Design Step 1
This first design step was crucial for my group, as how we handled these first few weeks would set the tone for the rest of our semester. Two skills that I think I utilized well in this part of the project were time management and communication. The first skill that I used well was time management. My whole group has been amazing keeping up to date with all of the incoming deadlines, and we make sure to turn in our best work. One specific example of when I utilized this skill was a few days after we set up our Gantt chart. I noticed that we had finished all of our assignments, and I saw all the ones we had completed and the ones I completed myself. I was proud that we had done our best work, and met all the deadlines. It has not been an easy feat, but we are all working day by day to use the most of the time we have. The second skill that I performed well was communication. A specific example of when I utilized this skill was our last Zoom meeting of this part of the design process. As we scheduled our meeting, I made sure that the Gantt chart was updated for our next steps and that everyone knew what we had to finish for the week. Talking virtually is not the same as meeting in person, but I really think that I have improved my communication skills because of the circumstances. We were prepared for the week ahead, and had an extremely productive meeting.
Two skills that I am going to improve upon in the future are critical thinking and leadership. The first skill that I stilled to work on is critical thinking. An example of when I saw my lack of critical thinking was when we were adding to the Padlet on the first day. I felt very lost and did not have much to contribute to the ideas for products. Audio engineering is still an area that is new to me, and I was not very prepared to suggest solutions or possible product ideas. Critical thinking is a crucial skill to have in engineering, and being creative with the circumstances is also very important. In the future, I will use my new knowledge of audio engineering to contribute ideas and help solve problems. We are in the midst of an unconventional circumstance, and we need all the creative/critical thinking possible to help us. The second skill that I want to further improve upon is leadership. An example of when my lack of leadership proved to be a problem was when we had our consultation meeting with one or mentors. I realized that I was not talking much, and although I do not need to be the absolute leader of the group, I felt obsolete and unhelpful. In order to succeed my whole group needs to be more confident and become our own leaders. The mindset we all have and our outlook is very important to how we proceed. In the future I will be more active in conversations and use my past expertise to be a reliable leader for myself and for my group.
All in all, this was an extremely informative step in our design process. I learned more about a new profession, different fields of engineering, how to use online software and so much more. We had valuable learning experiences of how to design and create a product and what worked and did not work in our project. I am hopeful and excited for what the future holds for my group and our project. It is an ambitious goal that we have set for ourselves, but I believe that we will conquer what is in front of us.
Two skills that I am going to improve upon in the future are critical thinking and leadership. The first skill that I stilled to work on is critical thinking. An example of when I saw my lack of critical thinking was when we were adding to the Padlet on the first day. I felt very lost and did not have much to contribute to the ideas for products. Audio engineering is still an area that is new to me, and I was not very prepared to suggest solutions or possible product ideas. Critical thinking is a crucial skill to have in engineering, and being creative with the circumstances is also very important. In the future, I will use my new knowledge of audio engineering to contribute ideas and help solve problems. We are in the midst of an unconventional circumstance, and we need all the creative/critical thinking possible to help us. The second skill that I want to further improve upon is leadership. An example of when my lack of leadership proved to be a problem was when we had our consultation meeting with one or mentors. I realized that I was not talking much, and although I do not need to be the absolute leader of the group, I felt obsolete and unhelpful. In order to succeed my whole group needs to be more confident and become our own leaders. The mindset we all have and our outlook is very important to how we proceed. In the future I will be more active in conversations and use my past expertise to be a reliable leader for myself and for my group.
All in all, this was an extremely informative step in our design process. I learned more about a new profession, different fields of engineering, how to use online software and so much more. We had valuable learning experiences of how to design and create a product and what worked and did not work in our project. I am hopeful and excited for what the future holds for my group and our project. It is an ambitious goal that we have set for ourselves, but I believe that we will conquer what is in front of us.
