Monthly Extra Post: November

Geez, Cutting it close.

This month

What I did this month

•  Attended City Council Meetings
• Applied to several colleges
• Modified my Working Essential Question
• Started my independent component
• Presentation on my first Lesson

What I will do next month

•  Complete data gathering portion of independent component

EQ

1.   Review this.  Confirm by stating "I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ."

Essential Question 
Once a topic is chosen, the student will develop a working essential question.  The purpose of the working essential question is to help the student build a strong foundation of research which will allow him or her to create an essential question that encourages depth and rigor in the chosen topic.  An essential question must:

• Provide a framework for studies (It calls for breadth and depth of research, Is not a yes/no question)
• Take a stance (It allows you to argue some point, Cannot be a recitation of facts or a list)
•  Format (It is specific, The wording makes sense

 I have reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ

2.  Review the following EQs and

• Tell us if each meets the rule of three.
• Tell why they do or don't.

 a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss?
     This EQ meets the rule of three as it allows for specification of research in regards to the topic of weight loss, allows for argument upon both what constitutes healthy weight loss and the best way to achieve that, and is specific in its topic.
 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
     This EQ meets the rule of three as it provides a framework for study (analyzing the process of conviction), argument of the most integral step, and meets the formatting requirement.
 c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
This EQ fals to meet the requirement by failing the formatting section as its wording is non specific as it fails to define satisfaction and what that would entail (money, aesthetics, or customer approval).
 
 d.  How can an anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
This EQ fails to meet the rule of three as it fails to take a stance. An answer to this question can just be a checklist of possible solutions and still answer the question.

3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.  The senior team will be meeting with students shortly for EQ revision and approval; you are expected to bring your research notebook to that meeting with your EQ draft written inside in pencil.

 My New Working EQ is: What is the Most Effective Way to Encourage Youth Voter Participation in both Local and State level Government Systems?

Lesson 1 Reflection

1,What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?
 In my lesson 1 presentation, the sole takeaway of pride that I can honestly state is that I managed to translate the concept of the psychological definition of Political Skill, the best way in which a person can start to get involved in their local politics (Town Meetings), and effective citation of my mentorship as it relates to my topic.

2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

       b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.
       This grade is warranted as I met the standard requirements that the lesson 1 component contract mandates of students by accurately citing 7 minutes worth of content from my two interviews, selected information from my research,  and fulfilling of the stipulated conditions of the presentation such as the audience interaction portion.  I do not warrant an AE however, as I failed to go above and beyond by making use of a technological component and by straying slightly in regards to my lesson plan by not stressing the relation between political skill and overall success as adamantly as I should have. In place of that, I focused upon the minutiae of attending city council meetings and attempting to get into contact with civic leaders. This alienated the audience, in combination with my halting speaking style, and diminished the quality of my hook. This in turn alienated my audience and lowered the overall impact of my lesson in spite of my fulfillment of the prompt.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?
   In regards to what worked for lesson 1, I found the audience to be paying the most attentionwhen the content of the lesson was related to relaant issues or tangible actions that they could do. Specificity, in place of generality, proved a more promising way to engage the audience. In addition, structuring the bulk of the lesson around a concept, the psychological definition of political skill, which was used to relate to the overall content seemed successful in practice. The concept still requires refinement, but the lessons learned will be applied in the next lesson. 

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?
Overall, I found that my biggest failing was a combination of a failure to adhere to my lesson plan and an overall lack of "pizzazz". In this regard, I would increase the role of my visuals as a supplement to my lesson rather than a crutch and maintain a more rigorous adherence to my topic by allotting a certain amount of time to each section such that I won't spend to much time on any one section.