What is a Project ?

 1

Defining a Project 

 A sequence of task. Planned from beginning to end, put together by time, resources and required results. These series of activities that meet specific objectives in order to determine the disadvantages, of a group of people with defined outcomes. The Organization of individual or collaborative work is a choice. Under a define schedule and a set of dates. This is how it will be justified. Series of activities imply the establishment of priorities and implementation. The stages are determined by specific objectives in the project. The context will be determined in the purpose of the project.

A project is intended for the encouragement and development of a community or a group of people. Contributing to increase the quality of a vulnerable group. Facilitating resources to get to the objectives providing benefits. The students will participate with the gathering of information and applying it as a learning experience. We will obtain the academic achievements with different methods of evaluation.

A project with social purpose could be high or low impact, it can grow as the members expectations allow. The members should considerate the implementation and control of the project performance, to establish the next steps to improve.   

2.     The purpose

A purpose explains the addressing of the project, the relationships and responsibilities between the problem, solutions and subjects involved. The purposes can be classified in many types:

·         Point to a lack e.g. provides resources in terms of money

·         Facilitate in an indirect way to satisfy a lack e.g. to build a classroom

·         Introduces production for improve social conditions e.g. A business to generate employment.

The question that points a purpose description is “WHY”, in terms of the description actions, activities able to observe and provides performance evidence.

3.     Project Components

There are many elements combined to get the best objectives to achieve the solution of a problem, describing in clear, precise and ordered form the process in which the project is going to work with.

On the following we describe the components of the project:

Objectives:

They are the achievements that pretend reach with actions deployment. The objectives should be clear, real and appropriate. Objectives are classified in general and specific, in project development it not necessary formulate different type of objectives, set out would be enough.

Goals:

They are in fact measurable and evaluated objectives, they point how many achievements want to be reached and how much quality they have, goals have to be clear and reachable with the resources available.

Location:

Consist in determine the geographic area where the project is going to be located, specifying so precise the working place. Other facts that are important for this component is the description of the context, the history, the reasons-in many cases- why that place exist.

Methods:

It is maybe the most important part of the project, in this component we have to describe the appropriate activities that should be develop, actions and procedures needed to reach and achieve goals and objectives. They include rules and politics in the project deployment. In summary this component refers the “know-how” of the project management.

4.     Indicators of impact

For a reliable project assessment a frame of reference is needed. Indicators are signs that reflect advances in relation of goals and objectives; they are tools that measure all the events happened through the project, compare results with the plan in terms of quantity, quality and time, should be objective to avoid different results interpretations, specific and validated with numbers, quantity, quality, time, location, target subjects and comparison; appropriate refers measure objectives; viable represent the possibility to get require data in an effective way and less as possible resources.

There are two types of indicators:

Quantitative: are the statistic measures e.g. numbers, frequency, percentage and variety.

Qualitative: is the judge and perception measures related with politics and established rules, the presence or absence of satisfaction of the target group.

5.     Assessment

“When a problem is identified, people collect information to take decisions that allow face in the best possible way”    

This people have to know if they are carrying on the best actions and procedures to solve the problem. To reach the best action assessment, objectivity and strict politics are used to obtain the best feedback. Assessment involves four important elements; objectivity pretends achieve the reality by procedures that avoid preconceived ideas, even if the results going against the objectives and goals. Information has to be enough but it will not be complete necessarily, assessment procedure establishes a balance between the ideal and reliable; validity requires the adequate tools that measure the actions, reliability is the quality and stability of the information and the results achievement.    

  

      Escuela Secundaria Técnica N°74 Context Description and Location

This school belongs to a medium-low class, in the south zone of the Puebla city, it is classify as a urban school because of its location, among the location there are many luxury places like Hospital Angeles de Puebla, Angelópolis zone, La vista Country Golf club, many expensive and luxury districts like San José Mayorazgo, Rincón Arboledas, La Vista and more.

It is settle in “Calle Plutón sin número Unidad Habitacional FOVISSSTE San Roque” nearby Rincón Arboledas district and Calle 11 Sur and Boulevard Las Torres.

This school has two shifts one in the morning and afternoon shift, there is a huge difference between the performances academically, but the one thing that is the same is that this students truly do not know how to make decisions about their life plan. Their life decisions are based on what parents tell them to do and don’t have a plan just as their parents.

