The following information relates to the requirements for the contract to grade...

-- Anonymous, November 11, 1998

Answers

There are two primary ideas that relate to the grading criteria requirements established by the governance team for Cohort III that intrigue my interest. In order to fulfill the criteria for an "A" I intend to complete two special projects for this term. In conjunction with these requirements, I will be traveling with a group of eight high school students on November 8, 1998 to a conference entitled "Students are Concerned - Be All You Can Be at S.A.C." The conference is sponsored by the Partnership for a Drug Free Minnesota. In preparation for this trip, the students have discussed various projects Central High School could become involved with to reduce drug and alcohol use among teens. The information presented to the school social worker, the students, and myself explained that the conference will explore how student leaders can learn new skills as well as polish older skills to help make positive directions in their schools and communities. According to the State of Minnesota Office of the Attorney General, Hubert Humphrey III, over 3500 Minnesota high school student leaders and educators have come together at the "Students are Concerned" conferences to study the effects of alcohol and drug abuse, develop their leadership skills, share creative ideas, and support one another in the decision to abstain from "using." The workshop consists of an intense two day agenda that will begin at 11:30 a.m. and end on Monday 2:00 p.m. The students are excited about participating in the workshops and have agreed to bring their knowledge back to Central High School and develop and implement ideas they learn from the workshop into their daily lives and the school community. I have asked the students to keep a journal of their thoughts and perceptions of the workshop. In addition to this I will talk to the students to ascertain their interest in completing a reaction paper and implementing a group project at the high school level that could include the students having a workshop to inform other students about drug and alcohol use. Possibly the students and I could contact the guest speakers form Mill Dawn that presented during the "Toxic Child" series.

I foresee many opportunities with this project that could only bring positive elements to the Central High school environment. Due to the threat of a pending strike my daily contact with these students as a mentor may be suspended. I foresee this project becoming a year long mentorship program, therefore, my first introduction to this project may be to write and post a summary of what I learned and "how it applies to teaching," then I can "share my information with my cohort colleagues and other professionals." This conference has been operating for ten years but there are still a number of schools that are not informed about the existence of S.A.C. Subsequently, I would first like to provide a summary and bring information to the cohort class because I can take this information a step further after the potential strike.

Recently I have been taking alternative classes at public access television communications (P.A.C.T.). The purpose to these additional courses has been to increase and improve my technological skills. This past summer I completed three technology courses, in order to receive a technology certificate I will need to complete two additional courses. Subsequently, I plan specialize in technology during the next two years. Technology is rapidly infiltrating into the education system, therefore, I have been actively trying to increase my knowledge in every facet. During the past two months I have been working on a Cross Country video production that involves high technological skills and knowledge about editing, broadcasting, and media specialties. The Central High School Cross Country team expressed intense interest in producing a video that captured the highlights of their 1998 running season. In order to complete this project, three additional courses and the assistance and input of the students has been necessary. I would like to submit this tape and additional comments that could "provide information about an area of 'learning expertise'" and/or "create an annotated resource list in a specialty area, including a variety of media."

Both special projects that I intend to submit with the approval of the governance team will take time, intense interaction with students, and increased knowledge. I truly believe that these projects will bring beneficial elements to the community of Central High School. In addition to this, the students and I will work together to increase our knowledge and ultimately it is my goal throughout the next two years to improve not only my knowledge but the education and atmosphere of where I am currently teaching. If you have any questions pertaining to these previously mentioned projects please contact me at (work) 733-2130 ext. 223, (home) 525-5932, or e-mail cnachbar1@aol.com.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 1998