Through optional assignment opportunities, you will be able to accomplish more than one goal. The first is to increase what you get out of this class--basically, you can extend and enhance your learning as you choose to. The second is to assist you with your grade average in the class. Optional assignments are NOT extra credit. You will not receive "extra" points. Instead, you will have the chance to have an additional assignment added to your average. This means that you will have a larger total of points from which to work--instead of only three grades for formal assessment, for example, you might have four or five.
Each assignment is worth a specific number of points. The assignment will be scored according to a rubric and that score will be averaged into your grade. Students who choose not to do a particular (or any) optional assignment will simply be exempted from it, with no impact to the grade.
Here's the catch: Your chosen project must be well-executed. You can't get something for nothing. I will grade this as I would any project, according to the rubric and with solid expectations. If your work is shoddy, you may not like the grade you get, so if you plan to do any of these, prepare to commit to a high level of effort, quality, and self-directed learning. PLEASE INCLUDE THE RUBRIC WHEN YOU TURN THEM IN.