Blog 26: Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your 2-Hour Presentation and/or your senior project? Why?

 I am most proud of the effort, commitment, and activities because I did put a lot of thought into my activities and showing connection between my answers, activities, and my essential question. I felt like I did a good job and showing the connection and helping the class understand my topic, essential question, and answers very well.

(2) Questions to Consider

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

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

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

What worked for me was learning the content and putting together the project because I knew my topic so well, and had a lot of experience with it, so I felt really confident. The dedication, commitment, and work I put into it worked for me as well because although it was a lot of work, I liked my topic a lot over all, and was able to enjoy it more then anything.

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

What did not work for me was the lack of time, I wish I had more time to explain my topic. And I also wished I could have explained my answers better and used more visuals. I dont feel as if I did bad, but I do feel that more use of visual for my answers one and two, and a better explanation for my answers would have made it easier to understand sooner. So I would change my power point a bit to hit more specific aspects of my answers and use more visuals to better understand the content sooner.

(5) Finding Value

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

My senior project has been helpful to me in my future endeavors by helping me realize the potential I have, and how much knowledge I have gained. My projected help me discover my product, which was having more patients and having better problem solving skills. I feel that this project helped me in unbelievable ways, and taught me how to be a better facilitator and take charge in what I do. Also, I learned what commitment and dedication really mean, and in the future I feel that everything I have learned throughout this none month long project, will always be remember and used in my future struggles. I feel as if I can accomplish a lot, and feel confident in myself at preforming difficult task which is a big help to achieve my future goals of going to college and being successful in my career. My independent Component Two proved to me what my product is, and put me to the test because of all the difficult problems I had to face. I learned about how I solve my own problems and realized better ways to solve those problems because of this project. I feel that this is the best example of how my senior project was helpful, and how it will be helpful to my future endeavors. 

Mentors Response To Project

I talked to my mentor about how my project went, and he was satisfied but felt I could have explained certain things better in my answers. I did leave out some parts and could have talked about it to better explain my answer. I feel as if I should have spent more time talking about my answers and so did my mentor. But the information was there overall because I choose good activities that where able to show my answers he thinks. My mentors are very proud of me because I was able to enlighten people about woodworking and helped them see what craftsman/ woodworking really is and how difficult it can be. Over all they both think I did well and was able to pick up on woodworking very easily and quickly. They recommended that if I ever do want to pursue woodworking that I do start young, and try to get as many customers, contacts, and connections as I can now that I am young so that I can do better in the future. They also told me that I should do the best work I can and to MAKE SURE I take on how ever many projects I can at once. They told me it was better to be honest and put off a project to the side then give the customer my word and not complete it. Sure I may loose a customer but at least I am able to be honest in the work that I do and focus on someone else's furniture and do it right. My mentors thought I should have used more examples and showed off the wood that I brought more, and also bring other visuals for my other two answers so that the class could understand.

After Goals

I plan on continuing to pursue woodworking as a hobby not a career. I do plan on making furniture for people, or giving advice, or even making props. Maybe I can do it as a side job, but I feel as if I have found a new talent, or skill? And I will try to better myself by trying to learn more about woodworking and have more experience because I think it can come in handy later on in life. I still plan to give my house teacher a bookshelf and the ramp I owe her. I also would like to take on the challenge of making other things at home for myself. If I am able to make something why not make it as suppose to buying it? My senior topic really taught me a lot about myself, and so did my presentation because I was able to teach other people about something that I do like and enjoy. It felt good seeing that they enjoyed what I have taught them and that I was able to enlighten them about my project and what I do. I didnt expect so much enthusiasm from my peers, but in the end, my presentation made me want to continue to have an interest in my project. So I do plan to have an interest in woodworking, and remember this project because of what it taught me and how much dedication I had to this project.

Debrief

I think the hardest part about my project is helping people understand the art aspect of my topic. It is hard to view woodworking as an art form to some people because they are not familiar with it because the art is very unique. I think I was able to explain my topic pretty well, some parts could have been better then others. After my presentation, I thought about some things I could have done better, and those things where elaborate more on my mentorship, and differentiate my answers so that it is more clear. I dont feel as if I did bad, but then again I feel like some of the class did not really understand what I was talking about at some parts. As for the activities I think they really related to my answers, and my essential question. The students found relationship I think, and the activity helped define and clear up my answers. The class really enjoyed the activities and liked doing hands on type of things. I was surprised to see the class very involved, and was glad to see that they content was taught to them through the activities. I do feel that people know understand woodworking better, and may perhaps respect what woodworkers do. There is a lot more to it then just making something out of wood, and using it as furniture. For my first activity the class was very excited to see how the material reacted to temperature, they really enjoyed it. For my second activity they where also involved in trying to put together the joinery. It was a short but good activity to help define my second answer Joinery. And the last activity they had a lot of fun with as well, applying finishing is always fun. It was an easy clean up and I had help from some students. The only thing that threw me off was the interruption and the lock down at school because it really made me loose my train of thought.

Product

For my product I have learned problem solving skills. I believe that the skills I learned will help me to become more involved in my community and help me face bigger challenges. It also helps me so I can become a better facilitator in a team environment. I learned patients and problem solving skills and I feel that they are helping me and are becoming a habit after doing my presentation. I never realized how important my product could be or how much my topic could teach me about myself, and my capabilities. I plan to use my newfound skills as much as I can throughout my college experience and feel very prepared, and very confident about attending to college knowing I know how to solve very difficult problems. My mentors, sources, and independent component all helped me with my product and I feel very excited about knowing how prepared I am to face difficult problems in the future. I am also confident in my patients, and my learning abilities because of my product and what I discovered about myself, and the work that I do. I originally thought my product had to be something physical, but it turned out that it was not. My product is meant to help me in the future so that I can succeed and do the best that I can, and use my full potential. After learning and going through a nine month process of doing a project, I feel as if I can do a lot more and give good presentations.

Preparation

In order to prepare for my 2 hour, I made the room have a certain feel to it, well at least I tried by bringing in different types of wood like in a real wood shop. It is important to portray a certain feeling so that the students can get a feel of what the environment will feel like, I also left scented wood on the table so that it can smell a certain way. There is a lot of room because in woodworking you need a lot of room to be able to work. Also, I put them in groups of four because there is a lot of work involved for the activities and not all may want to really participates in some activities. It is a lot of hands on work and each activity requires them to understand each of my answers. The clean up process will be very simple because they will throw everything away at the end or keep it if they want to. It wont be really messy and the desks can be put back to how they where very easily.

Best Answer

My best answer was materials because it allows the woodworker to really work with his furniture to be able to get the people to feel a certain way. Also because compared ot my other two answers, materials has the biggest role. There are so many different types of wood, and although my other two answers are very important, this answer is the best because in order to create something aesthetic, you need to have a good building material to do it. Weather it is a soft wood or hard wood what ever is best to create your furniture to be able to portray a certain feeling, environment, or create a certain atmosphere. Also, wood is not the only material you can use, theres also other things such as glass, rocks, plants, grass, you can add on to the furniture with that but the main thing is making it out of wood. A woodworker should know his materials in order to be able to both give the best possible furniture piece to the customer with the color, texture, and purpose to them. It will also determine how furniture piece is built and how it is supported and how long it last.