Problem+Solving+Proficiency

=Make a Difference Project= Freshman year we were assigned to a group and were told to design a project that would make a difference. Having recently watched the Invisible Children documentary regarding the Lord’s Resistance Army’s havoc on Uganda, our group decided that we would raise money to donate towards the fund to save children and ultimately put a stop to Joseph Kony’s control in Africa. This was the first true project at ISA that caused us to think creatively to generate new ideas, outcomes, products, and ways of viewing the world. It was easy to apply ethical decision making through this project considering everyone’s empathy for the cause. We examined the “big picture” and thought of the most effective ways to raise money from high school students. Many of the students were eager to have a copy of the DVD to show to family and friends. We wrote in to the Invisible Children Organization in order to obtain the DVDs to sell. We also took T-shirt orders and made shirts as you see here for ISA students to wear in order to raise awareness about the tragedy in Uganda. By doing this we were able to raise 800 dollars that went towards schools for schools. With this program they were able to use this money to build schools so children in Africa can receive an education so they may have a chance. Now, as a senior, the LRA Bill has gotten through to the U.S. Senate in order to support the rebuilding of northern Uganda.

=Pre Cal Test= My eyes scanned the paper filled with inkblots that my eyes could not make out to be anything. As I blankly starred for 45 minutes at my blank test, I decided to start writing. I got 2 problems correct that day adding up to the horrendous score of a 25. A squirrel with a pencil could most defiantly do better on that test than I had. When I noticed this awful grade, I knew I was capable of so much more. The only reason the test looked like ink blots was because I allowed it to look like that. I then decided to ask Charlotte Wyrick for help. She received NHS points and I got help understanding pre-calculus. After our tutoring sessions, I felt ready. I walked in and made a 92 on the test! This minor grade changed my grade drastically! Freshman and Sophomore year I chose math worksheets for problem solving proficiency. This year I decided to take the obvious one step further and add another problem solving twist. Not only was I trying to demonstrate mathematical analysis, scientific processing, and logical reasoning through the mathematical aspect of it, but I also collected, analyzed and synthesized information from a range of sources in order to do better on the retake test. I knew that having a 25 on a test grade was a problem that I was going to need to solve. I would have to say a 92 is a significant accomplishment considering where I began.