Sunday, September 18, 2011

Criteria to Evaluate Scientific Paper

  • Is the purpose of the paper clearly defined?
  • Is the research method described well enough so that another researcher can repeat it?
  • Are flaws in the research procedure identified and possible effects of these flaws stated?
  • Is the analysis method used to analyze the data appropriate?
  • Are references reliable sources?

Presentation on Penny Weights

My group's presentation on penny weights:
Penny Project 9-13-11

I thought that most of the presentations had poor content. While the groups did attempt to answer the questions posed, the presentations contained a lot of filler information, such as history of the penny and penny "fun facts." Some of the groups did a great job at including scientific content, including research/experimental methods.

My group's presentation answered the questions, but we did not have any experimental research to support our data. We also had a lot of "filler" in our presentation that was repeated throughout other presentations.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Professional Development Plan

A professional development plan consists of an individual's mission for professional growth, the goals that will help them accomplish their mission, and the strategies that they will use.  In addition to a mission, goals, and strategies, some aspects that should be considered when writing one's professional development plan are as follows:

  • Understanding what one's strengths and weaknesses are.
  • Identifying current and possible future challenges.
  • Taking into account one's values.
  • Making a timeline for the goals leading up to the mission.
  • Happiness