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Anna Diemer Member
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Hi everyone--I'm not sure how many of you have students that are seniors, but I wanted to call your attention to the senior project. What do you think about it? Is it useful for our students? Or does it use up time that would be better spent applying to college? Also, this has been an issue this year: The tangible packets of information have not yet been distributed to the students. The senior project packet was sent to the Guilford County Schools office to be printed, but it has not yet come back. However, the students started the senior project a month ago! I think that this is incredibly ridiculous. I realize that the documents are accessible online, but it is pathetic that we don't have hard copies to reference, and we are already a month into the project. Thoughts? Opinions? |
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Steve Adkins Member 
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Anna, I don't have a Senior, she graduated last year. However, I think the Senior Project is a good thing. Those that are college bound will have to do similar projects in the future, it's a good learning tool. |
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DToney Member 
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sounds to me like someone is not as well organized as they could be... at the expense of the students. the packets should have gone out way in advance of the assignments......... |
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Kris McNeill Member
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Anna Diemer wrote: What do you think about it? Is it useful for our students? Or does it use up time that would be better spent applying to college? Hi Anna, I have a senior this year and an older child who graduated in 2005 (which was the first group of seniors to do the senior project at NWHS) I am disgusted about the project packet delay. My daughter's English teacher is disgusted about it too. It is ridiculous to require students to do a project and then not supply them with the materials they need. What kind of example does that set for students in regard to deadlines? The senior project served no purpose for my 2005 graduate. It was "busy work" that only robbed her of valuable time that could have been spent on college applications and essays, scholarship applications and maybe even simply a little free time and enjoyment of her senior year of high school! Her project IN NO WAY prepared her for anything that she is doing now as a Teaching Fellow at Elon University. In fact, she wanted to do her senior project on elementary school curriculum (writing a curriculum for the kindergarten class she was interning in) and she was DENIED that by the senior project committee. She ended up MAKING CURTAINS for her project because she was told that she should do something "different" and something she had never done before. Now, I will have to say that the timeline for the project will be much better this year since it has been extended into February. My older daughter had to complete the senior project during October and November at the same time she was already swamped with college applications. It was a very stressful time for her. Fortunately, my younger daughter has been approved to do her project on something that is applicable to her intended future career. But I still don't believe that it will be all that valuable to her in preparation for college. Prior to 2005, English classes at NWHS did "Career Projects" where they researched a career that they were interested in. I'm not sure if that included interning or "shadowing" but I see anything that gets a student "real life", fundamental experience in a career area they are interested in as extremely valuable. Both of my daughters decided several years ago that they wanted to be teachers. They have put in countless hours volunteering and interning in various classroom situations and now they know, without a doubt, that they are sure about what they want to do with their futures. I don't think that is the norm with most students though. A project that would require all students to explore an intended career would certainly be more valuable than curtain making, learning to ballroom dance, learning to cook, learning to knit,etc. These are all projects I have seen done - by collegebound students with unrelated intended careers (so the project was basically nothing but learning a new hobby for them). My final comment is this: Students will only take the project as seriously as those in charge do. To me, the delay with the materials says to students, "this is no big deal". If students are encouraged to do "hobby projects", they are not going to take it seriously. |
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DToney Member
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Kris, I'd love to see you e-mail that to the school board... both local & state levels. It IS definitely ridiculous to have curtain making as a senior project! I too would much rather see students gear their projects toward their career... many students either change their major or are uncertain & a good senior project would reinforce this decision. A POX on Senior Projects of this kind! |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Steve Adkins wrote: Anna, I don't have a Senior, she graduated last year. Having read the other comments, I went back and re-read Anna's posting a little closer. I'll amend my comment a little......I think the concept of a Senior Project is a good thing to prepare you for college & beyond, but apparently the process is being sadly mis managed as to make it useless. Under these conditions, the Senior Project becomes a frustration, instead of a good learning experience. Too bad it's so disorganized, I feel for the Seniors. |
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Anna Diemer Member
