Miranda's Portfolio

Designing a Story Problem (Piecewise Function Project)

January 8, 2026 /
Miranda Chen – L4 Unit 2 Design a Story Problem – 3765255Download
  1. Decribe your story and what real-life situation it modeled?
  2. What part of your project are you most proud of? Why?
  3. What was the hardest part of creating your piecewise function?
  4. If you could revise one part of this project, what would you improve and how?
  5. What did this project help you understand better about piecewise functions?

#1:

My story was about two friends spending time with each other at the mall. It modeled the real-life situation where decisions that one person made can change how others feel about them, which in the story, is called the “Friendship Compatibility Level”.

#2:

I am most proud of coming up with the story and all the events that the friends went through because it is really hard to come up with a story like that, and honestly the graphing and calculation parts weren’t that hard.

#3:

The hardest part of creating the piecewise function was coming up with reasonable durations and fluctuations in the “Friendship Compatibility Level” while making sure that the slope wasn’t repeated.

#4:

If I could revise one part of this project, I would increase the clarity and transparency of my work by making sure to add my slope calculations because that caused me to get a 3.

#5:

This project helped me understand better about piecewise functions by showing how these functions work and under what circumstances they should be used.

Language Arts Socratic Seminar Reflection

November 24, 2025 /
E1_Nov 19, 2025_MirandaDownload

Why did I pick this? 

I chose to use statistics to analyze my participation in the Socratic Seminar because they provide an objective and measurable way to evaluate my contributions. By quantifying my speaking time and the number of times I spoke, I can better pictualize my role in the group discussion.

What does this show about me as a communicator? 

This shows that I am an active but considerate communicator. While I contribute my own ideas, I also prioritize inclusivity by ensuring others have space to share their perspectives. For example, my statistics might show that although I spoke for more than twice the amount of my average classmate, my speaking time wasn’t as long. This balance shows my ability to engage thoughtfully while fostering a collaborative environment.

PE Striking and Fielding Unit Reflection

November 24, 2025 /

This unit we learned how to play baseball and soccer.

Something that was challenging was kicking the ball to somewhere far because the grass acted as a source of friction, which was preventing the ball from rolling further.

Some I learned was how to pass the ball. This really helped me when playing in the teams and passing to my teammates.

This unit was really fun and engaging.

PE Swimming Unit Reflection

November 24, 2025 /

This unit, we learned how to play water polo. We practiced skills like dribbling the ball while swimming, floating in the water using the eggbeater kick, and passing the ball accurately. We also studied the rules of the game.

The hardest part was passing the ball because most of your body is underwater, making it hard to throw with full strength. It took practice to improve.

One useful technique I learned was dribbling the ball by using the waves I created while swimming. This helped me move the ball without touching it constantly.

Water polo is a fun and challenging sport. If I have time, I’d like to play it with my friends.

Unit 2 Debate Reflection

November 12, 2025 /
  1. What individual feedback did you see consistently? (glow/grow)
    • There was consistent feedback on how I had a lot of evidence for my opening arguments, how I successfully answered a lot of questions during the crossfire
    • A grow was that we could’ve prepared more evidence for the alternatives
  2. What team feedback did you see consistently?
    • One team feedback was that we had a lot of evidence and our points were strong
    • A grow was that we could’ve prepared more evidence for the alternatives
  3. Did the overall feedback match what you expected? Why or why not?
    • The overall feedback matched what I expected because during the middle of the debate I kind of realized that I didn’t have enough evidence because I was struggling to answer some of the questions about why animal testing was better than the alternatives.

Unit 2 Health Reflection

November 5, 2025 /

I used to think…

Previously, I held a fairly simplistic view of mental health, seeing it only as the operational state of one’s mind. For example, I would have categorized depression as simply “bad mental health,” without understanding its deeper complexities. My perspective was also heavily shaped by its portrayals in media, leading me to make assumptions about eating disorders. I believed they fell into rigid, gender-specific categories, assuming anorexia nervosa was primarily an issue for women wanting to lose weight, while binge-eating disorders were something that mostly affected men.

But now I think…

Now, I understand that mental health is a far broader concept, encompassing our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, which collectively influences how we perceive situations and decide how to act. While I’ve always believed mental wellbeing is a prerequisite for physical health, my research into eating disorders has profoundly deepened this connection with specific knowledge.

My biggest shift came from confronting my stereotyped views. I used to think there were only two types of eating disorders: anorexia and binge-eating because that’s what social media typically shows. Through my research, I learned about a much wider spectrum, including major types like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

More importantly, my learning has changed my personal perspective on who is affected. Realizing that men also experience anorexia nervosa and that these conditions are not targeted towards one group made me reflect on my own unconscious biases. This new knowledge will directly impact my own decision-making and how I interact with others. I will be more mindful of the language I use around food and body image, and I now have a much greater sense of empathy for how complex these struggles can be for anyone, regardless of their gender or appearance.

I now recognize that because of stigma, many people are unwilling to seek help when they are met with simplistic advice like “just eat more” or “change your mindset.” Understanding this has made me consider how I could be a more supportive friend or family member in the future, not by offering advice, but by listening and encouraging them to connect with professional resources.

