Senior Transitions
WHAT IT IS AND WHY
Course
description:
Dear Parents and students,
We want to take this opportunity to share with you what is to come in the
next semester. Please take note of the bottom half of this letter.
Students need to fill-out and return this portion of their letter ASAP
with a parent�s signature. Be advised that returning the bottom portion is
a grade for your student.
Senior Transitions is a course designed to aid graduating seniors in their
transition from high school either to careers in the world of work or to
an advanced education. It offers practical, hands-on experiences, which
stress communication skills, portfolio construction, job searching and
selection, finance management, employability and on-the-job problem
solving. During the course, seniors will complete both a presentation
portfolio showcasing their abilities and skills, and an audio-visual
Electronic Portfolio presentation which will be viewed and evaluated by
their peers and community members.
�Transitions� is a class designed to help Western High school students
make a smooth move between our school and either the world of work or the
world of college. Seniors enrolled in this class will work on two main
projects: their paper portfolio and their electronic portfolio. They will
identify a career pathway of interest on which to focus their goals,
skills, talents and abilities and proving that they have mastered the
Employability Standards or �Benchmarks� which the
State of Michigan presently requires its graduating seniors to know.
In the first part of the course, seniors will review their education:
collecting evidence of their accomplishments, analyzing their present
abilities, beliefs and desires, and listening to speakers from colleges,
universities and other businesses who will answer their questions about
real life problems and school/job success. Also during this segment,
representatives from the Jackson Area Credit Union will work with class
members on a Money Management Unit consisting of the following areas of
study: |
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►Identifying and prioritizing personal money management goals
►Developing a personal spending and savings plan
►Tracking income and spending to stay within a budget
►Comprehending the impact of time on the value of money - especially
in achieving savings goals
►Understanding the cost of using credit
►Protecting assets as money begins to accumulate
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In the second part of the course, students will create two exit
projects, which must conclusively prove they have mastered the skills
required of them by Western Schools and the State of Michigan. After
composing a �Paper Portfolio�, our seniors will use Western Schools based
computer programs to construct a multimedia presentation demonstrating
their mastery of the �Benchmarks � designated by the State of Michigan as
qualifications of a successful career in basic education. This project
will showcase their test scores, papers, projects, affidavits, awards, and
certificates of accomplishment in the areas of English, Math, Science,
Social Studies, Foreign Language, Art, Community Involvement and other
areas of endeavor since their middle school years.
In addition to their school laboratory computers, students will use
several classroom technological aids to accomplish their electronic
portfolio: A digital camera to record images of importance to their
project and to
make brief sound and action segments (mpegs); digital scanners to
reproduce important documents and photography demonstrating their skills.
In addition, they will have the opportunity to access the Internet and
world wide web for additional visual, aural, and text objects that will
professionally enhance their presentations.
Near the end of the course, each student will be obligated to present his
or her electronic portfolio to both his or her peers, the course
instructor and a community panel for evaluation using a Western Schools
computer and a data projector with large screen capability; these
presentations will take place in the Western High School�s Senior
Transitions computer lab.
At the end of the course, each student will turn in a revised version of
his or her Paper Portfolio which will be graded as either 50% of the
Semester Exam Grade or 10% of the Semester Grade if the final examination
is exempted for that student.
Upon successful completion of the Electronic Portfolio, our technology
department assistant will print a copy of this presentation onto a CD-ROM
for each student to keep. We feel this electronic portfolio will be a
useful adjunct to our students� applications for jobs and college,
demonstrating their skills and mastery of the state benchmarks.
Students may need the support of their parents, guardians, relatives and
friends in their search for documentation of their successes. We encourage
everyone enrolled in the class to search through photo albums, memory
books, to interview family and friends and to create files of their
personal histories. None of this material will be damaged. Students will
scan, digitally photograph, tape or photocopy everything they find and
transfer their research into their electronic portfolios on our computers.
We also encourage everyone at home to contribute to the project.
Grading: Grades are calculated on a straight point scale. Each assignment
is awarded a point value and grades are averaged together to determine
marking period and semester grades. Due dates are announced in class and
major due dates are posted and firm. Participation (being on time,
prepared, involved positively in class) is also calculated as part of
student grades.
General Rules: We hold the following expectations: 1.) Respect�yourself,
others, and property 2.) Regular attendance 3.) Attentiveness�We need FULL
attention throughout the class 4.) Participation�Coming to class prepared
and ready to participate in the day�s activities 5.)
Cheating/Plagiarism/Computer tampering�Unacceptable on ALL accounts. As
long as these expectations are met each day, there should be no problems. |
Pages designed by Christina
Perry - Class of 2003
Benjamin Stafford - Class of 2004
Jessica Roedema & Scott Hasbrouck - Class of 2005
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