Junior+Seminar

** About Me ** I was born and raised in the Austin area. I lived there up until I attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock. At Texas Tech, I attended the Rawls College of Business Administration where I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. My desire to teach stems from my summers spent at Camp Longhorn, a summer camp for kids from the ages of 8-16. I have an older brother, J, who lives in Austin. I also have a younger sister, Lindsay, who lives in Germany. I look forward to getting to know each and everyone one of you as the year progresses. ** Course Objectives & Learning Outcomes ** Education is about preparing you for the future. Because of how schools and colleges work in America, it is important that you have a broad and thorough understanding of many subjects, including English, history, math, and natural science. But that is a general preparation for a general future. So far in your education, there hasn’t been much preparing you for your future. The culminating project begins to address that need, giving you the time, tools, and accountability you need to explore something you love and do something impactful with it. If you really invest in your project, the benefits will be many. You will have the chance to develop some expertise in an area of interest (or what you think might be an area of interest). You could explore a facet of a career you are considering, and go on to pursue it in college or change your path entirely. You will interact with people living and working in “the real world.” You will stretch yourself in new ways, and learn the challenges and rewards of autonomy, something rarely available to you thus far. You will learn about perseverance and accomplishment. You will leave a record, a legacy for others and yourself to reflect on. You will have a special something to add to your college resume. You will sweat, and if you do it right, you will have fun. Yes, you might fail, but given the potential rewards – why not give it an honest try? ** Expectations ** This class will be an environment in which we are able to learn and grow together. In order to achieve this, the following is expected of you: > > > > ** Rules & Procedures ** There are rules and procedures that all students are expected to follow this year. Along with the rules listed, students are also expected to abide by all rules set forth in the Student Handbook. > > > > ** Discipline ** If there are any issues with a student not following one of the class rules, that student will earn the following consequences: > > > ** What’s the structure of the course? ** This fall will be much more structured, as I help by providing you a framework for developing your ideas and pulling together the people and resources you will need to masterfully carry out your project. By the spring (and for many of you sooner), the course will feel much more “disorganized” as I respond to your specific project’s needs and timeline. The fall will involve more research and planning. The spring and beyond will be implementation and documentation (mostly online) of what you are accomplishing.
 * Course || Junior Seminar ||
 * Instructor || Nick Alden ||
 * Phone || (512) 914-5320 (call or text M-F 8am-10pm) ||
 * Email || nalden@chinquapin.org ||
 * Email || nalden@chinquapin.org ||
 * Come every day excited to learn something new.
 * Treat others with respect. This includes their personal belongings as well as their thoughts, opinions, questions and answers.
 * Never be afraid to ask a question.
 * Never be afraid to give a wrong answer.
 * If you are late or absent from class, bring a note or have a teacher contact me with a reason.
 * Homework Assignments must be turned in at the beginning of specified class. If it is not ready at that time, students may turn it in late but will deducted 15% for each calendar day (not class day) that it is late.
 * Be respectful and wait your turn to talk. Whether it is the teacher or another classmate, listen and be respectful of what is being said.
 * Must also follow rules in the Student Handbook. Especially cheating and plagiarism.
 * First Offense – Will receive a warning from me. Warning can be a look, reminder, or tap on the desk.
 * Second Offense – Will speak individually about behavior and it will likely go on the infractions list.
 * Third Offense – Will have a discussion with your Dean and student’s parents about the unacceptable behavior and how it will be fixed.

** Is there a grade for this? ** Yes. Think of the grade primarily as a kick in the pants to get you going. Once you have found something you love and something to do with it that you feel passionate about, your grade won’t be why you are doing this. I think of it like a salary: if your job is a chore, you do it for the paycheck. If your job is what you love (like me :­D), your paycheck is an afterthought. If you choose a project you actually care about, the grade will be an afterthought (and likely, quite good). If you choose a project just to have a project, the course and grade will be a burden. Like my other classes, each “assignment” will have a set number of points reflecting its importance and the work it requires. There are no explicit “weights,” but I anticipate roughly equal points being assigned to: > > > > Additionally, some SAT work may be included in your average, but this is secondary to your work on the culminating project.
 * ­ Paper Assignments (example: turning in a timeline)
 * ­ Digital Archiving (example: posting pictures of your project)
 * ­ Presentations (example: TED talk)
 * Other work (example: contacting an outside expert)

** What if... How about... Can I...??? **  Sure. Sounds good. Yes, you can. My goal is to work with you to identify a passion, work on and complete a project reflecting that passion which you can both achieve in the time you have and feel proud of accomplishing, and grow along the way as a student and person. While there will be some set check-­ins and deadlines and some assignments and structures common to the class, I will strive to accommodate your project’s needs. As with grades, if you truly find a quality project about a genuine passion, the “assignments” of the class should be enjoyable and often ­ though not always ­ easy. Don’t feel limited! Communicate with me if you are stuck!