Science Semester 1 Active Learner Reflection

October 29, 2025 /
Active_Learner_Science_Rubric_August_2025 (6)Download

Goal: My current goal is to consistently submit assignments not just on time, but ideally two to three days ahead of the deadline. I’ve made significant progress by implementing an organizational app to prioritize my tasks. This new organization system has been highly effective, allowing me to complete all recent assignments either on time or, in some cases, the same day they were assigned.

Science 
1. What are you most proud of in this class so far?
(Think about times when you showed persistence, improvement, collaboration, or deep understanding.)

I am most proud in my meteor model. I dedicated significant time to thoughtfully organizing the pictures and icons, and I repeatedly used the rubric to assess my model to ensure that I met all the requirements before submission.


2. What has been your biggest challenge in this class?
(For example: managing time, staying focused, contributing in group work, or understanding a concept.)

My biggest challenge has been refining my time management, specifically ensuring the final submission of assignments. While I only had one late submission, which occurred because I completed the work but forgot to turn it in, that prompted me to develop a more effective organizational system. I now use a to-do-list to ensure I submit all of my assignments on time, and this proactive approach has already proven successful in overcoming this problem.

3. How have you demonstrated the qualities of an Active Learner — preparing effectively, participating fully, collaborating well, staying positive, and reflecting to improve?

 Are there any areas where you want to grow or improve next quarter?

I demonstrate the qualities of an active learner in several key ways. First, I prioritize preparation by consistently arriving on time for every science class with all necessary supplies. During group work, I am an engaged participant, both supporting classmates who are struggling with the material and helping the team remain focused. I collaborate with my peers by actively listening to their perspectives while also contributing my own ideas to the discussion. Furthermore, I stay positive by being resilient, perservering even when there are challenges. Most importantly, I improve my work by reflecting on Ms. Neal’s feedback and applying her suggestions to future assignments, which not only improves my scores but also deepens my overall understanding as a student.


4. On a scale of 1–5, how would you rate your overall effort and engagement in this class?

5

Math Unit 1 Sticker Project Reflection

October 23, 2025 /

The thing I liked the most about this project was the opportunity to integrate a personal interest, Geometry Dash, into an academic context. This connection to a game I have been passionate about since childhood provided significant motivation and made the design process much more enjoyable.

Something I would have preferred to be different is having the option to complete the written documentation digitally. My typing speed exceeds my handwriting speed, which means that a digital format would have allowed for greater efficiency and more thorough documentation within the given timeframe. Also, the revision process would have been simpler, as editing typed text takes less time than manually erasing words on paper. If I had more time for the project, I would have incorporated more advanced geometric concepts, such as compound transformations and complex polygonal shapes, to further deepen the project’s mathematical complexity.

Overall, this project was very enjoyable, and it demonstrated my comprehension of rigid transformations and dilations and my ability to apply these concepts to prove geometric congruency.

Math Unit 1 Reflection

October 23, 2025 /

1.    I chose L4 #1 as evidence of my best thinking. In this problem, we had to prove that two pairs of triangles were congruent. I selected the pre-image and the inverted triangle for my proof. Because this pair was less direct to prove than the other, it required more steps and allowed me to better demonstrate my reasoning and problem-solving skills.

2.    I chose L4 #2 as evidence of my best thinking because solving it required a deep understanding of dilations and rotations, and I had to reason why the order of the dilations and rotations didn’t matter, and why that was equivalent to rotating 90˚ counterclockwise around the center of dilation.

3.    This unit was a turning point for me in understanding geometric proofs. I developed a much stronger grasp of proving triangle congruency. I learned the importance of justifying every statement with a reason, whether it’s a ‘given’ or a specific postulate. I also mastered identifying and naming key angle pair relationships, such as Alternate Interior Angles (alt int ∠s), which was crucial for building my justifications for congruency.

4.    I feel that I still need to work on rotating figures. While I have mastered foundational rotations around a point (90°, 180°, 270°), my next goal is to develop proficiency with arbitrary angle rotations. I intend to focus on the methods required to accurately rotate figures by any degree measure, moving beyond the common right-angle multiples.

5.    List three of your strengths so far this year

  • Translating figures
  • Finding the line of reflection
  • Use my understanding of mathematical concepts in real world situations

6.    List three things you want to improve on in the next unit.

  • Organized work
  • Calculation accuracy
  • Ask for extensions and ways to improve after I finish my work

 7.    Create an academic goal by completing the sentences and answering the questions.

Looking ahead to the next unit, my primary goal is to improve my calculation accuracy. I know my desire to finish quickly can sometimes be a barrier, so I will consciously prioritize precision over speed. If I get stuck, I can remind myself that by concentrating on accuracy first, my speed will naturally increase as I become more confident and make fewer mistakes that require re-checking.”

 What might get in the way of this goal?

Something that might get in the way of this goal is my urge to complete the assignment faster.

 What can I do if I get stuck or need help?

I can remind myself that accuracy is more important than speed. I can try to check my work twice before moving on.

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