      

Context

Students are suffering mainly because of broken families like divorced parents that many cases parents fight and students take care of siblings and do not worry for doing anything els for self-development activity’s.

Parents who abandon their children with the uncles, aunts or grandparents they do not have any control over there life decisions and where they are going at least they think this.

Purpose

The purpose of this project is to motivate students to continue with future education and develop dreams to be better in life. For students to have a higher life expectancies as well as self-expectation. The importance of using time wisely in and out of school .By motivating with a key tool that could open many doors if they grow to be committed with decision making, and positive reflection. Collect information for orientating life goals and guiding them to know how to discover what they want from life.

Goals

The goals for this project are for students to realize the importance of using time wisely and waking up the interest to manage their time in something meaningful. Orientating students to continue with high school and future studies.

Objectives

The objectives are to give information to students in different presentations and help them be active in good decision making. Having students take action and make a life plan book about their goals and self-expectations. They will be orientated to establish goals and dreams for their future.

Students as the principal resource needed. We will require thirty students out of two hundred sixteen in third grade of middle school. We will need electricity and furniture from the school classrooms already agreed with teacher Ivette Jimenez Betanzos. We will have donations from Instituto D’Amicis with materials such as white paper, markers for white board, colors, and worksheets. This is supported by teacher and principal Mireya Mariel Goicuria and Loyda Velasco. Donations for motivational purposes such as a riffle with five movie tickets with a weekly opportunity to win donated by the teachers involved either this project.

Sources of support and Existing Resources

Our main sources of support are the volunteers of this project are Alondra Ponce Hernandez, Maria Belen Palacios Figueroa, and Ivette Jimenez Betanzos. Top notch beginner book and a tape recorder for listening activities, thirty five pens and pencils sponsored by Instituto D'Amicis. The experience of classroom management and two native speaker’s knowledge in English language and technology major. Already counting with a whiteboard, and outside football court used for different activities during the project.

Concrete, observable, and measurable actions

By focusing on what is really important, and to go by the hand of our main objective. We came to a point that there are many ways their actions may be measurable. One of them would be to check to see how the students develop in the classroom. By analyzing the following questions daily. Did the student come to class on time? Does the student put effort into taking this course? Does the student have knowledge of what the content is about and is he/ she recycling the vocabulary that is giving to them? So that we may some physical evidence of the progress of the student it is important for us the measure the student’s action in the following: taking attendance sheet, and have a daily progress report of what the student has been doing.

Methods of Evaluation

Students from this project will be evaluated differently. They will make a life plan book that will include a picture of what they think they will look like in five years. Where they think they will be in five years if they take good decisions. Have short term goals and long term goals. We want to break that structure they are used with something they can relate to in real life. The priority is for them to be somewhere productive doing something productive. We know it is something they need but we need to sell them the idea wisely and this way we could have more students that truly need it the most. But before we evaluate these students we must take into account that we are not evaluating them for a grade it is an action result.  Then we will present a checklist with short term goals they can accomplish from the first day they assisted to the last day. Then we will work on creating along with them goals to accomplish considering high school education. The checklist will consist in assistance, creativity in activities. We will ask them at the end to have their life plan book completed by the end of the project. We will consider the good diction making and the concert goals apart of the rubric to evaluate the progress. This will be based mostly on an Observation method (watching what people do) would seem to be an obvious method of carrying out research in psychology. However, there are different types of observational methods and distinctions need to be made between:

     Controlled Observations

2.       Natural Observation

3.       Participant Observations (Saul McLeod published 2015)

They will make a presentation for the final activity where they hear themselves talk about their dreams and goals. In order for students to not feel under pressure when presenting their life plan book the teacher will prepare them with elements to be able to present. Another form of evaluation will be oral practice exercise. Students will also work many times in pairs. Students will be evaluated on a daily bases with a rubric that they will have printed as well as a self/evaluation. The rubric will consist on five actions they do in class.

Method/Procedure of Intervention (Tutorials o Como se involucre)

The method or way we are going to work with the students is the following. Students will need a motivation. This way we can get students involved by making an good life decisions so we will put several circumstances and the will choose the  best way out of the problem. We will also open up soccer sport activities in order for students to raise interest and sign up. In order for students to have more interest in being a part of this project, our classes will be differentiated. This will be done by changing their daily learning environment, traditional activity’s and making it fun for them.

