Blog 16 - Independent Component 2 Approval

Content:

Please review the component contract in the senior project packet. The Independent Component 2 is an opportunity for you to add a dimension of creativity and/or an additional outlet for research. The goal of the component is for you to explore your answers in more depth. On Friday, April 22, 2016, you will be turning in the following to your blog to prove completion of this component:

• Blog post answering specific questions posted by senior team
• Log of hours clearly delineated as Independent Component 2 on senior project hours spreadsheet (with total number of hours included)
• Evidence of the 30 hours of work (e.g. transcript, essays, tests, art work, photographs) as digital artifacts

For this blog post and approval, please answer the following questions.

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

• For the 30 hours of Independent Component 2 I plan to take a college class that is about Law Enforcement at Mt. San Antonio Community College. Classes for Spring semester begin on the last week of February and tomorrow, Tuesday the 9th of February I will be attending an orientation to make sure that the class that I will be taking is allowed. I also plan to go on different ridealongs with several different officers who are not my mentors. I do believe that every officer has a different way of handling certain situations when they are put under stress and I do believe that we all think different. In one ridealong I can complete up to 11 hours so my goal is to go on 10 ridealongs with different officers and shifts as well as different squads. I also believe that riding with officers who have 1 to 2 years of experience is important because they are still learning just like me. But riding with officers who have been in the department for 20 or more years will be essential to my project. Depending on the class that I take the times and days to meet will differ so I will not know what days or class I will be in the class until I actually register for it.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectations of showing 30 hours of evidence.

• In order to meet or show the expectations of 30 hours of evidence I will have to take pictures of my work in class or make a professional paper where my professor and the different officers I rode with must sign it. If I take pictures of the officers and I when I am on my ridealong I will not be able to post them but I will be able to show my House teacher on the side.

3. Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

• This second independent component will help me explore my topic in depth because I will actually take a class on Law Enforcement and there will be new and different things that I will encounter and learn about. By riding with different officers I will learn their ways of giving their service as well as their answers when I ask them my essential question of, "How can a Police Officer make safe and ethical calls in high pressure situations?". By riding with different officers it will allow me to see different perspectives and be able to distinguish newer police officers with those who have been in the department for years now.

4. Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent  Component 2" log.

• Completed

Your answers to the questions should be supported with details and examples for the senior team to understand what you plan to do. Once we review your Blog Post 16, your house teacher will discuss with you the approval of your plan. If it is approved, please start working on it. If it is not approved, your house teacher will explain why. It is your job to address the concerns so you can get your component approved. Additionally, any changes requested must be addressed to your house teacher well in advance of the completion date for full credit on the assignment.

Research is important to this Senior Project!

Lesson 2 Reflection

Train for the worse, hope for the best  

1. What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why? 

• I am proud of the content that I had in my power point slides, saying everything and expanding on it, and my activity turning out successful. All the previous mentioned points made me proud because I thought that my presentation was not going to flow like I planned it to be.  But with a few changes here and there, my presentation overall was a success. 

2. A. What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation  (self-assessment)? 

• AE   

B. Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from Lesson 2 component contract? 

• I deserve an AE on my Lesson 2 Presentation because I hit every single point hard as well as presented more information that was not necessary but does help an individual understand. I also prepared myself ahead of time to make sure that every single piece of information flowed well in the presentation. I brought in props that would benefit me in my presentation. Every piece of paperwork that I brought it explained them and during my activity I walked around to make sure everybody was doing fine. 

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

• What worked well for me in my Lesson 2 was that I brought props and had an interesting activity. I showed passion when I was presenting and threw a real life story during my presentation which made it interesting. I also had a friend help me pass out the paper for my activity which has allowed me to discuss the activity. 

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

• What did not work for me was that before presenting I felt a nervous rush anxiety which made me forget some key parts. But at the end I was able to remember them and talk about them. I also felt that my hook was not good enough so I had to change it at the end which was the night before I presented. 
•  If I had a time machine to go back and be able to improve on my presentation would be to be part of the first few who present on the first day. I would also have more slides that would go in greater depth about the several different part of training. I would also add a video that relates to my answer. 

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

• I believe that my answer two is going to be "experience". I had the time to ask officer my essential question and their answers circled around training and experience as well as keeping ones head clear and always on the end goal (target). 

