Sally's E- Portfolio
Wow, I can't believe that it has already been four years since I first came to AdVENTURE. If you don't know me from previous years, I'm Sally, an eighth grader at the AdVENTURE Stem Program. This is my fourth and final year of attending this program, and I can definitely say a lot about it. You know, when I first came to this school, I honestly had no idea what to expect. Sure, AdVENTURE students have more access to technology than the average school, but I didn't really see anything too special about it. But over the years, I have gained so much knowledge, not just academically, but also socially. From public speaking, to leadership and teamwork skills, AdVENTURE has taught me a lot. To be an AdVENTURE student doesn't mean that you get to use more technology and work in teams more often; it means that you get to be a part of a small community of people who encourage and motivate you to put in your best effort into whatever you do. I'll go more in depth down below, but in case you're interested, click here for my blog, where you can see some of the work that I've done here at AdVENTURE.
To be an AdVENTURE student means that you get to work in small learning groups. Often times, working in very big groups may be difficult because everyone has different ideas, opinions, etc.. But AdVENTURE is different, with students working in small groups made up of people from their grade level. This allows students to be more involved in their groups. In addition to that, working in small groups allows the whole flow of the group to run smoothly. By working in small groups, students are also able to explore the different roles that go into making a team function well, and put themselves into one of those roles, whether it is team facilitator or task manager.
Of course, to be an AdVENTURE student means you have a wide access to technology. A lot of the work that is done at AdVENTURE is heavily technology-based. As a student that came to this school back in fifth grade, I was very surprised at how often we used technology; almost every single class! But as time went on, the use of technology really helped me gain skills such as typing, which is a super basic skill, but I wasn't very good at it before since I hardly used technology. I also learned how to create digital works and organize files and documents. Like I've said before, these are all very basic skills, but very useful to know. In addition to that, having a wide access to technology, especially at AdVENTURE, allows you to become more technologically advanced, which will definitely help with certain jobs in the STEM field.
At AdVENTURE, most students are in the program for four years. With that being said, the people around you, especially your classmates, are a big part of your experience at AdVENTURE. From my personal experience, I'm very fortunate to be in a such a diverse class, with everyone having their own hobbies, interests, and personalities. To be perfectly honest, we're all very different people, but all together, we're a pretty great bunch. Being an AdVENTURE student means that you're able to hopefully spend four years with some awesome people. Nothing's perfect, and you'll run into issues every once in a while, but overall a big part of the AdVENTURE experience is the new friends you'll make and the people you surround yourself with.
In all, I've had a great four years at this program. AdVENTURE has been a big part of my life, and I know that I will take the things that I learned with me as I go on to high school and beyond. Not everyone is able to have the same opportunity as I did, and I'm very grateful for having the opportunity to be in this program. Even though I mentioned what it means to be an AdVENTURE student, it's really up to you to make the experience that you want to have at AdVENTURE. Out of everything I can take away from this program, I will say that AdVENTURE really allowed me to become my own person, and that's something that I might have not done if I attended another school. It's been a good few years, AdVENTURE. For now, this is Sally, saying good bye after four amazing years here at AdVENTURE. But who knows, maybe I'll be back in the future.