Learning Project Management

Deliverable #1:

1 Why?

I’m super busy in both my professional and personal life. I care about the quality of my life, and the role that I play in the lives of the people that matter to me. Those people are my family, peers in Engineering classes, professors, people I interact with every day.

I want to be successful, and have lots of potential. I’m pretty human though too, luckily I’m pretty honest about this fact. We never lack for opportunities to use the skills that we learn. I happen to be in a position right now, regarding college, that my opportunity to make the most of my skills and learning is fairly limitless. Learning project management will help me grow. The development of this skill will help me be successful at all types of projects as I start to see where I can superimpose my daily events and work schedule into a working system of tasks imperative to the completion of my broader goals. I like the idea of being successful. Collaboration on projects and stuff getting done is really satisfying as well. This to me is a great reason to learn project management.

2 Knowledge construction-What do I know?

Projects are messy. Very quickly tasks which we initially thought would be fun and exciting, super useful in our life, become distended and farsighted. When we allow our projects to get out of hand they become stressful, disorganized, and the end product is for lack of a better word, bad. Project management teaches us how to plan, organize, and simplify how we look at farsighted goals without becoming nauseous. It’s the antithesis to project doom, the ultimate evil.

Projects

· We do them everyday

· Help us make money

· Get complicated fast

· Build skills quickly

· Are fun, enjoyable, and rewarding

3 Application

For starters, I really do care about my success and how my projects turn out. This is where applying the idea of project management to the best of my knowledge and ability so far has come into action. I like to focus on the tasks that are supposed to be accomplished by a certain date, both assigned and the personal group goals that we deem are important for a given period of time.

Project Management SII (Strength Improvement Insight

Stength

Defining goals – I encourage my group to define both short term, for the week, and ultimate deliverable goals.

· Action – We review our needs or assignment to determine our ultimate goals and make a set of immediate goals to get us started

· How – Do a diamond, focus on what is important

· Benefits – Without goals there would be nowhere to plan on going. This way, we get somewhere.

Utilization of resources – I make it a goal to use all possible tools to my advantage, and am always trying to improve this skill.

· Name action – Give people the stuff they want to do, making sure the workload is even and fully realized. Make sure things are done as easily as possible.

· How – Asking what people want to do, knowing what tools are at my disposal.

· Benefits – Work goes faster, everyone is doing something. Tools make work easier.

Improvement

Preparation – Having my ducks in a row

· Name action – being aware of what is needed at my next meeting, looking at my planner

· How – look at my planner, prepare materials way in advance

· Benefits – less stress right before meetings and due dates

Being aware of deliverables

· Action – Read and document assignment

· How – to simplify this, I might take care of writing this stuff down the night after it is assigned

· Benefits – I know what’s going one and am a better resource for my team, or peers. I don’t get caught off guard, I feel good.

Insights

· None of this information is new to me, yet I don’t apply what I know. So I need to figure out what will motivate me to use all my knowledge effectively and without fear.

4 Overcoming habitual behaviors is a journey! It doesn’t happen overnight, or because we think it sounds nice. Learning how to do yoga is a great example. It takes practice, committment, it is painful, and finally rewarding. Every time we practice we are repeating the cycle. Every time I have a new project, I have an opportunity to practice if I am willing to commit myself wholly. I have the power to make changes I just have to implement them.

Important things I learned about project management:

1. Values are the strongest driving force for project completion, this makes sense to me.

2. Project goals should be super motivating, appealing to the whole team, and be set above expectations while remaining measurable.

3. Every task should be small, but some goal should be completed daily. This is discipline, with the benefit of kissing overwhelming stress goodbye.

Important things I learned about using the learning cycle:

Growth doesn’t end, I know this because the data I reviewed stated that with age we learn to apply all four different styles of learning to various degrees. (Adaptation for growth)

My success in collaboration largely depends on my ability to recognize and explain information to more than just my learning style!

I have a converging learning personality according to Kolb’s model, meaning:

· I can solve problems and use my learning to solve practical problems

· More attracted to technical issues and less to social and interpersonal issues

· People with a Converging style like to experiment with new ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications.

Arduino Challenge Problem

Problem Statement

Program ARDX hobby servo to open and close circuit which lights up an LED.

Key Facts:

1. Servo reads write data from 0 to 180.
2. Two push buttons are the easiest way to start and stop servo.
3. Paper clips and wire are useful in making simple switches.

Solution:

Note that this servo switch design actually has capability to connect to leads on either side of the 180 degrees of rotation as it was designed for a different purpose.  This is not necessary to close the circuit, only one lead is plugged in, as we can see from the LED activation.