Independent Component 1

Leadership has different characteristics that makes it strong. 

Content:
LITERAL

• (a) Write: "I, Jennifer Aguilera, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 40.5 hours of work."
• (b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component. 
• "What Is Leadership?" - Leadership Skills Training from MindTools.com Mind Tools, n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2015.<http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_41.htm>.
• Bradberry, Travis. "10 Communication Secrets of Great Leaders." Entrepreneur. Entrepreneur Media, 27 July 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.<http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248742>. 
• "What Great Leaders Do Differently - Supervisory Leadership Article." What Great Leaders Do Differently - Supervisory Leadership Article. Wally Bock, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015 <http://agreatsupervisor.com/articles/great_leaders.htm>. 
• Biro, Meghan M. "Leadership is About Emotion." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 15 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2013/12/15/leadership-is-about-emotion/#2715e4857a0b6c854171269d>. 
• Jones, Tegan. "10 Impressive Characteristics Great Leaders Have." Lifehacks RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2015. <http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-impressive-characteristics-great-leaders-have.html.>.
• Brydson, David. "Strategic and Tactical Planning: Understanding the Difference" - SmallBizLink. SmallBiz Link, n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2015. <http://smallbizlink.monster.com/training/articles/855-strategic-and-tactical-planning-understanding-the-difference>.
• "Handgun Safety Rules and Procedure." PoliceOne. PoliceOne.com, 16 Feb. 2003. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/articles/59674-Handgun-safety-rules-and-procedures/>.
• Olson, Jason. "Lead By Example: 10 Ways to Be a Successful Team Leader." Protent. Protent, Inc., 24 July 2014. Web. 05 Jan. 2016. <http://www.protent,com/blog/project-management/lead-example-guide-successful-team-leader.htm>.
• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours. 
• Done 
• (d) Explain what you have completed.
• For my Independent Component One, a group of classmates and I came up with the excellent idea of establishing a club here at IPoly. The club names, "Leadership Club" has a mission which is to teach individuals about leadership and how one can become and excel at their characteristics. The club is open to anyone who wants to join. We had the opportunity to help those individuals in becoming better leaders as well as improving on other skills that we need in our daily lives. We held several meetings during and outside of school. Our weekly meeting where held during lunch every Thursday. The Club leaders who are: Jessica, Isaiah, Amir, and I would meet on the weekend to discuss further goals and activities. We would also prepare for the upcoming meeting. During the lunch meetings, the club members would participate in several scenarios that would put their skills to the test as well as those skills that they have been slowly learning. We want incorporated military and law enforcement skills and techniques into the club because we believe that both make a great impact on leadership and they both have great examples of well known leaders. Our club members so far have learned grown in their leadership side but they still need to improve on other things such as in order to be a leader one must be a follower, how to think under high pressure situations, how to demand without asking for too much, and how to solve certain scenarios. In the future we want our members to continue the growth of the club because after all this is the club leaders and I last year. We hope that one day when we come back the club has a strong foundation and is being lead by great leaders of IPoly. 

INTERPRETIVE

• Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work. Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc.) of the 30 hours of work. 
• The club plays a significance role to my project because my essential question has to do with making safe and ethical calls in high pressure situations. Even though, it is not from the perspective of a Police Officer it is always good to see how individuals perform in high pressure scenarios. The club gave me a better understanding of how the minds of club members would work as they performed as leaders during the different scenarios we gave them. Just like Police Officers one must be able to know how to lead under high pressure and with training comes excellence. Every week the members would learn something new that they would be able to take home and also it would benefit them when it came to working in group projects at IPoly. Through all the research I have done about my project I learned more about how it is used in the real world and how it is put to the test when it comes to actually putting skills into work. Our club was not all about learning leadership skills and how to better improve on oneself but rather how leaderships skills can be used and a little bit of Physical Training. The President of the club which is Jessica organized a group run where it was sort of physical training but also bonding time with the club leaders and its members.

The email that all club members and leaders received for the "Group Run".

One of the groups leading the way as my partner and I stayed behind. 

The beautiful trail that was ran/hiked by the club members and leaders. 

