Sample Defense of Learning Reflection
Thesis: My years at Sacramento New Technology High School has prepared me for a career in either business and law by growing my ability to communicate orally, communicate in writing, collaborate with others, and demonstrate agency.
Artifact 1: Oral Communication : Interacting with Audience
Driving Question
How did you utilized input sensors, output drivers, and programming logic to design your first robot?
Product Description
A robot that will automatically answer a classroom phone after 3 rings.
Video of my Phone Answering Robot
Steps
In order for me to complete this robotic design, followed the iterative design cyclic path set by a series of Deliverable Activities by Mr. Huang:
Prototyping is a iterative process of creating a representation that allows one to evaluate and refine specific features of a given idea. The prototype that I created was developed using the iterative design philosophy I learned in my Exploring Computer Science class. I first created a crude, "quick and dirty" prototype and then, again and again, sought critique feedback (WINQ), and refined my prototype. The final prototype you see above was actually a complete redesigned after my first round or critiques. As you can see in the three photos below, each version got mechanically better and better.
My code also improved after each set of critique feedback. At first my robot would answer the phone after any noise. Given that a classroom could be noisy, the robot would think the phone was ringing all the time. They suggested that I detect a pattern of three consecutive rings and found that to be a great idea. Although programming the robot to detect the pattern of 3 sets of rings was difficult, if made my robot perform that much more reliably.
Oral Communication Strand: Interacting with Audience
During the final oral presentation of my Phone Answering Robot project for the Exploring Computer Science and Robotics Programming class, I gave an Ignite presentation. I had a lot of fun giving this five minute Ignite Presentation because I built into the presentation several moments where I directly interacted with the audience. Some the techniques I used were to:
Challenges
One the main challenges I faced when attempting to answer the phone is detecting three consecutive rings before answering the phone. Also creating a life-like recording of Mr. Huang's took a lot of diligence.
Learning and Connection to My FutureI learned how to logically reason and communicate in a third language, C. I see my ability to logically reason as a very important skill in my future as a possible lawyer or businessmen. Learning the computer language of C really helps me understand how the apps, computers, and robots I will be using in my career "come to life."
Ignite Presentation
Video of my Phone Answering Robot
How did you utilized input sensors, output drivers, and programming logic to design your first robot?
Product Description
A robot that will automatically answer a classroom phone after 3 rings.
Video of my Phone Answering Robot
Steps
In order for me to complete this robotic design, followed the iterative design cyclic path set by a series of Deliverable Activities by Mr. Huang:
- Defined the scope and abilities of the product
- Programmed: Variables/Datatypes, Reading of Inputs, Driving of Outputs, Logical Statements, Loops, and Comments
- Repeated steps 1 and 2 three times
- Presented my robot to my client, Mr. Huang, using the Ignite Format
Prototyping is a iterative process of creating a representation that allows one to evaluate and refine specific features of a given idea. The prototype that I created was developed using the iterative design philosophy I learned in my Exploring Computer Science class. I first created a crude, "quick and dirty" prototype and then, again and again, sought critique feedback (WINQ), and refined my prototype. The final prototype you see above was actually a complete redesigned after my first round or critiques. As you can see in the three photos below, each version got mechanically better and better.
My code also improved after each set of critique feedback. At first my robot would answer the phone after any noise. Given that a classroom could be noisy, the robot would think the phone was ringing all the time. They suggested that I detect a pattern of three consecutive rings and found that to be a great idea. Although programming the robot to detect the pattern of 3 sets of rings was difficult, if made my robot perform that much more reliably.
Oral Communication Strand: Interacting with Audience
During the final oral presentation of my Phone Answering Robot project for the Exploring Computer Science and Robotics Programming class, I gave an Ignite presentation. I had a lot of fun giving this five minute Ignite Presentation because I built into the presentation several moments where I directly interacted with the audience. Some the techniques I used were to:
- To engage the audience in a discussion about how hard it is to design robots, I include a silly animated GIF of a robot performing an "epic fail":
- Then I started my presentation with a hook by asking a set of provocative question: "Who has seen a teacher teaching and the phone rings? Annoying huh? Oh and raise your hand, who has seen a teacher take too long and miss answering the phone before it stops ringing?"
- I asked my audience if they had any question after my presentation and prepared myself to answer questions that I had already addressed in my presentation.
- I also prepared some extra slides at the end of my presentation with images that might help me answer questions that arose.
- Reviewing how the code worked was also a step I took to know how to directly respond to any technical coding questions.
Challenges
One the main challenges I faced when attempting to answer the phone is detecting three consecutive rings before answering the phone. Also creating a life-like recording of Mr. Huang's took a lot of diligence.
Learning and Connection to My FutureI learned how to logically reason and communicate in a third language, C. I see my ability to logically reason as a very important skill in my future as a possible lawyer or businessmen. Learning the computer language of C really helps me understand how the apps, computers, and robots I will be using in my career "come to life."
Ignite Presentation
Video of my Phone Answering Robot