Sophomore Personal Project

Notre Dame Preparatory School

Changes to the project took effect for the 2019-2020 academic year. Students may elect to complete a personal project by taking the elective course. Contact Mrs. Archer (marcher@ndpma.org) for further information.

Are you curious about what you can do for the project? Read this article about the projects presented on January 30, 2020. "Personal Projects Show Progress"

Scroll to the bottom of the page to hear students from past years talk about their work.

Introduction

The personal project at Notre Dame Preparatory School is about "learning about learning." By focusing on the process rather than the end product, students recognize the skills they use in multiple ares of work from the brainstorming stage to handling the challenges that always arise. When the focus is on the process, most students receive a sense of satisfaction in their accomplishments beyond the simple goal. They have skills to tackle any long-term activity.

Through this website, NDPMA students and parents can become familiar with the basic components of the Sophomore Personal Project. More thorough information becomes available during the school year to the current sophomores. For information not found on this site, please email the project coordinator, Mrs. Archer (marcher@ndpma.org).

Course Description

The Personal Project course, an independent assignment completed during one semester, offers a student the chance to demonstrate and further develop various skills through the process of inquiry. For this project-based learning course, the student will show principled action based on sustained inquiry and critical reflection over an extended period of time. As a student navigates the four stages of the design cycle (investigate, plan, act, and reflect), he documents actions and reflects on his skills before creating the culminating report and participating in a celebratory presentation. This course is a blended learning course that requires students to work independently on assignments by following online content and to meet during Community Time for instruction. (Students taking this during the summer semester will meet in an online forum.) This course is a .5 credit, non-GPA graded elective course for sophomores.

What is the Personal Project?

Have you ever wanted to play the guitar? Do you have a secret passion to write a novel? The Personal Project, an independent assignment, can be on a topic and format you choose. It is your project to show your principled action as a result of sustained inquiry and critical reflection over an extended period. In short, you act upon your own natural curiosity in a topic of your own interest.

What will I do?

Select a topic of interest. Make it something truly personal and interesting to you. Relevant, reliable sources as well as focus through a Global Context will shape the goal of a product or outcome. You document each step of action, including your early brainstorming. Eventually, you present your project for assessment in the form of a report. As a final celebration, each student presents his or her project at the exhibition.

What should be my focus?

The emphasize is on the process—not the product. The thing you make or the skill you acquire are self-assessed. The journal entries and report present learning about the process of a long-term project: researching, managing time effectively, deciding upon the quality of a product/outcome, and handling challenges as they arise. The project’s focus is more on the documenting of skills rather than the product/outcome created. Students who may not reach the originally set product/outcome might still score well when reporting on the process.

Who will help me?

A coordinator oversees all students and can offer assistance at any time.
Each student also works closely with a supervisor, a staff member who assists in defining a product/outcome and crafting a meaningful report. The supervisor also assesses the report at the completion of all projects.
Media Specialists help locate reliable, relevant sources.
Mentors are those who may be experts in the topic of study and can help the student with research and tasks.

Access a PDF copy of the Student Guide.

Click the Student Guide tab to view further details.

FAQs

How does the course meet?

In a blended-learning course, a student completes weekly online assignments that emphasize key concepts of long-term goals. Required class meetings during Communiuty Time provide instruction, collaboration and individualized support. Independently, students write process journal entries to document key concepts that support project-based learning. The work culminates in a final report to explain the process of long term goals.

Would I have a study hall on the days I do not meet with the class?

No. The class is an independent project and is not scheduled as one of the regular eight classes. It will show on the schedule as a regular class, but we meet only during Community Time. Often these meetings are more frequent (2-3 times per month) in September/October and again in January. The meetings in November/December are purposely less content-heavy to balance with students' work in completing final assessments in the regular classes.

Is there much writing?

Yes and no. Process Journal entries and a final report are required; however, students can choose to make audio/video, slide show, blog, website, or diagram/drawing entries. Mixing formats is also encouraged! Many students do still choose a standard written form, but many more enjoy simply recording a video to talk through the same content others will put into a paragraph. These options lessen the stress of documenting the process.

Can this boost or hurt my GPA?

No. The course is pass/fail (no grade / no impact on the GPA) and earns students a +.5 credit. The final report must meet a minimum standard of "basic & appropriate" for the student to pass the course.

I am worried about having enough time in my schedule for this but I really want to try it.

Students and parents should talk about the balance of courses, homework, and extra-curricular activities to determine if a student has time in the schedule for independent work. Though daily or weekly assignments are not assigned, students do learn time management as they schedule time to write the journal entries and the final report. Mrs. Archer and the student's counselor can also offer further advice as needed.

I have an idea for a project but I don't know if it would work.

Contact Mrs. Archer--that's her job: helping students create awesome & challenging goals for their project ideas!

Is this course for me?

Every sophomore is eligible to take the course. In particular, students considering the Diploma Programme track for grades 11 and 12 will want to explore this Personal Project course as a means of demonstrating a commitment to a long-term goal that includes self-motivation. All students can benefit by sharpening the skills needed to succeed in rigorous coursework for AP and college courses, and they can apply these skills in future a career. This experience can become a unique topic for a college or scholarship application essay. These skills include communication, collaboration, research, application (transferring ideas), and critical and creative thinking.

Do you have a question not addressed here? Contact Mrs. Archer (marcher@ndpma.org).

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