Should Senior Project continued being practiced? (Kately)

1/7/2020

Senior Project is what determines whether or not we will graduate, and its especially stressful and complicating when there are several other projects needing to be done in that week. There are certainly good things that come from Senior Project, like acquiring a new skill and showing one's work ethic in a unique way. When other responsibilities get in the way though, its difficult to do things to the best of one's abilities. The challenge of Senior Project can be a defining moment for many, because conquering this week is no small feat for some students. But for the majority, they would rather forgo it.

Senior Project has been protested multiple times in the past, even going as far to have a petition signed for Salmon High School, but its a regulation that the entire state of Idaho must follow. What do you think of Senior Project? Do you find it to be a valuable use of your time? What kind of academic problems have you been met with throughout this project?

36 Comments

Erykah Foss

1/8/2020 09:11:12 pm

I enjoyed senior project because of all the support I had throughout it. At home, my dad helped me with tools I never worked with before. My mentor gave me advice based on his personal experience. We discussed different possibilities in the construction of my violin. My good experience makes me believe senior project was a valuable use of my time because I am more comfortable with my violin and its mechanics. Although I was successful in completing my project on time, I stressed about turning in my paperwork while my other classes demanded my attention.

Students who lack the support have a different experience. Typically, these students have a hard time finding a mentor, especially if they do not have many outside resources. Choosing a project that piques their interest but is achievable within the time constraints is also difficult because they have little guidance. Even though we are seniors, there are plenty of us that still need to be pushed so they complete their work.

Faith

1/12/2020 02:17:03 pm

I am glad that you looked at senior project from both points of view. It is very different to each person.

Paige

1/12/2020 06:56:43 pm

It is interesting, but understandable, that those who have necessary support will enjoy their project more than those who do not. I also feel that it all depends on the student and their mindset; if they are excited about their project and want to complete it, they will, if they have no desire to meet their goals and expectations, they won't put in the time and effort and they will fail.

Kately

1/12/2020 10:02:38 pm

I agree, support can either make or break a project. Especially if its something you've never done before.

Josephine

1/9/2020 11:25:53 pm

Senior project motivated me to start and finish something I never thought I could even do. A year before senior project started one of my next-door neighbors bought me some fabric so that I could begin to craft a quilt. I had every intention of starting it but never was motivated to do so. Because of senior project, I now had the motivation to get up and complete this project. I am thankful for senior project because it has taught me important lessons such as time management, perseverance, and responsibility. I have also formed a wonderful friendship with my mentor and others in her workplace. That would not have occurred if it were not for senior project. Overall senior project has left me with a feeling of great self-accomplishment. I realize now that I can do things that I thought were not possible before.

I did find balancing out all of my classes and outside activities quite challenging at times. Sometimes I felt as though there were not enough hours in the day to complete everything that was on my list and it got a bit overwhelming. That being said, I still think that senior project should continue to be practiced in school. It allows students to discover themselves, it teaches them valuable lessons, and it drives them it connect with the people of our community.

Erykah

1/12/2020 02:02:46 pm

I also found it difficult to find a balance between senior project and my other school work. I'm glad that the community can get involved and even watch some of our presentations, and it makes me wonder about getting more of an audience. Usually, it's up to the students to invite friends and family, but not all of them get notified. Do you think they should be better advertised so that more people know when and where to watch them? And if so, how should the information be spread since not every reads the newspaper or listens to the radio?

Josephine

1/12/2020 06:09:54 pm

Better advertisements should be set in place so people of the community can come and support Salmon's students. It is astounding to see the talents and hard work of our students, and as many people as possible should come and watch given the opportunity. The world is driven by technology so through the use of social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook senior project can be better advertised.

Faith

1/12/2020 02:20:30 pm

It is very hard to balance a full schedule as well as senior project. But it is very beneficial.

Brax Kauffman

1/12/2020 04:47:18 pm

That’s great that it inspired you into learning something new. I think that’s one of the best things that can come out of this entire process.

Alyssa Farnworth

1/12/2020 06:25:54 pm

You mentioned it was hard for you to find a balance between senior project and your other classes. How did you learn to manage these classes, getting done what was required for each class? If you didn't which classes took a step back for you?