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I do agree that Senior Projects, when executed correctly, can be great learning tools for students. I feel that this year's requirements are completely viable for me, and I am lucky enough to have a project that will benefit me and that is related to my career (music, of course!). However, I do feel that this year's situation is horrible for the students. I am upset that the administration (whether school or county, I can't pinpoint) has not made this as much of a priority as the level of work makes it for the students. Of course, since I am a senior, I am apt to grumble loudly at all the work I have to do. Thank goodness I'm interested in it. Kris and DToney-maybe we should send letters to the school board. I've heard that senior projects are soon to be state-mandated, and if they are going to be, I hope that it is required that the projects be WORTHWHILE! |
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commonsensesum Member
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I have a senior at NW who is working on her senior project. Her older brother also worked on a senior project, but at Greensboro Day School. How the senior project was handled at Greensboro Day is far superior to how it is done at NW. For one thing, they do it as their final high school assignment after taking final exams in mid April, so all the classroom work is behind them. Also, at GDS, they actually get to do a project of something they are interested in and often something related to their college major and future career. They are required to work six hours a day in some type of job, without pay, do a detailed research paper, and in late May, a 45 minute presentation. My son worked with a Ortho and Sports Medicine practice and learned a lot in a few short weeks. He got practical hands on experience that has been helpful in his major. At NW as someone else has stated, it is more like learning a hobby than being career focused. Doing the project in the time frame of September through February is 1.) too long a time frame for such a project with other academic work continuing; and 2) taking valuable time away from the fall when the students should be concentrating and spending time on college applications and college essays. Also, at NW the projects seem like busy work rather than a good learning experience. But with the Guilford County Schools administration and public education in general in North Carolina, this is not a surprise to me. The public schools would do well to adopt the Greensboro Day School model. Why can't NW step up to the plate and be the first to make these type of bold changes? |
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DToney Member
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have you tried communicating this with Mr. Kidd? He seems to be quite understanding & may appreciate the feedback....... |
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commonsensesum Member
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I have not presented these ideas to Angelo, but I will. However, I'm not sure he will do anything about it based on my experience with him on other issues where he promised to look into something and get back to me (last school year) and I have yet to hear from him. Like Dr. Grief, he talks a good game, but I have seen little action. As you can tell, I am no longer impressed with him. |
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Steve Adkins Member
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commonsensesum wrote: I have not presented these ideas to Angelo, but I will. However, I'm not sure he will do anything about it based on my experience with him on other issues where he promised to look into something and get back to me (last school year) and I have yet to hear from him. Like Dr. Grief, he talks a good game, but I have seen little action. As you can tell, I am no longer impressed with him.I am curious commonsensesum.........did you ever talk to Angelo? How did it go? |
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commonsensesum Member
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Steve, I never e-mailed to talked to Angelo about this. As I stated I don't think it would do any good. Any communications I have will be after the diploma is "in-hand' and I don't have to fear reprisals. However, I understand there will be no senior projects next year. I also heard something about they were going to start something new with the freshman class next year and have a "four-year" project that they would build on year-to-year. Who and where do they continue to come up with these hare-brained ideas? |
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dmauser Member
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it is my understanding that the state of NC is requiring a senior project, so wonder how NW can do away with it? |
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S. Smith Moderator
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dmauser wrote: it is my understanding that the state of NC is requiring a senior project, so wonder how NW can do away with it? I think you're right. I'm thinking that a senior project would be a requirement for either this year's or next year's freshman class when they become seniors, but I'm not positive about that. I don't really have a problem with senior projects per se. I do think they're a good idea. I just have a problem with the way NWHS does them. My understanding is kids have to learn to do something new. It could be anything -- from learning to crochet to learning to swing dance. I just think there's a better way. For instance, my niece in Charlotte is also required to do a senior project, but it has to be something the kids are interested in pursuing. For instance, she's been a gymnast for years and hopes to get a scholarship somewhere. She is doing her senior project on injuries which occur to gymnasts. She has to research the subject, interview a specific number of specialists in the field, write a paper and do a presentation. She has interviewed people such as gymnastics instructors about what types of injuries they most often see, how gymnasts deal with them, etc. She's also talked to a doctor who deals with sports injuries. I think she may have also talked to a psychologist who sometimes deals with athletes who have been injuried. I see way more purpose in a project like that. I do think my niece is learning about something she is interested in pursuing, and she's also working on a big project like she'll have to do in college. |
