welcome to the capstone...

Welcome to the Capstone Roller-Coaster

Capstone Handbook 2016-2017

Table of Contents

Dedication 1 Introduction 2 Capstone Overview 3 Capstone Deadlines 5 Chapter 1 Focus, Proposal, Expert in the Field,

Fieldwork, Learning Log 6

Chapter 2

Research Paper Topic, Resources, Format 19

Chapter 3

Portfolio Requirements, Portfolio Order 35

Chapter 4

Presentation, Planning, Requirements 43

Fall Read This! And Capstone Poster 53 Final Thoughts 57

Special Thanks

Seniors of 2016

Thank you for graciously sharing your insight

with the Seniors of 2017.

The 2016-17 Yearbook Staff

Thank you for your vision, dedication, hard work,

and amazing creativity in developing the concept for the

2017 Capstone Handbook.

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Welcome to the Capstone Roller Coaster!

Introduction

The purpose of this handbook is to allow the voices of experience—the Class of 2016—

to pass on their knowledge to you—the Class of 2017 at the beginning of

your Capstone journey, so that you are prepared.

Ask many questions, never assume, and take advantage

of the resources available to you.

If something is repeated, it is important, so pay attention.

The theme of this Capstone handbook is

Welcome to the Capstone Roller Coaster!

The connection is obvious—ups, downs, screams of delight (or otherwise),

unexpected twists and turns, and an ending that leaves you breathless.

The turnstile is just ahead,

Your ticket is ready,

Step in, sit down, strap up…

It’s the ride of your life!

Welcome to

Capstone!

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Collegiate High School at NWFSC

Senior Capstone Project

Overview

The Purpose-

The senior capstone project provides students an opportunity to select a topic of interest and to assume responsibility for their own learning by collecting, selecting, and reflecting on their educational experiences at the Collegiate High School.

The senior capstone project is embedded in the Advanced Interdisciplinary Thesis Production class; successful completion of the class earns students .5 high school credit per semester. Students begin the process for choosing their project and planning their field work in the spring of the junior year. The students continue their work during their five hours of AITP and independently as needed in the fall and spring semesters of their senior year. They present their findings in the form of a portfolio and oral presentation before a panel of judges during the spring semester.

.The Project-

The components of the senior capstone project include

Project or field work-a project that provides the students a learning stretch and requires at least 15 hours outside of school.

Research paper-a documented paper on an

issue relating to and arising from the student's

field work Oral Presentation-an 8-12 minute illustrated

speech that showcases the student's research and the project.

Portfolio-a notebook that documents the student's capstone journey.

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The senior capstone project provides students an opportunity to

select a topic of interest and to assume responsibility for their own

learning by collecting, selecting, and reflecting on their educational

experiences at the Collegiate High School.

The senior capstone project is embedded in the Academic Seminar

class; successful completion of the class earns students .5 high

school credit per semester. Students begin the process for

choosing their project and planning their field work in the spring of

the junior year. The students continue their work during their five

hours of Academic Seminar and independently as needed in the

fall and spring semesters of their senior year. They present their

findings in the form of a portfolio and oral presentation before a

panel of judges during the spring semester.

SKILLS FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS

The Senior Capstone Project provides students the opportunity for

practical application of their classroom experiences and to demonstrate

the skills identified by the SCANS report as those needed to be

successful in the work place.

The know-how identified by SCANS is made up of five competencies and a three-part foundation of skills and personal qualities that are needed for solid job performance.

COMPETENCIES -effective workers can productively use:

Resources-allocating time, money, materials, space, and staff

Interpersonal Skills-working on teams, teaching others, serving

customers, leading, negotiating, and working well with people from

culturally diverse backgrounds Information-acquiring and evaluating data, organizing and

maintaining files, interpreting and communicating, and using computers to process information

Systems-understanding social, organizational, and technological

systems; monitoring and correcting performance; and designing or

improving systems Technology-selecting equipment and tools, applying technology to

specific tasks, and maintaining and troubleshooting technologies

THE FOUNDATION-competence for workplace productivity requires:

Basic Skills-reading, writing, arithmetic and mathematics, speaking, and listening

Thinking Skills-thinking creatively, making decisions, solving problems, seeing things in the mind's eye, knowing how to learn, and reasoning

Personal Qualities-individual responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, and integrity

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Chapter 1 Getting Started

Choose a Focus—Choosing a focus for your Capstone project is a big part of your Capstone

Minimester class. Here are some answers to “What should I do my Capstone about?” from the

class of 2015.