Design Step 2
This design process really tested our limits and our individual drive. Two skills that I excelled using were time management and creative thinking. The first skill that I preformed well was time management. An example of me using this skill successfully was throughout the process of drawing ur individual technical sketches. This activity required patience and initiative to complete on time. There was a lot to do, and we had other assignments at the same time. I found time everyday to chip away at the work in front of me, and in the end I was able to meet the deadline. I was really impressed with myself when I saw how much my sketching had improved since the beginning videos. The second skill that I preformed well was creative thinking. An example of when I used this skill well was when we were designing our classification scheme. It was touch to think of so many alternative concepts for one main function, so I had to really push myself to look in a new perspective. I did just that, and with the additionally input from my teammates, we were able to design our classification scheme on time and find some neat alternatives for our product.
While I did shine in some skill areas, there is always room for improvement. Two skills that I still need to work on are collaboration and communication. The first skill that I still need to work on mastering was collaboration. An example of when this skill was lacking for me was in the creation of our Coggle flow chart. I did not contribute as much as I should have on this assignment, and I know that my contribution would have been helpful in the long run. In the future, I will make sure to help in any way I can with smaller assignments to help my group succeed more efficiently and also to improve my own knowledge of audio engineering. The second skill that I still need to work on is communication. An example of when my lacking in this skill area became apparent was when we had a miscommunication with what time our mentor was supposed to meet with us one Saturday. He was flustered and we had to start our meeting later than intended, and in general our lack of communication with him and follow up texts ended badly this time. I understand that he is doing this voluntarily, so we need to respect what days he can meet with us and make an effort to organize them better. In the future, I will make sure that we send remind messages to our mentors to be more respectful and also use the time we have to the best ability.
All in all, I had a good time in this step of the design process. I was able to grow as a drawer, which is something I really liked and enjoyed, but also gain a better understanding of our product and its appearance and functions. So far, my team is amazing to work with and I am looking forward to what lies ahead of us this semester!
While I did shine in some skill areas, there is always room for improvement. Two skills that I still need to work on are collaboration and communication. The first skill that I still need to work on mastering was collaboration. An example of when this skill was lacking for me was in the creation of our Coggle flow chart. I did not contribute as much as I should have on this assignment, and I know that my contribution would have been helpful in the long run. In the future, I will make sure to help in any way I can with smaller assignments to help my group succeed more efficiently and also to improve my own knowledge of audio engineering. The second skill that I still need to work on is communication. An example of when my lacking in this skill area became apparent was when we had a miscommunication with what time our mentor was supposed to meet with us one Saturday. He was flustered and we had to start our meeting later than intended, and in general our lack of communication with him and follow up texts ended badly this time. I understand that he is doing this voluntarily, so we need to respect what days he can meet with us and make an effort to organize them better. In the future, I will make sure that we send remind messages to our mentors to be more respectful and also use the time we have to the best ability.
All in all, I had a good time in this step of the design process. I was able to grow as a drawer, which is something I really liked and enjoyed, but also gain a better understanding of our product and its appearance and functions. So far, my team is amazing to work with and I am looking forward to what lies ahead of us this semester!
Design Step 3
This design step really put me in a new field of engineering, and my group and I were able to further explore the design for our capstone final product. Two skills that I did well were time management and communication. The first skill that I will talk about that I utilized well was time management. An example of when this skill came to my aid was in the beginning of the unit. I went to the gantt chart and entered all the information including due dates and assignment we needed to complete. By doing this, my group and I were able to spread out the tasks and complete them on time. This became apparent towards the end of our design step, when we were left with time to spare on the last work day. It is very encouraging to see our hard work pay off and finish assignments in a timely matter. The second skill that I utilized well in this design step was communication. An example of when I excelled in this skill area was the beginning of our second week of work. I had some questions about how to design our life cycle assessment, and I noticed that my group did as well. I suggested that we talked with each other and see what we knew and what blank areas we had. After talking with each other, we called our teacher into our breakout room and had a list of specific questions detailed out for him. Again, we successfully communicated with each other and with our advisors to create the best possible product and report.