CODE


//Arduino Challenge Response - Arduino Mechanical Switch
//Jenny Madsen
//11/26/2012

/*Program rotates servo 180 degrees when button
*one is running, and reverses 180 degrees when
*button two is pushed effectively opening and
*closing circuit which lights LED
*/


#include <Servo.h> //to include servo name
Servo myservo; //create boject to control servo
int pos=30; //variable to store iitial servo position
int inputPin1=2; //nuber of button input
int val1 = 0; //variable for reading pushbutton status
int inputPin2=3;
int val2=0; //variable for reading pushbutton status

void setup()  {
  pinMode(inputPin1, INPUT); //input push button 1
  pinMode(inputPin2, INPUT); //input push button 2
  myservo.attach(9); //attaches servo pin input to pin 9 to servo
}

void loop()  {
  //read state of button
  val1=digitalRead(inputPin1); //read input from user for button one
  val2=digitalRead(inputPin2);//read input from user for button two
  //check if button is pressed
 
  if (val1==LOW)  {
    myservo.write(180); //rotate servo to 180 degrees
   
  }
  else if (val2==LOW)
  {
   myservo.write(pos); //return to initial
   delay(20); //delay program 20ms for servo rotation


  }
}
 

Growing Performance

As engineering students our main focus is on our personal education.  Otherwise, why would we put so much effort into getting out of bed and looking presentable.  To me, learning is a cycle of growth.  I have to say, that I do not perform well under stressful circumstances.  I'm not afraid to get in and try, but to perform well to someone else's standards puts me out of my comfort zone and my level of performance drops significantly.

To perform means to work, function, or do something to a specific standard.  Growing performance means to become more proficient in our performance, and to develop performance means becoming better at performing a task when we start from scratch.

Today's entry involves personal growth, and in many ways emotional growth that is necessary to have involved and rich personal and professional lives.  Pretty cool stuff.

So for every solution, there is usually something getting in our way which we need to overcome.  It is counterproductive and slows us down to think of this hurdle negatively.  Unfortunately, this is usually a primary response for the majority of us.  Not that there's anything wrong with that! *.^  This natural emotional response is a significant concept though.  It's called defensive behavior and it incorporates a specific mode of reasoning, or thought, referred to as defensive reasoning.  We can look at the science behind it and see that inside our brains we release tons of chemicals and use specific parts of our brain which make us aggressive, prone to conflict, etc.  Why do we get defensive?  We're insecure, lack the skills to help us perform the task at hand easily.  Let's face it, when it isn't easy, we're not happy!  That pretty much covers it.  The amazing thing is, we not only continue to thrive regardless, but we can exercise and obtain skills which help us subvert this defensive behavior!

To keep things short, I'm going to cover a process invented to help not only grow performance but also benefit us with life skills.  Life skills help us control our slide back towards being defensive, it's a constant effort to maintain a good attitude.  Happiness is a choice.

This method is called SII, an acronym denoting Strength Improvements Insights.
The method has us reflect on what has happened during the day, or during a meeting, or a specific skill we want to improve or even are thinking about over a short period of time.  Goals during this three to five minute period are are very simple.  We reflect on core strengths, look at two main areas which need improvement, and find at least one insight pertaining to what we've learned and what that means to us.

Within these three categories we answer the same three questions about the strength improvemt or insight which we define regarding our original topic.  The questions are:

• Name the important action of the Strength, Improvement, or Insight
• Explain what action must be taken, what was done well, or how the insight affects us
• Explain how it benefits us

This simple exercise gives us lots of information about ourselves, keeps the brain juice flowing (growth occurs during times of flow), and it helps us know what impact we are having in our own lives as well as others.

Here's an example of an SII based on my own life.  The focus of this SII is Team collaboration.

Strengths

1. I value every team members input.

• Name action:  I ask for information from everyone.
• How? I noticed when people were being quiet during open discussion time, and asked them for their opinion.
• Benefits: Every member feels included, more ideas on the table, grows respect.

2. During group time I stay focused, and am task oriented.

•  Name action: I look at what needs to get done and take the steps to get there.
• How? I set myself small goals, decide on an action, act, follow through.
• Benefits: My work gets done fast, it benefits my team, deadlines are met with less stress.

Improvements
1.  I need to come to meetings prepared.

• Name action: Look at class website, know my stuff.
• How? Set myself aside ten minutes where I can drop everything else and do my prerequisite research.
• Benefit: Meetings will run faster, I will be more competent, I will have goals in mind and ideas already prepared which will facilitate success.

2. I need to communicate my feelings about how the work is getting done with the entire team.

• Action: When I feel that important team issues need to be discussed I need to discuss them with the entire group as soon as possible.
• How? Be direct, get to the point, but do it respectfully.
• Benefit: I will feel more secure having expressed my feelings in a calm and safe way, group members will be well informed, if handled appropriately the group will be strengthened.

Insight 
1. I possess the qualities to be a strong leader and have the ability to promote strong team collaboration, I just have to get prepared and stay motivated.

Tech Transfer and Intellectual Property

On 11/7/2012, Gaylene Anderson came to our ME 223 class and gave a presentation on Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property.  She works at the University in the Technology Transfer Office and it was a pleasure to get to listen to her presentation.

In this post, I will discuss three of the ideas that stuck with me in my own words and how they apply to my current Academic and long term career, and the project that we are working on in class.