My internship was something that I never would have done without Capstone. Taking

the risk to contact the Hearne Institute and seeing it pay off was a great experience.

Make sure you like your topic. You cannot enjoy doing this unless you enjoy the topic….

Have fun with the project. Capstone … is a wonderful and safe place to learn about

yourself and your future.

Pick something that challenges you but is realistic.

…They should pick a Capstone Project that is most interesting to them as well as a topic

that has enough deep structure for a project.

I would suggest doing something you haven’t done before.

Choose something that you like to do, even if it doesn’t reflect your major. Most of the

people I’ve seen suffer are people who chose something at random because they

thought it would be easy.

…They should have a passion for whatever they do. If you don’t have a passion for what

you’re doing, then create one or do something else. Your success is as simple as that

decision.

If you pick a topic that you have fun with, then it won’t be like a project for school. It will

be like a project for your life.

Besides being passionate about your project, it is important to have a topic that is

focused and achievable. For example, writing ten original songs and recording them for a

demo CD is pretty ambitious for a busy senior year. However, writing and recording two

original songs is achievable. You could always do more than two.

Pick a focus that will benefit you. You are going to spend a lot of time with this project.

Next March, when your presentation is over, you want to walk away with something—the

career research you and your college will appreciate, the skill you always wanted time to

learn/develop, the worthy cause you wanted to help.

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Common Focus Problems and How to Avoid Them

Problem: I have no idea what to do. I’m stuck.

Solution: Actively participate in the focus selection activities. Talk to your peers, your parents

and the faculty. Get engaged in your project!

Problem: I’ve talked to several seniors, and I now know everything about Capstone. I’ve

already figured out my fieldwork, talked to an expert, and I’m going get started right away.

Solution: Be careful! Capstone requirements change from year to year. Be open to and aware

of the Capstone requirements and make sure your ideas fit the parameters. No fieldwork

hours can be counted until approved by Mrs. Cruickshank. Students have had to re-start their

entire projects from the beginning because they did not follow directions.

Problem: My friends are doing projects about their possible careers, but I don’t have a solid

career idea yet. Their projects will be great, and mine will be lame.

Solution: Great Capstone projects have come, and will continue to come, from all topics,

career-related or not. It is most important that you are excited about your project.

Problem: I keep hearing about some kind of “service” during Capstone. What counts for

“service”? What if my project is all service? What if none of it provides a service to others?

Solution: Capstone fieldwork must include an element of service to others. In some cases, the

service is the fieldwork. If so, that should be documented clearly in your learning log. If you are

the one who benefits from the fieldwork, by learning new information or acquiring a new skill,

you must somehow show how you have used your new information or skill to help/serve

others. Ask Mrs. Cruickshank or your Capstone Advisor for ideas, but do NOT wait until it is too

late!

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Proposal

Proposal--The proposal is the real beginning of Capstone. It needs to demonstrate a “learning

stretch.” For example, if you are an artist, you may explore a new medium, paint a mural at a

school, or teach an artistic skill to someone else.

Students who take time to think, discuss, and explore ideas with parents, teachers, and

community members are usually able to create a well-crafted, usable proposal that meets

Capstone criteria without re-writing the proposal several times. A good proposal should be so

well written that parts of it can be used later in your presentation and in the Letter to the

Judges.

Service to Others--Your Capstone project must be of some benefit to others. Service to others

can take many, forms. You can volunteer, create something needed, donate something you

made, or develop your own idea. This component will be part of your presentation. It should

not be an afterthought.

The service to others must be clearly presented in your proposal.

The service to others is part of the Capstone Synopsis which will appear in your

portfolio for the judges to see.

My interactions with the patients have stayed with me since the completion of the

fieldwork process….

Field Work and Learning Log

Field Work—This is the “hands-on” component of the Capstone project. You are required to

document at least fifteen (15) hours of field work. Many students do much more than fifteen

hours. You may NOT conduct field work during CRDM or other class times. You may not miss

college classes or labs to participate in field work.

The field work may result in something another person can see or hold (painting,

pamphlet, iPhone app) or something you will experience (work in an area of interest, volunteer

work, tutoring).