While this was a productive design step, there are still room for me to improve. Two skills that I still want to improve upon are my technical skills and critical thinking. The first skill that I still need to work on is my technical skills. This became an issue for me when I was working on my 3D modeling tutorials. This is a new territory for me, and I had trouble figuring out the software and doing the technical aspects of modeling. I remember that I could not figure out how to draw a sketch for one of my modeling assignments, and it was very frustrating. In the end, I was able to calm down and start my tutorial over so I could see what I was missing. In the future, I will make sure that I focus more on my technical skills. I will take the time to figure out the small details of composing a final product and also take the initiative to learn a new skill such as 3D modeling by having a positive mindset. The second skill that I still need to improve upon is critical thinking. An example of when my lack of this skill became an issue was during the formatting of our life cycle assessment report. I was asked to research transportation and distribution ideas for our product, but I did not know where to start. I felt very lost, and had trouble composing the words I wanted to write down. I became flustered and angry that I could not figure out what or where I needed to begin. In the end, I was able to solve the problem front of me, but I was upset that I could not do the research initially. In the future, I will make sure that I ask for help when I need it but also find ways that I can solve my own problems. I believe that I Ama critical thinker, but I need to be more confident in myself.
All in all, this was a productive and successful Design Step 3. Although I struggled with navigating 3D modeling and online softwares, I am proud of myself for pushing through and figuring out how to do everything. We are very close to start the physical building part of the capstone project, and I am very excited!
While this was a productive design step, there are still room for me to improve. Two skills that I still want to improve upon are my technical skills and critical thinking. The first skill that I still need to work on is my technical skills. This became an issue for me when I was working on my 3D modeling tutorials. This is a new territory for me, and I had trouble figuring out the software and doing the technical aspects of modeling. I remember that I could not figure out how to draw a sketch for one of my modeling assignments, and it was very frustrating. In the end, I was able to calm down and start my tutorial over so I could see what I was missing. In the future, I will make sure that I focus more on my technical skills. I will take the time to figure out the small details of composing a final product and also take the initiative to learn a new skill such as 3D modeling by having a positive mindset. The second skill that I still need to improve upon is critical thinking. An example of when my lack of this skill became an issue was during the formatting of our life cycle assessment report. I was asked to research transportation and distribution ideas for our product, but I did not know where to start. I felt very lost, and had trouble composing the words I wanted to write down. I became flustered and angry that I could not figure out what or where I needed to begin. In the end, I was able to solve the problem front of me, but I was upset that I could not do the research initially. In the future, I will make sure that I ask for help when I need it but also find ways that I can solve my own problems. I believe that I Ama critical thinker, but I need to be more confident in myself.
All in all, this was a productive and successful Design Step 3. Although I struggled with navigating 3D modeling and online softwares, I am proud of myself for pushing through and figuring out how to do everything. We are very close to start the physical building part of the capstone project, and I am very excited!
Design Step 4
This step of our design process tested a lot of our limits and work ethic. Two skills I used well in this step were communication and collaboration. The first skill that I used well was communication. A specific example of when I used this skill well was at the end of the project. It was one of our last work days, and my group and I had some concerns about what we needed to complete for our assignment. I made the initiative to talk with my teacher and discuss what we had done and what we needed to additionally do. He helped guide us to the finish line, and it was this communication that allowed my group to confidently turn in our assignment. The other skill that I used well in this design step was collaboration. A specific example of when I used this skill was the last day we had to work on our assignments. I worked with one other team member and we finalized our work we needed to turn in. I worked on formatting and he did the same thing. Our communication and collaborative effort was what helped us complete the assignment in a reasonable time. It was really cool seeing how well and quickly we worked together when we collaborated and made the effort to work together.
There is always room to improve, and this design step did not present my finest moments. Two skills that I need to work on for our next design step is time management and creative solutions. The first skill that I need to improve on is time management. In these weeks that we had to work on this design step, my group and I strayed from our gantt chart, and it showed. A specific example of when my lack of time management hurt our progress was the second week in our design step. My group and I needed to move forward, but we had not completed our experiments. It was stressful because we had not distributed the work effort, and I did not help the situation. One of our amazing team members helped with organizing and setting up our experiments that we needed to complete, but I feel guilty of how little I helped. In the future, we will make sure to utilizes our gantt charts to avoid al the work falling on one person and make our time together less stressful. The second skill that I will continue to improve upon is creative solutions. A specific example of when I did not use this skill well was when we were running our experiments. We had a very hard time making our experiments work and have reasonable data to work with for discussion. I really had no idea how I could help my group, and did not contribute as much as I would have liked when we talked as a group about what we could do to fix the issue. I don't know much about circuits, but I should have done more and been more creative. In the future, I will make sure that I do everything I can to contribute to conversations. I want to help lead this team to success and I know that creativity is an important factor in that.
