Prime Example of not keeping up with Deadlines 🙂

Apologies for this being late first of all. Now looking back at my group’s

presentation, I believe that my group did an excellent job with the presentation, the

research put into it and the overall effort given by each member of the project. We had

ensured that our proposal was simple to understand and give an in depth description as

to what the problem was and the possible solutions that can be offered. Every team

member made a significant contribution, offering special knowledge and abilities that

raised the standard of our proposal as a whole. I believe that for the most part the group

contract was followed, there was a good amount of communication when it was needed.

I do believe for myself that I could have gotten more information on my end and

collaborated with the group more. I appreciate how understanding they had been with

me even though I did not deserve it. I do believe each group member deserves a 100,

they have put a lot of effort into this. However for myself, I don’t believe I deserve the

100, I don’t feel like I contributed as much as they have, maybe they have a different

opinion but I likely doubt that.

The Bulb is Bright, My Ideas are not….

I believe the grade I should receive for this assignment is at least an 75. I followed most of the instructions on the assignment page in order to complete the assignment criteria. I made sure the background was properly established in the introduction, in-depth technical knowledge was supplied in the body, and the main points were succinctly summed up in the conclusion. As instructed by the task, I also used illustrations and diagrams. I gave much thought to the wording and tone I used in the technical description. I spoke in a formal tone and used vocabulary that was appropriate for the topic. My goal was to simplify and make difficult technical knowledge comprehensible. I followed a logical format, spoke clearly, and gave clarifications when needed.  The technical knowledge was communicated with accuracy and effectiveness through the tone and language employed. I carefully reviewed the bibliography and the use of citations throughout the work. Technical writing requires accurate citation of sources in order to maintain credibility and prevent plagiarism. I also take into consideration that I had submitted the assignment late, it was my own fault and cannot argue to receive a higher grade than the one I am proposing for. To sum up, I believe that I earned a 75 on the technical description assignment because of my dedication to adhering to the assignment rules, matching with the section purposes, accurately citing, using acceptable tone and language, and actively revising my work. I’m sure that my attention to these details demonstrates the time and effort that went into the assignment, which ultimately supports this grade.

Guess what it is? If you want

An instrument holding graphite that had changed the way students write forever. Within its slender, metalllic casing is precision and simplicity requiring delicate movements. The exterior is a smooth, sleek and a thin cylinder, concealing the infinitely replenishing graphite within itself. Each click brings forth more graphite, defying the normal laws of our traditional pencils that need to be constantly sharpened throughout the day.  The mechanism within, holding its gears and springs which is used to bring out the graceful, amazing and useful graphite component. The biggest surpirse about this instrument is the amount of reliability is has, as long as it is taken well care of and used to it’s fullest potential. It faithfully uses a slender, unbroken piece of graphite to bring life to paper, blurring out the boundaries between arts and sciences with us being the artist, free to put down whatever comes to our mind whether it guides us or we guide it.  In this world, this instrument of pure innovation is used to create lines that will leave us wondering the vast potential it can be used for.

After having watched the video of the PB&J challenge, I have the following thoughts.

1. In the video, it has been shown the importance of being specific on instructions and descriptions. The video shows how unclear or vague wording can cause misunderstandings. The kids believe Josh possesses the same background information and situational awareness that they have. The video demonstrates how specifying the wrong order of actions can lead to unexpected results. The video also illustrates the frustration that can result from misunderstandings and the difficulties of attempting to understand unclear or insufficient instructions. This was seen when the kids had become more and more frustrated with Josh as he kept taking their instructions literal.

2. I can see this video relating to my Technical Description assignment because the video had shown us the importance of being specific on decriptions as unclear and vague directions can cause misunderstandings. For my technical description assignment, I will have to provide in-depth details on a topic, procedure, or system. The “Exact Instructions Challenge” video provides a realistic viewpoint on the difficulties of accuracy, clarity, and communication, these concepts are essential to technical description assignments. 

3. The video does not change the way I view technical communication because I already understood the importance of detailing and specifications in my writing. Technical communication is important. It makes ensuring that information is delivered properly, completely, and in a way that works out with the audience’s demands. 

Video Link: https://youtu.be/cDA3_5982h8?si=zk6E5fy8vS9q2bRw

Abstract:

This experiment investigates the idea of being able to create plasma using just a grape and your local microwave. Using science, we explore how it is formed, go over the safety precautions and present our procedures and observations.

Introductions:

Plasma can be identified as the fourth state of matter, not similar to the other states such as solids, liquids, and gasses. Plasma can be created by exposing matter to high energy through heating or electrical discharges. We look at a video posted by Verified Youtube Creators “Veritasium” for the purpose that these creators had replicated a similar video and are now demonstrating to their viewers that plasma can be generated using grapes and a simple microwave. We aim to understand why this happens and how a GRAPE, a fruit, can create the fourth state of matter.

Materials and Methods:

For this experiment, we have a number of items that we would need. These items include: 

• A couple of grapes (no specific amount)
• A microwave (get one if you don’t own one, which everyone should)
• A microwave-safe plate (included in the microwave)
• Safety goggles (optional)
• A dark room (for good visualization)
• A timer (also included in the microwave)

Procedure:

The first step is to prepare the grape, slice it open into two pieces, exposing the insides of the grape. Then to arrange them on your microwave-safe plate (see materials). Once you have them perfectly set up how you want them, put those grapes in the microwave and close the door (preferably). You would want to set the microwave to the highest setting possible (extreme heat creates plasma), this part is essential for the experiment. Start the microwave for a few seconds, about 5-10 seconds and be observant on what is going on for any visible changes on the grape. You’ll want to record these results noting any sparks, flashes or the presence of plasma. One thing to remember is to not exceed the 5-10 seconds because this can cause the grape to explode. If necessary, repeat this again but with fresh new grapes.