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Your field work must be guided by an expert and be thoroughly documented in your learning

log. An “internship” should be carefully discussed with Mrs. Cruickshank in order to make sure

it fulfills all requirements.

Learning Log--A student’s learning log is part of Capstone because it shows how you spent your

time and what you learned from your project. It also documents how you developed skills,

learned new information, and solved problems during your project, from start to finish.

In the learning log, students need to demonstrate that they spent at least fifteen (15)

hours in the field. Students will follow a template for each entry in the learning log. Students

should use strong vocabulary and correct spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. Work on

the learning log as you go. Edit your log more than once.

Keep notes of what you did every day and keep detailed logs on hours, etc. I had trouble

recollecting several of my logs because I neglected to take notes. Also, take lots of

pictures. They will go a long way when it comes to your presentation.

…Write …learning logs RIGHT after the hours are completed so that [you] don’t forget

any important details. Even bring a little notebook along with you when you go

volunteer so you can jot down important things that happened when they come to mind

or bring a phone with a voice recorder so you can dictate to yourself what happened if

you don’t have time to write.

There should be plenty of pictures demonstrating what you did. Many students in the

past have regretted they did not take more photos.

Take LOTS of photos! You will use them for your learning logs, but also for your own

personal memories.

One of the first things you should do is check with your expert in the field to see if

photos are allowed during your fieldwork. If photos are limited or not allowed, work with your

expert to see what you can include in your learning log—drawings, diagrams, emails, literature

from the site, etc.

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Even if photos are not allowed, you MUST have a photo of you during your field work

for your portfolio. Students in fields where privacy is an issue, such as medicine or law, have

had taken photos showing themselves in front of a building or sign where they worked.

While doing your fieldwork, think of possible research paper topics for each log entry.

What did you find interesting or strange, or what do you want to know more about? Pay

attention to details. These details that caught your attention will lead you to your research

paper topic.

I loved every day of my internship so the time flew by.

Take notice of the small details…during their fieldwork … and to really find a topic that is

outside of the box, but not uncomfortable.

Make sure your expert in the field knows about the research paper requirement. Your

expert is a wonderful resource for issues in your field, one of which may make an interesting

and fulfilling research paper.

After answering my research question through field work and …reading articles and

documents, I found I enjoyed every bit of it and the only hard part was condensing the

information I learned into a five page research paper.

Some projects are easy, but they have a hard time integrating a research paper. Pick a

project that is exciting for you, but one that is also research-able.

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Don’t be afraid to ask a top tier professional for a capstone position. Do conduct yourself in a professional manner to ask for the position.

Don’t be worried about contacting an expert in a field you have any interest in at all. The worst they can do is say no, and if they say yes, you will be able to learn a lot.

Examples of Projects in Field Work Focus Areas

Service Learning Field Work

Examples include work involving mission trips, animal shelters, political

campaigns, Grace Rides, food pantries, crisis response, technical

theater support, museums, youth sports, etc.

Self-Development Field Work

Examples include flying lessons, scuba lessons, music lessons, art

lessons, learning a language, starting a business, etc.

Career Field Work

Students have volunteered with doctors, dentists, ophthalmologists,

orthodontists, lawyers, teachers, youth workers, law enforcement,

coaches, veterinarians, archeologists, computer programmers,

professional sports teams, etc.

Curricular-Based Field Work

Students have written books and articles, worked on mathematical

projects, and performed original research.

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Senior Capstone Project-- Expert in the Field

While parents or friends may have a suggestion for someone to act as your expert in the field, you should be the one who makes contact with him/her.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your experts and ask a lot of questions. They may seem intimidating,

but if they’ve agreed to help out with the project, they most likely want to share their

knowledge.

Before you choose an expert:

Read the requirements and responsibilities handout

Verify your Capstone project has been approved.

Identify specific requirements an expert needs to assist you with your project/field work

Information you will need to know about your expert:

Name

Place of employment

Job Title

Years of experience in your area of interest

E-mail address

Mailing address

Work Phone and/or home phone

When he/she is available to meet with you during the school year

Where and when you will meet Your first meeting:

Take a copy of the expert packet and the list of requirements and responsibilities

Take a copy of your capstone project proposal/task and cost analysis

Be prepared to explain your project

Dress appropriately and be well-groomed

Be punctual

Take paper and writing instrument with you to the meeting

Introduce yourself in a professional manner—firm handshake, smile and eye contact

Requirements for your Expert

Must be over twenty-one (21) years of age

May NOT be a relative by blood or marriage

Must be available for consultation with the student during the field work stage

Must be an expert with significant experience in the student’s topic

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Learning Log

Your learning log is a written journal (blog, diary) in which you recount your experiences and trace your steps while working on your field work. The learning log becomes a major piece of your Capstone portfolio. Use this template to write your learning log entries.

