After a full year in the Pilot program I have progressed tremendously in all my studies. Each have been thoroughly completed to the best of my ability and represent the the engaged learner I have become. The Quarter four narrative is my final narrative of the year, it is also the first narrative I have written which showcases a complete portfolio of work. This narrative is a testament to the importance of independent learning in my life and in my high school career.
When I began my senior year I was unsure what exactly I wanted to get out of my time in the Pilot program. I was excited to learn about many things yet unsure of what I would enjoy doing the most. My initial plan was that I would study Wilderness Medicine and connect that to mountaineering in some way. After the first day of school, I decided I would study neither.
I had given up on my study before it began, and for most people this is probably a big red flag, but in my case this is exactly what I needed. I spent the first weeks of school contemplating what I was most passionate to learn about. I liked the outdoors, photography, hiking, biking, etc… I also liked tiny houses. As I made lists and determined pro’s and con’s I saw that could connect many ideas and interests though the tiny house. It seemed like an interesting way to continue a previous study and to actually bring it to completion, so why not? In the following days I wrote my learning plans and before I knew it I had begun my Pilot project.
Looking at my Pilot study from a far, the tiny house is the most prominent part of my work. I’ve been building/ designing it for roughly of 2 years and it’s easily the largest project I have ever worked on. Because of this I tend to get a lot of questions about it, and I’m almost always very willing to talk about them.
A few days ago a friend came up to me in the senior lounge and asked me about the progress of the house. I’ve known the kid throughout high school but have never been close friends with him in any sense, regardless, he seemed genuinely interested in my work. At the end of our conversation he turned away and told me that it was really cool that I’ve had this large project to turn to and work on throughout the latter part of high school. As he walked away I began to reflect on the process of building the house. Until that point I never really realized how fortunate I was to be work on a project of this nature in such a comprehensive program.
This year I have had an exceptionally positive experience in the Pilot program. I’ve directed my studies around topics I am passionate about and I am constantly intrigued by my work. In my three years of high school leading up to Pilot I never had an serious issues with the way my classes where going. For the most part I learned a lot and was more or less interested in what I was doing. When senior year came around I decided to join the Pilot to really focus in on my interests before going on to college.
In only one year of self-directed work I have become a more engaged and attentive learner. I feel a new sense of ownership over my work and a greater need to excel in my studies. As I write my final narrative I am certain that joining the Pilot was one of the best decisions I have made throughout high school.
While I feel great satisfaction with the work I have done I believe the Pilot taught me more about becoming a self-directed critical thinker than anything I have learned through my studies. I joined the Pilot partly because I wanted to follow my interests during my senior year but also to challenge myself. With essentially no teachers and no rules Pilot students can technically get away with doing anything with their time. Because of this overwhelming freedom, I found myself working much harder than I did before to produce work which I was proud of. The structure of of every project was designed entirely by myself. I didn’t rely on teachers to provide me with assignments or deadlines and because of this I had to take an extra step just to complete the same work. Below is a detailed list of learning skills which I believe I have strengthened though my time in the Pilot.
Perseverance
I began working on the tiny house last August on 80 degree day. After determining the orientation of the house I spent hours and hours cutting and clearing trees from the site. It was hot and uncomfortable work but it had to be done. Almost six months later (the end of January) temperatures had dropped to a chilly -10 degrees. At this point I had constructed the base of the house, all of the walls had been framed and about 60% sheathed with plywood. Standing in snow which was past my knees I spent a late afternoon filling gaps in the sheithing. Again, this was not the most pleasant experience, but a house needs walls.
In the 9 months I have spent building, I have worked though extreme heat, extreme cold, massive snow storms, numerous downpours, lightning storms, high winds, you name it I’ve been there. In all of those times I caught myself laughing at the fact that this is not necessarily the side of tiny house building that is advertised in mainstream social media posts or on magazine covers. As the saying goes “it’s not all sunshine and rainbows” and trust me after building a tiny house through three quarters of the year in Vermont I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard a more accurate statement.
Regardless of terrible weather and many drawbacks I have built the majority of a tiny house and have a greater understanding of what perseverance is. I have found that if you're truly passionate about something, the long days, terrible weather and bad luck will be worth in it in the end if you're willing to see it through.
