Musical Underwater Tag

Two of the interests presented in my group were swimming and music.  The simplest idea presented was listening to music or singing while swimming.  To elaborate (3) and expound on this idea, this activity can be played as a game.  These interests can be incorporated into a game of swimming musical tag.  The concept is similar to Marco-Polo, but when a player is underwater they have to sing a song as loud as they can in place of saying “Polo” above water.  It could be funny as well as difficult for players of Musical-Underwater-Tag, or MUT, as sound doesn’t travel as far underwater.  The game could also include a guessing aspect.  Upon being tagged the person that was “it” could have to guess whatever song the person they tagged was singing.  If they get it wrong they could have to remain as “it” for another turn.  All of the players will be wearing goggles that you can’t see through so no one can visibly see the other players.  The person that is “it” has to listen to the underwater songs/humming of the other players in order to locate them in the pool.  This game is original (4) when compared to Marco-Polo because the locating aspect of Marco-Polo is conducted, for the most part, above water.  Marco-Polo doesn’t incorporate music or the underwater singing of this game. 

Using Listening Techniques to Gain Advice

This past week I have been trying to determine what I want to see myself doing this summer.  I have been offered an opportunity to start and run a painting business this summer but have also discovered a study abroad opportunity that I am very interested in.  To help sort through this choice and gain advice, I called my dad.  We talked for a long time last night about what he did over his summers in college and what he thought I should consider in the future.  Even though I went into the conversation looking for advice, I tried to focus on my dad and talk with him about what he thought and his past experiences because I feel like he has a lot of personal experiences and knowledge to share. 

During our conversation I [A] asked him to tell me his stories.  I listened to him as he told me about how he had experiences painting over summers between college semesters and what it is like now running his own business in construction.  He also offered a lot of advice towards studying abroad as he was active in college.  By putting my own opinions aside and listening to his past and stories, I was able to learn a lot about what I think I want to do in the future.  I used the technique of [M] mirror, and [P] paraphrase to stimulate discussion.  To avoid getting side-tracked on how classes are going and other aspects of my life, I replied to his statements in a way that would generate more discussion on his part.  I would try to stimulate a continuation on a story he was telling.  I think I was able to do this well during our conversation, and as a result the details grew and I learned a lot from and about my dad that I didn’t know before.

Towards the end of the conversation I used the techniques of Agree and Build to relate my current situation to his past and to show that I understood and can take lessons away from what he told me.  I used Build to show how I can relate to his stories by intertwining our scenarios and Agree to come to a conclusion on what I should focus on.  I feel like I can improve on my ability to use Build as often times this would lead me to rambling about myself, but I feel like with practice this can be improved.  Through the conversation I learned a lot from my dad and have realize that I want to manage a business and innovate in today’s business world, but I should wait for different opportunities or build some for myself.  Painting is not for me, so I have decided to apply for studying abroad this summer and am working on a side project that will hopefully grow in the future.

Analysis and Application of the Kensington Laptop Lock

For my engineered part I chose to describe and observe Kensington Laptop Locks and how students on campus use them. I observed three different ways in which the lock is being applied, and how the application of the steel fastener could be improved upon. I learned from my observations as I have never considered the differing ways in which the device is used or the improvements that could be made to the lock. The video posted explains the device in detail, common uses, and the idea I have to improve the design and use.

Toulmin Model Applied to Littering on Campus

Walking around campus I noticed that there is a problem of littering. When walking around campus, it is not unusual to find a lone PowerAde bottle or a crumpled piece of paper lying on the ground. Every day I walk to many of my classes by taking the path from the six-pack that leads behind the business building and towards the quad. For the last two weeks, every time I have walked down that path I have noticed the same bottle in the same spot since the day someone dropped it. It is ridiculous sometimes how much trash is scattered along sidewalks and the streets of our campus, and it seems like little is being done to reduce the problem. It seems like there is not an adequate number of garbage cans on campus. I feel that if there were more garbage cans, people would more likely throw away their trash. On Green Street I noticed there is a garbage can that is solar powered and uses the gathered energy to compact the trash inside. I haven’t seen any other ”green” cans like this one on campus, but I feel that if the university added more garbage cans, more of these models should be introduced. This would help the university staff complete the task of emptying an increased number of garbage cans at a manageable rate.

Claim: By adding more garbage cans/ “green” cans to the campus, more people on campus with throw away their trash and less littering will occur.

Grounds: With more garbage cans, people will be enticed to put their trash in the garbage and not on the ground. With the availability of “green” garbage cans, staff will not be overwhelmed and money will be saved in the removal of trash.

Warrant: By increasing the ease of access to garbage cans, people will throw away their trash more frequently.

Backing: With anything in life, the easier something can be carried out, the more frequently it will occur. I have seen people throwing garbage in garbage cans, and when none are easily accessible, I have seen people simply litter.

Qualifier: Some people will continue to litter regardless of how easy it is to throw away their trash due to a lack of interest.

Free-Writing and Directed Writing: Analysis of Communication in Engineering

This week I decided to answer option 1. The first paragraph is the result of my 6 minute free writing period where I tried to follow the rules outlined in the Entreprenuerial Engineer, and the second is an example of Detailed Writing concerning the same topic.

With the topic of communication in engineering, follow the methods of Free-writing and Directed writing and post to your blog.

