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.
Pat,
ReplyDeleteYou wrote a lot of information. I think comparing your free-writing to your directed writing gives a good idea about the main differences between those two writing styles. However, it doesn't look like you proof-read the free-write very well before you posted it, and proofreading is a key part of freewriting. I think your ideas were sort of just thrown together, and you need to re-organize them to make them more effective.
On the other hand, your directed writing was very well done (although how iEFX addresses communication was not really part of the assignment). Your ideas were very clear, and you have a great grasp of vocabulary that makes your writing interesting. Overall, great job on the assignment and it looks like you put a good amount of effort into it.
Alex
I disagree with Alex on some of his comments on your free writing. While proper spelling and grammar are always important to maintain, I think that free writing should have a certain amount of stream of consciousness inherent in the writing style. It would not be very free if it were a well thought out, formally structured essay format.
ReplyDeleteI liked your writing on communication as an essential skill and I think that you are really going above and beyond, or taking initiative as our instructors would call it, by deciding to immerse yourself in a culture and location that you are unfamiliar with. What areas exactly where you thinking about studying in? I feel like there are many places that fit your requirements for where to study, and I'm a little curious to hear about which one you would pick and why.
PS: how did you get your background to be something other than a solid color. I'd like to insert a picture as a background or at least change the theme on mine.
Free writing is given its name for a reason. Grammar and spelling matters when it comes to the finalization of any writing. This is moreso about getting the thought process out and THEN finalizing it. I am amazed with your efforts to immerse yourself in a society that you're not familiar with. I know exactly how that feels. I come from the east coast and am completely new to the typical lifestyle here. UIUC has definitely amazed me though and i hope it has and will continue to do so for you. I completely agree about your view on iefx too. Thats why i myself am a part of this program. It definitely teaches a lot of the communication skills necessary for the engineer.
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