Monday, October 27, 2008

How to Enhance Exam Scores?

Oh my goodness. On Monday, I realized that professor Kurpis was really generous to his students. After we got back our first test score, most of the class mates became monsters. I was too almost killed by myself. I had never gotten that kind of score before. Especially, I could not believe strange situation because I got nothing on the essay part. It was really really sucks for me. “How I did not get it even 1 point? Was my essay really terrible?” Suddenly, I was questioned of myself that “should I drop this class?” However, professor gave some advice and time limit to us to make good decision for enhancement our first exam and future exams.

As soon as professor gave time limit for making it, people could not handle or control by themselves. The class room was like a public market which was so noisy and yelling each other. I could not control too by myself because I did not want to appear any essay question in the future tests. I imagined that if I could write down answer the essay question Korean, I would believe to get a good score, but I knew that it was not possible. I would want the professor to have no multiple, multiple answers, no essay questions and no short questions, but drop one lowest score, curve the tests, extra point and open book test or take home final. However, few minutes later, I gave up Collaborating with them because no matter what I did that my score was still bad and it made me depress. I was just Avoiding and waiting for their decision.

Before one person handled the chaos, anybody did not make any decision. It was really difficult to agree 100%. We had only few minutes to decide to our good purpose. I thought that it was very difficult to reach a satisfactory Compromise for everyone. But, I agreed with them because if I did not allow many class mates decisions, I felt that they were going to blame me. For me, I thought that it was like ‘Opportunity Cost’; I had to give up to get something.

Finally, they decided some result. I satisfied what the result came out that drop one lowest test, curve and extra credit. I hope I will get much better than the first exam.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

From the Weak Egg to the Strong Egg!

Wow! The egg project was probably tough when I was asked by professor Kurpis to drop the egg from ten feet high without breaking. Was it possible to save the egg? Each group got an egg, 8 straws, 2 feet tape and a scissor from the professor. We had a time limit to making an object. However, during the planning process, I think that I earned a lot from it. It was so much fun and made the bond of our team cooperation.

Our group, six people, started step 1: to think the goal of the egg project about not only how to keep it from breaking but also how to protect the egg covering with less the tapes. We had to keep an eye on the time limit for planning.

Each person was decided what they would do for step 2: an idea person to give a brilliant idea, a designer to draw the idea to make understand our member, an architect to develop the idea, a leader to explain it, and taper to pate up the right spot. We did our best to make it with only some of resources which were eight straws, an egg, and two feet tapes. During sharing our ideas, one of our members had a similar experience before, so we determined on the idea, but we could not know how to build it. We started to draw the idea. The designer drew a final cut to understand us.

We almost skiped for step 3 because we were confident of success from the idea, which looked like triangular pyramid; six straws, three for the bases and other three for the heights connected together to the end parts of them. The rest of two straws which cut into half, four, held up the egg in the center. Even though it seemed to be effective to save the egg, we were a little bit of nervous becuase we were going to drop it from ten feet high.

We decided each role for step 4: each person did their roles that two of members tried to cut two straws quickly, two made more tapes to cut harf of tape's width, one drew perfectly the idea, one was a leader, and all together pasted up straws to the right places of the structure. We together shared our best when we built the egg triangle pyramid; that’s why those were very effective to finish the project before the time due. We tried to follow what the professor said that more than fifty percent of the egg had to show. When we finished it, our leader tried to drop the final structure in our place. It was fine. Therefore, I was really sure to success.

In the step 5: when the leader, who was a tall guy, dropped our egg structure from the over ten feet, it hit the corner of the basket once and then entered into the basket. However, luckily, it was not broken even any crack. The triangle cover protected the egg completely.

Finally, our egg was survived. I can say that our team did the best to achieve success. The successful result said that our planning and management harmonized and were effective completely. However, I think that it was not the matter what they got, a successful result or a unsuccessful result. I believe that all groups tried to do their best. I realized that how to follow or progress in a group activity, and how to develop to a good idea from a poor idea. The project was really fun, and it excited us. I think that it made us one.