Results:

In our experiment, we noticed the plasma formation within the grapes upon microwaving the grapes for approximately 5 seconds. We noticed that there were small flashes of light that became visible between the grape halves. These flashes had indicated the presence of plasma.

Discussion:

The creation of plasma through the grapes can be explained by the interaction between the waves from a microwave and the skin of the grapes. The skin can act as an insulator, preventing the rapid release of energy. When the grapes are cut in half, it forms a small gap inside that can ionize the air inside, which in turn creates a plasma. It becomes visible because it is absorbing energy from the microwaves. It is very important that these experiments are limited to a 5-10 second cycle because it can damage the microwave or cause a fire hazard if the time is overdone.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, this experiment has shown that we can create plasma by using grapes and a microwave. When we cut the grapes in half and microwave them, we see small bursts of light, which tells us that plasma is present. But, it’s really important to stress how critical safety is when doing this kind of experiment. Dealing with electrical appliances and situations that could be dangerous, like making plasma, always requires a lot of care. We should make sure not to microwave the grapes for more than 5-10 seconds at a time and keep a close eye on the process. This is essential to avoid harming the microwave and to prevent any potential fire risks.

Works Cited:

• Veritasium. (2011, October 1). Make plasma with grapes in the microwave!. YouTube. https://youtu.be/RwTjsRt0Fzo?si=4DXRNG-JJQX4tZ2v 

A for Effort, F for Spelling

The semester is ending, and so is my time in this course. As of right now, I guess I’m supposed to reflect on what I’ve learned over the semester and how I have grown as a writer. My self assessment aims to shed light on the progress I have made, taking notice of my strengths and the areas that still need improvement moving forward.

Over the various assignments that we had been given during this course, I had been able to notice that my vocabulary had slightly improved and went more into detail when explaining technical stuff. In example, there was one discussion board assignment we had in which we had to watch a video titled “Exact Instructions Challenge” and in this video it had given us a tricky situation in which the lesson was on how to be more detailed and specific with instructions because “you can never assume everyone has common sense”. I hope the people reading this do though,lol. I believe this helped me in being more descriptive on certain topics when I had needed to be. I can take ideas and make them easier for others to understand. Despite this, I know there is a continued area of improvement and I have to work on it if I want to sound more like a pro.

I’ve never been a fan of writing and surprisingly, this class did not change that. I always believed the part I never enjoyed was coming up with ideas, I guess it’s called writers block? Right? Yeah, I get that a lot. When it comes to talking, I can go on and on for hours about anything. When it comes to putting my thoughts on paper, I never knew what to write, just like now, even though it is a SELF assessment, I still stare at my screen with words just coming out every 5-10 minutes. For me, perfectionism has proven to be a challenge. It can be crippling to want every sentence to be perfect from the beginning.  I will admit though, once I finally get an idea, the words will just start flowing out and probably won’t make sense until I end up revising it at the end. Breaking down the writing effort into smaller, more attainable tasks has worked well. Setting realistic goals for each writing session has helped the sensation of a massive work and makes progress feel more attainable. 

Understanding your audience is a very important part of writing in this class. It’s like figuring out what your classmates or professor would get from the words you speak or write down, or maybe even among friends. Not everyone is an engineer you know, so not everyone might understand all of the technical stuff. This goes back to my previous paragraph as well, in detailing and giving thorough explanations. I’ve been changing my writing to fit the level of technical depth that my readers can understand what I am saying. Still, there’s space for development. I want to continue to improve my ability to adapt my writing to various reader types and ensure that everyone can follow along.

  Correcting errors in my engineering class papers occasionally reminds me of piecing together a puzzle. The larger issues are easy for me to identify, but the smaller ones get past me. It’s similar to identifying tiny mistakes in a large blueprint. I’m aware that I should use precise and clearer sentences, but those little errors frequently go unnoticed. I don’t believe I have improved in this area because those small mistakes still get by me and I’ve only noticed it after submitting assignments, when my feedback comes. I have received good feedback from my peers and I believe they could say I gave them good feedback as well. 

Okay, the biggest problem that I have, and not just in this class, is deadlines. I do submit the majority of assignments on time, however, I put some on till the last minute and I end up just stress writing and I feel like this is my downfall. Because of the time strain I put on myself, I don’t always believe I have my writing live up to its fullest potential. Even when I try my best, it’s tough to keep up with time. It feels like always rushing to get everything done. Sometimes, unexpected problems show up, and I have to handle many things at once. It’s not that I don’t want to finish on time; I’m just learning how to use my time better.

The time I spent in the engineering writing course has been a worthwhile educational endeavor. Every difficulty, from figuring out technical terms to managing the difficulty of meeting deadlines, has offered a chance to improve. Being able to overcome writer’s block, improve my writing structure, and grasp the significance of knowing my audience have all helped me become a more proficient communicator in the engineering industry. I look forward to the future with enthusiasm, equipped with a stronger knowledge of my abilities and a dedication to lifelong learning, even as I acknowledge my areas for growth. I want to use what I’ve learned, hone my abilities, and use well-written, succinct, and clear communication to make a meaningful contribution to the engineering community with every writing assignment.