Communication in engineering is very important because an engineer needs to be able to present his/her creation to the business world and the market. An engineer who creates a product but is unable to sell it is just a calculator. Someone who sits behind a desk and runs calculations. Anyone in any profession needs to be able to communicated with others and this program is helping us work with others and create with others in an attempt to develop these essential communication skills. I feel that this is a great intregrated program for the college because it brings to the table what wasn’t there before. This is important because leaving school the typical graduate will not be ready for the workplace. It is like the graph that was drawn on the board of the missing basics being applied to our education. The missing basics fill in the gap and prepare us for where we need to be upon graduation. To further increase my communication skills I plan to study abroad and apply for a co-op. By studying abroad I will be forced to communicate with others to adapt to the culture I would be surrounded by and learn from the people around me. I want to study abroad in a culture I am unfamiliar with to gain that knowledge and experiancce that will dcarry over to the workplace and my applications. So far I feel like this class has been a good steeping stone and one that I can build networks from and outlets to further paths down the road.

Communication: The Foundation of Success
Having the ability to effectively communicate with others is one of the most basic and important traits a person needs to succeed. In the field of engineering, communication is extremely important due to the prevalence and influence of business and of the business world.
An engineer is required to have a certain degree of technical knowledge to perform their job effectively, but they also need to be able to communicate in a way that helps other people understand their product and makes their work marketable. An engineer needs to be able to prove to others that their design or their idea is the best one out there and is the most profitable for their employer. If the end product is not marketed or profitable, the technical prowess means very little.
IEFX is a great program because it begins to introduce communication into the curriculum. For so long, the missing basics were not incorporated into the educational system, but this program aims to correct this shortcoming and I feel like I am benefitting from it. This class is preparing the students for the workplace, where other programs do not have this aim in the forefront of the coursework. This class is a great stepping stone and a way to expand my network and increase my communicating ability. I plan to continue to develop my communication skills through a study abroad program and work experience while in college, but this is where my journey starts. I will begin assimilating the missing basics into my life through this class and I strongly feel they will allow me to excel in my career and in my daily life.

Advertising, E-mails, and a New Strategy

Recently I had an idea for a new type of advertising company. I don’t want to spoil the surprise just in case it ever takes off, I don’t know how likely it is, but you never know right. I’ve thought about the business plan and how I would get my project off the ground for the last couple of weeks, but I have no idea if there is a law that has stopped others in the past or would stop me from developing my project further. This week I took advantage of this assignment and sent out some e-mails. In each e-mail I described the purpose behind the advertising company I had conceived but made it a point to keep the e-mails short. Then I looked up four of the biggest law firms in Chicago that handled cases in advertisement or in a relevant subject manner and sent them all e-mails. Two of the e-mails were sent to partners in the firms, and the remaining two were sent to generic addresses on the firms’ websites due to a lack of better contact information. It has been several days now and sadly I have yet to hear back from any of the firms I e-mailed, but I do not plan on giving up. I think instead of e-mailing law firms in Chicago I am going to talk to a firm located closer to campus and mention that I am a student at U of I to spark interest in my project. In my previous e-mails I didn’t mention that I am a student for fear of not getting a response, but now what do I have to lose!
Also this week I joined a club on campus that helps fight hunger in the area. I feel that so many people send food and support overseas when there are people here that need help. We need to help ourselves before we send aid to others and I feel this club will help me do that as well as offer leadership opportunities in the next couple of years. I went to a social event with some of the executive board members and have remained in contact on Facebook with one of them so I hope something great comes from it!

Analysis of Engineering in Today’s Society

After Reading The Entrepreneurial Engineer Chapters 1 and 2, I have developed a stronger understanding of the Missing Basics and their importance in the career of an engineer in today's society. I agree with Mr.Goldberg's analysis of the differing roles of an engineer of the Cold War and of today's global economy. More and more an engineer is pressed to assume the role of not only a scientist and a mathematician, but also as an entrepreneur and a businessman. As an engineer, one must apply the 10 Competencies and observe the Three Principles and Cautions in order to take charge of his/her career and develop a marketable portfolio and an array of useful skills. This was the basis of Goldberg's first chapter and I agree with his assumptions. I feel that an engineer needs to be able to communicate with others and sell the product or design they have created. They need to learn how to move in and out of their work and the business of people and networking. I think the Three Principles is exactly what an engineer needs to build their career around.
The second chapter deals with engineering in an educational sense and how it relates to and differs from other disciplines. This chapter also presents a way for an engineer to use his/her knowledge to develop a joy for engineering. I never really considered the large differences between science and engineering. As Goldberg stated, our culture has a misunderstanding of the engineering profession. An engineer in today's job market needs to apply the sciences in new ways at high cost versus a scientist's perspective of simply improving efficiency of past techniques. Engineering is a launch pad, as put by Goldberg, into differing careers due to the innovation brought through education and a love for the profession.
This semester I want to develop my presentation skills. I feel like I could become a better public speaker by the end of the semester by not only leading in labs and working with a team, but also participating in clubs and assuming a leadership position. I want to apply the Three Principles to the way I approach innovation and experimentation. This is an ongoing goal, but is again one I would like to see developed upon the conclusion of the semester. My third goal is to apply a business understanding to the products and projects I will be working on in the future. I will accomplish this by working outside of class with clubs and organizations that will develop my understanding of business, and by applying common business knowledge and cost analysis to my work. This is again another "career goal" but one I hope to master by the end of the semester. There are many clubs and organizations that will help me develop this skill and many opportunities within the classroom that I look forward to utilizing.