Eric Harmatz's Exit Interview
May 25th, 2010 at 2:15PM in Rachel Nichol's Room
It is hard to believe that my time at High Tech High Media Arts is coming to an end. From a freshman in August 2006 to a senior ready to attend Embry Riddle Aeronautical Univeristy in the Fall of 2010, I have grown a lot in my thought process and my learning style, incorporating technologies such as Adobe Photoshop and Apple Final Cut Pro into my project-based learning methods.
Here is a lookback at my past four years at HTHMA.
US Airways A320 Safety Video, September 2006
Excerpt from Freshman tPOL Thesis, April 2007
Welcome to project-based learning! Here at High Tech High Media Arts, we do not read page 191 of our science text book to explore a concept, instead, we learn about it through a hands-on activity. This is my first year at the High Tech Village; I feel that it has had a great impact on the way I look at education...
...Last year, I attended a public traditional school. I had great grades in every subject but math, even though I completely understood the content. It did not make much sense how one person could understand math but not get an “A”. I am pretty sure that it was the learning style of worksheets, lectures, more worksheets, homework worksheets, tests (the process would repeat every week), that doomed me. I had potential to do well, but the teaching style was holding me back.
...All in all, I feel that I have had a successful year, for being my first year at High Tech School System. It has become clear that I have grown through my professional demeanor, my persistence and willingness to learn, as well as trying to reduce my stress load. I have even set a goal for next year: I will try to eliminate most if not all of stress as it has a negative effect on the learning experience. I hope to have a successful tenure at High Tech High Media Arts, and an educational success story for many years to come.
Granada, Spain Tourism Brochure, May 2007
Diet Digest, November 2007
"You Be The Teacher" Winter 2007
Mayoral Madness, Spring 2008
"I don't run to my mother or to anybody else and say, 'Somebody talked naughty to me today.' I mean that's part of being a grown-up in a pretty grown-up business."
-San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders
This American High School Life, November 2008
"The Ear, Music and Math" May 2009
Los Peñasquitos Watershed, May 2009
Rescue Helicopter, December 2009
NRG Investor Relations, May 2010
As you can see, the levels of complexity of my work grew over the years, and all the skills I learned were utilized in my two main senior projects. Project-based learning works in such a way that I will remember the process and skillset required to work on a project, other than the information on a study guide just to study for an AP test. The former will be recalled during my future endeavours in both education fields and professional fields.
I'd like to thank the faculty at High Tech High Media Arts over these past four years, as I wouldn't have experienced success without them. Looking back at the tough decision I had in August 2006 to attend HTHMA or continue with traditional school as planned, I am 100% certain that I made the right choice in deciding to attend HTHMA. Anyone who is presented with this opportunity should take it, for they do not fully understand how lucky they are to be able to attend HTHMA.