Madicyn

1/12/2020 07:39:58 pm

I also had a hard time balancing everything that has been due lately. I will also take the blame for procrastinating during the break we had, but still. It was difficult to balance all our classes plus the project as well.

Faith

1/12/2020 02:36:02 pm

Senior project is a very long and complex process of trying something you have never tried before. This can be very helpful, and very stressful. My experience during senior project was and is a relatively good one. I managed to always turn my things in on time but I would stress non-stop until the next thing was done. Then right after one thing was done, there was something else to worry about in another class, multiple classes, or for senior project. This does allow students to try new things and show that they are ready for the next step of their lives, but there are multiple flaws with this method. For starters, the big presentation is what most people worry about. This determines if you will graduate or not, no matter how well you did on your portfolio. Personally, presenting is one thing I have struggled with and makes me extremely stressed just thinking about. Many people are not comfortable presenting in front of a large group of people, which everyone is required to do. Yes, presenting is a good quality to have, but not everyone needs it or can do it. Which will result in them not passing or doing very badly. Personally, I think I will be able to do the presentation just fine, but I can’t say the same for many other people. Another flaw is the projects that they pick. Many people do not choose new things and do their project on things that they’ve already done. This defeats the whole purpose of the class.
Overall, senior project is beneficial, but teachers put way too much pressure on students. It is a good class and teaches students many new things, but should not be a graduation requirement.

Brax Kauffman

1/12/2020 04:46:01 pm

While I agree that it puts a large amount of pressure on students, I still think it should be a requirement. The reason for this is that if it wasn’t a requirement, then I do not think there would be anyone who would do this.

Aiden

1/12/2020 05:51:51 pm

Presenting is difficult for a lot of people, but other things also are such as writing or finding motivation to do their project. This is what makes it such a good tool and making sure people are willing to go the extra mile to learn and work to accomplish success.

Sabrina

1/12/2020 07:01:57 pm

Are you referring to our project or senior project in general? Many schools do it differently than our school does.

Alyssa Farnworth

1/12/2020 06:22:59 pm

I liked that you mentioned how difficult presenting can be for some students to get through. I understand the stress of the project presentation as well because I have been stressing about and focusing on it since the beginning of the process. Do you think there is a better way students could present their projects to the public and be efficiently graded without the presentation?

Madicyn

1/12/2020 07:41:07 pm

There is a lot of pressure on the students for the project, but sometimes it is necessary by the teachers. Plus we deal with pressure throughout all of high school, along with life as well, so we can take it as a lesson.

Brax Kauffman

1/12/2020 04:44:40 pm

I believe senior project can extremely beneficial depending on how the student goes about their project. There are several factors that determine the success of the project. Two very important ones are the actual project they chose to do, and the mentor they find to help them with it . Obviously the project itself is important since if a student chooses a project they have no joy for, then the odds are they are not going to work on it as hard on the project and it will be a worse outcome. The mentor is a large portion of the project since majority of the process is learning something new and the mentor is suppose to help with that. If a student is never able to make contact with their mentor then it is going to be much more difficult for them to learn this new skill in an efficient manner.
I believe these are two defining traits that determine if senior project is worth the time and effort. Sometimes people think they will like a project and then dread the entire experience and other times students learn something that will help them for the rest of their lives. These projects end up being successful in most cases which I believe means that it is a valuable experience for the school to make us do.

Erykah

1/12/2020 04:54:30 pm

It’s important to choose a project that you enjoy. I know if I didn’t choose something I was totally invested in, I would procrastinate. Senior project is as valuable as the student makes it.

Aiden

1/12/2020 05:47:36 pm

I like how you said depending on how the student goes about it. The student only does as good as they choose too. This makes t he student be accountable for their score.

Kately

1/12/2020 10:08:36 pm

I agree. I wanted to animate or illustrate something, but quickly reconsidered due to how long it takes, even when you have no other responsibilities. I also considered building a greenhouse for my mom. I wanted to give her something special, but I could not get excited for that project for the life of me.

Aiden

1/12/2020 05:44:21 pm

I can confidently say that senior project helped me more than any other single project I’ve been assigned. The whole thing is well done I believe ,as we are asked to take the initiative ourselves, we get to choose what we do, and the paperwork is systematically due to prevent procrastination. It gives us the opportunity to show a panel of judges that we are able to accomplish professional work. It also lets us branch out and learn new skills or talents that will help us in the future.