All blocks/sections must be completed for EVERY entry. All entries must be in well-written complete sentences.

Write in FIRST person, - I, me, mine, myself, my

Day and Date: i.e. Monday, July 7, 2012

Hours spent—from when to when? – i. e. 8:00 am – 1:00 pm

Time spent this visit – i. e. 5 hours

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Paragraph 1: What activities took place during this time span (contact with expert-in-the-field, field work experiences, etc.)? What happened/what did I experience?

Paragraph 2: Reflection

Report your successes, surprises, disappointments, difficulties, changes, etc. What did I learn from this?

What were my feelings about the experiences of this day/event…?

Paragraph 4: What is my next step in this area of learning?

Paragraph 3: What topics or questions occurred during this time that I could use as a research

topic?

Include any pictures, sketches, diagrams, photographs, letters, emails that relate

to your project. These items should document your field work progress and allow

readers to see what you are writing about. If you produce an item during your field

work, you should include that item or photographs of it.

Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College

Senior Capstone Project Agreement

Thank you for volunteering your time to serve as an expert in the field for the

Collegiate High School Senior Capstone Project. We appreciate the time and effort that

you will spend with this senior as he/she works toward completion of this project.

Since the student selected his/her own project, it is his/her responsibility to explain

the project to you. He/she should also be able to explain what he/she needs from you

and how he/she will benefit from your expertise.

Please sign below to indicate that you agree to give your time to assist this student.

Christine Cruickshank

Collegiate High School at NWFSC

100 College Blvd.

Niceville, FL 32578

729-4949

[email protected]

Student’s name (please print)___________________________________________________

Name__________________________________________________________________________

Place of employment___________________________________________________________

Job Title_______________________________________________________________________

Work/home/cell phone numbers_______________________________________________

E-mail address________________________________________________________________

Home address_________________________________________________________________

Signature___________________________________________________Date______________

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mailto:[email protected]

Collegiate High School at Northwest Florida State College

Senior Capstone Expert in the Field Verification Form

Student’s Name________________________________________________________ Expert’s Name (please print)______________________________________________ Since most of the time spent on the project/field work section of the Senior Capstone Project was completed outside of the school day, verification of the student’s efforts is appreciated. Please answer the following questions to help us evaluate your student’s project/field work.

1. Can you verify that the student spent at least 15 hours completing this project/field work? YES__________________ NO _______________________ Comments_____________________________________________________

2. Have you seen the field work at different stages of completion, not just the final phase?

YES__________________ NO ______________________ Comments_____________________________________________________

3. What specific problems did the student encounter and overcome?

4. What success have you seen the student achieve through this project?

5. When did the student meet with you?________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________ Expert-in-the-field signature______________________________________________

Date____________________________

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Senior Capstone Project Parent Verification Form Student’s Name________________________________________________________ Project/Field work______________________________________________________ Since most of the time spent on the project/field work section of the Senior Capstone Project was completed outside of the school day, verification of the student’s efforts is appreciated. Please answer the following questions to help us evaluate your student’s project/field work.

1. Can you verify that the student spent at least 15 hours completing this project/field work?

YES__________________ NO _______________________ Comments_____________________________________________________

2. Have you seen the field work at different stages of completion, not just the final phase?

YES__________________ NO ______________________ Comments_____________________________________________________

3. What specific problems did your student encounter and overcome?

4. What success have you seen your student achieve through this project?

Parent/guardian signature______________________________________________ Date____________________________

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Chapter Two:Research Paper

Chapter 2 Research Paper

Research Paper--The research paper is a part of Capstone because it allows you gain scholarly

knowledge on your topic. Demonstrating that you know how to perform and report research in

a field of interest is an important skill you should be able to do at this point in your educational

career.

You are supposed to find something that surprises, intrigues, or disturbs you during

your fieldwork. Your research paper should rise from this surprise, intrigue or disturbance.