All in all, this was a stressful but rewarding design step. I tested my boundaries, and was able to see my own faults in problem solving and time management. I am very excited to see what the future holds for Ampliteam, and we are so close to finishing. I know we can do it!
There is always room to improve, and this design step did not present my finest moments. Two skills that I need to work on for our next design step is time management and creative solutions. The first skill that I need to improve on is time management. In these weeks that we had to work on this design step, my group and I strayed from our gantt chart, and it showed. A specific example of when my lack of time management hurt our progress was the second week in our design step. My group and I needed to move forward, but we had not completed our experiments. It was stressful because we had not distributed the work effort, and I did not help the situation. One of our amazing team members helped with organizing and setting up our experiments that we needed to complete, but I feel guilty of how little I helped. In the future, we will make sure to utilizes our gantt charts to avoid al the work falling on one person and make our time together less stressful. The second skill that I will continue to improve upon is creative solutions. A specific example of when I did not use this skill well was when we were running our experiments. We had a very hard time making our experiments work and have reasonable data to work with for discussion. I really had no idea how I could help my group, and did not contribute as much as I would have liked when we talked as a group about what we could do to fix the issue. I don't know much about circuits, but I should have done more and been more creative. In the future, I will make sure that I do everything I can to contribute to conversations. I want to help lead this team to success and I know that creativity is an important factor in that.
All in all, this was a stressful but rewarding design step. I tested my boundaries, and was able to see my own faults in problem solving and time management. I am very excited to see what the future holds for Ampliteam, and we are so close to finishing. I know we can do it!
Design Step 5
This design step was filled with reflection as a group and individually. Two skills that I used well were time management and critical thinking. The first skill that I used well was time management. A specific instance when I utilized this skill of mine was in the beginning of our design step. It was the first work day, and my group and I were discussing how we wanted to create our presentation. I made it clear that since we had trouble with time management in the last step, we needed to make that our first priority to conquer this time. I went into toggle and update our Gantt chart while also delegating tasks to each of my team members. In the end, we finished our project in a timely matter and we did the best we could have with the time allotted and our resources. The second skill that I used well was critical thinking. A specific example of when I used this skill well was when we had to give our presentation. It was a little more complicated then we anticipated to make voice overs on our slideshow, and there was a lot of technical difficulties. I knew we had to do something, or we would fall off schedule and not finish in time or correctly. I started thinking of alternatives, and remembered we could record and present on Zoom meetings. I suggested it to my group ,and we all loved the idea. We used Zoom to film the presentation, and complete the assignment.
While I had many personal wins in this design step, no one is perfect. Two skills that I still need to improve on are communication and collaboration. The first skill that I need to keep working on is communication. A specific example of when this became an issue was the last day of our project. I was unsure about what the format needed to be for our written defense, so I asked my group. We talked, but it was a lot of information and people speaking and I did not know what to think. I called in our teacher, and he told us what he wanted. One of my group members had apparently answered my question before we called in the teacher, and it was my lack of communication that made me miss his comment. In the future, I will make sure that Ian attentively listening to my team and using my resources around me before asking for other help. The second skill that I still need to work on is collaboration. Now, there was nothing bad that happened to us because of this lack of skill, but I noticed something specific during our work days. One day, we were delegating task and communicating/talking to each other, and the next it was all specialized work. I know this is the most efficient way of going about this task and with the deadlines we have, but I feel like we can find new ways of working with each other so we aren't so isolated. In the future, I think we should have people working with each other on some assignments or at least having educational conversations while we work about things to keep us engaged and connected as a team.
