First Semester

Journal Prompt What kind of work/school environment do you thrive in: one that is structured and strict, one that is extremely laid back, or somewhere in between? Explain your answer!

Question: What do Google, Apple, and 3M have in common? Yes, they are among the wealthiest companies in the United States Yes, they are among the top innovators of the United States But there is something else they all have in common...their workplace!!!

How are their workplaces the same? They all follow the 20% time program This means, they are allowed to spend 20% of their time each week (one day) working on their own side projects (whatever they want!!!) The 20% time program has caused the following to come into existence: Gmail (Google) The post-it note (3M) Masking tape (3M)

Video Clip

What does this have to do with us? We are going to be implementing this 20% time program into our classroom (with some differences) That means, that, each week, you will be given a day in class to work on whatever kind of project you want At the end of the semester you will submit these projects to me for a SUMMATIVE grade

Question #1: What form does this project have to come in? Answer: A paper A presentation A self-made movie A travel guide Other ideas? There’s one catch: whatever project you do needs to be research- based!

Question #2: How will our time in class each week be monitored? You will be expected before each Friday to think of a goal that you want to set for yourself in relation to your project choice each week At the end of class, you will be expected to reflect on whether or not you achieved that goal and why or why not (along with other questions). This will come in the form of an exit ticket. Part of your grade also STRONGLY depends on how class time is being used to do your project.

Exit Tickets You will be expected to fill out an exit ticket each week, reflecting on your progress and what you plan to do You actually need to fill these out FULLY if you want full credit, not with 2 words per response Failure to do so will result in points taken away from your overall project If you are absent for one of the days we work on these projects, this will NOT count against you

How to use time wisely... Part of your final grade also depends on how well you spend your time in class for this project That means: No cell phones (except for listening to music) No goofing off on the computers or distracting other students No doing work for other classes OR working on other work for this class I keep a running record of your behavior every week and will take note if you are not using the time wisely

Question #3: What do you exactly mean by “anything we want” for a topic? Here’s some examples: Ever wonder why some people sit in the same seats for classes, even when they’re not assigned? Write a research paper on the psychological aspect of this! Still not sure what career you want to pursue after school or want to learn more about your desired career? Interview or shadow people in that field and do a research project on it! Do you love yoga and want to do a project that explores the various types there are? Now’s your chance! Always wanted to travel but weren’t sure where interesting places would be to go? Well, now’s your time! Create a budget, itinerary and write- up about a particular location! Obsessed with cars? Here’s your opportunity to create your very own dream vehicle based on research about concept cars!

Question #4: What is the timeline for this project? You will always have Friday to work on this project We will have the library signed out for most days Your project will be due December 15 th, one week before Holiday Break However, time given in class must be used toward this project

Question #5: How are we going to be graded for this project if we are all doing different things? This depends on what type of project you do Although some of the criteria graded is the same, there are some different aspects Here are the areas that stay the same: Use of time in class (5 points per day) Exit Tickets (3 points per day)

For papers... Research papers need to be pages long MLA format (you will know what this is very soon) Times New Roman, 12 pt. font One-inch margins Double-spaced Proper MLA header, page numbers Grammar and punctuation will be taken into account At least five reliable sources need to be used Works Cited pages needs to be included (this does not count toward the 10 pages)

For presentations... Presentations need to be at least 10 minutes long Presentations must use at least 5 reliable sources...a works cited page needs to be printed out and given to me. Presentations must include a visual aid, such as a PowerPoint, Prezi, poster, or model that is well put together You will also be graded on your speech skills... Eye contact Voice rate and volume Posture (fidgeting, stance, etc.) You will have to present these in class!

For videos... Videos need to be 10 minutes long Five reliable sources need to be used and a Works Cited page needs to be given to me Video needs to be aesthetically sound: Edited so that it flows well Background music Transitions Visuals You will be graded on effort!

For planning a trip... You need to make an itinerary/ schedule for your trip that includes for each day: What you will be doing Where you will be eating Where you will be staying/sleeping What kinds of transportation (bus, subway, train, taxi, etc.) you will be using You need to make a budget for this trip (you can be as unrealistic as you wish) and take into account what you will be spending on: Food Transportation (airline tickets, bus fare, etc.) Hotels Activities (tours, museums, excursions, etc.) Extras (souvenirs?) Then, you need to also produce ONE of the following... Food from that particular area/country and a description of that food A brochure telling information about that country travelers would want to know A poster that is well put together about the country and your fake trip A works cited page will need to be made and turned in to me as well

Other ideas? If you wish to do something else other than the project we went over, please see me We will work out what the parameters of this project should be I want you guys to be able to work on something that you are interested in, so feel free to ask me!

Final Question: Why are we doing this? It seems random! ALL of college is about being able to manage your own time Professors usually give you a list of due dates at the beginning of the semester and expect you to adhere to these due dates; it’s your job to keep them in mind This is practice for college!

Examples... Video Example: Biomedical Engineer Presentation Example: Elementary School Teacher Presentation Example: Marvel vs. DC Comics Travel Example: Ireland

Goal for Today: Choose a topic! By the end of today, I want you to have the focus to your project chosen, as well as a list of possible ideas on how to execute this focus (what form the project will take) This counts as one of your exit tickets. Have fun!!!