Your learning log will be a great resource for your research paper topic IF you have kept

up with writing it, and IF you have been detailed enough. After fifteen hours of work in an area,

you should have developed a curiosity about some aspect of your field work.

Like the project selection, writing your research paper will be easiest if you are

genuinely interested in the topic you select. Writing an excellent research paper on something

you have absolutely no interest in is very difficult.

I was extremely interested in my paper topic so all the time I spent researching went by

quickly as I was reading through everything….

I put a lot of effort into all parts of my research paper, from the research to the editing

and everything in between…I had an epiphany of sorts in which I suddenly realized the

entire point of writing a research paper, which helped me compose my paper with a

different mindset and intent than previous …papers I had written.

Specifications

Length—It is a minimum of four and a half to five (5) pages without the Works Cited page,

double spaced, with consistent MLA format throughout. Professional appearance and content

will get you the grade you need.

References—Books, database articles, and an interview with

someone knowledgeable in the field are acceptable

references. You must use a minimum of four (4) scholarly

sources, including the interview.

Copies of your sources must be given to your advisor when

your paper outline is complete. Your advisor will give you

instruction about this.

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N. B. If you have found and used a minimum of four (4) scholarly sources in your paper, you

may ask for permission to use a reliable, valid website to supplement information from your

four (4) scholarly sources.

You may NOT use book reviews, websites without permission, Wikipedia (or any Wikis),

summaries/abstracts of books or articles as sources.

Interview--One of your sources must be an interview with a real person with knowledge of the

field. It does not have to be your expert. The interview must be conducted face to face. Create

a list of questions before your interview and record the replies you received. You will turn

these questions and answers in with your other sources.

Documentation—The MLA style of documentation should be followed for the in-text citations

as well as for the Works Cited page.

For printed material, use the latest edition of the MLA Handbook.

For electronic sources, use the following link:

http://lrc.nwfsc.edu/citinghelp.cfm

Format—Before writing your paper, you should read and organize your sources. You should

conduct your interview before you begin writing your paper. Synthesize the ideas from your

sources and interview, and present them in an organized way in your paper.

Do not use second person (you, your, yourself).

Each idea from a source, whether it is paraphrased, summarized, or quoted directly, will

need an in-text citation.

No more than 25% of your paper may be direct quotes. All quotes should be integrated

into your paper, not dropped in, and they should be discussed fully.

Plagiarized papers will receive a zero (0). Review the Honesty Policy on the website for

further details.

Final papers will be submitted to www.turnitin.com. Your advisor will provide instruction

for this step.

Put all your effort into the outline. If the outline is done properly, it saves a tremendous

amount of time.

The research paper was something that I dreaded the most, but once I started, it proved

to be easy as I chose a topic that was interesting to me.

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http://lrc.nwfsc.edu/citinghelp.cfm

http://www.turnitin.com/

Paper Proposal—You will have to write a paper proposal that details your idea for your

research paper topic. It will include the above mentioned scholarly sources, so be prepared to

do some research on your topic.

The exercises in Additional Forms, Worksheet for Choosing a Research Paper Topic and

Developing a Thesis Statement, will help you discover and develop a topic and decide if it has a

strong enough focus for a research paper.

Spending enough time on these two steps, choosing a topic and developing a thesis

statement, will insure your paper development goes smoothly.

…I had worked to do my best on the paper and enjoyed the fieldwork that let me to find

the paper topic.

Choosing A Topic

Choose a topic by focusing on interests and talents and making them productive in a

project. If you’re interested in it, it won’t be a boring project.

Use the small details that caught your attention to help you pick out your topic.

Ask your expert for ideas for paper topics.

Writing Your Paper

Once you have a topic, you should start writing

it. Procrastination is the biggest problem; just

get it done.

When working on your draft, have people read

them. When others read your paper, they will catch minor problems you couldn’t see.

Make sure you do the outline thoroughly with sources because it will make the process

ten times smoother.

You will be required to take your paper to the Academic Success Center. The earlier you

can schedule this appointment with a written draft, the better. They won’t edit it, so

you may need to go back again.

When writing your research paper, watch your grammar, cite correctly, and revise it

yourself before turning it in. The advisors are not going to edit it for you

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Sources

Take notes while reading articles and websites because it is annoying to go back through

sources to find information relevant to each paragraph.