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dmauser Member
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Sandra, you are so right! Mr Yeager (NGHS Principal) has the same philosophy that the project should have real life merit, either something that could be the students career or something that benefits society, like community involvement. He will have two years to fine tune that idea before we have projects at Northern. It is fine to learn to knit, but not as a senior project. I have heard many high schoolers think it is a waste and a joke, not something they sould be doing while applying at colleges, taking high pressure classes etc. In my opinion if they are going to spend tens of hours on something, it would be great to benefit the community, or a great charity. debora |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member 
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Isn't this the way they were before they changed them? When they were part of the English curriculum at Northwest? It seems that at that time they could research the kind of work they wanted to do and put together a project on that. I thought when they changed the criteria that it had to do with state requirements, but I guess that wasn't why. Interesting. It does seem that the way Northern and Charlotte/Mecklenburg are doing them are more relevant. At a time when the kids are having to put so much into college applications, school work and all, it seems that it would be be much more meaningful to them if it was something that would actually help them better understand what they were pursuing! For some reason, whoever was overseeing it decided differently. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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I don't know if that's how they used to be or not. Anybody out there remember? |
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commonsensesum Member
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I don't know how they were done in the past but Northern's idea and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are on the right track. The project should be something that relates to what the student thinks they want to do career-wise. Greensboro Day does it the best to my knowledge. They have Seniors take final exams in mid-April, then start their non-compensated internship and work on a research paper and 45 minute speech for their project that is presented while the rest of the Upper School is taking exams. This solves the problem of academic work falling by the wayside for seniors in their last few weeks of school. I wish someone at NWHS would contact the folks at Greensboro Day and adopt this program. Let's be innovative and a leader for once. A first for Guilford County Schools! |
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macca Member 
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I noticed in the paper that they are seeking judges for the projects... ♥♥♥ |
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Jim Flynt Member
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macca wrote: I noticed in the paper that they are seeking judges for the projects... ♥♥♥ Macca, you thinking of 'trying' out for the judging team? |
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macca Member
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Jim Flynt wrote:macca wrote:I noticed in the paper that they are seeking judges for the projects... ♥♥♥ I was thinkin' about it -- Sounds like it might be interesting to see the kinds of projects these young folks tackle! |
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S. Smith Moderator
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It sounds very interesting. You don't need to have any special qualifications -- just be willing to volunteer. Training (and refreshments!) will be provided. The presentations will be Feb. 8 from about 6-9 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Greggory Slate at NWHS at 605-3300. |
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S. Smith Moderator
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S. Smith wrote: It sounds very interesting. You don't need to have any special qualifications -- just be willing to volunteer. Training (and refreshments!) will be provided. The presentations will be Feb. 8 from about 6-9 p.m. Anyone interested should contact Greggory Slate at NWHS at 605-3300.I'm looking forward to helping with the judging. I think they still need more help, so if anybody has a few free hours on Thursday night, please call Mr. Slate. |
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Steve Adkins Member
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Just got back from judging Senior Projects. Gotta say it was a total pleasure. No "duds" in the group, some were a little nervous, but overall it was really great to see these students accomplishments. Really have to say, I'm looking forward to doing it next year. Saw alot of folks over there, would like to hear what others though too. Last edited on Feb 9th, 2007 02:11 am by Steve Adkins |
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Vicki White-Lawrence Member
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I volunteered to be a judge for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely volunteer again. My partner and I judged 10 projects, and all were good. It was obvious some students knew their subjects better than others, and some were better public speakers than others, but all were good representatives of our community. I wish I'd known ahead of time that all were on display earlier this week so I could have reviewed them all.... I too saw several familiar faces, and was impressed with the willingness of so many to come and give their time to this worthwhile process. I would've liked to have had a better idea of what the purpose of the projects was, though. Some students learned new skills, while some just researched something of interest to them, and one student's project will assist foster children in our county. |
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