Blog 23: Senior Project Reflection

Directions: Please answer the following questions, and submit them to the blog.
Due Date: The day after your block presentation by 8:00 A.M.


(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

There are many things that pleased me about my block presentation. However, I am most proud of the fact that I was able to effectively teach a mathematical concept to my audience. According to my Advisory House teacher, "... if you can can get us to do this [activity] and understand it, you get a standing ovation..." If her enthusiasm and eagerness to try my activity was an indicator that my activity was engaging, then I hope that means I'm in the clear for that section of my Component Contract. The feedback from the audience about my activity was quite positive as well.

As far as my senior project goes, I am most proud of the scope of work I was able to accomplish over this past year. If I had a time machine to go back one year ago, my former self would have deemed a project like this impossible. Now, after countless hours of research and drafting, I am much more confident of my abilities as a drafter, researcher, and a working individual in not only the electrical engineering field but as an iPoly student as well. My mentorship at BERG Power Engineers in West Covina, CA was an amazing experience for me. My mentor, Allen Barreno taught me so much about the essence of electrical engineering as a discipline and provided me with a plethora of resources to expand my educational horizons through interviews, seminars, and Computer-Aided Drafting and Design. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to talk with a number of electrical engineering professionals during my second Independent Component. They provided me with so much insight into the field of power engineering as a whole and guided me in the attainment of my second and third answers for my EQ.

(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project (self-assessment)?

AE       P          AP       CR       NC

(3) What worked for you in your senior project?

What really worked for me is that I was able to integrate many real life examples and applications into my lecture content.

Also, my activity was executed in an engaging way.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the opportunity to engage in a small Q&A session with my audience at the end of my presentation.

(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project if you could go back in time?

If I had a time machine, I would have gone back to cite more published sources while I was presenting my three answers.

(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.

In many ways, this project has not only shaped who I am, but who I want to be as well. At the beginning of my senior year, I thought I was absolutely sure that I wanted to pursue a career as an electrical engineer at Caltrans. One year later, my career goals are still the same. However, the latter potion has had some unprecedented changes. Now, I would definitely consider Caltrans as an option but over the past year I have come to realize that nothing is stopping me from pursuing a job at a different company. Now, I want to broaden my horizons by exploring internship opportunities at not only power companies, but also engineering firms in my area. The reason I decided to expand my career opportunities is because of man named Kirby.

When I attended a power engineering seminar this past March, I was exposed to a number of different professionals in my senior topic. Some of these engineers had been in the field for 30+ years, so their knowledge and experience had a significant effect on me. One of these engineers went by the name of Kirby. What made Kirby different from the rest of the engineers was that he happened to be close friends with my mentor's dad. When we were at the seminar, Kirby gave me some very valuable advice: Don't let the place you want to work at limit your educational goals. If you let your educational goals and your thirst for knowledge drive your career, then people will notice and job opportunities will follow right after. College for engineers isn't so much about teaching you the theory of your field of study. But teaching you how to be a better learner; in power engineering, [and to a certain extent, every branch of engineering], you're going to encounter many problems, most of which you will have never seen before. College for engineers is a series of mind-bending problems, practical solutions, and applications of those solutions in everyday life. The goal of college isn't to teach you how to regurgitate information from a textbook, but how to be resilient enough to apply what you learned to solve every problem you come in contact with.

I plan to keep this bit of insight in my mind as I pursue my degree in electrical engineering and as I begin the process of attaining an internship at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) this summer.

Answer 2

Label: Presentation
Due Date:  Thursday, 2/19 by 8AM
1.  What is your EQ?

What is the best way to optimize the electrical grid to ensure maximum operating efficiency?

2.  What is your first answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Integrate microgrids into the electrical grid system.

3.  What is your second answer? (In complete thesis statement format)

Develop new standards and codes.

4.  List three reasons your answer is true with a real-world application for each.

For the following reasons, let us look at the benefits of mandatory vegetation management (a standard implemented into our electric code).

1. They can drive the industry towards controlling important risks in bulk power transmission systems. One of the most important risks in bulk power transmission systems is natural disaster. This particular standard ensures that these systems have adequate protective control settings that contribute to the prevention of disasters.
2. They help increase the reliability of the electrical grid by ensuring the interoperability of equipment. The interoperability of equipment is crucial to these systems working properly because they can't communicate, exchange data, and use the info they have been given without it.
3. They facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the power system. Standards, such as the one fore-mentioned, keep areas clean to ensure a seamless grid integration of variable renewables.