Print out each source as soon as you read it. You have to turn them in later, so keep

them with you now.

Everything that came from somewhere else needs to be cited, even if you don’t use

quotation marks. Really, for real, seriously.

Don’t try to claim something is common knowledge so you don’t have to cite it.

Somebody will call you on it, and you don’t want it to be a judge. Just cite it.

Cite everything correctly (both on the works cited page and parenthetically within the

paper) unless you want to go back and fix it. BUT, If you don’t know how to cite

correctly, at least put the name of the source in as you write. You can always get help

afterward for citations.

Visiting the ASC

You will have to schedule an appointment with the Academic Success Center to review

your first draft. There is a deadline for

SCHEDULING an appointment. Follow it.

The ASC gets booked early, so don’t delay

scheduling your appointment.

You must bring a finished draft. The ASC will

not look at 1 paragraph and an outline.

The ASC is a great resource for help with

documentation!

Don’t stress the research paper, it’s not

going to kill you; think of it as just a normal

research paper.

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Defending your Research Paper

The purpose of this assignment is to make you think about your

research paper and be able to discuss your research and the

findings. You will need to include your research in your Capstone

presentation and this will make you more comfortable discussing

your paper and your findings.

You should prepare a 5-8 minute presentation that covers all of

the points below. Your PowerPoint presentation should be 5-10

slides in length. You should NOT read your paper. You may have

note cards for your defense. Your advisor will determine the date

that you need to present your defense.

Briefly summarize your field work.

What is your research paper topic?

How does your paper tie in to your field work?

What is your thesis statement?

Discuss your findings completely. Be sure to discuss all of

your major points and the information you found to support

your points. Include your resources here as well.

What do you feel is the strongest point of your paper? Why?

What do you feel is the weakest point of your paper? Why?

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Chapter Three: Portfolio

Chapter 3 The Portfolio

The Portfolio--The portfolio is one of the biggest and most valuable parts of Capstone project, yet it is also the easiest. Organization is essential, as is time-management and attention to detail.

The portfolio included so many things that I’ve worked on and getting that together was a

process that I thoroughly enjoyed and am proud of.

There was a lot of planning out in this process that I did not think I was capable of until we had

to do it.

The portfolio includes front and back covers, a title page, letter to the judges, learning log that details field work with photos and other documentation, research paper with works cited page, Capstone reflection, completed expert in the field and parent verification forms, and academic resume. Section dividers are also needed in the portfolio.

Students are encouraged to save copies of their work in various places such as their email and jump drives. Back up everything more than once!

Students will be given six (6) pieces of cardstock. Three (3) of these will need to be printed with the cover requirements and three (3) will be left blank for the back cover of the portfolios. No covers can be printed on the NWFSC campus.

Students may not print any part of their final portfolios in D Building at NWFSC. This includes the CHS office as well as all faculty/staff and lab printers, including the sophomore printer. If a student has issues with printing, he/she is encouraged to speak with Mrs. Cruickshank.

The portfolio is NOT required to be printed in color.

Capstone showed me that if I do a little bit of work each day, it isn’t as stressful in the

end.

Senior Capstone Portfolio—The exact order and description of items in the Portfolio follows on a separate form. Please follow the order given in this handbook EXACTLY. If anything changes during the year, you will be given the updated the information on D2L and from your advisor.

Thank you letters with unsealed, stamped*, addressed envelopes—You will write at least two (2) thank you notes. Give these unsealed, stamped, addressed notes to your advisor. Letters should be hand-written. Paper, envelopes, and stamps must be provided by the student.

*Letters to NWFSC employees do not need a stamp.

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Format and Overall Look

Make sure each item in your portfolio printed the way you wanted it to print.

Sometimes saving documents changes the format.

Use a consistent, readable font and color palette.

Contents

Use information from your proposals for some of the documents. This saves time and

effort on your part.

Don’t use the previous year’s portfolio as a direct example. It changes every year!

Issues and Problems

Keep up with the assignments/deadlines and the portfolio will fill itself.

CHECK THE RUBRIC- The only way to have major problems with the portfolio is either

because you didn’t check or double check the order or you did not read the rubric. READ

THE RUBRIC.

Be sure to SAVE everything in multiple places--like a jump drive, an email, a hard copy,

etc.