APPLIED

• How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better? Please include specific examples to illustrate this. 
• The club allowed me to understand the foundation of my topic better because it came from a different perspective. The members made it all possible by showing up to every meeting and other outside events when we had some. Their participation made the meetings fun and exciting. The way they solved the different scenarios, which were smaller and easier simulations of what Law Enforcement do, was more understandable than what Police Officers do. The way teenagers think does compare to the way Police Officers think. Even though police officers think more tactical than teenagers it does have its similarities. Both parties show nervousness at the beginning but as they continue a burst of confidence appears and that is what makes the execution 100 times better and safe. When it comes to solving something there is always a person who stands up and leads the team to success or failure. In the club, members were highly successful when it came to solving puzzles or leading a team. Progress has been made since the first meeting and as each week goes by they seem to learn something and improve on their skills. Training is necessary in order to have a successful outcome and whenever we train with the members they seem to grasp every piece of information. Nervousness can be a con when it comes to putting skills to the test because after they seem to forget some key points. Repetition is what helps them remember what they are being taught.  

All leaders start as followers in order to understand the ones they are leading. 

Blog 14 - Interview 3 Preparation

Making open-ended questions can be a struggle but in the end it is all about the quality not the quantity. 

For this interview, you will prepare a 10 open-ended questions that focus on your newly approved EQ (in fact your first question can be your EQ). Remember,  all interviews must be done in person unless they are specifically approved by your house teacher. Additionally, one person  may be interviewed a maximum of two times.

1. Who do you plan to interview? What is this person's area of expertise?

• The person who I plan to interview is Officer Cooper from the Pomona Police Department. Officer Cooper has worked many years in the Law Enforcement Field and a few years in the United States Marine Corps.  He has dealt with many calls for service and is also one of the few part of the SWAT Team. Officer Cooper was also a tactical flight officer who flew in a helicopter. He worked in two different departments which washould the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in several different cities and now the Pomona Police Department. 

2. Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview. What is the date and time of the interview?

• The date of the interview is January  30, 2016. The time would be whenever we have time available. Meaning, I will be riding with the officer so whenever we have free time. If there is no free time then I will stay after or during our lunch break. If neither work then I will have to reschedule just to meet with him. 

3. Phrase an open-ended question that will help you find research resources and that would help to answer the EQ?

• My essential question is "how can a Police officer make safe and ethical calls in high pressure situations?". How would you answer that question? And do you know of any research resources that would benefit me in my Senior Project which is Law Enforcement. By research resources it can be any books, articles, journals, etc that relate to Law Enforcement which is my senior project topic. 

4.Phrase an open-ended question that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC2, possible experts to talk to, etc). 

• Would you recommend anyone for me to talk to as in being an expert at what they do and they show something that makes them stand out?
•  Do you know of any activities that would help me answer my essential question in the best way possible and make sure that my audience understands?

5. Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's  perspective on an aspect of your EQ. 

• What is your current perspective on my essential question which is "How can a Police Officer make safe and ethical calls in high pressure situations? "
• How do you interpret the questions of "How can a Police Officer make safe and ethical calls in high pressure situations? ". 

Blog 13 - 10 Hour Mentorship Check-In

Being motivated and passionate will always make the job easier. 

1. Where are you doing your mentorship?

• I am doing my mentorship at the Pomona Police Department. I am also trying to get another ,enter but in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's  Department Walnut/Diamond Bar. So, with a little more time of being an Explorer at their Explorer Post 29 I should find one. 

2. Who is your contact?  What makes this person an expert?

• My current contact is Officer Rodriguez and Officer Cooper who are both from the Pomona Police Department.  Officer Rodriguez is considered an expert due to the many years that he has worked in the department, his background history consist of being part of the Pomona Police Explorers Post 160 since he was 15 years old, he is part of the SWAT team, and he is a Field Training Officer (FTO). A Field Training Officer is an Officer who completes the required courses and tests that will be used to determine if the Officer has the ability to teach others about the field. By others I mean new Police Officers who recently graduated the Police Academy and are still learning the ways of handling calls for service in the city they have chosen to work for. Officer Cooper is also considered  to be an expert because he has outstanding skills. His background history starts off as serving in the United States Marine Corps, then putting himself through the Sheriff's Academy to later work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in several different cities, then transferring to the Police Department of Pomona. Officer Cooper has military and Law Enforcement  background and he owns his own business of fixing and cleaning different types of weapons such as handguns, rifles, shotguns, etc. Officer Cooper is also part of the SWAT team and he was  a tactical flight officer which is an Officer who is a pilot. Both Officers previously mentioned are experts at what they do and have the qualities as well as skills to perform their duties to the best of their abilities. 