Limits and Constraints

There are many limitations as when launching this project we may be facing, students with poor motivation due to the fact that some are not interested in planning their future, or they might not find the importance in doing such thing as planning. Afternoon time taken from students and materials that could be perfect for working with them but not possible to obtain is also limiting us to help. Some students may not agree with taking their afternoons off and staying at school. Some materials that may be needed in the class but it may be too challenging for the students. The limitation of technology is a strong factor because there are a lot of online exercises that help save time to canker our goals faster.

Emerging Problems

One problem we may face is that, when students sign up for this project our aim is to reach to those students who are either having difficulties with English or to save those students that are in danger of falling into other problems. Therefore, a problem that we may face is that instead of reaching out to those students we may have it the other way around. The students. That are the students that are more involved in schools and less likely to fall into any outside problem are the students that we may receive. We will also need the parents support so they can see what their children are planning and encourage their dreams. This could not happen so it will be a problem. We will have to be prepared for poor parent assistance.

The possible life project book:





     

Social Problems

The main issue in this community has been due to violence. The impact of violence is alarming and has a big impact in the Escuela Secundaria Tecnica num. 74. This because students are victims of armed robbery and sexual harassment. Classified as one of the highest risk areas in drug consumption. A study done in Puebla in 2014, reveals that there is a high level of family disintergation. There are behavior and discipline issues in teenagers and these inrease the consumption of drugs. (Regulacion Sanitaria de la Secretaria de Salud y Registro y Fiscalisacion del Ayuntamiento para evitar la venta de drogas ilegales) show the study of the results above.. Therefore, this is a social disadvantage for any young students in this area, where they are exposed to many hours of free time and they don't use their time wisely because they have nobody to orientate them in afternoon activities or hobbies. Students are spending all their time alone because parents are either working or busy with younger siblings. This leaves them with many unresolved conflicts on a daily basis. We are faced to deal with bored, unsupported, and lonely young teenagers. If this wasn't hard enough they still have to manage school academic requirements with no adult support. This is why we find our project extremely necessary to give the students this support that they do not have at home. 

Participants

The students from third grade of Sec.Tec. num.74 are two hundred sixteen students total we are expecting to receive thirty students. Parents will be requested at the end of the project. At the end of the project they will have the parents know what they did during each afternoon at school with us. The teacher’s involved and afternoon authorities of the school.

Starting date for this project is programmed to be the tenth of January and the finishing date scheduled as the thirtieth of July of 2017. The possible outcomes and results will be the increase of motivation and the importance of using time wisely as a teenager. We also consider touching these student's lives with the teacher's experiences and life testimonies for the benefits of increasing life dreams. Knowing that this is not giving as an example at home.

Quality requirements

These are established because the students with the most need of support are third grade level middle school students. Of the Escuela Tecnica Secundaria Num. 74 of Puebla.

The project will require the following economic support.

Material	Unit	Cost	Total
Whiteboard markers	10	$ 200	$ 200
Whiteboard eraser	1	$ 15	$ 15
Pencils	50	$ 4	$200
Pens	20	$ 5	$ 100
White paper	100	$60	$60
Colored paper	100	$60	$60
Yellow folders	100	$100	$100
Extra material for decoration	30	$200	$200
Masking Tape	1	$ 18	$ 18
Total			$953

The cost of the teacher’s time in this project could be $36,000 per teacher.

Budget 

Description	Among
Project cost	$ 953
Other possible materials (crayons, glue, fluorescent markers, extra photocopies)	$100
Total	$ 1,053

Source>

McLeod, S. A. (2015). Observation Methods. Retrieved from www.simplypsychology.org/observation.html

Brophy, J. (2004). Motivating students to learn (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Malouff, J., Rooke, S., & Schutte, N. (in press). Simple strategies academics can use to help students improve their writing skills. American Psychological Association Observer.

Miller, W. R., & Rollnik, S. (2002). Motivational interviewing: Preparing people for change (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford

http://www.lajornadadeoriente.com.mx/2009/10/20/puebla/sal111.php

http://www.damicis.edu.mx/