Inquiry
During the second semester I transformed my previous minimalism study into an investigation of current refugee crisis. The refugee crisis was something I knew very little about but I saw a connection to sustainable housing and thought some research would be meaningful. I spent the majority of the third quarter reading articles and new stories to get a better grasp on the issue at hand. As the quarter came to a close I synthesized my research into a rough outline of a piece I would write in the following months.
During quarter four, I began writing. As I wrote, I continuously went back, referencing past research and connecting my own thoughts to factual evidence. Over the course of four weeks I developed a relatively short but indepth research essay about an issue I knew nothing about a few months prior. My time in the Pilot has allowed me to realize my desire to explore subject which are foreign to me. Additionally I have found way to connect past ideas with present work through research and analysis.
Time Management
When I describe a typical day in the Pilot to someone who knows little about the program I often get asked the question, “how do you manage your time?” When I began my studies I was unsure what I would do with half to three quarters of a day which had nothing scheduled. There is no real template for how to use your time to work most efficiently because it depends on the individual. When I actually sat down to determine how I could most efficiently use my time I realized the importance of planning ahead.
Throughout the year I have planned out my work for the near and distant future. This began by creating a large calendar and determining deadlines for all of my projects over the course of 1-3 months. After I built up a general blueprint I would work week by week to accomplish my goals set on the calendar. Early on in each week I would take a few minutes to find out when I would have free time throughout the week. With that information I then looked at my larger calendar to see which deadlines were near. Finally, I planned out my time accordingly so that the work which I needed to complete was done before moving onto something else. I used this system when writing essays, working on photo projects and even for work around the tiny house. Even though by now I have met all of my final deadlines I am certain I will be using this strategy to plan out my time in the near future.
Demonstration
All aspects of my study are very physical and visual. I write essays for people to read, take pictures for people to look at and I’ve built a tiny house which people will be able to go inside and interact with first-hand. Demonstrating my work in the Pilot has been relatively easy to do because of this, but I also held myself to a high standard to showcase my work in a clean and artistic way.
My portfolio could be a series of links, scattered text boxes and an occasional image floating around on a google site. Instead I have spent hours and hours building a portfolio which reflects my best work and attention to detail. I hope my words can do this work justice but if for some reason they can’t I have conveniently linked my portfolio right here so you can see for yourself.
Accountability
As I was initially planning out my study I believe I set ambitious goals. To name a few: I wanted to build a tiny house (with no real prior experience), I wanted my English study to partially replicate the Advanced Expo curriculum, lastly I wanted to learn and write an essay about the refugee crisis (a complex multidimensional and global issue). In each goal I set I held myself to a certain standard. I didn't take short cuts, push deadlines, give up, skip meetings etc… I held myself accountable to meet and exceed a high standard of work. In each project I did in the end follow through with these goals without short changing myself or others in the process.
Self-Advocacy
When I consider the fundamentals of being successful in the Pilot program or in any sort of independent work I believe you must be a strong advocate for yourself. Before joining the Pilot I spent a year working in the community based learning program. Among the numerous things I took away from that experience I truly learned the importance of advocating for oneself. When I initially joined the program I was set up with a mentor who I did not connect well with. After our first meeting I was certain that it was not the best fit but I wasn't sure if the headache of finding a new mentor would be worth it. After much consideration I approached my advisors and told them what had happened. Long story short a few weeks later I began working with a new mentor on plans for my tiny house. Fast forward to today, the tiny house I designed is now sitting in my backyard. I am confident that without advocating for myself and making that change In would not have a near-complete tiny house today.
From day one this year I have tried to keep all my content area advisors “in the loop” with my studies. I did my best to plan out meeting times that worked best for both of us, and I always talked over new directions my study was going in. With their help I succeeded in my studies while feeling adequately challenged from their advice.
So whats next?
Senior year marks the end of my adolescent learning. But it is also just the start of new learning ahead of me. Throughout this year I have been constantly asked about my plans for next year and in the future. Since August I applied places, was accepted to some places, denied from others, narrowed down my options and eventually committed to a decision. As of April 29th, 2018 I will be attending California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. My decision came after months of stress and test taking but also after deep consideration.
I was drawn to Cal Poly for many reasons. Not only is the school nestled in California's central coast which has an average temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit and sees 320 days of sun a year BUT, the school's overall philosophy in many ways resembles the Pilot. Cal Poly prides itself on project based learning and their motto “Learn by doing”. Their overall goal is by the time students graduate they will have developed a portfolio of work equivalent to someone who already has a masters or work experience. For me this seemed like a natural next step following my experience with the Pilot.