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Chapter Four: Capstone Presentation

Chapter 4 Presentation

Presentation--Public speaking is a part of the rest of your education and career. Capstone gives

you an opportunity to master this skill in a safe environment. It teaches you how to explain

yourself and defend a project you have been working on for so long.

You must clearly demonstrate your understanding of your field work, including your

service to others, and how it led to the research paper in 8-12 minutes.

Your visual aid can be a video, a power point, a slideshow of pictures, a demonstration,

a product or anything else that may apply. If you produced something during your field work

including, but not limited to, a song, story, video, presentation, lesson, pamphlet, work of art,

or an event, you should be prepared to show it to the judges, even if it is not finished.

Keep the presentation in mind from the beginning. This is where all of your work will be

displayed. If you do not take enough photos during your field work, produce a product, or

document your service well enough, you may have a difficult time preparing your visual aid.

I am most proud of my presentation. I spent a long time practicing and preparing for it.

One judge pulled me aside…and told me I did the best they saw, and that felt amazing.

Before Capstone, I was shaky and nervous every time I had to present. Now I am

confident and thorough.

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Examples of Presentations

PowerPoint: slides support speech

Slideshow: Pictures change automatically in the background

Demonstration: if your project involved learning a skill, you should demonstrate it

Guest: if you taught somebody a skill, he/she could be a part of your presentation

Display: if you created something, you should include your creation in your

presentation.

Visual Aids-- You must have a visual aid. The audience will find your presentation difficult to

follow without one. It will also make your presentation more interesting and help people

appreciate the hard work you put in your project.

To decide on the type of visual aid you will use, you must decide what will assist you

most and demonstrate your project the best.

If your field work is a one-time event, including, but NOT limited to the following:

mission trip

community event

intern opportunity

meeting someone famous

out of town event

MAKE SURE you take more photos than you think you will need. You won’t be able to re-create

this experience and your presentation will suffer because you failed to fully document it.

After having Capstone, I now feel like I can publicly speak and not stutter as much.

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PowerPoint Do’s and Don’ts

Do include pictures and other visuals.

Do be consistent with the format: colors, styles, and fonts.

Do look at your PowerPoint when it is displayed from the projector. Some

fonts/color schemes are not visually appealing when projected.

Do use quick points that help jog your memory, not full sentences.

Do not put too much information on a slide; your slides should be clean and clutter

free.

Do NOT read your PowerPoint!! Your PowerPoint is there to help keep you and your

audience focused. Your listeners can read it for themselves. Do NOT read your

PowerPoint!!

Practice Your Presentation—You will have to demonstrate that you have practiced a minimum

of three (3) times. You will practice for your parents, a group during AVID, and for your advisor.

Do it early enough to make sure that you can adjust your presentation with any feedback you

receive. The most relaxed and successful presenters practice more than three times.

You must speak for a minimum of eight (8) minutes before ending. You may not speak

longer than twelve (12) minutes. When you finish, the judges will have a chance to ask

questions. Judges are requested to ask at least one (1) question, but many ask more.

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Presentation Do’s and Don’ts

If you have the option, a speech class can prepare you.

The judges are not there to fail you; they are genuinely interested in and proud of your

accomplishment.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, it is okay to say, “I don’t know, I’ll have to

research that.” You are not an expert on your subject, and the judges know that.

While you are presenting, don’t stand in one place. Walk from behind the podium; it will

make you seem like you are comfortable giving the presentation. Don’t hang on to the

podium.

Engage the audience. Even if the audience was not interested in your topic initially, if

you encourage audience interaction when you are presenting, they will pay more

attention to you.

Really communicate with your judges rather than simply give a presentation.

Be prepared for questions about the project, your opinions about the project and life

goals.

Dress really nicely--over dressed is better than underdressed.

Make sure you breathe.

You will have spent your entire senior year and probably a significant chunk of your

summer working on this project, so you will want to make its final summary look as

impressive and professional as possible. [You will] be disappointed if you spend the

whole presentation buried in your notecards or staring at your PowerPoint.

I am most proud of my presentation to the judges, for I commonly waver in words I

present in my speech or I compose myself in a nervous manner… [because of] my

thorough practicing, my well-founded knowledge on the subject, and the early-exposure

opportunities (early presentation practices), I was able to remain calm and impress the

judges…

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thoreceived

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I survived the

Capstone!

Spring 2017

Fall Read This!

