Cypress Bay High School What Is W.I.S.E? An introduction to the WISE program

1. Importance of Project / Topic Selection
- View Virtual Scrapbook online (click here) - The most important aspect of your WISE project! If it seems like work, you have the wrong topic! It can be a job-like internship; it can be a research-based topic; it can be a fun/hobby based topic; Literally it can be almost anything you can dream up - this is YOUR chance to create the course of your dreams! As you go through WISE during the 2nd semester you should be saying to yourself, "I can't believe I am getting credit for this!"

2. Research
- Reading Books / Magazines / Conducting Interviews - you are required to read each week; when you meet with your mentor you will be asked to report this weekly…..and this will be part of your grade
- Hard copy / "live" - online - you can read hard copies, online text, or "research" by interviewing people (either live, on the phone, via email, or via instant messaging)……report this as well
- Annotated bibliographies - EVERYTHING you read/research should be annotated - truly it is easier to keep your bibliography using the online program; it will be available from any computer at any time when ever we ask for it!
- noodles.com - you will be trained in this!

3. Mentor Selection
- Weekly meetings - setting times / keeping appointments - it is a WISE Experience requirement (60 points EVERY week) to meet with your mentor. It is your responsibility to work out a time/place that is convenient for BOTH of you.
- Being prepared - the student form - each week you must come to the meeting with your student form completed; this forms the basis for your conversation and the mentor evaluation. You complete this form online and submit it to us, virtually. (some mentors like you print a copy for them - take it to the mentor meeting). We will set this up later this quarter.
- Your grade - the teacher form - your mentor is required to complete this form - their report is also online. You will probably have to train them in how to complete the form - you will probably have to teach them how to use the online system.
- Mentor role vs. Coordinator role - your mentor is to guide you, listen to you, help you when you need help, encourage you, and be someone you can talk to. They are our link to what is happening with you. You can always go to your mentor with problems, but the primary responsibility for your coordinators is to solve problems for you and to evaluate you.
- Personality of your mentor to match your personality / your wants / your needs - when you were interviewed we asked you if you liked structure and guidance, or preferred independence. When you select a mentor, be sure that you have this discussion with them as to what you want from them. If what they want to provide you and what you want from them don't match, you are better served to select a different mentor.

4. Journal Writing
- Everyday (minimum 5 days a week - rule of thumb: school days are journal days) - In the perfect world you would meet with your mentor on the same day every week; thus there would typically be 5 entries from one meeting to another. If for some reason you change your schedule then the number of entries will be off for that week, but it will correct itself (if you meet every Wed, and one week you must meet early on Monday, that Monday you will have only 3 entries, but the next Wed when you return to normal meeting dates, you will have 7 entries) - just be sure you are making 5 entries each week (5 school days)
- Reflections & Events - your journal entries are not only what actually happened, and what you did (as you tell your story of your WISE Experience) but it is also to contain your personal reflections and feelings about what is and what is not happening.
- Mentor / Coordinator reading and review of journals - your mentor is required to read your journal each week. Your journals are kept online....you are to let your mentor know where these are so they can read them at their leisure.
- Online Journals - We use an online journal system; be creative with it. We read them every week - and you get a grade from us every week for keeping up with your journal entries. You will be trained in this, and sign up for this later this quarter.

5. Presentation
- Multi-media presentation of 60 minutes - plan on your presentation lasting a total of 60 minutes; this includes your presentation; and the evaluation process. This typically means about 40 minutes of you being "on stage" - if you are going to need more time, this can be arranged. Most presentations take place during the school day (11:00 am to 3:00 pm); some took place after school; most took place in a classroom - some took place on location (see the Virtual Scrapbook)
-Highlighting your "WISE Journey" - the presentation is not to tell every "bump in the road" of your journey, but it should reflect highs and lows of what happened, as well as what you got out of the "adventure"……What you did; Where you went; Who you met' What you learned' How you'll take this with you
-Analogy of Alaska Journey - if I were to tell you the story of my Alaskan cruise (see my pics here: Alaska (click the pictures to get to the scrapbooks from each day of the trip!) I would need far more than 45 minutes to tell you everything that I did (including the planning of the trip, the financing, what I expected to happen, what did happen, and what I got out of it)…..my problem would be I don't have ENOUGH time……this SHOULD be your problem as well. Trying to fit 18 weeks of experiences into 45 minutes is the ultimate challenge
- Mentor / Coordinator / Community Member / Student : The Evaluation Team - when you present you will be evaluated by your mentor (so it will be important to coordinate when you want to present with when your mentor can be in attendance); by at least one of us as WISE coordinators; by a community member you invite (this typically is someone who you interviewed, worked with, or was with you on at least part of your journey); and by at least one student from the WISE class (each of you will be required to evaluate a minimum of 3 other presentations).
- "Work" complaint - again, the importance of topic selection - putting together your presentation should be fun…..not work. This is your celebration of spending 18 weeks doing something YOU WANTED to do; pick your topic and your experience WISEly.

6 . Parking Issues
- Must have a CBHS Parking pass - allows you to park here / - Receive a WISE pass in January to allow you to sign-out and leave (as well as remain on campus) - the participation form is distributed in our final WISE Workshop in December.

7. Leaving Campus
- Where are you - what are you doing - Currently we operate under the "good faith" rule; you are granted 1 ½ hours a day to work on WISE; that's a total of 7.5 hours. We are only concerned that you are putting in that time for WISE over the course of a week. If you work 8 hours on Saturday on WISE we don't have a problem with you using the 1 ½ hour of WISE class (4th period) for your personal responsibilities....if the privileges are not abused we expect this procedure to continue.
- Phone number - however, regardless of where you are (on WISE business, or on personal business) we will need to have a contact number where we can find you. We are responsible for you during this time period each day.
- Weekly student form - mentor meeting: where were you, what you did, time you spent doing this - in your mentor meeting and your student form we expect to be told where you were, what you did, who you were with. This should add up to the 7 ½ hours of WISE time each week. Each day during the WISE Experience (2nd semester) you will sign out with me for your official attendance.....not signing out is documented as skipping class - make this a habit :)
- Avoiding the "sign-in / sign-out" and/or Business Reports - there HAS been talk of requiring you to sign-in and sign-out with your WISE project contact person and turn this in weekly; however we are resisting this. Do your part....be accountable.....don't abuse the system.


9. WISE Virtual Classroom
- WISE Experience (2nd Semester) - weekly assignments - once the second semester begins you will be REQUIRED to read the newsletter each week and complete a weekly assignment. There are typically two assignments - one is research based, and counts as part of your required weekly research as reflected in your bibliography, the other has to do with reading the newsletter (and is often submitted via email). You should also be aware that typically every-other week you will be scheduled for a Team Meeting that will take place during 4th period with a small group of your WISE classmates - here you will share experiences as well as be informed of upcoming activities, etc.
- This is in addition to mentor mtg, journal writing, research, and annotated bibliographies, working on project
- Grades - the final presentation is a "Pass/Pass With Lowered Grade/Fail" activity. Your actual grade is determined by your Mentor Reports, Virtual Class assignments, etc.
- REMEMBER - if it's not fun, you have the wrong topic!

10. How we will prep you for the WISE Experience
- Six WISE Days during the 1st semester (including today, and training in Web Design)