Since this is my video blog, I also chose it as my last one so that I would have more time to work on it. When I first heard That it was an out of the ordinary use of a common thing, I immediately thought of one of my hobbies- papercraft. Many people cannot believe the things that can be done with paper, whether it be origami, or papercraft. I'm sure there are even more, but anyway.... On to the video.
I didn't want to go too in depth, but that's a quick and basic demonstration. If anyone is interested in learning more, just check out the links to the right.
I guess the basic point is that with a little bit of skill and ingenuity, you can do almost anything with what you have. I also have included a video of a short overview of the various programs that it went through before being printed. They're pretty much in reverse order of the steps at which they're used. The programs are... Metasequoia (3D program), Photoshop (Image editing program), and Pepakura Designer.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Blogpost #7 - Due November 19th
Fluency/Flexibility
Of course when we discussed this in our groups during class, the results were just general, vague ideas. Some could be compared to real-life objects or situations, but some were just entirely random.
One of these entirely random ones probably had to be chemistry+archery, at least initially. After it was said though, I began to think of video game elements, specifically the 'Bomb arrow' from Legend of Zelda. It also makes me think more realistically, such as a chemical that could be coated onto an arrow that decreases its wind resistance, allowing it to fly farther and better.
There aren't really too many limits on what can be done with good chemistry. Another off the cuff idea that I can think of would probably be a chemical hardener, so that the tips do not break as easily. I'm sure some of these have been thought of, but I doubt that they're practical in any way, due to the cost of some of the processes. That isn't really the point of this assignment though; it's not to be limited by things like cost.
Of course when we discussed this in our groups during class, the results were just general, vague ideas. Some could be compared to real-life objects or situations, but some were just entirely random.
One of these entirely random ones probably had to be chemistry+archery, at least initially. After it was said though, I began to think of video game elements, specifically the 'Bomb arrow' from Legend of Zelda. It also makes me think more realistically, such as a chemical that could be coated onto an arrow that decreases its wind resistance, allowing it to fly farther and better.
There aren't really too many limits on what can be done with good chemistry. Another off the cuff idea that I can think of would probably be a chemical hardener, so that the tips do not break as easily. I'm sure some of these have been thought of, but I doubt that they're practical in any way, due to the cost of some of the processes. That isn't really the point of this assignment though; it's not to be limited by things like cost.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Blogpost #6 - Due November 5th
I talk to my family on the phone quite often, so I found it easiest to do the listening exercise by calling my mother when I had some free time, and just talked.
I found that I often listened the best when I was either particularly interested in something, or when I wasn't doing something else. Sometimes if I was trying to focus on multiple things at once, I would miss bits of the conversation. This is when most of the 'mirroring' occurred. If I was closely paying attention or particularly interested in a specific topic, I would ask about it. The parts where I would really start to drift off was near the end, when I realized there wasn't really much else to say, and my mother would either start repeating earlier things or just not talk as much- this is also when I would think of something else to say (ie: "preparing a response" to fuel the conversation). Every time this starts to happen (not just during the long conversation, any time) is usually when I ask if there's anything my mother hasn't mentioned, or if there was anything else. I can tell that she doesn't really want to stop talking, but realizes there isn't anything else to say (I suppose all parents are like this to an extent). I never really paraphrased anything though, that just seems redundant to me. They know what they said, I don't believe that they would want to hear it said again. I never really got silence much either, except near the end when there wasn't much to talk about, and I knew the problem then. We talk quite regularly, so it can be somewhat difficult to have 45 minutes of original conversation.
With agreement/disagreement, it didn't really come up much since we just discussed what was going on at the time. The only major thing was me walking home after an exam- I didn't think it was worth waiting 20 minutes for a bus to cover a distance that I can walk in less, and she disagreed. I can see her point of not wanting to walk at night, but waiting at a somewhat desolate bus stop at night is not a prime situation either. Building on the conversation always happens; one of us points out something the other didn't mention, for whatever reason. Comparing is the same for something like an argument, for me anyway. I look at both sides and see pros/cons of each, like walking or riding the bus at night.
Overall, I learned that I often don't listen as well as I could, and that it could be improved upon. I also learned that I used all of the listening tools on the list except for paraphrasing, which I don't really see the point of anyway. The only time I suppose it could be useful is when you're double checking an order or assignment from your boss or teacher, in which case you would want to be sure of what you heard. I believe I could improve by having conversations when I am not trying to do something else or am busy- this would allow me to focus more on what is being said, and actually listen more intently.
