Looking Ahead (WR 12)

There is one final event for ISM this semester; Research Showcase. At Research Showcase, we will be displaying ourselves and all the research we have been conducting this semester. With this in mind, the next couple of weeks will be all about preparing for this event. I have already previously created a mock-up of what I hope my display board to look like, I now just have to create it. Even know I have a plan, I will still need to put it together and make adjustments as needed. Another aspect of Research Showcase is creating a atmosphere at your table. Most people simply put cookies or drinks out, but I am not most people. I plan to bring my home studio setup to show off my work, and also have a 'create your own song' activity. People will be able to walk up and within a matter seconds create their own song. I am still working out the exact logistics, but I plan to have it all setup within a week and have people test it before the showcase. This is a very different and unique idea that is sure to set me apart and hopefully leave a lasting impression of those in attendance.

Wrapping up (WR 11)

This previous week, we did not have a whole lot going on in ISM. We were mainly focused on finishing up/tying any loose ends of the second six weeks. The main thing this included was posting the video we took of our research presentation to our class website. We did this so that our peers could watch our presentation and give us come constructive feedback/criticism. This will be very helpful moving on because I will get some suggestions to what I can make better for the next couple of speeches, both in class and at research showcase/final presentation night.

Speaking of research showcase, this next six weeks will be all about preparing for it. Looking ahead, I plan to conduct my last research interview, create my display board, and prepare for the research showcase. For those of you wondering, the research showcase is a night (Tuesday, December 16th at Heritage High School) where all of students involved in the ISM program will be displaying themselves and all of the research they have done all of the first semester. I am very excited for this night because I will get to display all of the stuff I've been working on so far. Personally, I will also get a 'checkpoint' where I can see where I am at, and compare this to where I want to be. Then, I will address this and make my goals for the next/final semester in ISM.

Time Flies (WR 10)

I accomplished two things this week. Each one of them ended a chapter of my life just as a period ends a well written sentence. But the thing about periods that makes them interesting, is what lies after. The first major thing that ended, was Marching Band. Although I love it, Marching Band takes over a season in my life. During this season, I have little to no free time to work on projects outside of school. Now that this season is over, I can not wait to get back to writing/producing music; both at home and with my future mentor.

The other big thing I accomplished this previous week was giving my research presentation. For this assignment, I had to give a 10-12 minute presentation about all of the research I have been doing. At first, I felt overwhelmed at the idea. I didn't see how I was going to talk for 10 minutes, but once I began to make my slide show I saw that I could talk about my topic for hours if I had to. During the actual presentation, I even went over the time limit by a few seconds. The most important I learned through this whole process is that having a strong introduction and conclusion is the most important part of a speech. It is the first/last thing the audience will hear and probably the only thing they will remember. 

Research Speech (WR 9)

This week in ISM my main focus has been preparing for my research speech this Wednesday. For this assignment, we have to give a ten to fifteen speech to the class over all that we have researched so far. At first, I was pretty nervous and I did not think I could talk for fifteen minutes straight but the more I work on it the easier it seems. I'm actually having to cut out parts because it is too long! The first step I took was making a google slide (powerpoint) presentation. This is where I made somewhat of an outline for my speech. After making the presentation, I now know all of the content I want to include in my speech and the general flow of the whole presentation. The only thing I have left to do is write a strong introduction/conclusion to my speech and rehearse it a few times.

This upcoming week other than present my speech, I plan to schedule my 5th and final research interview and begin to choose a mentor. I am really excited to choose a mentor because I believe that this is when experiences of ISM really start to begin.