This section illustrates what the coordinators will consider when approving or rejecting CAS experiences in ManageBac. Once the experience is approved, the student can begin the experience. If the experience is rejected, the student should revise the entry and resubmit for coordinator approval.
Embedded Files
CAS Experience Title
Long-term Personal Running Program
✅ The title indicates the type of activity, the duration, and that this is an independent CAS Experience
Description and Goals
In this CAS experience, I aim to improve my 5 km running. More specifically, I hope to improve my stamina and technique. I will achieve my goal by running 2-3 times weekly and sticking to my workout plan. Being disciplined will be the most challenging part of this goal because even though I run regularly, I don’t push myself. I’m usually happy with simply making the time to run each week, so working towards a goal is new for me.
✅ In 4-6 sentences, the description outlines what the student wants to achieve and how they plan to achieve it. The goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant to CAS, and time-based (SMART). It is clear the student is building upon something they already do.
CAS Area
Activity
✅ The CAS area aligns with the title, description, and goals. The student will focus on improving cardiovascular endurance in this physical activity.
Learning Outcomes (LOs)
1) Strength and Growth
2) Challenge and Skills
3) Initiative and Planning
4) Commitment and Perseverance
⛔ No more than three LOs per CAS experience. Even though a student might achieve any number of learning outcomes in a CAS experience, they should choose which ones to reflect upon for learning and personal growth.
Duration
September 1 - December 1
✅ This is an exceptional duration for a long-term CAS experience. Long-term experiences
Notes
💡 The SLA teacher would reject this experience in ManageBac with a note requesting that the student reduce the number of learning outcomes. The SLA teacher could compliment the student for planning a high-quality CAS experience.
💡 The student would revise the learning outcomes and resubmit for approval.
This section outlines the three required reflections and evidence for this CAS experience. SLA teachers should monitor progress in ManageBac to ensure students enter quality reflections and evidence at the beginning, middle, and end of long-term CAS experiences.
Reflection 1 - September 5
Today was so hot! Unfortunately, I chose to start my new running plan on such a humid day. Ew! Sweat dripped from my chin and bounced off my ears as I ran. It felt like running in a steam room, but I did it anyway. It will be worth it if I can achieve my goal of running 5 kilometers in less than 30 minutes. I can run 5 km without a problem, so I'm focusing on decreasing my time. Today, I decided not to look at my pace or think about my form because I wanted a baseline for my new running plan. My urge to celebrate the accomplishment of finishing was squashed when I saw how long it took me to finish. I clocked a disappointing 39 minutes, and seeing my final time was like getting a bad grade on an assessment you thought you rocked. However, I think my disappointment is a sign that I could push myself to get better. Before the next run, I will research foot strike because I've noticed that I run loud. My feet land heavily on the pavement, and my knees hurt after running. I had never thought about foot strike until watching this video, so I will try a few things that could help me run lighter and faster!
✅ Reflection follows the What, So What, Now What format
What - Student describes what they did at the start of the experience. The supervisor will see the connection between the reflection and the approved experience.
So What - Student explains why what they did matters. The supervisor will understand the reasoning of what the student did at the start of the experience.
Now What - Student considers the next step or phase of their CAS experience. The supervisor will know the student is taking small steps towards a bigger goal.
✅ The reflection describes a specific moment, discovery, skill, challenge, emotion, or achievement
Describes a specific moment when the student felt challenged by the humidity.
✅ Reflection is honest, personal, and articulates an emotional response to the experience
Describes an emotional response to the outcomes. The student acknowledges their 5 km time as an area of growth and starting point.
✅ Reflection is rooted in the individual perspective but looks outward and onward with inquiry and insight
Student demonstrates personal insight by making meaning of their disappointment, turning it into motivation to achieve their goal.
✅ Demonstrates self-awareness of the process and progress of learning outcomes
2) Challenge and Skills - Student identifies an area of growth based on the challenges they experience while running.
3) Initiative and Planning - Student shows initiative by finding the video and using the suggestions to plan the next steps of the CAS experience.
4) Commitment and Perseverance - Student was committed to the workout and persevered through the heat and humidity.
Complimentary Evidence
2 Screenshots - Running Statistics + Running Route
✅ The evidence is relevant to the description and goals and supports the reflection as proof. The student, in fact, ran 5 km in 39 minutes on September 1.
Reflection 2 - October 27
I'm about midway through my running plan this semester. My time has decreased by 5 minutes. Yay! To be honest, it has been easier than I thought it would be. By paying attention to my stride, form, and breathing, my time has decreased without strenuous effort. I know cutting the final four minutes from my time will be harder than the first five, but it feels great to be making progress with my goals.
