My group and I definitely did our best to plan for the safety of our egg, but unfortunately, it still died from unforeseen forces. We went through the planning steps as best we could under the restrictions that were given. We knew that ultimately, our success depended on how well we actually went along with what the professor wanted from us, which was to go through the planning process and consciously plan out everything we would do.
Planning step one was already done for us because the professor gave us a specific goal that we had to achieve and also the amount of time we had to achieve it in. Planning step two is to recognize where you stand in terms of strengths and weaknesses, and also resources. We knew that we were only able to use 8 straws and a yard of tape. We also played around with the straws to figure out their dexterity and flexibility. Then we started sketching and discussing what we would do with these straws and in what format would we attach them to the egg. Right away we realized that a major weakness would be the amount of straws we have and that we would need to keep more than half of the egg untouched. Our team leader was easy to spot because she had a great idea that she was able to explain and also execute once the time had come-strength.
Planning step three is to develop alternative strategies. We used the leaders original idea and added to it. Each member came up with ways to improve the original.
Planning step four is to make a tactical plan which we did. We figured out how many pieces we had to cut each of the straws into and how many pieces of tape we need to rip the tape into. Each member was assigned a role that they were responsible to carry out. For example, someone was in charge of running for the scissors and cutting the straws, someone was in charge of ripping the tape into small pieces, someone was in charge of actually attaching everything to the egg, someone was the assistant of the main attacher, and someone was writing everything out on paper and drawing a sketch to hand in.
The final step is to implement the plan. Everything went according to the plan, despite all of the tension that could be felt in the room. When it came time to drop the egg, we chose our shortest person to do the dropping, and we also made sure she took off her heels in order to be even closer to the ground.
Unfortuanately, our egg did break, but I was still very proud of my group and felt that we did the best we possibly could have. I can't even say how we could have been more effective in our planning process. The only thing I can say is that we should have thought out of the box. For example, the group that lowered their egg into the basket thought out of the box, my team and I should have tried to think on those same terms.
I agree with you that it's hard to wrap our head around to make sure to come up with the right plan to achieve the goal. But i think the time is also essential in all planing process. When we make a decision on something that is timed , we tend to make mistakes and i see that a lot in real life from my job where we have to make quick decisions because of the time, otherwise our customers will be gone.I think everyone does deserve a 5 points credit for this activity.
ReplyDeleteYou’re absolutely right. These types of experiments always work best when you think outside the box, but it's very difficult to do so in such a short period of time. Ultimately the main goal here is to develop a clear plan and implement it effectively. Although your group was not able to protect the egg, hopefully you've gained knowledge from the experience.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that any learning experience is a good experience, so in retrospect we all learned something very important for any career: How to work in groups.
It sounds like your group carried out the planning process very well, considering that your egg still broke. Unlike your group, we had no designated leader but we did add to each others ideas. One of the key points that I noticed that your group did but mine did not was making a tactical plan. I truly believe that this is the most important part of the planning process because this sets out how you are going to carry out your ideas. Ideas, whether good or bad, are generated all the time. But the way in which you plan to implement can make the big difference. Assigning roles for each member was a terrific idea, one that we should have done. Perhaps, we could have even won.
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