twenty years ago to when I was in 8th grade and think I would of learned nothing from just reading a computer screen. Oral Communication is another thing I grew in because I had to explain information to another person in order for them to understand it. Before this project I would have gave up on the video and went with a website, then call it a day. I would of put Forestry Challenge first because I enjoy it more but this time I thought through what would happen if I picked something that I do not need to graduate and I decide to put my real education first.
Things I still need help are getting group members that put our project before non school activities. Other than that I feel that I was prepared for this project but I still need to present so I am sure that if I needed to do something then I will be told.
Time management was one thing that I can say that I definitely learned in this project. Working before, during, and after school to get this project done because we wanted to make something that took a lot of work. Some additional information that we needed to complete our video consisted of in class handouts and websites that had to do with our topic. I really liked the worksheets about the the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence because they help me fully understand the text and to help put information into my own words.
John Locke’s ideas on the government were used to help the Founding Fathers create the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. John Locke’s view on government is that people should give up some of their rights in order for the government to protect them but if the government fails to protect them, the people have the right to overthrow the government. This is different from Thomas Hobbes view on government. Hobbes also believed that the people should give up some of their rights for the government to protect them. The difference is that Hobbes believed that one of the rights the people gave up was the right to overthrow the government and start anew. Learning thing like this was helpful in connecting the founding documents to the ideas of others.
The most difficult thing about this project was coming before and after school to work on our video when I had other work that needed to get done. Another thing that was hard to deal with was my group members missing the first couple days of learning about the information we needed to teach. I should of had Mr. Means teach me how to edit videos instead of relying on my group members. Other than that I feel that I did a good job with communicating, and completing my share of the work.
I feel that Agency is something that I constantly grow in because this project had me thinking that my group and I should've just done a website. Then I remember to twenty years ago to when I was in 8th grade and think I would of learned nothing from just reading a computer screen. Oral Communication is another thing I grew in because I had to explain information to another person in order for them to understand it. Before this project I would have gave up on the video and went with a website, then call it a day. I would of put Forestry Challenge first because I enjoy it more but this time I thought through what would happen if I picked something that I do not need to graduate and I decide to put my real education first.
Things I still need help are getting group members that put our project before non school activities. Other than that I feel that I was prepared for this project but I still need to present so I am sure that if I needed to do something then I will be told.
Starting a Business:
Reflecting on Revenge
What were you asked to do in this project?
For the project my group and I were asked to take the role of young entrepreneurs, answering the driving question what makes a successful business in America’s economy? We are answering this question for the Downtown Partnership, who have notices a lack of business downtown and wish to have young entrepreneurs change that. Our end product is a business plan to the idea that would bring business to the downtown area.
What did you do/learn about in order to be able to complete this project?
In order to complete this project I had to learn about supply and demand, market systems, cost of production, demographics and psychographics, and what needs to be in a business plan. We used this information to create a business plan and to find traits that entrepreneurs posses. We also read others business plans to learn how to make out own business plan better.
What did you learn from this project? Explain.
One very important piece of information that will be engraved into my mind until the end of my high school career is the laws of supply and demand. The law of demand is the smaller the price the more consumers want to buy it. The law of supply is the higher the price the more sellers want to sell their goods or services. On a graph supply the supply curve goes from the bottom left corner to the upper right corner. The demand curve goes from the upper left corner to the bottom right corner. The place where this two curves intersect is called the equilibrium, the equilibrium is where buyer and sellers are both happy this the price of a good or service and the amount that good or service is being bought.
What was difficult for you during this project? What did you do to improve your skills?
One thing that was very difficult for me was trying to wrap my brain around what supply and demand really was. The reason this was difficult for me because I would read the graph vertically instead of horizontally. After talking to Ms.Gillespie after a workshop I really understood what the supply and demand curves meant and how the equilibrium is really an important factor in running a business. I did do extra research about supply and demand but I think watching Ms.G point to it and label everything was what made me really understand. I did not email any teacher for help because as soon as I realized that I did not understand I ask for in person help.
