Innovation Project

Core Competency

Reflecting on my progress in the Innovation Project, I wanted to focus on Communication as my core competency. I thought that from the beginning, we didn’t all know each other in the group, but we found ways to push through and collaborate together, with communication as a key to success.

I believe that we were refining when it came to communication. Our group did a very good job of letting others know of absences, or other factors that could’ve affected our efficiency on our project.

We were all able to collaborate in an efficient manner by using communication as a way to express ourselves on new ideas that popped up, differences and improvements we could have made.

We all gave each other the chance to speak, and express ourselves with how we felt with a new idea, and that’s what kept it a collaborative project, ensuring that the final product reflected what we had all imagined as a solution for a communication device.

 

Collaboration

Collaborating on this project was very fun. We came up with a base idea as a walkie-talkie like device, and throughout collaboration and innovation we were able to come out with the Sunergy 3000. Although it took a very long time, with many adjustments, we all equally found ways to enhance our product to what we were all proud of.

We made sure everyone had an equal voice in the project, ensuring that all of our ideas were put together and that we all listened to each other, gave each other feedback, and worked closely to make sure nobody was left behind or confused.

 

Experience

Working on this innovation project turned out to be more fun than anticipated. When we began, the project was not explained well enough and was mixed in with a lot of confusion, but the more we got into the project the better my understanding was.

When working  on the project, there were many wasted boring class blocks given. There was just too much time with no efficiency. The class time given could have been so much more efficient if the instructions were more clear and we were inspired more. (Maybe show the dragon’s den episodes waaay earlier.)

Although the class portion of the project could have been better, the presentation portion of the project was amazing. The judges were able to give very constructive feedback, opening my eye on aspects of our product I had not seen before.

The pitching part of presenting really gave me a new perspective on presentations, instead of a boring class presentation it was a business pitch, one that I might actually use in the real-world in the future. It was really fun being able to present our knowledge and exploration in a new form, instead of the boring old class presentations we’ve been doing since grade one.

Overall, we were able to complete a project together, using innovation and collaboration and we really got to know a lot more about solar energy and circuitry.

Thoughts on Data Analysis 2017

1 – Statistics play a very important role in our day to day lives. They give us insight on research, and a general view of a certain group.

2- Statistics give us a perspective of large groups and a possible view on the future.

3 – People know how to hide bias very well, and it can be hard to determine bias and the information given.

11.1 Factors Influencing Data Collection

When I first read the article, I thought that it was a great form asking students’ which shirt they would purchase.

After learning about influencing factors, I now think there was bias influencing the shirt the students’ would purchase.

In the future, when reading and interpreting survey data, I will analyze the question being asked, and the information and product being given.

Genetic Mutation Story

 

Part 1:

Hello! I am esophageal cancer and I first appear in the cells inside of my host’s esophagus. I have two closer relatives, Adenocarcinoma and Squamous cell carcinoma. The treatments currently available injures both me and my relative.

Humans cannot notice me until I manage to grow nice and big, blocking entrance to my host’s stomach. Sometimes my host can experience weight loss, painful swallowing, pain in the throat, heart burn / ingestion tiredness, loss of appetite and even nausea and vomiting.

Humans currently try to find me by using blood tests, examining the count of blood cells and seeing if anything is abnormal. They have also tried using imaging tests to see through my host’s esophagus, scanning for tumours.

If humans manage to find me, they try to kill me by surgery, but because I’ve already blocked off my host’s stomach, my host will need to have a feeding tube to stay healthy before the surgery, because it is very hard to recover form esophageal surgery.

Part 2:

I had to research the effects, treatment, cancer growth and the recovery process to create my story.

I used digital diagrams to learn about the effects of esophageal cancer through this project.

I first searched for the effects esophageal cancer, and then investigated the consequences and how it developed.

I used cancer.ca, hosted by the Canadian Cancer Society, on of the leaders in Cancer research across the world, and used EasyBib.org to cite my source.

I learned about the development and different treatments of a cancer I had not known before, and thought that the story went pretty good overall.

 

Sources:

“What Is Esophageal Cancer? – Canadian Cancer Society.” Www.cancer.ca. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2017.

