TCIS Learning Commons Presents:
The Who, What, When, Where, Why and How
of the Personal Project
Who does the Personal Project?
All grade ten students at TCIS complete the Personal Project during the fall semester of their tenth grade year.
What is it?
The Personal Project is an intensive, self-lead inquiry into a topic done by every student in grade 10 at TCIS. It is a cumulative project to show what the students have learned throughout their years in the MYP (Middle Years Programme). The Personal Project can sometimes be described as a "passion project" because the students are asked to choose a topic of interest to them to explore through creating a product.
When is it completed?
The Personal Project begins in the spring semester of students' ninth grade year. Students are introduced to the idea and begin coming up with their learning and product goals during their Learning Lab classes. Students can work on it over the summer if possible. They also will work on the project during their fall semester of their sophomore year. After the product is complete, students will then write a report detailing what they did as well as reflecting on things they would have changed and how this project helped them grow as learners. The report is due in the spring of their tenth grade year.
Where do we do it?
Students can decide where the Personal Project is done. This is a project done outside of their normal classes. They are allowed time during Learning Lab on occasion to work on different pieces, but the bulk of the Personal Project should be done outside of school on the student's own time.
Why do it?
The Personal Project does count for a grade on every grade 10 student's report card. This means it counts towards the student's GPA. It is worth 0.5 credits, which is the same as a one semester course. Also, completing the Personal Project is actually a lot of fun for students. They get to learn more about something they already enjoy. After creating the product, they get to show off what they have made and learned at our annual PP Exhibition at the end of January.
How is it done?
The Personal Project is a self lead learning activity. This means that the students are the ones responsible for structuring the learning on their own. TCIS provides guidance in many ways, but no two projects are the same and therefore, do not have the same goals or the same plan to reach those goals. This means that the "how" comes down to the student. He or she decides on their Action Plan during one stage of the process. The Action Plan establishes the how for each student individually.
All grade ten students at TCIS complete the Personal Project during the fall semester of their tenth grade year.
What is it?
The Personal Project is an intensive, self-lead inquiry into a topic done by every student in grade 10 at TCIS. It is a cumulative project to show what the students have learned throughout their years in the MYP (Middle Years Programme). The Personal Project can sometimes be described as a "passion project" because the students are asked to choose a topic of interest to them to explore through creating a product.
When is it completed?
The Personal Project begins in the spring semester of students' ninth grade year. Students are introduced to the idea and begin coming up with their learning and product goals during their Learning Lab classes. Students can work on it over the summer if possible. They also will work on the project during their fall semester of their sophomore year. After the product is complete, students will then write a report detailing what they did as well as reflecting on things they would have changed and how this project helped them grow as learners. The report is due in the spring of their tenth grade year.
Where do we do it?
Students can decide where the Personal Project is done. This is a project done outside of their normal classes. They are allowed time during Learning Lab on occasion to work on different pieces, but the bulk of the Personal Project should be done outside of school on the student's own time.
Why do it?
The Personal Project does count for a grade on every grade 10 student's report card. This means it counts towards the student's GPA. It is worth 0.5 credits, which is the same as a one semester course. Also, completing the Personal Project is actually a lot of fun for students. They get to learn more about something they already enjoy. After creating the product, they get to show off what they have made and learned at our annual PP Exhibition at the end of January.
How is it done?
The Personal Project is a self lead learning activity. This means that the students are the ones responsible for structuring the learning on their own. TCIS provides guidance in many ways, but no two projects are the same and therefore, do not have the same goals or the same plan to reach those goals. This means that the "how" comes down to the student. He or she decides on their Action Plan during one stage of the process. The Action Plan establishes the how for each student individually.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Personal Project
Who will my supervisor be/Will I get to choose my supervisor?
Each student completing the Personal Project will be assigned to a teacher who will supervise their project. The student will meet with the supervisor at least four times throughout the process at specified check points. During these meetings, the supervisor will be looking to make sure the student is completing the project and not falling behind on what they need to accomplish.
Students will get to request a specific supervisor. However, students are not guaranteed to get the supervisor they request. Teachers can also request to work with specific students, but again, it is not guaranteed that their request will be granted. Ultimately, the Personal Project Coordinator will pair students with supervisors based on Personal Project topic ideas and teacher interest in different projects.
Is the Personal Project a lot of work?
Yes. It is. The IB guidelines say students should spend somewhere around twenty hours working on creating their product. This does not include all of the other pieces that go into this process, such as research, creating action plan and success criteria, etc. It is very intensive and demands a lot of time and energy from our students. It is not something that can be thrown together in one night.
How long is the report?
The report is maximum fifteen pages long. This sounds like a lot, but the report requires evidence included throughout. Students will use evidence collected in their process journal as the evidence for their report. The report also has specific requirements such as TImes New Roman font, 12 point with 1 inch margins.
Do I have to use a Process Journal?
Honestly, I don't know why you wouldn't want to use one. The purpose of the process journal is to gather all of your information on your Personal Project into one safe place. Students will take items collected in the process journal to serve as evidence of the work they have done in the report. It does not make sense to not have a process journal for this reason.
What is the PP Exhibition?
After all the students have completed making their products and before they submit their reports, TCIS hosts an event for students to show off their work up to this point. All grade 10 students bring in their products. Other students, faculty, and parents come onto campus and get to see the work that the students have completed. This is an excellent opportunity for students to talk about things that they will soon be writing about within their reports. They will discuss what they did, how they did it, what they learned from it, and how well they succeeded in completing it.
Each student completing the Personal Project will be assigned to a teacher who will supervise their project. The student will meet with the supervisor at least four times throughout the process at specified check points. During these meetings, the supervisor will be looking to make sure the student is completing the project and not falling behind on what they need to accomplish.
Students will get to request a specific supervisor. However, students are not guaranteed to get the supervisor they request. Teachers can also request to work with specific students, but again, it is not guaranteed that their request will be granted. Ultimately, the Personal Project Coordinator will pair students with supervisors based on Personal Project topic ideas and teacher interest in different projects.
Is the Personal Project a lot of work?
Yes. It is. The IB guidelines say students should spend somewhere around twenty hours working on creating their product. This does not include all of the other pieces that go into this process, such as research, creating action plan and success criteria, etc. It is very intensive and demands a lot of time and energy from our students. It is not something that can be thrown together in one night.
How long is the report?
The report is maximum fifteen pages long. This sounds like a lot, but the report requires evidence included throughout. Students will use evidence collected in their process journal as the evidence for their report. The report also has specific requirements such as TImes New Roman font, 12 point with 1 inch margins.
Do I have to use a Process Journal?
Honestly, I don't know why you wouldn't want to use one. The purpose of the process journal is to gather all of your information on your Personal Project into one safe place. Students will take items collected in the process journal to serve as evidence of the work they have done in the report. It does not make sense to not have a process journal for this reason.
What is the PP Exhibition?
After all the students have completed making their products and before they submit their reports, TCIS hosts an event for students to show off their work up to this point. All grade 10 students bring in their products. Other students, faculty, and parents come onto campus and get to see the work that the students have completed. This is an excellent opportunity for students to talk about things that they will soon be writing about within their reports. They will discuss what they did, how they did it, what they learned from it, and how well they succeeded in completing it.
Personal Project Timeline
Below you can see an example of the timeline for current grade 10 students. Each deadline includes a meeting with their supervisor.
Personal Project Criteria
Here is the criteria used to assign grades to student work. The report is the part of the PP that is graded, but all the work done beforehand should be included in the report.
