Preston’s Portfolio

Goal Reflection & End-of-Semester Check-In

January 13, 2026 / Preston

Last unit, I set a goal to read the questions more carefully before doing my work. I worked somewhat well toward this goal because I still misread some questions, but I also caught more mistakes than before. What helped me make progress toward this goal was slowing down, underlining key words and numbers, and previewing all parts of a question before solving. What got in the way of this goal was sometimes feeling rushed by the time, which made me skim through long questions or assume I knew what they were asking without fully re-reading them.

Three strengths I have shown last semester are staying focused in class,
being perseverant by not giving up on challenging problems, trying different strategies, and explaining my thinking by using mathematical vocabulary in my answers.

Three areas I still want to improve are clearly explaining causation and correlation, reading every part of multi-step questions carefully before I start solving, and checking my work more consistently so I catch misread questions and small calculation errors.

In the next unit, I want to consistently read every question at least twice and underline key information so I can reduce mistakes caused by misreading and better understand what is being asked. What might get in the way of this goal is feeling rushed by the time and wanting to skip rereading, especially when a problem looks familiar. If I get stuck or need help, I will first reread the question slowly. If I am still unsure, I will ask the teacher for clarification and try my best.

Unit 2 Topic A and B Test Reflection (Functions & Statistics)

January 11, 2026 / Preston

I chose Question 2 as evidence of my best thinking because I clearly showed all my work and got all four parts correct, which shows I understood the steps and was careful with my calculations. I chose Question 4 as evidence of my best thinking because I was able to apply my learning in context, interpret what the question was asking, and answer correctly using the information from the situation.

Throughout Unit 2, I improved the most at correctly identifying points and explaining what they meant in the context of the problem. One skill from this unit that I still need to work on is clearly explaining the difference between causation and correlation in real-life situations. The biggest challenge for me on this assessment was reading each question carefully before starting my work, especially on longer word problems. One strategy that helped me on this test was double-checking my work and rereading my answers to prevent simple mistakes.

Designing a Story Problem (Piecewise Function Project)

January 6, 2026 / Preston

My story was about a bike courier delivering orders in his city. The part of the project that I am the most proud of is interpreting and analyzing each part of the function clearly. The hardest part of creating my piecewise function was to think of a creative and authentic idea. If I could revise one part of this project, I would show more work to demonstrate my thinking in this project. This project helped me understand piecewise functions better by putting it in a realistic, easier to understand context.

The Box – DT Reflection

December 12, 2025 / Preston

In this project, I learned how a simple idea actually involves a lot of planning, precision, and problem-solving. At first, I didn’t realize how many decisions go into creating a product, from choosing materials to measuring accurately and thinking about the user’s needs. As I worked through the design cycle, I saw how each step connected to the next.

During the planning stage, I had to sketch multiple ideas and compare them before deciding on my final design. This helped me think like a designer instead of just rushing to build something. When it came to measuring, cutting, and assembling the box, I realized how important accuracy and patience are. Even small mistakes in measurement can affect how the final product fits together. The most challenging part of this project was recreating my sketch online because it took a lot of precision and practice to get it how I liked.

Overall, this project helped me improve my craftsmanship, attention to detail, and ability to reflect on my work. If I were to do this project again, I would focus on improving the finish and durability of my box, and double-check my measurements before cutting. I’m proud of my final product and the skills I developed along the way.

Robotics – DT Reflection

December 12, 2025 / Preston

In this robotics unit, we had to complete three main challenges: the speed challenge, the autonomous wall-racer challenge, and the stacking challenge. We collected testing data for each event and repeatedly refined our robot’s design based on performance results. Our goal was to balance speed, stability, and the precision of the Vex bot.

At the start, I felt confident about the building stage but nervous about coding the autonomous challenge because I didn’t have a lot of experience in coding. However, as we tested more, I became more comfortable in adjusting the code of our Vex bot after each test. By the end, I felt proud of the improvements we made and how our robot became more reliable across all tests.

Our strongest performance was in the speed challenge, where our gear ratio and lightweight build helped us achieve the fastest time in our class. The autonomous challenge was more inconsistent because our alignment and sensor values sometimes caused drifting. The stacking challenge was moderately successful as we did an okay job in getting the blocks onto the center.