Science DNA Lab

Relating chromosomes, DNA and genes

Chromosomes are double helix structures that is formed of DNA and proteins. Chromosomes are found in the nucleus and they contain and organize genes.

The pieces of the lab

Licorice – Phosphate Backbone

Marshmallows – Bases of the DNA.

Green  (G)uanine

Pink – (C)ytosine

Yellow – (A)denine

Orange – (T)hymine

Without mutations, A-T, G-C are always bonded together.

Understanding the structure of DNA

It created a visual and physical structure for me to personally learn the structure of DNA.

 

Observing Cells Lab

Animal Cell:

The animal cells look like small popcorn kernels with a dot in the middle.

The cytoplasm and the nucleus is visible.

 

Plant Cell:

The plant cells look like the scales on a fish.

The cytoplasm and membrane are visible.

 

General Questions:

 

Finding the differences in animal and plant cells

  • Plant cells have much more visible membranes.
  • Plant cells have more of an oval shape.
  • Plant cells are larger.
  • Animal cells have a visible nucleus.
  • Animal cells have a more round shape.
  • Animal cells are smaller in size.
  • Animal cells move easier.

Why methylene was important in the animal cells

The methylene was used to highlight bacteria and DNA in the animal cells.

Reflection

I’ve learned how to properly use a microscope, when to use methylene and how to extract animal cells from ourselves and viewed the different visible parts of the animal and plant cell.

 

Solution Fluency Electricity Project

Define:

Communication is essential to lives no matter religion, ethnicity or culture. We all communicate in different forms and ways and communication is home to one of the fastest growing industries. We’re finding ways to connect to one another in so many different ways, and it only keeps growing.

Our innovation proposal is to aid rural communities across the world with affordable, environmental-friendly devices used solely for communication purposes to help in emergency situations.

Discover:

We have been looking into the materials that produce our current cellular devices, and also seeing how we can make a past cellphone even better than what we see now.

We have also been looking into easily-accessible and sustainable energy sources such as solar power to keep the overall cost low and to ensure our device is accessible.

Dream:

Make a device that is accessible to rural communities.

Keep the cost of the device low.

Sustainable / Accessible power source.

Basic communication specs.

Use recycled parts. (calculator solar panel, phone body)

Help small, rural communities contact each other in emergency situations.

Deliver:

In-class presentation.

The Friday Everything Changed

The Friday That Everything Changed

  1. The boys were upset of the idea of the girls carrying he bucket because the bucket was a representation of status for the boys. It was the symbol that they were the strongest and the best, and the moment they realized that there would be more competition only made them even more upset that they would have less of a chance.
  2. The boys attempt to exclude the girls from their social activities, to try and create a mob of hate towards Alma. They continue to harass and bully Alma themselves, attempting to create a sense of regret for the girls. Although the girls believed Alma made the wrong decision in the beginning, deeper into the story, the girls stuck together with integrity and continued to ignore all threats and bullying.
  3. The story is told by a narrator, and is told with a limited-omniscient style. The narrator gives Ms. Ralston a positive tone, with only positive remarks made. The narrator mentioned her education, how all the kids liked her, her new ways of teaching and the way she defied the tradition at the school. The story is told from a narrator’s point of view.
  4. The setting was in a time post – World War II, in a one classroom school located somewhere in rural Ontario. The setting intensifies the person vs. society conflict because the traditions and history of inequality is more present into less-developed areas. With the softball conflict, the girl’s kind of just tag along the boys and are just there but don’t do much, because they do not have the materials or the people to have their own team to even prove themselves.
  5. The protagonist is Alma Nyles. Alma was the one who decided to defy the traditions, question the system in place and create change. Throughout the story Alma stays strong ignoring the hate towards her. She stands by her words and was the one who ultimately changed everything.
  6. On that Friday, the girls now had access to carrying the water bucket, but ultimately the girls now had a stronger social status in the class. They now have a different perspective on genders and differences between one another. Miss Ralston’s home run in the end sealed off the idea that girls could be just as strong as the guys and that genders do not play a role to decide whether somebody can do something or not.