I found that I often listened the best when I was either particularly interested in something, or when I wasn't doing something else. Sometimes if I was trying to focus on multiple things at once, I would miss bits of the conversation. This is when most of the 'mirroring' occurred. If I was closely paying attention or particularly interested in a specific topic, I would ask about it. The parts where I would really start to drift off was near the end, when I realized there wasn't really much else to say, and my mother would either start repeating earlier things or just not talk as much- this is also when I would think of something else to say (ie: "preparing a response" to fuel the conversation). Every time this starts to happen (not just during the long conversation, any time) is usually when I ask if there's anything my mother hasn't mentioned, or if there was anything else. I can tell that she doesn't really want to stop talking, but realizes there isn't anything else to say (I suppose all parents are like this to an extent). I never really paraphrased anything though, that just seems redundant to me. They know what they said, I don't believe that they would want to hear it said again. I never really got silence much either, except near the end when there wasn't much to talk about, and I knew the problem then. We talk quite regularly, so it can be somewhat difficult to have 45 minutes of original conversation.
With agreement/disagreement, it didn't really come up much since we just discussed what was going on at the time. The only major thing was me walking home after an exam- I didn't think it was worth waiting 20 minutes for a bus to cover a distance that I can walk in less, and she disagreed. I can see her point of not wanting to walk at night, but waiting at a somewhat desolate bus stop at night is not a prime situation either. Building on the conversation always happens; one of us points out something the other didn't mention, for whatever reason. Comparing is the same for something like an argument, for me anyway. I look at both sides and see pros/cons of each, like walking or riding the bus at night.
Overall, I learned that I often don't listen as well as I could, and that it could be improved upon. I also learned that I used all of the listening tools on the list except for paraphrasing, which I don't really see the point of anyway. The only time I suppose it could be useful is when you're double checking an order or assignment from your boss or teacher, in which case you would want to be sure of what you heard. I believe I could improve by having conversations when I am not trying to do something else or am busy- this would allow me to focus more on what is being said, and actually listen more intently.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Blogpost #4 - Due October 8th
The Toulmin Model
Claim: Time, even in the smallest amounts, can be very useful.
Grounds: Small amounts of time previously unused can be used to get work done, and it opens up larger blocks of time later on.
Warrant: With the extra time I never really saw as useful before, I am able to get work done quicker, allowing for more free time after class.
Backing: After implementing more of my free time, I no longer have to do nearly as much homework after classes-it gets done while I wait for my next one to begin.
Qualifier: Only on certain days, only when I have time between two classes.
Even though it seems incredibly simple, it's not something I noticed immediately. With this process I've managed to become much more productive with available time, and have allowed myself extra time for myself after class. It's always nice to have time to relax after a day of class, as I'm sure everyone knows at this point.
Claim: Time, even in the smallest amounts, can be very useful.
Grounds: Small amounts of time previously unused can be used to get work done, and it opens up larger blocks of time later on.
Warrant: With the extra time I never really saw as useful before, I am able to get work done quicker, allowing for more free time after class.
Backing: After implementing more of my free time, I no longer have to do nearly as much homework after classes-it gets done while I wait for my next one to begin.
Qualifier: Only on certain days, only when I have time between two classes.
Even though it seems incredibly simple, it's not something I noticed immediately. With this process I've managed to become much more productive with available time, and have allowed myself extra time for myself after class. It's always nice to have time to relax after a day of class, as I'm sure everyone knows at this point.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Blogpost #3 - Due September 24th
Option 1: Free Write/Directed Writing
At first I didn't really think I could write about anything that was related to communication in engineering, but then I remembered a time when I went with my brother in law to work. He works for the city of Beloit, which is just north of my hometown, as a Civil Engineer. Throughout the day I learned many things, but I guess one of the biggest things that I didn't even observe at the time would be a miscommunication and mix up caused by a thing as simple as not knowing the definition of a word. At the time there was a road that was being torn up to be redone, and everyone was surprised when there was concrete underneath of the asphalt. This caused several things to be rescheduled, money needing to be allocated to take out the concrete, and various other problems. While it was being discussed in the office, one guy came forward and said something along the lines of "Oh, of course there was concrete underneath. That's what sheet asphalt is." This was being discussed previously as well, and he never spoke up. I think that he thought he was being the smart, knowledgeable guy by speaking up right then, but from my point of view it was entirely the opposite. If he would have spoke up earlier, no one would have been surprised by the outcome, and there wouldn't have been any trouble getting the project done on time. Of course now everyone knows what sheet asphalt is, and this will help in the future, but it was a stupid thing to not speak up sooner.
