This week I was able to catch up on previous assignments such as updating my digital portfolio, organizing my ISM folders, and reflecting on my mentor and teacher feedback. I began my week by creating separate files for each assessment and other assignments related to ISM. This organization made the task of updating the digital portfolio much easier than before as I was able to place my weekly reports and assessments efficiently onto the website.
In addition to completing these tasks, I also reflected on feedback for Final Product Proposal. After viewing both mentor and teacher feedback. I realized that I need to be more specific about the type of crime scene I would like to study and adjust the time frame for completion. Therefore, my next steps for this week will consist of completing the Final Product Proposal and Calendar based on the feedback given and perhaps even a rough outline of the different areas of research. In addition, setting up mentor visits for the upcoming weeks will be a top priority. Likewise, as spring is approaching and the weekend/holiday mentality sets in, I must stay focused and complete all tasks before their assigned due dates.
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This week was very exciting!
I finally found a mentor for my ISM journey this year. After much consideration, I asked Dr. Uttam Tambar to be my mentor because he seemed the most passionate about biological chemistry while also being very open-minded to teaching a high school student, like me, the different career opportunities biological chemistry provides. In addition, Dr. Tambar is also extremely qualified to be a mentor as he has attended Harvard University, California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University. In addition, he has published many publications over catalytic reactions, medicinal chemistry, and natural product synthesis. This week I also reflected thoroughly upon my Original Work/ 1st Semester presentation and I saw some recurring distracting manners throughout my presentations this year. For example, I noticed that my voice was very low and I had many fillers and poor enunciation of words. To correct these habits, I plan to practice my speaking skills often and develop a stronger presenter voice before a presentation by practicing breathing exercises. I can also practice hand gestures when I am casually talking to my peers. My goals for next week is to begin researching and analyzing crime scenes for my Final Product and update my digital portfolio and mentor bio. This week I presented my Original Work and described how my first semester in the Independent Study and Mentorship went. This presentation took a lot of preparations as the time limit was 18 to 21 minutes. I began preparing by watching my past presentations and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses. Next, I created an outline of key points I wanted to incorporate into my speech and created a visual (powerpoint) to support the ideas I was presenting. In addition, I outlined the development and process of my Original Work and created a short description of what my Final Product will encompass.
However, this speech was much more difficult than my previous presentations because of the timing. Although I prepared for this speech ahead of time, I rushed through my words and slides on the powerpoint and finished very early. In addition, I had many fillers, I fidgeted many times, and I had a low voice that impacted the delivery of my presentation. To improve these areas, my goals for the next few weeks are to control the number of fillers and fidgeting and raise my voice when I talk to big crowds. In addition, I plan to research and analyze crime scenes for my Final Product. This week consisted of careful planning and preparations for both the Final Product and the 1st Semester presentation.
First, I began the week by searching for possible areas of interest to create my Final Product. Although I greatly enjoyed environmental biological chemistry, I wanted to expand my knowledge in biochemistry and began searching for other subareas of biochemistry. After surfing many different databases, I came across forensic biological chemistry. This field of science examines physical evidence to support criminal investigations and prosecutions using forensic serology, DNA/RNA analysis, and immunoassays that can determine the blood, origin, age, and gender of an individual in a crime scene. After I chose the specific field of biochemistry I wanted to study, I began listing out things I wanted to incorporate in my Final Product. After much consideration, I decided to create an array of sketches and a full report over a criminal investigation that used forensic biochemical techniques. Lastly, this week I also prepared for my 1st Semester presentation. I began preparing by creating an outline of the things I might say in my presentation. Then I created a powerpoint as a visual aid that goes along with the items I will say in my presentation. |
AuthorWritten by Khushi Borikar Archives
April 2019
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