3. How many hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in your Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog). 

• During the school year and up to this point I have completed a total of 53 hours with both of my mentors. 

4. Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours. 

• What I did for my mentorship hours so go on ridealongs with my mentors on different days. I would ride for a whole shift which consisted of 10 or 11 hours it  would always vary. During my ridealong my mentorship and I assisted on several calls for service and if a report needed to be taken I would assist on writing the report. I would also serve as an enterpreter, I gathered information and I was allowed to speak on the radio when we would be called from dispatch. Both mentors and I work well together. They always answer any questions I have and sometimes ask me how I would handle a call for service if I were the assisting Officer. They are very helpful and if it seemed like I do not understand something they would explain it without me asking them to do so. I have gone over the amount of hours required but I will continue on meeting with my mentors and going on ridealongs. 

*You need 50 hours plus the original 10 in the summer by May. The original 10 from the summer do not count toward the 50. By the end of the year, you will haven't hours counting that original 10. 

Blog 12 - Holiday Project Update

Sense of humor is something needed everyday to get by. 

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?

• What I did over break with my senior project is that I went on more ride alongs and I now have another mentor who is willing to help  me when my other mentor is unavailable. My new mentor has background experience in flying helicopters for the Police Department, in the SWAT team, and being a patrolittle officer. 

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

• I learned several things from riding with a different officer and one thing that he emphasized was "to never lose your sense of humor" because it is something that will always help you in difficult times. Every officer has their own way of handling calls for service and dealing with threats. There will never be specific steps on how to handle certain things because something can always happen and that is why we all have to "expect the unexpected ". 

3.  Your third interview will be a 10 question interview related to possible answers for your EQ. Who do you plan to talk to and why?

• I plan to talk to the officer who I rode with during the winter break and if not possible I plan to talk to an Officer who is a Pomona Police Explorer Advisor and a former Explorer Cattain for the Pomona police Explorers. If neither of them are available then I plan to interview a Deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's  Walnut/ Diamond Bar. The reason why I plan to interview Officer Cooper is due to his unique way of handling calls for service and talking to residents of Pomona. Officer Cooper possess unique qualities that make him stand out from others. Officer Nguyen is another possible candidate to interview due to his motivation of becoming a Police Officer and the challenges he achieved in order do what he wanted in life. Interviewing a Deputy will give me a different perspective because Police officersaid and Deputy Sheriff's are different in different ascpects. 

Blog 11 - Lesson 1 Reflection

There is more to a Law Enforcement Officer than a Badge and a Gun. 

1. What are you most proud of in your lesson, and why?
• What I am most proud of in my lesson is that I was able to talk about something that I am very passionate about. I was given the chance to inform an audience how Law Enforcement Officers feel when going on duty and the possible ways they would respond to a certain call for service if they were the first one who arrived at the scene of the crime. I enjoy the field of Law Enforcement due to the need of helping other who can't help themselves and trying to reduce the amount of crimes that occur in a year within a city. 
2. What assessment would you give yourself on your lesson? Explain why you earned that grade using evidence from the component contract.
• I would give myself a P because I believe that I presented the information that I gathered from research in a good manner. Basing my grade from the contract I completed everything that is required to do for a "P consideration". I was loud enough for everybody to hear me, I kept constant eye contact with my audience and I kept my audience engaged. I cited two published sources during my presentation as well as the Explorers program which is a stepping stone to getting my mentor, first hand experience, and training. So, overall I did achieve the requirements to receive a grade of a P. 
3. If you could go back, what would you change about your lesson? How can you use that knowledge to give a better Lesson 2? 
• If I could go back and redo my lesson 1 I would change the way I presented the information. I would choose a different flow so that my presentation is much more exciting to my audience. I would also talk a bit faster so that I can talk about more things that I did not get the chance to talk about. For lesson 2 because it is much longer I plan to go in greater depth about my Senior Project, Law Enforcement. I will also wear a different uniform with the permission of my Post Adviser. I was given a taste on how to present the knowledge that I have learned, I can better prepare myself for longer presentations and know what to expect when giving one about my Senior Project.