Group 2

Guide to Writing Project Reflection for your Electronic Portfolio

 In this electronic Portfolio, you will write your reflections about your project that you summarized in the portfolio. The reflections should include the following:

�fc2�fa7         The goals of the project  

�fc2�fa7         What you did and/or learned in this project   

�fc2�fa7         Explains how you will apply what you have learned in the future as a professional

 

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In my opinion, the goals of our project were to explore and understand the many aspects of the ancient Mayan civilization.  In order to complete this project, goals needed to be set for each week and met by each team member.  We created a Gantt chart to help us achieve our goals for each week.  Because the Mayan civilization is a vast topic, Group B chose to focus on the Mayan civilization of Palenque.  We did this for two reasons: the first reason being we would be visiting this site the most, and the second reason being it helped narrow our research.  In addition to focusing on Palenque, each member of the group was responsible for a specific topic.  For example, I focused on the Mayan culture, which included religion, sacrifice, and everyday life.  Throughout the ten week quarter, I learned an enormous amount of information about the Mayan civilization especially concerning the city of Palenque.  I found the Mayan rituals of human sacrifice and self-sacrifice as offerings to their many gods to be the most fascinating part of their culture.  However, one of the most challenging tasks of the group project was figuring out a way to combine each member's research into a single presentation.  Due to the hard work from each team member, the final project and presentation turned out awesome! The amount of communication, flexibility, and teamwork needed to complete the project are skills that I will take with me in the future as a professional. 

 

Danielle Everman

 

 

The goals of the project were to illustrate how the Maya used mathematics in their architecture, how mathematics were applied to the calendar system, and how the Maya culture played a large role in the structures they created.  The goal of any Problem-Based Learning class is to develop the skills required to work in a multidisciplinary team on an open-ended project.  Working in a team like this improves problem solving skills and communication skills.  An appreciation fo the Maya architecture and their culture was acquired throughout the course, and an appreciation for the different skill sets of group members was gained as well.  This course utilized technology and weekly class meetings to accomplish the assignments that were presented.  Our group decided to use several technologies to present the research that was completed during the quarter as well. 

Upon completion of the project we all learned a great deal about the the Maya civilization, but much more was gained.  Working in a multidisciplinary team presents several challenges.  Brainstorming ideas, scheduling meetings, agreeing on a topic and presentation style, and appreciating each others different problem-solving techniques were all important aspects of this class.  Solving an open-ended problem is a challenge in itself.  Throughout most of our academic careers we are fed assignments with a clear problem, and a method for arriving at the solution.  This class provided an opportunity for creative problem solving in a team environment. Having people from different academic backgrounds greatly enhanced the quality of the final presentation because we were all able to demonstrate our own expertise on different topics, and also different components of the final project.  I personally had an interest in the mathematics and astronomy.  These research topics covered material on the calendar systems and the geometry used in buildings as well.  We found that although each member chose a different topic to research there was a lot of overlap.  This allowed for an organized presentation.  I also had an interest in using Google Earth as the presentation medium for our project.  The technical knowledge from my background as an Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology major allowed me to apply my skill set to help solve part of the problem we were presented with.  My skill with 3D drawings and architecture are limited, but I understand mathematical concepts well and was able to apply technical knowledge from my field towards completing our final presentation.

The most important skills gained in this course were understanding how to communicate effectively in a team, and understanding how to utilize different skill sets to solve a problem.  The Problem-Based Learning style simulates how problems are approached  in the real  world, and this course challenged us to work together despite our different backgrounds.  This is a skill that is vital to success in a future career.  The experiential learning trip to Chiapas also provided an important opportunity to gain appreciation for a different culture.  We live in a much more global society today than past generations.  It is extremely important to be able to appreciate people from different cultures, and to learn to work together.   The cultural experience from courses like this are perhaps the most important part of one's education.

Josh Hays

The goal of our project was to learn about the Mayan civilization in various fields. We did this through extensive research and exploration. First, we created a C-Map containing all of the materials we investigated, divided them into categories, and displayed connections between topics. We then narrowed down our subject list, concentrating on the aspects of Mayan culture that interested us most. This allowed us to have a concise and cohesive final presentation. My personal focus was on the Mayan Architecture. I learned about the construction techniques the Mayans used, as well as the various purposes of their structures. I believe that the information I learned throughout this course will benefit my architecture career greatly, and that I have expanded my design abilities by acquainting myself with a foreign culture. Our team worked wonderfully together. We’re definitely all very different people, but our diversity worked in our favor. We were each interested in a variety of things, so we had an assorted range of study subjects. I ended up learning about things that I would not have researched myself. We challenged ourselves and each other to learn as much as we could, create a great presentation, and have a good time. This course will become invaluable to me in the future. I improved my communication skills, time management skills, and tolerance, all of which are important in the professional world. I learned about two cultures, the ancient Mayans and the modern Mexicans, which will help me to become a better understanding and aware person. I will also take the fundamentals and beliefs behind the Mayan architecture with me as I move forward in my education. Nia Marinucci

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During our trip I experienced many events that will affect my future. From construction methods to reading hieroglyphs and experiencing mexico alone and with a group. We look measurements of structures and compared them to golden mean. We talked about the origin of zero and how advanced there system of stars was. During the course i was forced to conquer many tasks at a single time from sketch up to imovie, youtube and google earth. Our group work proved to be efficient and effective. We all assumed the role of the leader at some point or another. Throughout the project we ran into problems with format and compatibility. We used group processing to eliminate problems. Our communication was conducted both in and out of class and through text and talking. It helped me to understand the responsibility you take on when you aim high as well as the responsibility you assume when others lack the knowledge in a certain area. The short trip to Guatemala really opened my eyes to just how happy we all should be with what we have. Along with Masham and how happy he could be with a bottle or mango. The most important thing i got out of our trip and class was the need to understand and respect others cultures. I hope that we will all cherish the time i will certainly never forget. - Anthony Ruch

 

 

Guide to Writing  a Course Reflections for your Electronic Portfolio

Instructions to Course Reflection:

An introductory paragraph that identifies the course goals contains a thesis statement that focuses your reflection 

Several body paragraphs which offer specific support for your thesis (In these paragraphs, you must organize your writing with topic sentences and provide specific examples from your assignments to support your points. You must explain how and why these examples support the points you make: this becomes the reflection, and most important aspect, of your essay.) 

A concluding paragraph which summarizes your important points and/or draws relationships between what you did and learned in this course and what you did or learned in other courses 

Consider using some of the questions below to help you develop the body of your reflection. Be sure to support your statements with specific examples of things that you did or learned in the course, and be sure to explain how and why the examples that you choose support your statements. Your instructor may require you to respond to specific questions in your reflection.