5.  What printed source best supports your answer?

Vaessen, Peter. "How Do You Cope with the "double Risk Trend" in Reliability? (Part 1)." Web log post. DNV GL Blog Utility of the Future. N.p., 26 June 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

6.  What other source supports your answer?

Vaessen, Peter. "How Do You Cope with the "double Risk Trend" in Reliability? (Part 2)." Web log post. DNV GL Blog Utility of the Future. N.p., 26 June 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2015.

7.  Tie this together with a  concluding thought.

As our networking increases and electronic information exchange develops, it is becoming increasingly apparent that a double risk trend is emerging. "We are heading towards unprecedented changes in the power system caused by the unstoppable electrification and transition to a sustainable energy supply." According to Peter Vaessen, this trend urges governments and transmission system operators to take measures to improve the availability of the system through standards and codes. This becomes especially crucial as our power system integrates new technology, which makes it more complex and interdependent.

On Friday, 2/20 for Advisory #2, you will be presenting what you have from this blog.  The presentation is more like a share-out and should not last longer than 2 minutes. You don't need a visual, and you should not read what you have written.  

Lesson 2 Reflection

Label: Presentation

Due Date: The day after your lesson presentation by 8:00 A.M.

Content:

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

There were two aspects of my presentation that I was quite proud of. The first aspect was the way I explained various concepts in my presentation, such as microgrids and the electrical grid. I think that I explained those concepts concisely and in a professional manner. I asked a few people about my presentation after I finished and they agreed. 

The second aspect of my presentation that I am most proud of was my conclusion. I received a loud applause from my audience after I finished my presentation and some people approached me afterward to give me kudos on my ending. If that is any indication that I had a strong conclusion, then I don't know what is.

2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P          AP       CR       NC

     b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

After reading and assessing all the major components of the contract --- Professionalism, Organisation and Creativity, and Justification of answer --- I believe that I deserve at least a P on my presentation. I believe that I proficiently completed all aspects of the task. The only two things that I feel

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

There were many aspects of my presentation that worked, but there were certain things that worked better than others. One of the things that worked best during my Lesson 2 was my hook activity. I think that it really allowed me to connect with my audience.

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

One thing that surprisingly didn't work for for some people in my class --- including my teacher --- was the color of the font I used for my presentation. I was told that it messed with eyes of some audience members and that my text was tough to see at times because of the contrast. 

Another thing that didn't work for me was my introduction to the presentation. I felt that my hook activity was strong, but my transition from the hook activity to my actual presentation --- my pre-introduction, in essence --- could have been handled better. There was an awkward pause where I forgot a word in my head. I know i recovered afterward by remembering, but there was no doubt to the audience that I had forgotten.

Another thing that didn't work for me was the way in which I cited my sources in my PowerPoint presentation. I forgot I needed to add my sources, so I placed the MLA of each source used under their corresponding slide near the completion of my presentation. It was messy; in some slides, the picture obscured the words; and they hardly helped me in remembering to cite my sources orally during the presentation.

As trite as this may sound, if i had the opportunity to go back and time to do something differently with my project I would've rehearsed more in my down time --- with friends and family. In the end, you can have a nice looking presentation, a professional appearance, and all of your supplies ready, but if you don't know what to say or how to say it, then you're taking a huge gamble with your grade.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

Lesson 1 Reflection

1. Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your Lesson 1 Presentation and why?

For my Lesson 1 Presentation, I am most proud of the fact that I was able to say everything that I wanted to say. Furthermore, I am also proud that I was able to speak fluently and passionately about my topic and convey those feelings to my audience.

2. Questions to Consider
       a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 1 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE       P-         AP       CR       NC

       b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 1 component contract.

I deserve a P- on this assignment. I believe that my justification and foundation were on the mark because I referenced my three sources throughout my presentation, had at least one published research source cited, and referenced my mentor and interview in my presentation; making me eligible for a P. However, my professionalism was a little off because I did look down at my notes a lot more than I should have, which greatly effected my eye contact with the audience, making me eligible for an AP. In the end, I think an average between the two is fair, landing me with a P-.


3. What worked for you in your Lesson 1?

A number of things went considerably well in my first lesson. For example, my voice was loud, clear and conveyed passion for my topic. I also cited all of the sources I needed to (along with my mentor's advice and expertise). 

4.  (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 1?

In the long term, I would've started this Lesson plan a week before the due date so I would've had more time to familiarize myself with the content of my lesson, work out any awkward or illogical transitions, and ultimately rehearse my lesson as a whole to avoid the use of note cards. As far as the short term concerned, I would've prepared all of my materials the night before so I wouldn't have had to leave anything out of my presentation.