The Final Blog Post....make it a good one.

 Please read through this post, and answer the questions by Monday May 15, and respond to two others by Wednesday May 17th.

Sunset on the Connecticut River ( Bent)

This is your final blog post of the class.  Before I suggest your topics for the week, I would like to thank you all for an extremely interesting class this year.  Although you all had various forms of senioritis during the semester, you were all willing to work.  I am proud of each one of you for the body of work you produced third and fourth quarters.  The sun is setting on your high school career, and I hope you look back and remember the time you spend with friends fondly because in a blink of an eye you will be all grown up, and flying from the nest.

Choices-Nantucket  (Bent)

The world is about to open up to you, so please choose wisely, travel if you can, study, and enjoy yourselves (but not too much).  You will find you still have so much to learn and discover, so never stop challenging yourselves.

Endless possibilities - Franconia Notch  (Bent)

What I would like you to reflect upon this week is your total experience now that you are coming to the end of the class:

What did you like about your project?

What was a real challenge in your project?

In what ways could you improve on the overall experience with the project?

In what ways have you grown as a person through this experience?

Why is risk taking a good thing?

How do you know the difference between a good risk and a not so good risk?

Did you push yourself out of your comfort zone in this class? How, why, or why not?

Straddling two countries the United States (right foot) and Canada (left foot)-Fourth Connecticut Lake Trail (Bent)

When you find yourself at another crossroad, straddling two thoughts (or countries), remember to use the skills you have either learned, discovered, or honed in this class, and make an educated decision on the next path in life.

Seek new adventures -Herveys Range North Queensland, Australia (Bent)

Keep your eyes open, and be up for the adventures to come...

The sun is rising on the next chapter of your life.  Hold your head high, hang on, and enjoy the ride! o If you are going to college, make it an experience of a lifetime.  Get out there and join everything you can.  If you are headed into the workforce, get out there and start planning for the rest of your lives.  If you are taking a gap year, enjoy it, and be safe if you travel.  If you are undecided, that is okay too, take some time to think about what you want to do.  The point is, you all have a lot to offer the world, and eventually you will find out what that looks like and means to you.

Sunrise (Bent)

Blog # 13: First Week out in the Field

Like the mountain range in New South Wales Australia, the future is before you...take advantage of this. (Photo Credits Bent)

Good Morning and welcome back to the last few weeks of the quarter and of your high school career. You are expected to come to class each Monday to check in, pick up a time sheet, and drop off the filled out sheet.  You are required to work at least 20 hours over the next 18 school days (April 24-May 17).  During that time, you also need to be putting together your final presentation.  '

Although you are out in the field, you are still responsible for blogging.  The following questions are due by next Monday, May 1st, with responses to two others by May 3rd.

What experience do you bring to your project?
You have been working towards this project since January.  How has the first week gone?  What did you do?

Blog 12: Down to the Wire and Setting you Free

The blog is due this Thursday April 13, with two responses to other students due by Wednesday April 19th.  

In honor of the first day of Kindness week (photo credits Bent)

This blog is one that will be helpful to both of us.  All I would like you to do is write your schedule of what you will be doing from April 24th through May 17th.  Once you have created it, reflect on just what you are showcasing in this actual project, and what skills you will be using to complete the project.

Blog 11 due April 10th with 2 responses due April 12th

We are coming to the end of the "in school" portion of this class...

You are now beginning part two of this class-go into it strong with your head held high and your expectations of your project positive.  You have from now until May 19th to dazzle me...do so by choosing the correct path out of the forest. (photo credits Bent)

This is the last full week of class before April vacation.  Next week we have a four day week, and yes folks there is a blog that week with responses due during vacation (wouldn't want you to forget about me).

This week is entirely dedicated to you working on your research paper because we all know that draft one is due Thursday for in class peer edits.  What I would like you to reflect on this week are the following questions:

1. Why in the world do teachers ask students do to research and then write about it, (torture is not an option for responding-Jack)?

2. What has been your approach to collecting information and writing this first draft, (besides me forcing you to create an annotated bibliography)?

3. In thinking back over these first 10 weeks (one week was vacation) of class, what have you learned about yourself?

4. What skills, if any, have you discovered or honed here that will help you be successful in college next year, or out in the real world next year?

5. Explain one thing that has not worked well in this class for you...this can be an assignment, a particular week, working towards your project, time limits, freedom, your motivation???? You tell me, as this will help me improve the class for next year.

Blog 10: Reflection on the progress over seven weeks

Ollie is deep in thought, as you should be in your post this week. (photo credits Bent)

We are seven weeks into this course, and you should be beginning to wrap up your work, and see light at the end of the tunnel. I would like you to reflect and write about the following questions:

Post due Monday April 3rd, with two responses to others due Wednesday April 5th 

1. What has surprised and frustrated you with your project and your research?  Do you have other surprises or frustrations?  Let me know.  (Do not just give a one sentence wonder here.)

2. What has been your biggest time waster?  (you or work...be frank and candid, I can take it)

3. How are you dealing with stress? AND Have you identified the stresses and ways to avoid or fix them?

4. This one may not apply to all of you: If you are behind, own it and discuss what happened...do not blame other people, or other classes, be up front and honest.  Take a good look at your performance and talk about it.

We have three more weeks of class...make them count before the sun sets on your work....do not let the fog roll in and complicate things.  Stay the course, and finish strong.  (This is corny I know, but you get the point: WORK)

Blog Post # 9: Belonging-Motivation-Checking In-Reflection

Knowing when to lean on others and work through projects (photo credits Bent)

This is blog post 9,and it is due on Monday March 27th with two responses due by Wednesday March 29th. Try to respond to two people you have not responded to before.

At this writing, this class has four more weeks of seat time....that really is not that many days.  For those of you who have routinely not worked in or out of class, get going....graduation is almost here. For the rest of you (the larger majority of the class) "stay the course" and move forward.

This week I want you to reflect and blog on the following:

1. How do you keep yourself motivated when you can almost see the end, but you still have quite a few things to complete before you arrive at the end?

2. Where are you in this class, behind, on track, ahead?  Consider where you are, and then blog about your performance as a student, be honest about it.

3. Why am I asking you to make this community connection?  Obviously I think it is important, but why?

4. How does the act of reflecting promote learning?

Remember, ticktock...the clock is winding down on your high school career.  Go out with your head held high, and a feeling of complete accomplishment.  You are almost ready to spread your wings.

The feeling of successful completion of your assigned tasks (photo credits; Bent)

Sailing into Success, even with bumps in the road. (Photo Credits URI Sailing)

Blog Post # Eight: The Bumpy Road to Success

In life there will always be success and failure, and often times you learn more from the failure than you do from the success. A good number of you have been successful with your project proposals; meaning everything has worked so far.  However, there are some of you who had great vision for success, but have been met with some bumps along the way; meaning you have had to make adjustments to your original project plan.

1) For all of you, what has been the the hardest part of this journey so far?  Share the failures and setbacks so far. (These can be as small as not doing your work on time, to as large as having to go back to the drawing board for a project.)  What insight have you gained from these "bumps" in the road?  How will you take this insight and use it to help frame out the remaining time in this class?

2) What part of your planning has been the most rewarding so far, and why?

3) Any stresses over the last week or so? What were they, and how did you handle them?

This Blog post is due March 20th AND two responses to others (choose some people you have not responded to) are due on March 22nd