Initial Project Ideas

Now that you have written down your first idea or ideas for an independent portfolio project, take a moment and review what your wrote at the beginning of class. Check your writing for accuracy and precision and then post your first idea under the title "Initial Project Idea". Remember what you post online is public and will be a document of your process. We will discuss your initial ideas tomorrow in class, so be prepared.

Customizing your blog

Take a moment and leave a comment about how you customized your blog. What change(s) did you make to the default layout of your blog? Please include your first name at the end of the comment if your display name is different.

Online Course Evaluation

Please complete the following course evaluation. You can leave comments regarding any of the questions. Click Here to take survey

Last workday and exit survey

Tuesday:

Today and tomorrow are the final days of class and all projects should be submitted Wednesday afternoon. I will accept projects and incomplete project essays until Monday June 16th since it is officially the last day of the marking period. Everyone should take the opportunity today and tomorrow to complete their projects or write your incomplete project essay. Also, BE SURE, to make sure you have commented on any previous class agendas this marking period.

Seniors, only projects turned in tomorrow will be marked and graded for portfolio.

Wednesday:

Please be sure to fill out the course evaluation form provided to you. Please be honest and thoughtful in your reflections. This is a new course that depends on your feedback for improvement. You don't have to put your name on the feedback form. Please make sure it is returned to the envelope at the front of the room.

Juniors - Next Year's Portfolio

Juniors-
Having had the opportunity to take this class as juniors, I would like you to think about your senior portfolio. One of the requirements for the senior portfolio is to include a project that shows you are ready for life after Brooklyn Prep. Thinking about the project you undertook (and in some cases finished!) in digital portfolio, what kind of new project do you envision including in your senior portfolio? Please post your response as a comment below.

Seniors-
You have 4 class days before your portfolio presentations. While many of you have written drafts of your letters, have you considered including your project as your life after Brooklyn Prep piece? If are using your project in your portfolio, please post a brief comment about what habit of mind you reflected on through the project. How does the project demonstrate your understanding of that habit of mind.

BE SURE TO COMMENT ON ALL POSTS, these count as part of your 3rd semester grade for participation. Please respond to ALL posts.

Check-in

This week will be an abbreviated schedule, we will only be meeting today and tomorrow. Juniors will be presenting portfolios and seniors will be preparing portfolios on Thursday and Friday. Before you work on your projects, take a moment and simply leave a comment in response to the following question "Where are you at with your project? What's left to do?" Again, if you feel that you will not complete your independent project by June 13th, make sure you complete the essay assignment listed below. Please make the best use of your time this week on your portfolios and projects.

I am also available to read cover letters for portfolios. Email me your files or share them with me as Google documents and I will be happy to give you feedback and/or suggestions for revision.

Incomplete Project Essay

Many of your projects are based on good ideas that y0u may not have had the resources or time to accomplish. If you feel that you are not going to be able to accomplish your project before the end of the marking period, you must write a brief 1 - 2 page essay summarizing all the steps you have taken so far and what steps remain for you to complete your project.

The essay is not a formal research paper. It is a process essay based on your initial project question. For example, Kimani Reid asked "How can I make an animation?" His project has been about creating a flash animation. Go back to your project idea and formulate your essay around your project idea as a question. "How can I make a video about Brooklyn Prep?" "How can I make a documentary about teen pregnancy?"

The essay should attempt to show all the steps you have undertaken so far to complete your project. Additionally, you should try and address the following questions. They can be used as an outline to help structure your essay:

• What's the question or issue?
• What's my viewpoint and why?
• What's my evidence?
• How does this connect to my own experience?
• Why is this important?
• Have I incorporated individuality and creativity in my work?
• What are different possibilities or solutions for the issue I am addressing?
• Have I experimented or taken a risk?
• Does my work reflection organization, and cooperation with others?

This essay is primarily for students will will not have any finished product to reflect their efforts this semester. It can also be used to support partially finished projects and/or strengthen grades on projects. If your project is strong and you feel it reflects your commitment this semester, please put all your effort into finishing the project for your portfolio.

Post a comment in response to the alternative assignment whether you feel you will need to write the essay to help pass the course or whether you feel you can finish your project by the June 13th final deadline.