Technical Paper Access

You can only access this if you are on a school computer. Just click that you go to Bronx Science because they have paid for a membership, so you click Bronx Science and then you will have access to the whole database.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/

Progress Meeting 1 (10/06/2016)

We are going to have our first STEM Progress Meeting this Thursday (10/06/2015). Please prepare it thoroughly and be ready for any questions. Each team will have 10~15 minutes to present depends on the size of the group. The outlines of the presentation are listed below.

STEM Team Progress Report Outlines
1. Topic
   a. Research topic
   b. group members
2. Research problem
   a. Definition
   b. Scope
   c. Functional specification
   d. Performance specification
3. Prior Arts / Resource Inventory  
   a. Survey of literature
   b. Work from last year
4. Method
   a. Possible methods/strategies to solve the problem
   b. The method (currently experimenting) & rationals of choosing
5. Technology Analysis
   a. Mechanical
   b. Electronic
   c. Algorithms 
   d. Software
   e. Chemical
    f. Biological
6. Network Diagram & Gantt chart (Time & Human Resource)
   a. Major activities/milestones
   b. Dependence
   c. Task/resource assignment
   d. Current status
7. Material Resource (Highlight Items Need Purchase)
   a. Tools
   b. Materials
   c. Software
   d. Equipment
8. Progress
   a. Learning progress
   b. Failed experiments
   c. Project achievements
   d. Demonstrations
9. Problems
   a. Technical issues
   b. Resource issues (time, human, material)
10. Safety/Risks Management
   a. Potential show stopper
   b. Safety issues.
   c. Backup plan
11. References
   a. Books/magazines
   b. Video tutorials
   c. Websites
   d. Papers from professional journals
   e. Thesis/dissertations

Project team members should coordinate with each other to create a seamless presentation. Every group member should have the equal opportunity to present/demo. Group and individual performance will be evaluated by peers and teacher.

Good luck!

Our 1st powerpoint

hyperlink attached above

STEM Seminar

We are going to have our first STEM Seminar this coming Thursday (9/15) and next Monday (9/19). Each team should prepare to present a key topic of your research field in depth based on both your study and research experience. The contents should be informative and educational to the class. The presentation should be no longer than 12 minutes (including 2 minutes for questions). You are encouraged to use PowerPoint, videos, demonstrations and handouts to help the class understand and grasp the new materials in a short time. Presentation materials should be in professional quality: concise, accurate, logical, rich in contents, and visually pleasant.

Please plan, coordinate, and rehearse your presentation in advance, and submit your topic by the end of Wednesday (9/14). The order of presentation will be announced before the presentation. If you need any special setup for your presentation, please notify Mr. Lin as soon as possible.

Once your team has finished your presentation, your presentation and multimedia files should be posted  onto your team blog. You can upload your file to Google Drive first and then share the link on your blog.

 

 

August! For Real?

Hello Everyone!

It's hard to believe that it's August! How is your summer so far? I know that some of you have summer jobs, internships, research, overseas trips, or are simply relaxing...... You are more than welcome to share your summer with us by posting on this blog. 

I have spent my past three summers in research labs, but this summer I am simply staying home and doing past-due "homework". I got an assignment to fully upgrade our old kitchen and laundry room. Although there is a skillful contractor helping us with the renovation, the project demands much more than I expected it to.

Old Kitchen View 1

Old Kitchen View 2

Torn-down Kitchen View

In addition to having to move everything out of the work area and living without both a kitchen and laundry room for over a month, I have had to design the floor plan (over 4 versions of it) and cabinet combinations according to our preferences. I have also had to shop around dozens of stores to find quality products (cabinets, counter-tops, sinks, faucets, cabinet handles, floating shelves, garbage disposer, floor tiles, backsplashes, paints, lighting, range&oven, hood, over-the-range microwave, washer, dryer, doors, locks, storm door, door thresholds, etc.) at lower prices, pick up materials, and/or arrange for shipping in a timely manner. Lastly, I also had to supervise and support workers' demands.

New Kitchen in Progress 1

New Kitchen in Progress 2

New Laundry Room in Progress

That's the reason I didn't spend enough time working on my STEM projects in the past month. However, when I reflect on what I have done so far, I realize that I am facing the same type of challenges you will encounter in your STEM projects.  

1. It's a real-world problem and will bring real impact to people's lives. Obviously, the process and results of our little kitchen & laundry room project will change our family lives. 
2. It's new to me, and there are lots of unknowns. Vague and uncertain situations are common. I had to do lots of research and read through tons of incomplete specifications/manuals/information to resolve specific issues.
3.  It's complex, and there are many factors (design, quality, availability, cost, etc.) intertwined together. There was no easy decision that could be made on almost every issue. For example, unavailable/over-priced backsplashes tiles could cause the change of the wall paint color selection. I had to understand, analyze, and evaluate all the factors before making trade-offs.
4. It requires lots of iterations to refine the solutions. The more I learned from new information or experiences, the better I could improve my project. It's a constant learning and improving process.
5.  It involves having to work within a certain time limit and a certain budget.

This is my summer so far. How about yours? Wish you all enjoy the second half of your summer! I will soon be wrapping up my little project and joining you in your STEM research activities.

Happy Research!

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