On the Wednesday that we practiced making the model for the second time, I got a lot better at taping the spaghetti pieces together. I found a system of placing the spaghetti on the sticky part that was facing up, and then fold the tape over the pieces. I am sure that I was not the first person to think to apply tape this way, but I did share my this idea with my teammates.
I think that I was acted as a motivator. I was trying to keep the mood light. I like to think that working in a negative environment makes. It is more difficult to accomplish anything in a negative environment, so being a positive motivator is something that I tried to do. I would not say that I offered any leadership. I prefer to work, not independently, but to my own instruction. I work better when I can focus on what I am doing, as oppose to leading others.
I asked my dad what his thoughts on the project were, and how he would approach it if he had the same guidelines as our team did. We had a brief conversation about how he would have done the model, but it seemed far too complicated considering the fact that we were having trouble assembling the most structures, due to our lack of patience as well as a soft touch, so I decided not to share my dads idea with the group.
I definitely learned that proper planning is vital to have a successful project. Our group worked mostly on the fly, and in some instances that would be acceptable, but for this project it was not. We also had a procrastination problem. We did most of our online research in the 5 minutes that we were allotted before the final construction of the marshmallow project. I am sure that most teenagers know that procrastination is not a technique that is preferred, yet we still continue to do so. Having patience is also very important vital to the success of the project. We were getting impatient with the how long it took to administer the tape. This caused us to rush, and in turn we were breaking some spaghetti noodles. Even though there was a time restraint, patience could of helped us tremendously in making more progress towards our goal. Hopefully in the next project we can procrastinate less, and be a little more patient.
When I noticed that we were running out of time, and were no where near completion is when my interest and curiosity began to wane. At the 3 minutes remaining mark, I knew that there was no way that, realistically our group would be able to win, but I wanted to see how much more progress we could make in those last 3 minutes. My interest in winning shifted towards eagerness to see how much we could accomplish, in the time period we had left, as oppose to trying to win a competition with our classmates. I try to be as realistic with myself as possible, so that I do not set myself up for disappointment. I purposely set my standards on life lower, so that when I do not succeed, or a goal is not met, I spare myself from disappointment.
For the next design challenge, giving yourself more context will be an advantage for our team. We did not do a lot of prior preparations, but if we had, I think that we could be more successful. Asking others, like our parents, about their ideas could be a simple step in succeeding.
Entering the design challenge my mindset was extremely lackadaisical. I did not initially understand the seriousness of the challenge, nor its importance. I carried this mindset for all of the first week of school. I did not understand that there were valid lessons. Most of the time, I try to bring a positive attitude to school, as well as remind myself of my goals for the future and that school is a necessity to reach those goals. Education is the pathway that allow me to provide for my family. Without education I will not be able to have a successful career, and in turn not be able to give back to my family. I try to do the best work I can in the classroom, and with my classmates, so that I will be able to receive a quality education, that will assist me later in life.
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