Senior project has allowed me to learn a trade, meet my mentor enough for me to become good friends with him, and now be curious in exploring a future career in taxidermy. I was able to learn more fully learn how to space out my work to maximize my productivity and efficiency. I think very highly of senior project and there is little I’d change. The changes I’d make is the time in the year. Basketball makes it difficult to devote time to senior project. Overall it’s a good program.

Josephine

1/12/2020 06:21:27 pm

I agree senior project has given me a head start for my future. I have always loved costume design and hoped to sew and create my own costumes for community theaters. Before senior project, I barely even knew how to use a sewing machine. Now I am capable of fabricating an entire quilt and have learned many skills to assist me in my future endeavors.

Sabrina

1/12/2020 06:47:42 pm

I agree that my senior project helped me more than any other project I've been given and did prepare me for college a little bit more, but I also wish that the school took measure to even out the workload.

Alyssa Farnworth

1/12/2020 06:17:17 pm

Senior Project has many pros and cons. Senior project opens up many pathways but can cause added unnecessary stress to an already demanding final year of high school. Senior projects allow the student to get into contact with a professional in whatever it is they are interested in giving them connections to a future they may be interested in or just allowing them to make friends outside of school and outside of their age group, which is a good skill to have.

Personally, I learned a lot from senior project, I enjoyed what I was doing despite the many difficulties that came along with project. When it comes to the success of the project there are a few key factors. For most students, they pick a skill they have a minimal amount of knowledge in. Therefore, when they pick a mentor they need to know they are reliable or at least have another person that can step up to help them if needed in the future. It also depends on the student themself. They must be willing to get the work done and do so in a timely and efficient manner.

As I stated Senior Project does come with its cons. On Thursday when the final paper was due I saw about fifteen students rush into the library to make sure they printed and turned in the paper before 4:10 and I saw students crying under the pressure. Of course I don’t feel sacrificing mental health for school is something that should be done, I do feel there are many ways to avoid that stress such as working ahead to make sure you will meet deadlines. I understand that life gets busy but one of the skills we have been taught throughout our entire educational career is time management. For this project it was very important to fine tune that skill to get everything done.

I feel that senior project should be continued because it teaches many life skills such as time management, career exploration, communication, independent working and so much more. Most times students enjoy their projects and learn a lot from them for these reasons it is important to maintain the Senior Project curriculum.

Paige

1/12/2020 07:06:22 pm

I like all the points you made and understand your views. Time management is essential in senior project. Procrastination, I feel, affects everyone at some point in their lives. It is how we handle it that determines the outcome of our grades and scores, and overall how we feel about the class.

Sabrina

1/12/2020 06:46:15 pm

I think senior project is a fantastic idea that sometimes works out. By this I mean that most students end up learning a lot and growing through the problems they face, but some students struggle in the early stages and are never able to get back on top of things. With little guidance as far as choosing a project goes, these kids are thrown into the thick of a 20 hour project. The work load is heavy and some students have it much harder than others because of project choice.
Before senior project started, I wanted to move to avoid it. Now that it's over, I see the value, but also think it's somewhat unnecessary and poorly thought out. I did stress for hours on end while I struggled to get al of my other work done too. Why do all of these schools have different ways of administering it? What is the overarching purpose of senior project and how these various methods accomplish it? I would make all of the students in Idaho go about it the same so that some people aren't writing a paper while others are writing a paper, putting together a portfolio, and physically doing a project. Some schools start sophomore year and some schools have the students finish it in a semester. I don't think the idea of senior project has a strong enough foundation to work for everyone in Idaho.

Tori Weir

1/12/2020 07:21:38 pm

It is interesting how different schools require various methods to complete the senior project. This could be due to the environment the school is in or simply how each school interpret senior project their own way.