I'm learning that having running goals can be a double-edged sword. In the past, I have used running as a way to zone-out and clear my head. With music playing, I just go until I've hit 5 kilometers. It's cathartic not to think about anything except the rhythm of the music and the tempo of my feet hitting the pavement. There have been times in the past two months when I’ve felt unmotivated to focus on my breathing or my stride. At school, I focus on the details of editing papers and close-readings for class, so sometimes, I just want to run without nitpicking my technique. I feel the need to take a break for being hyper-focused on critiquing myself. Can’t I be satisfied with just getting out there to run? I used to say, “any run is a good run,” so it’s frustrating that I don’t have the same sense of accomplishment. There’s great satisfaction in both, but I’ve noticed the difference between the two recently.
In the next phase of my program, I’m going to add a notes column to the document where I’m saving screenshots of each run. I’m going to indicate which runs feel like training to my goal and which feel more therapeutic. I would like to keep track of this because I’m interested if there will be a change over time. Perhaps I will find a balance between the two? I think it will be a challenge to refrain from this either/or thinking. Maybe I could create a playlist in which all the songs are within an ideal range of beats per minute?
✅ Reflection follows the What, So What, Now What format
What - Student explains they are at the halfway point in their time-based goal, sharing a specific measurement in their progress.
So What - Student states they have achieved half their goal and recognizes the second half will prove more challenging than the first.
Now What - Final section considers a midpoint realization and outlines a small research in their training. This addition to their records will provide useful information to the student in the future.
✅ The reflection describes a specific moment, discovery, skill, challenge, emotion, or achievement
Illustrates a new thought about running that has presented a challenge for the student. This discovery shows self-awareness.
✅ Reflection is honest, personal, and articulates an emotional response to the experience
Describes thoughts and feelings that accompany a tension between pushing oneself while training and the restorative feature of exercise.
✅ Reflection is rooted in the individual perspective but looks outward and onward with inquiry and insight
The inquiry speculates how adding the notes column could offer insight about their running habits in the future.
✅ Demonstrates self-awareness of the process and progress of learning outcomes
2) Challenge and Skills - Student identifies a new challenge to overcome in this training program.
3) Initiative and Planning - Student plans ahead, indicating how they will add more detail to their records to look back on later.
4) Commitment and Perseverance - Student proves they are keeping records of their workouts. They demonstrate perseverance by enhancing their records for the purposes of achieving their goals.
Complimentary Evidence
One document with screenshots of all the running statistics and routes since September 1.
✅ The document of screenshots shows progress overtime and illustrates the student’s commitment to and perseverance of the goals.
Reflection 3 - December 1
I ran a race last weekend. My father’s friend put a team together and someone could not go, so I ran in their place. I really didn’t want to do it because I run for myself and was nervous about the pressure of a race. However, it was so fun and I had a great time. This was my first race and I felt so accomplished when I crossed the finish line. There were people cheering, taking photos, and the announcer even congratulated me over the microphone. I was so proud of myself for having the courage to run the race because it was a little scary at first with all those people standing around waiting to start. I noticed that some people were warming up and stretching, which I thought was strange because I had never thought about working out before my workout. I usually stretch after, but never before. This was strange to me. Overall, I had a blast and look forward to the next race!
⛔ Reflection follows the What, So What, Now What format
What - The reflection states what the student did but does not point to the goals outlined in the description of this CAS experience.
So What - The reflection lacks a connection to the goal and does not state whether they finished 5 km in less than 30 minutes.
Now What - The reflection does not point to how they will move forward with their goals.
✅ The reflection describes a specific moment, discovery, skill, challenge, emotion, or achievement
Student goes into detail about the sense of achievement they felt having finished their first 5 km race.
✅ Reflection is honest, personal, and articulates an emotional response to the experience
Student describes several emotions they experienced throughout the race.
⛔ Reflection is rooted in the individual perspective but looks outward and onward with inquiry and insight
Reflection does not
⛔ Demonstrates self-awareness of the process and progress of learning outcomes
2) Challenge and Skills - The reflection does not mention the challenges outlined in the description and goals of the experience.
3) Initiative and Planning - The reflection does not explain how their planning led to a successful outcome.
4) Commitment and Perseverance - The reflection does not demonstrate commitment and perseverance of the goal outlined in the description.
Complimentary Evidence
A photo at the finish line of the race.
✅ The evidence proves the reflection and illustrates the learning outcomes chosen for this CAS experience.
⛔ The evidence does not align with the goals and description of this CAS experience.
💡 The CAS Supervisor would ask the student to revise the final reflection, explaining how it does not align to the description and goals.
💡 The student would revise the final reflection and request the supervisor review a second time.
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