Blog Post 4

I plan on interviewing David Barrington. He works at Harris Corporation (where I am interning this summer) as a software engineer.

As far as the other assignments go for the rest of the course, I believe that it is important to try and get through what is left. The remaining assignments will most likely have to be reduced in length, but I would rather make them shorter than leave one out.

Weblog Post 4: Interview and Poll

I plan on interviewing Maurice Johnson. He is a 2010 Clemson Civil Engineering graduate working at a firm in Dallas, Texas.

I believe the Job Search documents would be more beneficial than the creative inquiry as the last project for this course, especially since many of us are beginning to look for jobs and internships in our field this upcoming fall.

Blog 4

I plan on interviewing Michael Bridgewood. A current professor who also worked in the field. 

As for the assignments, I feel like we should complete both just have them shorten. Knowing that we did bad on the first paper, the creative inquiry could help there while the job search will help us in the log run. 

Weblog 4

I'm going to interview Dorna Redd, my high school Calc teacher.

I think the Creative Inquiry assignment would be the best one to drop. We're already in the middle of our projects and I think the job search docs would be a useful assignment for when we are applying for jobs.

Interview/Poll

I am going to be interviewing Juan Brower. He is a mechanical engineer who works for Exxon Mobil as a process safety consultant.

For the end of the semester, i feel that as we still do not know how we have done on any of the assignments, we still need the creative inquiry to help boost our grades. I also believe that the job search section will be beneficial. As such i think that both sections should be done but at a significantly shrunk assignment size.

I plan to interview Jennifer Woods, a PE in Civil Engineering.

Since the Creative Inquiry doesn't introduce any new material, that is what I motion to strike.

Blog Post 4

I will interview Dr. William Harrell, a Clemson Electrical Engineering professor, with whom I am also doing a summer research internship.

Concerning the rest of the semester, I believe that if we had to drop an assignment from the rest of the semester's schedule, I think that the Creative Inquriy would be the best. The job search documents would provide the most practical thing to take away from this class, as it's relevant to the course material and could help us down the road. The creative inquiry would only provide us with reflections on what we might have learned rather than providing us with something that we can learn from.

Web blog post 4

I will interview Dr. Lonny Thompson, a Clemson professor, who has worked in industry as a mechanical engineer.

Personally, I agree to either shorten the requirements significantly of all of the options, or to remove the Job Search documents. I agree that summer is winding down rapidly, and I think a lot of the members of the class (myself including) are still fuzzy on the requirements of the remaining assignments, especially since we haven't even gotten any feedback from the first assignment.

Weblog Post 4

I plan to interview Scott Wills, a Quality Control Forester, in South Carolina.

My thoughts on the end of this course are as follows: After our project is due, we will have less than a week of class left which will leave little to know time to fully complete the Job Search documents. I think that if the Job Search documents can be somewhat revised to fit our timeline then it would be a reasonable option. I also think that the creative inquiry is vital for several class members to satisfy themselves with the grade that reflects the effort they have put into the course.

My proposal would be to significantly shorten the requirements and still do both or eliminate the job search documents all together.

This week's blog post: Now 2-part

In addition to responding to the prompt on your schedule, I'd like you to respond to the poll->   and give your thoughts on how we might make the rest of the time we have most productive (yet maneagable.). 

My thought is this: We are behind, and it's partially because I was difficult to reach last week. We have a *lot* of things yet to do, and each was planned to help you in some way but I fear that none will be as useful as they were meant to be if we cram everything into the tiny amount of time we have left. I'm going to list what we have yet to do, and the reason I put it on the schedule. Consider that before you respond, and think about what you would most like to get out of this course:

1st Paper: To get you started thinking about what your job will require, communication wise, and to give you practice in meeting both stated and unstated expectations.

Project: To follow up by having real practice writing *in* your discipline and producing something you could show someone as evidence of your competency.

Job search docs: To help you translate what you know (transferable skills) into another format and produce documents which you can keep and edit when it comes time to look for work, and to teach you a process for getting around the people who screen out applicants.

Creative Inquiry: To encourage you to reflect on what you know and what you've learned and (I'll be honest here . . . ) to give you an opportunity to pick up some points you may need b/c of things you neglected or missed the mark on in other areas.

So, that's what I had in mind when I chose the assignments, but I don't know how much time we will have (since I don't know where you are with your papers and projects.) What are your thoughts? 

(And remember, too, to respond to the other blog question that is on your schedule.)