In short, problems are caused daily when people just don't speak up at the right time. If you know what something is, and no one else does, don't withhold the information thinking it makes you more of an asset. It doesn't; sometimes it even makes you a liability. I'm sure people have been fired over things like that.
At first I didn't really think I could write about anything that was related to communication in engineering, but then I remembered a time when I went with my brother in law to work. He works for the city of Beloit, which is just north of my hometown, as a Civil Engineer. Throughout the day I learned many things, but I guess one of the biggest things that I didn't even observe at the time would be a miscommunication and mix up caused by a thing as simple as not knowing the definition of a word. At the time there was a road that was being torn up to be redone, and everyone was surprised when there was concrete underneath of the asphalt. This caused several things to be rescheduled, money needing to be allocated to take out the concrete, and various other problems. While it was being discussed in the office, one guy came forward and said something along the lines of "Oh, of course there was concrete underneath. That's what sheet asphalt is." This was being discussed previously as well, and he never spoke up. I think that he thought he was being the smart, knowledgeable guy by speaking up right then, but from my point of view it was entirely the opposite. If he would have spoke up earlier, no one would have been surprised by the outcome, and there wouldn't have been any trouble getting the project done on time. Of course now everyone knows what sheet asphalt is, and this will help in the future, but it was a stupid thing to not speak up sooner.
In short, problems are caused daily when people just don't speak up at the right time. If you know what something is, and no one else does, don't withhold the information thinking it makes you more of an asset. It doesn't; sometimes it even makes you a liability. I'm sure people have been fired over things like that.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Blogpost #2 - Due September 17th
Over the last week or so I have done several things to help towards building a new network, as well as tried a few that did not work. One of those was just getting to know people in my classes. Of course this is easier in Merit Discussions (there are less people, and it's not as daunting). Most of the classes do the work for you though. They split you up into smaller groups, and then you get to know your individual groups better. So I have, of course, tried to be friendly and get to know everyone in these groups in each of my discussions.
This is looking to be relatively easy however, so I decided to try something a bit different and bold. I tried sending an e-mail to the president of Nintendo (Satoru Iwata) asking him what inspired him to follow the path that led him to be so successful. The one e-mail address I managed to find only resulted with me getting an automated message saying that the e-mail address provided did not exist. So obviously I need to continue searching for a working e-mail address. I could just use one of the many provided on Nintendo's site, but I know those would only lead me to customer service or some similar lower level branch of the company. Even if I don't manage to find a way to contact him, it's not like it was all worthless. I learned a bit about the Mr. Iwata along the way, like where he started out; that he majored in computer science back in the late '70s and early '80s-which must have been drastically different than it is now; and that his first job was with HAL Laboraties, which is a subsidiary of Nintendo.
In each of these things I learned the value of teamwork with my fellow classmates and that with it, things get done more quickly, as well as the fact that networking can often be easy, but at times it can be incredibly difficult - especially without having a definite means of contact. And even after finding that contact, that does not mean things will get easier.
This is looking to be relatively easy however, so I decided to try something a bit different and bold. I tried sending an e-mail to the president of Nintendo (Satoru Iwata) asking him what inspired him to follow the path that led him to be so successful. The one e-mail address I managed to find only resulted with me getting an automated message saying that the e-mail address provided did not exist. So obviously I need to continue searching for a working e-mail address. I could just use one of the many provided on Nintendo's site, but I know those would only lead me to customer service or some similar lower level branch of the company. Even if I don't manage to find a way to contact him, it's not like it was all worthless. I learned a bit about the Mr. Iwata along the way, like where he started out; that he majored in computer science back in the late '70s and early '80s-which must have been drastically different than it is now; and that his first job was with HAL Laboraties, which is a subsidiary of Nintendo.