My experience in the Pilot this year has been exceptional. I have been challenged in many ways which I did not anticipate, I have pursued interests and found new ones, but most of all through the Pilot I have seen first-hand what it is like to be truly passionate about learning. I am certain that this experience will have a lasting impact on me for many years into the future.
I had given up on my study before it began, and for most people this is probably a big red flag, but in my case this is exactly what I needed. I spent the first weeks of school contemplating what I was most passionate to learn about. I liked the outdoors, photography, hiking, biking, etc… I also liked tiny houses. As I made lists and determined pro’s and con’s I saw that could connect many ideas and interests though the tiny house. It seemed like an interesting way to continue a previous study and to actually bring it to completion, so why not? In the following days I wrote my learning plans and before I knew it I had begun my Pilot project.
Looking at my Pilot study from a far, the tiny house is the most prominent part of my work. I’ve been building/ designing it for roughly of 2 years and it’s easily the largest project I have ever worked on. Because of this I tend to get a lot of questions about it, and I’m almost always very willing to talk about them.
A few days ago a friend came up to me in the senior lounge and asked me about the progress of the house. I’ve known the kid throughout high school but have never been close friends with him in any sense, regardless, he seemed genuinely interested in my work. At the end of our conversation he turned away and told me that it was really cool that I’ve had this large project to turn to and work on throughout the latter part of high school. As he walked away I began to reflect on the process of building the house. Until that point I never really realized how fortunate I was to be work on a project of this nature in such a comprehensive program.
This year I have had an exceptionally positive experience in the Pilot program. I’ve directed my studies around topics I am passionate about and I am constantly intrigued by my work. In my three years of high school leading up to Pilot I never had an serious issues with the way my classes where going. For the most part I learned a lot and was more or less interested in what I was doing. When senior year came around I decided to join the Pilot to really focus in on my interests before going on to college.
In only one year of self-directed work I have become a more engaged and attentive learner. I feel a new sense of ownership over my work and a greater need to excel in my studies. As I write my final narrative I am certain that joining the Pilot was one of the best decisions I have made throughout high school.
While I feel great satisfaction with the work I have done I believe the Pilot taught me more about becoming a self-directed critical thinker than anything I have learned through my studies. I joined the Pilot partly because I wanted to follow my interests during my senior year but also to challenge myself. With essentially no teachers and no rules Pilot students can technically get away with doing anything with their time. Because of this overwhelming freedom, I found myself working much harder than I did before to produce work which I was proud of. The structure of of every project was designed entirely by myself. I didn’t rely on teachers to provide me with assignments or deadlines and because of this I had to take an extra step just to complete the same work. Below is a detailed list of learning skills which I believe I have strengthened though my time in the Pilot.
Perseverance
I began working on the tiny house last August on 80 degree day. After determining the orientation of the house I spent hours and hours cutting and clearing trees from the site. It was hot and uncomfortable work but it had to be done. Almost six months later (the end of January) temperatures had dropped to a chilly -10 degrees. At this point I had constructed the base of the house, all of the walls had been framed and about 60% sheathed with plywood. Standing in snow which was past my knees I spent a late afternoon filling gaps in the sheithing. Again, this was not the most pleasant experience, but a house needs walls.
In the 9 months I have spent building, I have worked though extreme heat, extreme cold, massive snow storms, numerous downpours, lightning storms, high winds, you name it I’ve been there. In all of those times I caught myself laughing at the fact that this is not necessarily the side of tiny house building that is advertised in mainstream social media posts or on magazine covers. As the saying goes “it’s not all sunshine and rainbows” and trust me after building a tiny house through three quarters of the year in Vermont I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard a more accurate statement.
Regardless of terrible weather and many drawbacks I have built the majority of a tiny house and have a greater understanding of what perseverance is. I have found that if you're truly passionate about something, the long days, terrible weather and bad luck will be worth in it in the end if you're willing to see it through.
Inquiry
During the second semester I transformed my previous minimalism study into an investigation of current refugee crisis. The refugee crisis was something I knew very little about but I saw a connection to sustainable housing and thought some research would be meaningful. I spent the majority of the third quarter reading articles and new stories to get a better grasp on the issue at hand. As the quarter came to a close I synthesized my research into a rough outline of a piece I would write in the following months.