Blog 3: Project Managment Plan

For my project I’m going to create a project management plan for a company that’s manufacturing components. I’ll create certain requests and stipulations that the company has involving labor, time constraints, and flow. Ultimately, I’ll have a Microsoft Project document that outlines the initial project management plan. Normally this sort of thing would take weeks, but in order to complete the project on time I’ll have to keep it relatively simple. In addition to the Microsoft Project document, there will be a few notes on alternative options in the event that the plan must be changed. In reality, there are numerous factors that knock any project such as this off schedule. My MP file will allow for changes to be easily made to the initial plan as needed.

Blog 3

For my project, I will create a piece of code that will play five different instrumentals. These instrumentals need to be played during the whole operational day of a business in the waiting room. Being an engineer and having to create code, I have already written the code that plays one instrumental. Now I have to create four additional instrumentals and make sure they repeat throughout the time the company is open. Which shouldn't be hard to create in the time allotted. 

Blog Post 3

For my project, I'll be creating an android phone application for ACME. It'll be a "swiss army knife" of sorts. The app will be able to access hardware on an android phone in order to give you an accurate compass, find your position using GPS and text that position out for help, and turn on the flash on the phone for use as a flashlight. The app will also be able to utilize voice recognition in order to turn on the flashlight or compass by speaking the commands. I'll accomplish this task by creating the app in an IDE (integrated development environment) and then testing and integrating the hardware/software features on my phone.

Project

For my project, I will be doing an analysis of incidents in the fire and safety field. I will be taking data and reports on 4 major refinery accidents in recent times and analyzing where mistakes were made that caused the accidents. From there it will be evident what must be done to prevent incidents in the future. This idea came from my internship where i worked for a company that produced detonation arrestors and other saftey devices. Also, watching videos of things exploding and burning was the closest i could come to making a project on explosives on such a tight schedule.

Weblog 3: Project

For my project I'm going to write up a lesson plan that I would be able to use when I am a high school math teacher. This will show how well I can effectively communicate through writing with the principal and department head of my school. I might possibly even do a PowerPoint presentation that I would show to my class. It will also show how I can communicate with my students as well. I plan to work on this everyday to be able to finish it on time.

Blog 3: Physics Extension

For my project, I proposed that I create the framework for adding a custom physics extension powered by Bullet to the open source, 3D graphics rendering engine library Horde3D. This will help in my endeavors to make an independently developed computer game. It will also help others who wish to do the same, as the project will probably consist of an open source patch to the Horde3D base. The framework should be easy to set up, as it involves simply overloading virtual functions in a universal "scene graph" class.

3: Non-Standard Engineering

For my project, I plan to create a poster highlighting non-standard civil engineering projects. I have chosen the Roman Aqueducts, the Kiel Canal, and the Hoover Dam, as they are all feats of civil engineering that aren’t a bridge, building, or road. The renown of these structures should make research on their construction and specifications easy, and the limited number should keep down the amount of time spent drafting the poster.

Blog 3: Project

Assuming my project is approved i will make sure that i go get all the supplies that i need at once. Then i have to get an idea down on paper. After that i will set a specific time each day to work on it, until it is completed. I have to make sure that i work everyday so i do not fall behind.

Post 3: Grading App

I have proposed to produce a small grading application that can be used for instructors and educators as a way to keep track of a student's progress through the course and keep their students informed of their grades when needed via email.

I have proposed the software in three stages: 1.) Design and plan the overall software. 2.) Develop and test the software. 3.) Deploy the software on ACME's systems.

Weblog 3: ACME Recruitment Program

The purpose of the Engineering Intern Recruitment Program is to recruit undergraduate engineers to ACME, as potential employees. Events and sponsorships will be created for engineering organizations at the chosen universities. Through these interactions ACME representatives will encourage students to apply for internship positions. The events will function as recruitment activities. The sponsorships through the organizations will function as a way to create positive exposure of the company.

To accomplish this project in the limited time given, I plan on creating a timeline breaking down the workload by day. Over the course of two weeks I’ll dedicate a few days each to researching the colleges and universities, creating qualifications for interns, then drafting events and sponsorships to host at the schools.

Weblog Post 3

My project will be an informative brochure on Wood Ducks. The purpose of the brochure will be to inform anyone interested about what the Wood Duck requires to live successfully. It will hopefully prevent a few people from developing wetlands or otherwise altering habitat to prevent Wood Ducks from thriving. It could also serve as a source of knowledge to hunters who wish to know more about the species they are in pursuit of. I will take time each day to accomplish a simple step of the project. In this manner, I will have time to plan everything out as well as not feel overwhelmed or rushed. I have already laid out the amount of work that I plan to have finished by the end of each day this week and will stick to that.

