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Alberto Diaz

Advisory

Senior Portfolio

12th Grade Best Work Reflection

My best work from senior year so far is the program I created in AP Computer Science

Principles. Using the AppLab on Code.org, my partner—Carlos Cowo—and I had to create a

scene. We decided to code a meadow.

For this performance task, we had to put our knowledge of AppLab’s tools to use,

compile all the information we had learned in Unit 7 so to meet requirements, which included

but weren’t limited to using loops, functions, and random numbers. If we wanted a good grade,

we had to share responsibility and complete our assigned sections of our soon-to-be image.

Completing the assignment alone felt rewarding. It took over a week of collaboration and

contemplation, trial and error, to complete the meadow. Of which collaboration, especially,

helped further cement the importance of effective communication skills in teams. If Carlos and I

had not clearly communicated our ideas with one another, or if we had not discussed the ways in

which we would implement our individual code into one, then the program would not have

worked. Only under the exact circumstances that the code currently sits at is it possible for the

program to run as it currently does.

Further, the meadow represented a personal learning milestone. I had been falling behind

in my classwork in AP Computer Science; I found myself having to complete assignments at

home. I realized that I had to take notes during class discussions so that information could be

referenced back to and further ingrained into my mind. I played instruction videos back

numerous times as to fully understand the lessons in Unit 7.

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I had began to gain back confidence in my ability to perform at a high level in this course

just before the scene project was assigned. The immediate test was beneficial, and I was able to

put my advanced knowledge on display. The process of creating my portion of the scene went

smoothly not only because I was constantly receiving feedback from my partner, but also

because my confidence propelled me to believe in my ability and strive to do better work

quicker.

The scene is representative of me. It is simple yet dynamic. It can change in a moment’s

instant yet remain perpetually recognizable. It took a good while to complete. It necessitated

patience. And at the same time it required bold, out-of-the-box thinking in order to create

complex images and to solve sudden, mind-challenging problems. My skills in those areas of

thinking shone. And my classmates found the meadow quite neat.

Overall, the assignment was fun. Putting my skills to use while promoting the learning of

shortcuts. This project was yet another example of why learning can be fun and electric.