For the first big project of the year, students in Independent Study and Mentorship are beginning their original work; an opportunity for students to showcase their learning into one presentable piece.

ISM is a way for students to study the topic of their choice, in an in-depth and professional manner, to hopefully prepare them better for their career and study in the future. The original work project is the first big step in that process, and is designed to help students build the necessary skills of professionalism, creativity, and focused research they will need in college and beyond. 

ISM teacher Karene Goff is one of the cofounders of the program in the district, and believes the course is one of the best ways for students to get ahead in their career, and investigate their passions on a deeper level. 

“I can’t tell you how much this class benefits students,” Goff said in a previous interview with Wingspan. “My students come back and tell me that this class prepared them for college more than any other class in the sense of taking risks, putting themselves out there, and knowing how to network. It just continues to open doors for them that might not have been open otherwise.”

Each student in the course has chosen their own topic of study, and has recently begun the process of planning and creating their own original work, which is a project the students choose to demonstrate their learning and development in the course so far.

Once their idea is approved, each student is required to complete at least 15 hours of work dedicated to the project, including preliminary research, creating the ideas, and formulating a final presentation, whether it be a research paper, an electronic model, or a simulation. Since the student’s topics can range from engineering, to teaching, every individual is able to choose the terms and goals of their project, to best show their understanding, and enhance their own experience with learning about and getting to know the material. To get to know more about some of the students in the program, click the icons in the ThingLink above to hear a bit more about their original work.

This story was updated on Oct. 16, 2019 to include a quote from ISM teacher Karene Goff.