Pipe Repair Project

My project mirrors a project I completed at my last co-op rotation with ExxonMobil involving pipe repair and restoration. Essentially, I will develop a system to repair leaks that exist in pipes. This involves field visiting the leaks and creating documentation (drawings, construction specifications, and materials lists) so that each repair is completely ready when the time comes to order replacement pipe and components and to install the new pipe in the field. During the four months that I worked for ExxonMobil, I completed 150 of these repairs. Today, and for ACME Corporation, I suggested only doing 10 repairs at a time because there are a lot of specifics involved in each repair (for instance, what kind of pipe will be used?). ACME will be able to show off its consultation and engineering design excellence by completing my project.

Help!

My book has not come in yet! Will anyone with the book please scan the pages relevant to proposals and send them to me? My e-mail address is kfurtic@clemson.edu.

RFP Due Date

On the RFP, it says on the first page that it's due at midnight on Thursday 7/21, but on the next page there is a box that says 4:00pm is the time it's due. Which time is correct?

Thanks

Online Class

Do anyone know how to retrieve the recorded conversation from the online class on Tuesday?

Blog 2: Paper Follow Up

For this paper I focused on purpose, audience, and organization. The first concept I used when writing this paper was purpose. Knowing why you are writing, and what you are writing about is important. For this paper it was to convey information about the different types of written communication in the workplace of my desired career. The second concept that i used was audience. Audience is another important concept. Knowing what type of audience you are writing to for you paper will give you better organization and communication. The audience for this paper was your new boss and co-workers. The last concept i used was organization. Organization is another important concept when writing, it helps the paper flow, and makes it easier to read. It also helps you make sure that everything is included. For this paper i used the report organizational style.

Blog 2

The audience, format, and organization were the main focus of the assignment. The role of the members was key; therefore, I did not want to downplay any member’s role in and did not want anyone to feel guilty. I did not want to lose my audience, so I made sure everything flowed together in sequential order. The format also made it easier for the readers to identify key parts in the event there was a need to go back and ask specific questions about what I viewed. Organizing was the third major part of my paper. I wanted to make sure that the requirements were included and that I expounded on those requirements so that the reader would understand. I wanted to keep my paper short and concise, which was also achieved by organizing. The tone of the paper was also a crucial aspect. Overall, these were the three skills that I used to have a positive effect on the reader while informing of the company’s communication.

Blog Post 2 - Paper Follow Up

Of the concepts from the book, the three that I most focused on for my paper were tone, audience, and purpose. These ideas helped me to develop a more effective and professional paper. It was important for me that the tone of the paper be appropriate considering the audience and the purpose.

To make sure my paper stayed true to its professional nature, I had to try as best I could to maintain a strictly formal tone without the use of first person. Keeping it formal allowed my paper to maintain an even strength throughout. Had I made excessive use of the first person, it would have detracted from the professionalism of the paper and could possibly have been detrimental to its credibility.

Since this paper is intended is intended for my boss, I knew I could use some technical jargon without needing to go into great detail explaining what it means. Knowing the audience also allowed me to write a more succinct report; I could keep the report short and to the point, removing any ‘fluff’ that could be distracting to the actual purpose of the document.

Finally, the idea of purpose was utilized so that I could create a more powerful report. Focusing on the purpose enabled me think only about topics that were relevant to the prompt. I then used those topics and genres of communication in the workplace to formulate a helpful report that is an accurate representation of the work environment.

All of these elements together helped to fortify my document so that it would be most beneficial to my boss.

--Cory Beck

Blog 2 Concepts in Paper

The concepts I used in my paper were knowing the intended audience for my paper, good organization, and good communication. Knowing who the audience is for my paper is really important because that helps you to know how to organize and how to communicate to the audience more effectively. Organization is always a big concept for me whenever I write any paper. I always make an outline and follow it to make sure things flow and that I do not leave any information out that I want included. Lastly, good and effective communication is needed to write a good paper. It is important to use examples and words that the audience can understand. It is also prudent that things that need to be explained are explained. Hopefully all these concepts were portrayed as I intended them to be in the paper.

Blog #2 Paper follow up

The thing I focused on most out of the book was how to write a formal report. I have not written a report such as this before and did not know how to format it. By following the format that the book laid out, my paper was very organized. It has a logical progression of thought and effective summaries. These factors will help higher up members of the company understand my report and its conclusions. A large amount of effort was spent on keeping the paper form using subjective terminology and instead using facts and data. The lack of subjective terminology makes the paper easy to read with few opportunities for misinterpretation. The use of data provides the reader with the data that led to the conclusions of the paper. By using data following the layout of the report, the reader will draw the same conclusions that I did. I also used the technique of analyzing my audience. As I knew the report was to my boss, I was able to skimp on some details that I knew my boss already understood. This let me keep the paper short and to the point. The use of these techniques allowed me to create an effective professional paper.