All in all, this was a successful design step. We were able to successfully defend our work and project idea, and improve our technical designing skills for our final product rendering. We are closing in on some of the final weeks, and I am super excited to see how we will close out this year and our project!
While I had many personal wins in this design step, no one is perfect. Two skills that I still need to improve on are communication and collaboration. The first skill that I need to keep working on is communication. A specific example of when this became an issue was the last day of our project. I was unsure about what the format needed to be for our written defense, so I asked my group. We talked, but it was a lot of information and people speaking and I did not know what to think. I called in our teacher, and he told us what he wanted. One of my group members had apparently answered my question before we called in the teacher, and it was my lack of communication that made me miss his comment. In the future, I will make sure that Ian attentively listening to my team and using my resources around me before asking for other help. The second skill that I still need to work on is collaboration. Now, there was nothing bad that happened to us because of this lack of skill, but I noticed something specific during our work days. One day, we were delegating task and communicating/talking to each other, and the next it was all specialized work. I know this is the most efficient way of going about this task and with the deadlines we have, but I feel like we can find new ways of working with each other so we aren't so isolated. In the future, I think we should have people working with each other on some assignments or at least having educational conversations while we work about things to keep us engaged and connected as a team.
All in all, this was a successful design step. We were able to successfully defend our work and project idea, and improve our technical designing skills for our final product rendering. We are closing in on some of the final weeks, and I am super excited to see how we will close out this year and our project!
Design Step 6 & 7
This design step was very interesting. Two skills that I used really well in this design step was critical thinking and communication. The first skill that I used well was critical thinking. An example of when I used this skill well was when I was designing the buildable blueprints. I told my group that I would work on the 2D blueprints, and I would try to complete them virtually. However, I had no idea where to being on constructing this online and needed to think outside the box. I researched ways that I could design the blueprints, implemented them with our onshore document, and finalize the images. I really needed to work to figure out how to do this task, and I am proud of the work I did to figure out this new field area. The second skill that I did well was communication. A specific example of when I used this skill well was at the beginning of this step. Our group had limited time to complete this assignment, and it was important that we delegated the tasks. I made sure that my group and I sat down and talked about what jobs would fit each of us, so we could utilize all of our specific skills and passions to produce a great product. I was really happy with the way we continued working on this project, and our communication to make sure we put our best foot forward and divided the work efficiently.
I know there is always room to improve, and I defiantly can take this advice. Two skills that I still need to work on are creativity and collaboration. The first skill that I need to work on more is creativity. A specific example of when I missed the mark of this skill was in the middle of our work days. We were working on our performance testing report and my group could not figure out how we would perform the tests. I was very stumped, and we faced a lot of obstacles in our trials of finding the right method. We eventually found the right way to test of prototype, but I was disappointed at my lack of initiative to help fix the problem. In the future, I will make sure that I really think outside of the box and work with my team to improve the more creative thinking side of projects and assignments. The second skill that I still need to work on is collaboration. A specific example of when this lack of skill became an issue was at the beginning of our design step. My group and I split up the task and they were catered to our skillsets and passions to make sure we did the best work possible in each. However, I feel that we alienated ourselves from each other. We worked separately on many assignments/components, and did not collectively work together. For this assignment it worked in our favor, but in general we should be finding more ways to works a team; together. In the future, I will make sue my groups know that when we are a team, we must find ways to work as a team and obviously collaborate with each other.
All in all, this was a super interesting step in our design process. We are so close to finishing our semester, ad our STEM journey concluding. I am so nervous and excited for what to expect in our next set of assignments. The JEDD 2021.0 is an amazing product idea, and I am very eager to see it all finished and finalized in design step 8.