Which Learning Outcome did you grow the most in during this project?
For this project Collaboration was the area I grew the most in. Before this project I would do any work that my group members didn't do but this time I really held my group members accountable for their part of our product. I really grew in this area because several of my group members were missing at the same or different time and before this project I would of do what they could not. I feel that I pushed my team to do all their work even if they were not in class because I've worked with them before and knew what they were capable of.
What do you still feel you need help with? Explain.
I don’t feel like I need any help with anything in particular. Any questions I had about this project were answered and all workshop answer any questions that might of popped up.
Freakonomics:
For this project, the students of Political Studies were asked to create an incentive that they would later test by our teachers. Along with creating and implementing our incentives we were also asked to collected data. This data had to be of a our control group, which was the group before we gave the incentive and a test group, which was the study group during the incentive. Once the incentive was given and all data was collected, our groups had to discuss why the incentives did or did not work. We were then asked to write a literature task answering the question: do incentives matter?
In order to gain the necessary information to conduct a research study there are many things that we had to do. We first watched the documentary Freakonomics, immediately after we started to read the book Freakonomics. Throughout this project we were asked to research other incentives and examine why certain incentives worked and why others did not work. This consisted of reading articles and watching research videos.
The big take-away from this project the different types of incentives. There are three types of incentives: economic, moral, and social. Some incentives are going to work better for different people. An economics incentive will work better for someone who wishes to gain a monetary reward for a good behavior or action. A moral incentive deals with what that person feels is wrong or right. A social incentive would work better for a person that like to be praised or respected by their peers. For our project we had to know what the different incentives were and how to conduct a study based on what incentive we thought would work better.
The most difficult part of this project was the fact that I take a college class. I take swim every Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 am to 11;30 am because of this I missed two days of data collection. My group and I overcame this obstacle by assuming that the group we were studying would act the same as the days I was there.
One Learning Outcome that I grew in was Collaboration. I think I grew in this area because the way that my group and I were conducting our study I needed my group to hold their own weight. Each member of my groups had a different habit that we would observe. For the days I was there I needed to collaborated on what we observed and what it meant. For the days that I was gone I needed to communicate what I had missed for that day and what still needed to be done. Collaborating for this project was different than any other project because all members needed to do their part but when someone was missing we worked together in order to get them up to speed.
As of right now I can not think of anything that I still need help with. All questions I had were previously answered.
In order to gain the necessary information to conduct a research study there are many things that we had to do. We first watched the documentary Freakonomics, immediately after we started to read the book Freakonomics. Throughout this project we were asked to research other incentives and examine why certain incentives worked and why others did not work. This consisted of reading articles and watching research videos.
The big take-away from this project the different types of incentives. There are three types of incentives: economic, moral, and social. Some incentives are going to work better for different people. An economics incentive will work better for someone who wishes to gain a monetary reward for a good behavior or action. A moral incentive deals with what that person feels is wrong or right. A social incentive would work better for a person that like to be praised or respected by their peers. For our project we had to know what the different incentives were and how to conduct a study based on what incentive we thought would work better.
The most difficult part of this project was the fact that I take a college class. I take swim every Monday and Wednesday from 10:30 am to 11;30 am because of this I missed two days of data collection. My group and I overcame this obstacle by assuming that the group we were studying would act the same as the days I was there.
One Learning Outcome that I grew in was Collaboration. I think I grew in this area because the way that my group and I were conducting our study I needed my group to hold their own weight. Each member of my groups had a different habit that we would observe. For the days I was there I needed to collaborated on what we observed and what it meant. For the days that I was gone I needed to communicate what I had missed for that day and what still needed to be done. Collaborating for this project was different than any other project because all members needed to do their part but when someone was missing we worked together in order to get them up to speed.
As of right now I can not think of anything that I still need help with. All questions I had were previously answered.