Week 8 and what I have learned

It is currently the beginning of week 8 and I have noticed a few things about my first year in graduate school...

For starters, even though organization was important for me in undergrad, it is of the utmost importance in grad school.  I was warned early on that graduate course work has more reading and homework and that you will be in constant contact with your professors and in your discussions.

I think it is important to say that organization is the first step to preparing yourself for graduate courses.  Second is to make sure that if you have any questions (no matter how absurd they might be) ask your professor(s), it is always good to get feedback whether it be positive or not, it helps with your studies.

Third, when you do your homework to ALWAYS review, I look over my homework at least twice for any spelling/grammatical errors there might be, and if all the information that I need is present.  I cannot express how important this is because I have seen a lot of terribly written articles and discussions in my courses.  It is even worse when I find out that they are teachers and/or professors.

Lastly, lead by example.  This is something one of my professors told me.  I am usually the first one in my group discussions to post something and then all of a sudden within a few hours a lot of my classmates post similar answers or responses.  I feel that if I don't post something then everyone will do it at the last minute and the course requires you to have a discussion with your classmates (kind of hard to do if no one is discussing).  Also, be a little out there and get involved in your readings and discussions.  I find it to be a lot easier if you're interested in the topic that's being taught.  If you find the readings to be a tad bit dull, then find an article or a website online that discusses the same material but in a different way.

Those are just a few things that I think students will find helpful, also, at the beginning of each term/course I always write down a list of things that I want to accomplish: grades, what I expect from myself, and what I expect out of the course.  I guess you could also say that they're a list of goals and if you have  a set list of goals you find it easier to accomplish them :)  with that said, I am going back to finishing up my homework.  Happy week 9 everyone!!!

Reflections, the journey continues

Before starting graduate school I was a bit terrified.  Both my mom and my dad constantly told me how hard it would be and the horror stories from their days in grad school.  Who wouldn't be a little scared and intimidated after that?  I had to constantly remind myself that I live in an age where technology benefits me, my parents on the other hand...they lived in an age where computers, cell phone, or even hand held calculators didn't even exist, the thought still boggles my mind.  Starting this course I didn't know what to expect, I definitely did not think that I would enjoy it so much as I do.   This course has been very beneficial and therapeutic to me, and I have learned so much from my classmates that is going to benefit me when I become a teacher and have a class of my own.  I hope that many of you will continue to keep on blogging , and even though the class may soon be over, my journey has just begun.  I wish everyone the best of luck in their future endeavors and remember, your journey is never over :)

I took this photo with my iPhone 4gs,  at this very moment when I took it I felt like I was in a place of my own and that my future was brighter than ever, it brought me a feeling of peace as I hope it does with all of you. 

New technology that improves road safety? Who doesn't love that?

I'm a huge fan of the news, especially KPTV and Fox12.  I even have apps on my phone just to check periodically if the news has changed.  Today on KPTV the app was talking about a new technology that would improve road safety no matter the weather condition.  A company called Vaisala has created a mobile sensor technology that would gather information on the pavement, air temperatures, road conditions, and friction levels.  Then the information that the sensors would obtain would be sent to the Department of Transportation and road maintenance crews to help determine a course of action if it was needed.

This new technology is supposed to be able to help agencies save money and be more efficient.  I'm excited to see what else this technology is capable of and if it really does help as much as it sounds.

If you would like more information you can go to http://www.mobl.net/r/wa6r1

Using cockroaches for electricity?!

I was looking up information on my class project and came across an article discussing how they have been able to use cockroaches for electricity.  My first thought was, this is really gross but really cool.

According to David Ponce, it is much like the movie the Matrix where humans were used to harness energy for the machines, except the key to converting the chemical energy is using enzymes in series at the anode.  So pretty much, it's the chemicals in the cockroach that produces the electricity.

I'm a big bug lover ( I know it's strange) and I love pretty much all insects and I dislike finding out information where people have to cut them open or hurt them in any way, but this article gave me some peace of mind.  Unlike reptiles or mammals, insects have an open circulatory system so the blood is not under much pressure, so we don't have to worry about hitting a vein or an artery and seeing blood gush out.  Surprisingly, the cockroaches can be poked and prodded again and gain because of this, they bounce right back and walk away as soon as the scientists are done using them for the day.

I find it absolutely fascinating to see that there are other ways of harnessing energy such as electricity, especially with the use of bugs?!  Who knew one of the most un-loved insect, the cockroach, could come in handy :)

http://www.ohgizmo.com/2012/02/02/we-are-now-able-to-harvest-electricity-from-cockroaches/

A thought I have been stuck on today

While at work I was having a conversation with my manager about relationships and marriage.  I know this does not pertain to blogging, but I've noticed that many of my friends and their parents are breaking up/ getting a divorce.  Many of these relationships I always thought were close to perfect, but apparently I was wrong.  I know there are a lot of factors as to why each relationship fails, but it's interesting to me because in the 1920s divorce was almost non-existent.  I then realized that perhaps one reason for this is because technology such as TV and the internet did not exist, so families spent more time with each other.  As time progressed and the invention of the TV came, there were only a few channels/shows in black and white but there was still a lot of time for families to spend with each other.  It wasn't until we were able to get color TV when I think families became glued to the "tube" and did less activities (example: board games, sports, etc.).  I know technology is an amazing thing, I mean I sometimes wonder, can we actually get any further than we have?  The answer is always yes, even if we can't imagine what else people are going to invent.  However, I also wonder if it's a huge problem in relationships and marriages?  Any thoughts?