Blog 2: textbook concepts used in the first paper

In my paper I used the concepts of context, audience, and organization from the textbook. Focusing on the context of my paper was one of my main goals. I wanted to make sure that I presented all of my findings to my boss while leaving out any erroneous information or observations that did not fully contribute to the task at hand. I also made sure that I kept my audience in mind. I wanted my paper to not only be used by my boss but also have the potential to be passed further up the chain or used to improve communication. I did this by writing it for a very general audience but also made sure to address issues that any individual within the plant would be able to relate to and understand my findings with enough detail to improve. The final most important element I focused on was organization. It was very important to me that the paper flow very smoothly but with clear transitions into the next topic. I felt that it was critical to make sure that with each negative finding I also mentioned the positives as well and wrapping them together so that it would be closer to a pros and cons comparison of the different forms of communication.

Web Blog Post 2: Paper Followup

On the recently written paper, there were three concepts that stood out prominently.

First, I used the idea that scientific progress cannot always result in something true or something useful. As engineers, we have an obligation to be concerned about the practicality of something in contrast to scientists, who are often interested in the concepts and theories involved for their own sake. Because these scientific results and theories could be wrong, it can cause an inconvenience in engineering processes such as, say, manufacturing. By pointing out the difference between what can be called scientific progress and engineering progress, engineers can avoid errors, and therefore bad communication, with scientists, and vice versa.

Another concept used in this paper was the idea of imperfect communication. Despite the best efforts of a project leader, communication errors can often result from imperfectly imparted knowledge or a vague procedure. This can be an unavoidable part of communication, so steps must no be taken to simply avoid it, but to also correct it, and through this, avoid bad communication and improve it overall.

Finally, the last concept I used in the paper was the importance of non-written communication. Despite using writing to exchange ideas in such a way that they can be greatly expounded upon, such as in the case of exchanging mutually read papers, verbal and graphical communication are used far more often. Presumably, engineers talk to each other on the job more than they write e-mails to each other, such as when explaining a process to an intern or a fellow engineer, so verbal communication skills are more important in a collaborative environment. It is also essential that engineers be able to explain their products to someone who might not be as knowledgeable, such as during meetings, and during these, graphical communication skills, as in charts and figures, and verbal communication skills, such as when being asked a question, are used more than writing. Practicing and mastering many forms of communication, not just the written word, helps in developing an effective way to spread ideas, cultivating good communication.

These three ideas are the most important concepts introduced in my paper.

Blog Post 2: Paper Follow Up

The first thing I took to heart was maintaining organized and professional layout in this report. Not only did I write the report in an organized and professional manner, but that was also one of the recommendations for improving the communication with the “company” that I worked for. Secondly, I considered the importance of language. It is important to use appropriate language for the subject that you are writing about, and so that the intended audience will understand this. Lastly, I focused on the importance of audience. When writing for a new boss, it’s important to impress them: to be concise and solve the problem they addressed. Some of the communication problems that my company faced involved miscommunications with the outside world: a lot of times engineers have trouble communicating with people from other backgrounds. Just this weekend my mom called me crazy when I told her I love doing math problems! So, in an engineering corporation it is important to consider that the people who receive the “goods” from your company might not particularly care how technical they are. It is important to cater to their needs. By focusing on these elements in my report to my new “boss” I was able to develop a technical document that met the needs required.

Weblog Post 2: 3 Elements of 1st Report

The three main elements I incorporated from the text in writing my report were identifying the purpose, organizing the information, and analyzing the audience. Before beginning my paper, I brainstormed and listed ideas for each given component of the report. I identified the purpose of each component in part of the scenario as an employee investigating communication in civil engineering. I used the questions from the text to formulate my initial brainstorming list and then I organized the brainstorming in bullet format to create a consistent flow in the report. I used paragraphs to separate the components. While writing the report I used the Audience Familiarity with Subject, Expectations, and Education table to analyze my audience. Since the report is written for my boss, I used the Experts section as the reader. I knew most of the professional terms I would be using in the report would be understandable by my boss.

Paper Explinations

I lifted three things from the readings for my paper, an appreciation for the audience, the tone, and the format.

Knowing the audience allowed me to leave the discussion of various types of communication to the bare minimum necessary to avoid misinterpretation (e.g., the reader using the literal definition of blueprint). It also allowed me to introduce concepts, such as the necessity of explaining or avoiding technical terms, without giving examples, assuming that the listener would already know some of the terms alluded to. This helped keep the paper short, without unnecessary information.

The tone adds an air of professionalism. Keeping a strictly formal tone (i.e. the elimination of first person) helps to eliminate bias, and keeps the paper from bogging down under colloquialisms and clichés.

The format, besides being a requirement for the paper, helps organize the information. The executive summary and introduction allows the reader to get a basic understanding of the paper and sources, and the headings allow for quick access to information. Combined, this keeps the paper organized.