During quarter four, I began writing. As I wrote, I continuously went back, referencing past research and connecting my own thoughts to factual evidence. Over the course of four weeks I developed a relatively short but indepth research essay about an issue I knew nothing about a few months prior. My time in the Pilot has allowed me to realize my desire to explore subject which are foreign to me. Additionally I have found way to connect past ideas with present work through research and analysis.
Time Management
When I describe a typical day in the Pilot to someone who knows little about the program I often get asked the question, “how do you manage your time?” When I began my studies I was unsure what I would do with half to three quarters of a day which had nothing scheduled. There is no real template for how to use your time to work most efficiently because it depends on the individual. When I actually sat down to determine how I could most efficiently use my time I realized the importance of planning ahead.
Throughout the year I have planned out my work for the near and distant future. This began by creating a large calendar and determining deadlines for all of my projects over the course of 1-3 months. After I built up a general blueprint I would work week by week to accomplish my goals set on the calendar. Early on in each week I would take a few minutes to find out when I would have free time throughout the week. With that information I then looked at my larger calendar to see which deadlines were near. Finally, I planned out my time accordingly so that the work which I needed to complete was done before moving onto something else. I used this system when writing essays, working on photo projects and even for work around the tiny house. Even though by now I have met all of my final deadlines I am certain I will be using this strategy to plan out my time in the near future.
Demonstration
All aspects of my study are very physical and visual. I write essays for people to read, take pictures for people to look at and I’ve built a tiny house which people will be able to go inside and interact with first-hand. Demonstrating my work in the Pilot has been relatively easy to do because of this, but I also held myself to a high standard to showcase my work in a clean and artistic way.
My portfolio could be a series of links, scattered text boxes and an occasional image floating around on a google site. Instead I have spent hours and hours building a portfolio which reflects my best work and attention to detail. I hope my words can do this work justice but if for some reason they can’t I have conveniently linked my portfolio right here so you can see for yourself.
Accountability
As I was initially planning out my study I believe I set ambitious goals. To name a few: I wanted to build a tiny house (with no real prior experience), I wanted my English study to partially replicate the Advanced Expo curriculum, lastly I wanted to learn and write an essay about the refugee crisis (a complex multidimensional and global issue). In each goal I set I held myself to a certain standard. I didn't take short cuts, push deadlines, give up, skip meetings etc… I held myself accountable to meet and exceed a high standard of work. In each project I did in the end follow through with these goals without short changing myself or others in the process.
Self-Advocacy
When I consider the fundamentals of being successful in the Pilot program or in any sort of independent work I believe you must be a strong advocate for yourself. Before joining the Pilot I spent a year working in the community based learning program. Among the numerous things I took away from that experience I truly learned the importance of advocating for oneself. When I initially joined the program I was set up with a mentor who I did not connect well with. After our first meeting I was certain that it was not the best fit but I wasn't sure if the headache of finding a new mentor would be worth it. After much consideration I approached my advisors and told them what had happened. Long story short a few weeks later I began working with a new mentor on plans for my tiny house. Fast forward to today, the tiny house I designed is now sitting in my backyard. I am confident that without advocating for myself and making that change In would not have a near-complete tiny house today.
From day one this year I have tried to keep all my content area advisors “in the loop” with my studies. I did my best to plan out meeting times that worked best for both of us, and I always talked over new directions my study was going in. With their help I succeeded in my studies while feeling adequately challenged from their advice.
So whats next?
Senior year marks the end of my adolescent learning. But it is also just the start of new learning ahead of me. Throughout this year I have been constantly asked about my plans for next year and in the future. Since August I applied places, was accepted to some places, denied from others, narrowed down my options and eventually committed to a decision. As of April 29th, 2018 I will be attending California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. My decision came after months of stress and test taking but also after deep consideration.
I was drawn to Cal Poly for many reasons. Not only is the school nestled in California's central coast which has an average temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit and sees 320 days of sun a year BUT, the school's overall philosophy in many ways resembles the Pilot. Cal Poly prides itself on project based learning and their motto “Learn by doing”. Their overall goal is by the time students graduate they will have developed a portfolio of work equivalent to someone who already has a masters or work experience. For me this seemed like a natural next step following my experience with the Pilot.
My experience in the Pilot this year has been exceptional. I have been challenged in many ways which I did not anticipate, I have pursued interests and found new ones, but most of all through the Pilot I have seen first-hand what it is like to be truly passionate about learning. I am certain that this experience will have a lasting impact on me for many years into the future.