End of Year Blog

Think about what you learned in this class and how you learned it. What did your teacher do to make your learning meaningful and enjoyable?

Something that Mr. Elms did to make my learning more meaningful and enjoyable were the simulations. Not only were they completely different from normal lessons, they also made the lesson more memorable so that I would be actually interested in the topic. The simulations provided a completely different perspective on the topic because it made us feel like we were a part of that event.

Think about the challenges you had in this class. What specific things could your teacher have done to help you be more successful?

Something that mr. Elms could have done to help me be more successful was to practice DBQs more. We only had two DBQs this semester, and we only started preparing for them the class before. I think that two classes of preparation right before the DBQ will be sufficient.

Post 6 - TECH 8

Post 5 - TECH 8

So far, we have finished the multiple layers of paper mache and are almost finished with the layer of wood putty. We just have to smoothen the body more. We have also bevelled the bottom of the head and applied wood putty to it to smoothen it.

Post 3 - TECH 8

Was your sketch radically different from the final prototype?

Our sketch was not that different from the final prototype; the only difference was that we forgot to add wheels in the sketch, which we added on the final prototype. We also added another layer of shelves.

Briefly describe how your prototype satisfied the design criteria.

Our prototype had places to fit the 3D printers, the Roland, as well as extra filament and drawers.

Did your group assign particular jobs for each person? If so, how did you establish the job assignments?

Kavin was the leader and director of the group. Since it was his design, he knew what to do and assigned everyone in our group a role. Tristen and I measured the pieces of wood out, sanded them once they were cut out, and drilled them into the base of each level. Nick was the designated cutter before he moved to drilling, which led Varun to be the cutter for the remainder of the project.

Briefly describe (no one-word answers!) how well or not your group communicated during the building process.

During the beginning of the project, we did not work very efficiently. We worked like we had all the time in the world. However, our group communicated very well during the end of building process because we realised that we had procrastinated a lot and we were left with very little time. Surprisingly, we got to work and did not get distracted while the deadline came closer.

On a scale of 1-4 with 4 being outstanding, how well did your group collaborate? (Please do not name names or disparage others in your post). Any additional insights or thoughts you have are also welcome.

I would say that on a scale of 1-4, my group was a 3 on collaboration. While we did not do a lot during the beginning of the project, towards the end, we were able to finish our prototype due to communication and collaboration.

Post 2 - TECH 8

A problem we had so far was that we did not measure and align everything correctly. Most of the pieces of wood were not placed exactly where they were supposed to, and that was also due to inaccurate measurements. We were rushing our project because we knew we only had a limited amount of time. Something we can do to fix this is to sacrifice a bit of time to cut the wood more accurately and measure out where they are supposed to go.

Understanding Sacrifice

• A.B.M.C.: American Battle Monuments Commission
• If you died overseas, families would decide if you would be buried back at home or overseas
• Max Cleland
• Former American senator
• Vietnam War veteran
• Triple amputee

Research process:

• Use AMBC website for list of names
• Personal connection
• Social media
• Going to the actual site
• Pay attention to the details

The Pitch

• Make a personal connection with the people
• Length

Post 4 - TECH 8

Your project challenge/description. What do you want to accomplish with your TriStarter project?

For our TriStarter project, we hope to accomplish a fully functioning, app-controlling, life-sized BB-8 from the Star Wars franchise.

Ideation: Show us a picture of your sketches and ideas for your project.

Planning: Provide a picture/screenshot of your SmartSheet and your bill of materials.

Describe your progress with the TriStarter to date.

So far, we have fallen behind schedule with our TriStarter project. Gathering the materials and the paper mache took much longer than expected. To solve this problem, we divided the team in half and did separate tasks. At first, one team did the body, while the other did the head. When the dome of the head was finished, the other half started planning out the canvas that would go onto the body after the paper mache. While this is still very behind schedule, we are trying to speed things up without distractions. However, we might have to stay in after school to complete this project.