Reviewing our data helped us understand why each result happened. For example, we saw that adding stability supports reduced wheel wobble, directly improving our speed times. In the autonomous challenge, the data showed that even a slight turn angle difference decreased the accuracy of the bot, which explained our inconsistent results. For stacking, our testing videos showed that our arm design had a limited range, which slowed down the cycle time.

I learned that repetitive testing and adjustments make the largest difference in performance. I also realized how important communication is to sharing observations and resolving problems faster. Overall, the unit strengthened my understanding of how engineering decisions affect real-world results.

In the future, I would run more early-stage tests to catch design flaws before the final week. I also want to improve my coding accuracy by coding sensor values more carefully and testing one variable at a time. For building, I would focus on making simple and effective designs that are easier to adjust when something needs to be changed quickly.

Unit 2 – Biological Evolution Reflection

November 25, 2025 / Preston

Unit 1 First Contact Reflection

October 8, 2025 / Preston

During the first unit, we explored grammar by teaching an AI alien. Teaching the alien required me to fully understand these concepts myself, as I had to explain them clearly and provide examples that would make sense to someone new to English. This artifact shows the progress made by both the alien and myself after I thoroughly taught and learned the different parts of speech. Overall, this exercise was a really helpful reinforcement to my knowledge of grammar.

Table Tennis Reflection

September 5, 2025 / Preston

During the table tennis unit in PE, I was able to develop both my technical skills and my overall understanding of the game. One of the most important things I learned was how much strategy is involved in table tennis. It’s not just about hitting the ball back—it’s about placing shots, controlling spin, and anticipating the opponent’s moves. I also had to practice patience and focus, especially during longer rallies.

Working with different classmates gave me the chance to adapt to different playing styles. Some players were more aggressive, while others focused on control. This taught me to adjust my approach and stay flexible.

Overall, this unit strengthened my reflexes, coordination, and ability to think strategically under pressure. Going forward, I’d like to keep improving my serves and footwork, since those areas still challenge me. Table tennis ended up being both fun and surprisingly competitive, and I’m glad I had the chance to experience it in PE.

Probability Fair Reflection

June 9, 2025 / Preston

The rules of the game were to draw 2 cards out of 2 decks. If you got any combinations that we listed, you win a prize. You then get to choose to leave with your winnings or play again for more prizes, but if at any point you lose, you lose all your prizes.

We worked on creating this game by incorporating our Creative Learner skills into the project.

Things that went well during the Probability Fair were that there were a lot of people that went to our station, and the fact that we prepared enough prizes for everybody participating.

I don’t think the Probability Fair needs and major improvements; it was very successful overall.

The theoretical probability was 74.58% chance of getting a prize while the experimental probability was around 62%.

Abuse of Power Reflection

May 26, 2025 / Preston

What was the abuse of power or concept you explored?
I explored the False Positives scandal in Colombia, where military officials abused their power by killing innocent civilians and falsely reporting them as guerrilla fighters to meet quotas and gain rewards.

What have you learned about the research process and finding evidence?
I learned that researching complex events requires using multiple reliable sources, cross-checking facts, and looking for firsthand accounts. Finding credible evidence takes time, but it helps build a stronger, more accurate understanding of the topic.

What did you do to prepare for the Pecha-Kucha style presentation?
I outlined my slides, wrote scripts for each one, and practiced timing to fit the 20-second limit per slide. I also selected powerful images to match each point and rehearsed to make sure my delivery was clear and confident.

What was challenging about this presentation?
The biggest challenge was fitting detailed information into a short 20-second script for each slide. It was also tough to keep the presentation engaging while making sure all the main points were covered.

How have your ideas or skills in Language Arts developed since the beginning of the year?
My skills in organizing information, analyzing sources, and presenting ideas clearly have improved a lot. I’m better at summarizing complex topics and using evidence to support my arguments.

What TOP 5 books have you read this year?

To Kill a Mockingbird
Scythe
Born a Crime
Unwind
The Book Thief

What is one book you would recommend?
I would recommend Born a Crime by Trevor Noah because it’s both funny and informative about growing up under apartheid.

What is one book that was challenging for you?
To Kill a Mockingbird was challenging because of its complex themes and language, but it made me think about power and control in society.

Preston's Portfolio