3 Ideas:

1. While remaining simple an ideas success in the consumer world depends on it's uniqueness.

• Why: Knowing what is expected for a project I can set my goals at that level and make efforts to easily obtain them.
• Meaning: Everyone wants something no one else has.  Consumers want solutions which work well.  People will buy products like this.
• How: I can keep these requirements always in my minds eye when designing and planning.  I can build simple creative designs.

2. Our ideas are very valuable and are worth protecting and pursuing.

•  This means that everyone has something to offer, and efforts should be made to create or pursue those ideas which I conclude could be successful.
• Knowing that my ideas could be successful is empowering.  I must also remember that confidentiality of intellectual property is a big concern, and ideas are not safe.
• I can research, design and create what I believe will be successful to take my goals and ambitions past where I thought possible.  I can make a difference in others lives, or money if I choose to.

3. College is the perfect time to get those ideas flowing and design something because of the awesome resources the college offers at the tech transfer office.

• This means we should be doing things that actualize our ideas in college.
• Why? I am in college.
• I can do this by finding ideas that interest me, determine if they stand a chance on the market by discussing the basics with friends and doing outside research.  Finally, nothing is stopping me from working hard and making dreams real.  

Hard work in my academic career could easily lead to a long term career depending on which path I choose to follow, and how hard I am willing to work once I am on the path.

Designing an Experiment

Experimental design is an efficient procedure for planning experiments so that data obtained can be analyzed to give valid and objective conclusions.
 
Benefits of using Experimental Design Process:
 This process is fast, and is the most efficient way to perform engineering.  Data collected in experimentation tells us immediately whether our math models are correct or that we obviously have errors or variables unaccounted for.  Confidence in our data is paramount to our reliability in the field and our ability to share and communicate with our peers.

Our process includes:

1. Figure out the why of the experiment.
2. Apply relevant knowledge
3. Make predictions, state hypothesis.
4. Plan the experiment, including goals statement, knows and unknowns, how much data do I need.
-decide how the data with be measured, and what can affect the data
-analyze data
-make an experiment algorithm
-get your stuff and follow through
5. Execute, analyze, repeat.
6. Decided whether the findings are consistent, once you are satisfied then report your findings.

Good practice involves accurate data, not skewing your findings to fit what you think they should be but using the data your experiment reveals.  If you don't like it, change your experiment, but don't be dishonest it's a waste of time.

2 Belief system:
People who use the scientific belief system are skeptical of themselves and what is presented to them and focused on data and evidence that reflects the true nature of situations.  Alchemy based belief is based around information which supports a persons own beliefs.  Those who follow alchemy are not open to data which does not concur with their own ideas and therefore have skewed perception.

Belief in science means that your theories and ideas are based on information which you know fits with the natural order and systems.  You are constantly open to new ideas and making the most of the knowledge provided to you.

I can see example of the scientific method everyday in the real world.  I see how my grades compare to those in my class.  I can benchmark a computer program on different computers to see which one runs faster.  We can see math models at work everyday in how our traffic flows through our city streets, and do testing on specific models by finding similar intersections in different cities and comparing the two.

Thermal Model: Mug Project

Math Models:

As I begin to create a math model I look to the key concepts of the subject that I am trying to derive equations for, starting with the knowledge that I already know as a point to expand from.  For example with this thermal mug project our equations will be derived from the fundamental laws of thermodynamics.  I know from my chemistry class that our enthalpy equilibrium equations are applicable in this scenario.  As ice and water are placed into the same system we see an averaging of the kinetic energy in the molecules of the solid and the liquid.

I identify all of my known and unknown variables.  Once I know how many variables that I have to solve for, I know how many equations that I need to find in order to come to my final solution.  I try to identify everything affecting the system I am working in and combine my equations to find my final solution/solutions.

>> temp
Jenny Madsen
Temperature equilibrium equation
What is initial temperature of the liquid?85
What is initial temperature of the ice?-13
How much does the ice weigh?.102
How much does the water weigh?.228
   83.9634


ans =

   83.9634

function [Tfin]=temp(TinW,TinI,Mi,Ci,Mw,Cw,Hsf)
disp('Jenny Madsen')
disp('Temperature equilibrium equation')

TinW=input('What is initial temperature of the liquid?');
TinI=input('What is initial temperature of the ice?');
Mi=input('How much does the ice weigh?');
Mw=input('How much does the water weigh?');

Cw=4.186; %Kjoules/Kg*degrees C
Ci=2.09; %Kjoules/Kg*degrees C
Hsf=334; %Kjoules/Kg*degrees C

Tfin=(-TinI*Mi*Ci-TinW*Mw*Cw+Mi*Hsf)/(Cw*(Mi-Mw));

disp(Tfin)

Conclusion:
This value is not the value that I expect my equation to reflect.  I have done some modification that seems to be helping but the equation needs to be adjust somehow.  It might be for using kelvin or I may have a sign or division error somewhere.  It shouldn't take much improvement to reflect my expected values for use in testing and analysis though.

Design of Technology - ME 223

This Professional Portfolio blog has been created as a method of displaying data for future ME 223 assignments.