Dictionary Game!!!!

In class, we are playing a little game called the DICTIONARY GAME. The main purpose is to not make our fellow classmates look like fools, it is to help us gain confidence when we give presentations.

This game also prevents us from using the infamous

"Um's and Uh's" to use up time in between thoughts of what we are going to say next. I found it difficult to keep my voice loud and keep a nice flow of words. Honestly, if we keep playing this game, I believe I will see a difference in the way I speak to a crowd of people and feel more prepared to give my presentation on my experience visiting with guidance counselors and telling people what I have gained from being in the Senior Project class.

POETRY MONTH!

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desireI hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction iceIs also great

And would suffice.

WISE program

Mr. Vick and Mr. Paul came to our school to speak to us about our presentations. I found some of their advice and ideas helpful and my plans are a bit more developed. My videos will probably be short because Mr. Vick suggested that shorter clips keeps people's attention. I would hate to bore the audience or lose some one's interest! I was hoping to visit with Mrs. Burns but unfortunately, she just got ankle surgery and is going through recovery; I can see her next week though. Hopefully, she feels better soon. Overall, I think it helped a lot of people and made me feel more prepared, knowing what is expected of us. It looks like I have tons of planning to do and I still have not figured out how to work the video camera. Tomorrow or Friday I am going to visit Mrs. Rapattoni and Ms. Ryan at the middle school to start these interviews and catch up on things.

Preparation

Over break, I have had the senior project on my mind. I borrowed a video camera for the presentation and today, after school, I am going to read the booklet to try to figure out how to work the dang thing! I have absolutely no skill with any technology. Wish me luck!

Letter to superintendent

Dear Mrs. Carroll,

I chose senior seminar so I could test out my dream career to see if it is worth going on to college and getting a degree in it. The career I chose to observe is guidance counseling because I have always been interested in working with children younger than myself and mediating when there is a problem. My project deals with a mixture of both middle school counseling as well as elementary school counseling. At this point, I am confused about which age bracket of children I would want to work with. Next month, my presentation is going to be a video documentary including interviews with Mrs. Burns, the counselor at School #4, Ms. Ryan, and Mrs. Rapattoni, the counselors over at the middle school. In the interviews, the counselors will explain what they do on a typical day at work, some problems they may face, and their involvement with the schools. I am also considering adding skits in the documentary displaying pretend mediation's with actors from the high school. I thought making a video would be very personal and reflect the hard work that I have put into this project. At the end of my presentation, I want my classmates to be astonished and take notice of how much effort was put towards my video.

Hopefully, I will learn how to incorporate two different ideas into one creative project, as well as learn how to work a video camera and edit my clips to make sure the documentary is presentable. Since I am using an older video camera, I am going to ask Mr. Flickinger, the video productions teacher, to show me how to make a good quality video. For the actors performing the skits, I am going to talk to the drama department and gather a couple of students who can help me come up with a small script and act in the video. I think the most difficult part is going to be editing the video and cutting unwanted parts out without ruining my presentation.

Ideas, ideas...

I talked about my idea in a previous blog about what I wanted to do for my presentation. Yesterday, my classmates gave me their opinions and suggestions about the project. I thought maybe I could interview the middle school counselors and Mrs. Burns about the things involved with being a counselor and what they go through every day at work. Over break, I will make a list of questions to ask them and look for my antique video camera. (ha ha) After their interviews, I will tape fake sessions with actors from the high school and possibly my little brothers to act as the elementary school kids. In my presentation, my classmates and teachers will hopefully recognize the similarities as well as the differences between the two school's counseling.

Presentation

Our presentation is coming up in May and I know it seems like a long time right now, but it would most likely come in a jiffy. I am beginning to brainstorm about what I want to do for my presentation and my gears are certainly turning. For some reason, I have always enjoyed video documentaries. I thought maybe if I learned how to actually work a video camera first and then begin to work on editing so I can produce a video that includes some fake mediations and stuff and maybe a tour around a guidance counselors office. I don't really know- just something interesting and different. I want to leave an imprint on everyone in the class so after the presentations are over, they can say "wow, Desiree's project was pretty sweet!" Well, if anyone is actually taking the time out of their lives to read my blogs, please give me some ideas or suggestions!

Relief!

Thank goodness this research paper is done and over with. I feel like so much weight has been lifted off of my shoulders! I feel confident in the research I have done and I am thankful my sponsors and mentor helped me find some good stuff. The only thing I would have changed about my paper was my conclusion. I had tons of ideas and articles I wanted to integrate into my paper but I was not sure exactly where to put this information so it would make sense and overall, prove my thesis to be correct. I wish I could say APRIL FOOL's and take more time on this. But- I chose to procrastinate and in the end, I turned in my best work that could have possibly been accomplished in such little time.

Ps: check out the little Kiss panda bears! Happy april fool's day!