I know there is always room to improve, and I defiantly can take this advice. Two skills that I still need to work on are creativity and collaboration. The first skill that I need to work on more is creativity. A specific example of when I missed the mark of this skill was in the middle of our work days. We were working on our performance testing report and my group could not figure out how we would perform the tests. I was very stumped, and we faced a lot of obstacles in our trials of finding the right method. We eventually found the right way to test of prototype, but I was disappointed at my lack of initiative to help fix the problem. In the future, I will make sure that I really think outside of the box and work with my team to improve the more creative thinking side of projects and assignments. The second skill that I still need to work on is collaboration. A specific example of when this lack of skill became an issue was at the beginning of our design step. My group and I split up the task and they were catered to our skillsets and passions to make sure we did the best work possible in each. However, I feel that we alienated ourselves from each other. We worked separately on many assignments/components, and did not collectively work together. For this assignment it worked in our favor, but in general we should be finding more ways to works a team; together. In the future, I will make sue my groups know that when we are a team, we must find ways to work as a team and obviously collaborate with each other.
All in all, this was a super interesting step in our design process. We are so close to finishing our semester, ad our STEM journey concluding. I am so nervous and excited for what to expect in our next set of assignments. The JEDD 2021.0 is an amazing product idea, and I am very eager to see it all finished and finalized in design step 8.
Design Step 8
I think there was a lot of success in this design step. Two skills that I used well were creativity and time management. The first skill that I used well was creativity. A specific event when I saw how I used my creativity to the fullest was in the midst of our working frenzy. Our teacher was giving my group and I some feedback and last minute guidance on how to wrap up our project. He thought a good idea was for us to focus some energy in our marketing strategy. I decided to take on the challenge of developing a commercial for the group. I was a actually a really fun experience, and the final product was decent. I needed to make it fun and exciting, which let me be creative and add my own flare. The second skill that I used well was time management. A specific event of when I saw I used this skill well was the week of finals. Finals week is always stressful and full of studying and work. However, we still needed to finalize our project and presentations. It became clear as the week started that my group and I were in great shape and on track to finish the project early. And that is just what we did. Our management skills stems from our Gantt chart planning and the specialization of tasks for each team member.
While this design step was full of wins, there was also some lack of performance from myself. Two skills that I will continue to work on are critical thinking and collaboration. A specific instance where I did not think critically happened the day we filmed our presentation. I was tasked with presenting the information on the experiment results, but I was not that involved with the design and execution of the experiment. This was due to our separation of tasks and I used my skills in other areas of the project. I was very lost, and needed time t think about how ti interpret the results and explain it to the audience. I worked, with the help of my team, to get a script ready. In the future, however, I will not always have the help of people or a team. I need to be able to think for myself and be aware of what is happening around me in a project. The second skill that I will continue to improve upon is collaboration. There is not really a specific event that I can remember from this project that made me worried for my performance in this skills area. But, I know that in the future I will need to be a collaborative person. Collaboration and team work are skills that follow you throughout life, and I think this is something that I must always work on and find ways to improve.
Well, that's a wrap. I can't believe that this is the end of my STEM journey. I have made so many amazing friends, memories, and learned invaluable life lessons from this program. Since my freshmen year, I knew this was the place for me. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be apart of this community and find a place to express my passion for science. I hope that I never lose that spirit. But, I am ready to experience the next chapter of my life and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me. Thank you.
While this design step was full of wins, there was also some lack of performance from myself. Two skills that I will continue to work on are critical thinking and collaboration. A specific instance where I did not think critically happened the day we filmed our presentation. I was tasked with presenting the information on the experiment results, but I was not that involved with the design and execution of the experiment. This was due to our separation of tasks and I used my skills in other areas of the project. I was very lost, and needed time t think about how ti interpret the results and explain it to the audience. I worked, with the help of my team, to get a script ready. In the future, however, I will not always have the help of people or a team. I need to be able to think for myself and be aware of what is happening around me in a project. The second skill that I will continue to improve upon is collaboration. There is not really a specific event that I can remember from this project that made me worried for my performance in this skills area. But, I know that in the future I will need to be a collaborative person. Collaboration and team work are skills that follow you throughout life, and I think this is something that I must always work on and find ways to improve.
Well, that's a wrap. I can't believe that this is the end of my STEM journey. I have made so many amazing friends, memories, and learned invaluable life lessons from this program. Since my freshmen year, I knew this was the place for me. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be apart of this community and find a place to express my passion for science. I hope that I never lose that spirit. But, I am ready to experience the next chapter of my life and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me. Thank you.