Final Thoughts

I got all my fieldwork done over the summer and it was so nice. I saw other students still doing their fieldwork

during the school year and it just seemed so stressful.

GET STARTED EARLY. Be prepared for Plans A, B, and C all falling through. Contact potential experts the moment

you are given the go ahead because not all of them will respond and not all of them are available. Work hard and

don’t procrastinate. If you get your field work done early, everything else will go smoothly.

START DURING THE SUMMER. Manage your time wisely and JUST GET IT DONE.

Medical internships should start early because there are probably additional steps to be completed prior to

actually beginning the internship.

What really helped was how Capstone was a step-by-step process; when looking at it as a whole, it is an

intimidating task. However, when looking at it step-by-step, it was much more comforting.

I know now how good I can be at teaching others as well as my difficulties thereof.

It is incredibly important to finish your field work and learning logs before winter break.

Almost nothing in my Capstone went how I thought it would…but I found that was not a bad thing. I found at the

end of my Capstone, I was far more able to effectively communicate and organize my time and effort and

especially with professionals and adults that I wouldn’t normally interact with.

I am willing to ask more because the worst thing a person can say is no.

I know now that if I really want to accomplish something and be different that I can and it’s okay…This experience

has shown me that I can achieve great things if I really apply myself.

My Capstone allowed me to discover a new passion….scuba diving. Scuba diving is somewhat risky in itself and this

aspect of my Capstone has taught me to become comfortable with expanding my comfort zone.

I feel more comfortable in situations I would not have approached before.

Whenever I have a big project…I have learned how to break it down into smaller segments and set time goals for

myself.

I realized that diligence leads to high success.

It helped me learn how to network and deal with those in my field.

I am willing to take up a tough challenge because I have proven to myself that I can do it.

[It showed] me the things I need to improve but also the things I do right

The Capstone project has showed me that if I want something, I have to go and get it…I shouldn’t wait around for

other people or depend on them.

I have learned to be less judgmental and first learn about each person before making a decision on who they are.

Don’t approach Capstone like any other project you have ever dealt with…do not do Capstone just to get it done

and graduate. … I started with the idea of doing it to get it over with, but it evolved into a learning

experience for myself and something I am proud to say I did. 58

I am proud of ….

…the effect I had on the lives of veterans…I raised hundreds of dollars which helped our warriors receive dogs.

…working on the pendulum machine because it was the first exhibit I have ever made.

…taking this step into my goal career field and contacting someone so prestigious in the field and not giving up

when I didn’t get a response. I’m really proud of how stubborn and determined I was.

….completing all my assignments on time and forcing myself to talk to people. I hate initiating conversations with

people and I don’t know and this project forced me to do this.

…the script for my film…I am finally able to have a completed version written down that I love and am proud of.

…the routines I created for my students and my fellow teammates. I was even more proud when I saw them

performing it on stage and seeming them grow from something I made for them.

…what I learned and earning a job opportunity this upcoming summer.

…I created my own business and have been introduced to this field.

…my process of finding and signing up for my ER volunteering at Sacred Heart Hospital. I used to be very very bad

at calling people on the phone and planning out my activities, but Capstone nudged me in the right direction to

start working on that on my own.

…going out to get my internship…the work I put into preparing for the workshop I held for Capstone. This involved

a lot of putting myself out there—talking to vendors, advertising and the learning stretch of creating a lesson. I

would have never thought I could do any of this, let alone do it well and confidently. After the workshop, I realized

that I was able to do all of it.

…the way I presented my project. All the judges wrote comments on how they could see and hear the passion I

had for my subject and it was an amazing feeling.

…being able to help people…and raising $500 for the Plew Elementary Backpack Program.

…how I handled my time and composure at the Doolittle Institute. I felt commended when I worked hard and fast,

and I felt appreciated for all of the work I did. I feel like the work I did with DI is making a big impact on my

community, and it made me grow a lot as a working individual in our society.

…my growth in communication skills…It allowed me to grow as an individual, and again, become more direct and

ready to be the first to approach problems.

…how I interacted with professionals in the medical field and what I did to be respected by them in the whole time

of my fieldwork.

…my research paper. I am surprised to see how much improvement there was in writing a paper over a couple of

months versus writing a paper in two or three weeks. I ….plan on allowing myself to have more time to work on my

papers in the future.

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