Paige Hilton

1/12/2020 06:51:51 pm

I think senior project is a very beneficial class and opportunity. It allows students to leave their comfort zones and create something new and exciting. If senior project is done the right way, students are able to realize the potential they have as they work towards their end goal.
Senior project is a way for students to prepare for life as they interact with the community, work within their interests, and better understand how to set and achieve goals.
There are certainly down sides to senior project. For one, it takes a substantial amount of time and effort to complete. Students need to be committed in order to complete the class.
If senior project did not exist, we would not have the opportunity to explore areas of interest in school, at least not to the extent that is provided in senior project. Students have a lot of room to make choices within senior project, they are not limited. This being said, heavy restrictions do not hold a student back from choosing their project and completing their goals.
I believe senior project is extremely beneficial and I enjoyed having the opportunity to expand my knowledge in areas that interest me. If done right, senior project helps more than hurts.

Tori Weir

1/12/2020 07:16:01 pm

Senior project is a way for teachers and the community to see if a student is ready for life. As you said, the students are responsible for their project and they make all the decisions. There are little restrictions to the project and it is up to the students if they are determined to complete it.

Andy Gebhardt

1/12/2020 07:17:56 pm

That is an interesting take on senior project. It does open new possibilities if chosen right but I feel it can also be hard for a student to choose the right project that will give them a new experience. It seems many people do something they are at least comfortable doing.

Tori Weir

1/12/2020 07:11:48 pm

Senior project can be viewed negatively or positively depending on the person. Students going into the project wants to avoid doing it and try to not think about it. I remember I was dreading starting senior project simply due to that I did not know what to do. I think that is one of the main problems with senior project. Many students do not know what to do and that is enough to make them give up. After choosing the project they want to do it slowly gets easier. There is always stress and overthinking a part but senior project is super beneficial. It forces students to get out of their comfort zone and learn something new. It also exposes them to an ideal career path or gaining a skill. Some will dread doing it, while others will enjoy it and will learn from it. The requirements are only 20 hours which is easy if the student chose wisely on what project they wanted to do.
The best feeling out of senior project is being done with it. At first, I was stressed with the project and did not know what to do. Thankfully, I had my parents and my mentor who helped me with finding people and encouraging me. It was interesting how much support senior project gets. I remember saying this was for my senior project and the people who I was talking to wanted to help me as much as they could. I learned a lot from my project and spent several hours on it. The whole process was eye-opening and helped me become more confident.

Andy Gebhardt

1/12/2020 07:16:11 pm

I agree with the part about stress. There were definitely times that I was stressed and there is still time left that I will probably stress out. However, that stress pushed me and I believe I grew as a person too. Do you think this is a good representation for work in college or life?

Andy Gebhardt

1/12/2020 07:14:12 pm

My experience with senior project has had positives and negatives. I enjoyed a lot of parts along with it but there were also some challenges. A lot of the challenges I believe were brought on by myself and I think other seniors might say the same thing. The project and paperwork is really not that difficult, especially if you space it out and are diligent about it. The issues start when you do not complete your project and then have to rush and get everything done at the end.
I was not quite in this position but I definitely procrastinated several parts of my project that would have been easier if I would have gotten them done. Having enough time was a challenge for me as well as having the motivation to work on schoolwork when I would rather have been doing other things.
However, throughout the year I enjoyed most of the work I had to do and for that reason senior project should stay in Salmon. It helps develop many skills that are based on the student themselves and challenges people in a unique way. The only reason it is not good is that it can take up so much time that there is not as much time for schoolwork or the many other things a senior has on their plate.

Madicyn

1/12/2020 07:33:39 pm

Senior Project has been a very good learning experience for many high school students. The goal of it is to prove to our school that we are ready to graduate and go onto the real world. For me it is was a great experience to grow from, and learn skills with applying them. It was a semester project that we had to all apply ourselves to do, within a class and out of class as well. It showed us how to get things done, and balance things as well. As much as people complain, and don't want it to be a requirement to graduate, I think it should stay.

Kately

1/12/2020 10:01:44 pm

I personally am happy to have had this opportunity for senior project, but I do think it could use some improvements here and there. For people who struggle more with getting things done, or happen to have a lot of other activities taking up their time, they might find it easier to be put into classes that stress getting things done more efficiently. Perhaps having the opportunity to start early as a sophomore would be beneficial too, especially if the project is an expansive one. I was often annoyed with this project, and could not ask my older siblings for any tips or guidence, as Senior Project was started after my second eldest brother graduated

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