College Essay Wrap up! Display Boards and Senior Project Orientation Reading + Seminar Prep

IMPORTANT UPDATE!

I have moved your deadline for the college essays to the end of class today to give you a bit more time to refine and because I sense more students needed conference time with me.

• You'll have until 11:15/1:45 for work time after our starter. Then again from 11:30-12 or 2:00-2:30 if need be. 
• Once you finish your essay, take the survey and then create your display board and give it to the student volunteer who will set up the exhibition in our hallway. (See under the below "AGENDA" for all this info)

Review what you need for a complete college essay:

1. Final Draft College Essay (1 copy printed, 1 emailed or shared to Ashley) .  For the printed copy get it onto one page if possible, and do NOT print double-sided! If you already shared it with me, re-share it and save it as "FINAL DRAFT"
2. 1 printed page with your photo, essay prompt, and college list

Announcements

1. Class Charter Committee Reps: Report out!
2. Bears Ears Leaders! Please complete fill out THIS SPREADSHEET with your committee interest and availability.  See the committee list on the whiteboard.
3. 3 spots left for Wednesday's Ute Mountain Ute tour!
4. My afternoon class: Sign up for a current events spot in class today.
5. I need to create a schedule for giving feedback/grading college essays based on when your college apps are due.  
6. Modified Schedule for This Week- 

• Tuesday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons
• Wednesday- Normal Wednesday schedule
• Thursday- Meet 4th and 5th periods in the Commons
• Friday- To Be Determined

​Agenda

College Essay Work Time
If you need more time to complete your final revisions, now is the time!  You can revise, refine, proofread, conference with me, or do whatever else you need to do to finish up your essay.

WHEN YOU  ARE FINISHED, do the following:

FIRST: Complete this College Essay Boot Camp Feedback Survey

NEXT: Exhibit Your Work:  DONE TODAY but no later than Friday!

1. Create your COLLEGE ESSAY DISPLAY BOARD!  See the document linked here, and the example on my board.
2. When your display board is put together, and give them to our student exhibition set-up volunteer(s). 

 
With 45 minutes left in class, we'll do a read aloud of  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance excerpt.

• Highlight one line that speaks to you for tomorrow's spirit read .

Zen Seminar Prep
Answer TWO of these seminar questions in paragraph form to prepare for our seminar tomorrow: One of the questions can be your choice but  then you must answer the question in BOLD below. 
Seminar Questions:

1. “The idea that the majority of students attend a university for an education independent of the degree and grades is a little hypocrisy everyone is happier not to expose.”  What does this mean? Do you agree? Why/why not?
2. How much are you subject to the “mule mentality” (paragraph 8)?  What impact does this have on you? Where does this come from?
3. “The purpose of abolishing grades and degrees is not to punish mules or to get rid of them but to provide an environment in which that mule can turn into a free man.”  To what extent are you a mule? To what extent are you a free man?
4. The transformation described in this piece is predicated on the idea that everyone has an innate “creative intelligence” that has been stifled.  Do you agree with this premise? Why/why not?
5. “He’d be a knowledge-motivated person. He would need no external pushing to learn. His push would come from inside.”  When have you felt this? What contexts/subjects are conducive to this experience?
6. How motivated are you by grades?  How motivated are you by knowledge?  What implications does this have for your senior project?
7. Make sure to note that senior project itself is ungraded...how then, can we connect senior project to ideas in this text.  Inspiring? Terrifying? Both?
8. (REQUIRED QUESTION) Last line:  “It would be the real thing.”  What do you need to do to make sure your Senior Project is the “real thing?”
9. The world outside of school is one that exists without grades.  You succeed or fail based on your track record and reputation as well as a list of your accomplishments, not your GPA.  How can the final senior project provide you with an artifact or story that will propel you forward outside of school?
10. How can your senior year help you make connections in the community, locally and abroad?  How can those connections help you after your high school career is over?

HOMEWORK

1. Finish the Zen seminar responses​ for tomorrow's seminar