In each of these things I learned the value of teamwork with my fellow classmates and that with it, things get done more quickly, as well as the fact that networking can often be easy, but at times it can be incredibly difficult - especially without having a definite means of contact. And even after finding that contact, that does not mean things will get easier.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Blogpost #1 - Due August 27
Reaction to the Missing Basics and setting future goals
My initial reaction to the missing basics were that they should be skills most people have, or develop over time. I guess this is the reason that they are missing quite often, because it is presumed that they are present. In the event the missing basics are in fact absent from someone's skill set, I believe that they should be learned as soon as possible. They are integral to being an efficient engineer. Not just that, but many of them can be used by anyone to simply be more effective at working through problems in every day life.
Over this semester I know for a fact that I will need to work on increasing my level of focus and dedication in order to get more work done, practice on using my time effectively, and learn to recognize when to relax and take a step back from everything.
College will be (and already is) much more different than high school in terms of work and class organization. Because of this I will need to alter my method of studying to be more focused outside of class, as well as being able to dedicate more time for work. In order to do this, I will simply make sure that I do work as it is given to me, and not just set it aside, assuming I have time to do it later. That time that I plan on may very well be necessary for another course, and it will no longer be possible to use it as originally intended. So long as I continue to look at what is in front of me and not too far ahead, I will be able to maintain and improve my focus and dedication.
Planning out what to do with available time can often be more difficult then it sounds. For most it is an acquired skill, but for few others it comes natural. Personally I must acquire the skill through practice. Using time between and after classes will be a necessity in days to come, even years following college. To do this effectively, I must analyze where I have time in my schedule, and plan on what to do with it. There isn't really a long thought out process to doing it either. Just doing it will become a habit, so long as it is done well. Creating that habit through practice will be one of my main goals.
And last but not least... Knowing when to take a step back. There may be many reasons for this. Needing a third person point of view at things in order to analyze your life better, or even just to take a break from all the work. This may even be one of the most difficult goals I have set. It is difficult to plan for, because you don't know when it may need to happen. Just recognizing the need when it comes will be the biggest factor. If I can learn to recognize when I am stuck on something and need another point of view, or simply overworked, then I am one step closer to success.
I suppose that my 'due date' for all of these things will be by the end of the semester, but the sooner these skills are developed the better. In my opinion, they are all incredibly useful for working towards success, if used well anyway.
My initial reaction to the missing basics were that they should be skills most people have, or develop over time. I guess this is the reason that they are missing quite often, because it is presumed that they are present. In the event the missing basics are in fact absent from someone's skill set, I believe that they should be learned as soon as possible. They are integral to being an efficient engineer. Not just that, but many of them can be used by anyone to simply be more effective at working through problems in every day life.
Over this semester I know for a fact that I will need to work on increasing my level of focus and dedication in order to get more work done, practice on using my time effectively, and learn to recognize when to relax and take a step back from everything.
College will be (and already is) much more different than high school in terms of work and class organization. Because of this I will need to alter my method of studying to be more focused outside of class, as well as being able to dedicate more time for work. In order to do this, I will simply make sure that I do work as it is given to me, and not just set it aside, assuming I have time to do it later. That time that I plan on may very well be necessary for another course, and it will no longer be possible to use it as originally intended. So long as I continue to look at what is in front of me and not too far ahead, I will be able to maintain and improve my focus and dedication.
Planning out what to do with available time can often be more difficult then it sounds. For most it is an acquired skill, but for few others it comes natural. Personally I must acquire the skill through practice. Using time between and after classes will be a necessity in days to come, even years following college. To do this effectively, I must analyze where I have time in my schedule, and plan on what to do with it. There isn't really a long thought out process to doing it either. Just doing it will become a habit, so long as it is done well. Creating that habit through practice will be one of my main goals.
And last but not least... Knowing when to take a step back. There may be many reasons for this. Needing a third person point of view at things in order to analyze your life better, or even just to take a break from all the work. This may even be one of the most difficult goals I have set. It is difficult to plan for, because you don't know when it may need to happen. Just recognizing the need when it comes will be the biggest factor. If I can learn to recognize when I am stuck on something and need another point of view, or simply overworked, then I am one step closer to success.
I suppose that my 'due date' for all of these things will be by the end of the semester, but the sooner these skills are developed the better. In my opinion, they are all incredibly useful for working towards success, if used well anyway.
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