Critcal Reflection on Effective Communication Module SIE 2016

HOORAY! First trimester has comes to an end.

Many students would think that this blogpost is our last assignment of the effective communication module SIE2016.  I wouldn't call it the last as I still have many writings (e.g. reports, emails, blog updates, letters) in my way for me to complete in the near futures during my school or career's life. Ask ourselves this question: who will keep this effective communication blog alive after this post? I bet many will abandoned it. However, the only way for me to improve on my writing skills is to continue to write, read, learn from mistakes and refine on the 7C's of writing techniques.

I appreciate and treasure every sessions of communication modules back in my tertiary polytechnics and university education. Just to share my EC module grades obtained during my polytechnics education:

Writing and Oral Presentation -------------------------- B+
Introduction to Effective Communication ----- C+
Organisational Communication ------------------------- A
Career Communication ---------------------------------- B+

I have never reflected on any of the communication modules completed above.
SIE2016 has taught me one of the SIT-DNA, to be able to Learn, Unlearn & Relearn. As I am more of a listener than a speaker, the module allows me to speak in front of the class to overcome my fear of presentation. Constructive feedbacks provided mainly from the tutor allows me to improve on my presentation skills. Overall, the module, which equipped the students with the communication skills, is useful and meaningful.

In my previous blogpost, I thanks my peers for the wonderful sessions. In this post, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my tutor, Ms Lim,  for guiding, assisting and providing constructive feedbacks timely for me to improve on the presentation and technical report.

* I bought a book 10 years ago on "Smart Speaking" and wish to pass it on. 
* Anyone interested to have it, can leave a comment below.  

Reflection on My Oral Presentation

The question “How can I overcome nervousness when doing oral presentation” has been pondering me since my secondary school days. Some advices given to me include know the content well, be confident with proper hand gestures, rehearse and practice in front of a mirror, interaction with audiences etc. After the peer teaching session, tutor has provided me with constructive feedbacks on areas which I have to improve on.

On the day of the presentation, anxiety still defeated me as I was not adequately prepared for my speech. Eye contact was mainly on the tutor during my first half of the presentation. Maintaining eye contact with different audiences only came to my thought on the second half of my speech when I quickly switched my eye contact to others. As my knowledge on the contents was not well, it has affected my articulation of words during my presentation. The ending part where all team members shouted out the slogan could have been uttered more cohesively. Lack of practices on the speech was the main cause of my poor performance.

On the bright side, visual graphics and videos have aided my team in presenting the problem faced to the audiences. Being the last presenter in the team, I am satisfied with the transition of the speakers as I did a preview of what my team members have presented. Overall, the presentation session has taught me a valuable lesson that is useful in my future presentation.

As shared in my first blog post, I will continue to work on my weakness as there are still rooms for me to improve on my communication skills. Lastly, I would like to thanks all awesome classmates for this trimester especially my group members, Dagnor and Kok Quan, for the great effort put in our assignments. 

Reader Response

In a review (“The Concrete Advantage,” n.d.) taken from the website, the author states that various stakeholders will benefit from the enhancement of the green roofs with the installation of waterproof concrete as it simplifies the design, building and maintenance processes.

According to the author, the modified concrete is less susceptible to cracks as waterproof substances were pre-mixed into the structure during the initial production stage achieving a strong foundation. In addition, the author explains that minor defects such as cracks can be easily identified and rectified by adopting the polyurethane grout injection from the bottom of the structure without disrupting the plants on the roof. In comparison with the installation of the original concrete, the thin layer of membrane being applied on the surface of the concrete is more prone to wear and tear due to the prolonged exposure of the weather. Hence, additional complicated repair works are required after the completion stage.

The author also highlights that the installation of the modified concrete will cause reduction in the design time as the application of the membrane has been omitted. Thus, shortening the construction process with the earlier commencement of the building works. Moreover, subcontractor specialise in membrane works is no longer needed that resulted in both labour and material costs saving.

I agree with the author that the installation of the waterproof concretes results in construction cost and time saving to a certain extent as the review states that the waiting time for the concrete to cure has been cancelled prior to the application of the membrane. However, there are other factors that the architect and building contractor have to take into consideration such as planning in advance regards to purchasing order for the production of the materials and the installation process.

In a supporting article written by Ken Hooker (2012), the water resistance performance of the structure can be improved significantly with the placement of the concrete with admixtures of waterproof substances that reduced its permeability. Ken Hooker provides reference in a case study project at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti where waterproof concrete was installed on the green roof slab of the building.  Furthermore, Ken Hooker states that the effort of making the concrete itself water resistance results in labour and material costs saving as other waterproofing method such as application of membrane was not required. It supports the feature that the implementation of the new concrete technology is cost and time efficient to some extent.

On the other hand, based on my working experience as a construction project coordinator in 2013, the production period of the waterproof concrete may be longer compared to production of the original concrete as additional step of premixing the waterproofing substances is included in the manufacturing process. Therefore, contractor need to allocate additional time to prevent lateness in the delivery of the new materials to site so as to meet the project timeline. During the installation process, additional time is required for detailed planning of hoisting and placing the modified concrete as the material has extra loads due to its waterproofing mixtures. As such, both pre-installation and installation period may require more time in project management and planning process which incur additional man-hour costs.

In conclusion, the review (“The Concrete Advantage,” n.d.) is more reliable when the author describes its simplification of the maintenance process than the cost and time efficiency of the new concrete methodology. Nonetheless, waterproof concrete can be relatively cost and time efficient with detailed planning and strict coordination during the initial stage of the construction.

References:

[1] The Concrete Advantage: Waterproof concrete makes green rooftops an even better investment for society and owners. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.greenrooftops.org/advantage.html

[2] Ken Hooker. (2012, August 13). Waterproofing Admixtures For Concrete.     Retrieved from http://www.concreteconstruction.net/howto/materials/waterproofing-admixtures-for-concrete_o

Second Draft - Reader Response on The Concrete Advantage

In the article (The Concrete advantage) written by Greenrooftops organisation taken from the website, it stated that various stakeholders will benefit from the enhancement of the greenroofs with the installation of waterproof concrete as it simplifies the design, building and maintenance processes.

The unique specialities of the waterproofing concrete yield positive outcomes. Waterproof concrete have permanent built-in waterproofing which cannot be tampered or worn out as compared to green-roof membranes during or after the construction phase. Minor defects such as cracks can be identified and reconditioned easily. In addition, defects can be rectified by adopting the polyurethane grout injection to fill up the gaps from the bottom deck and it does not damage the plant life. Application of membrane can be eliminated thus shortening the drafting process. The cost per square foot for installation not only decreases but it also lowers the overall construction cost.

The idea of adopting waterproof concrete helps elevate the prospects of different group of people. For the designers, the detailing process is shortened and hence constructions can commence earlier. Construction is also simpler, efficient and inexpensive hence increasing the value of the property for the owner.

I agree with the author that installation of the waterproof concretes results in construction time saving to a certain extent as the step to application of membrane has been eliminated prior to placement of the improved concrete structures.

Although the author mentioned that the construction may commence earlier as the design process has shortened. One factor which the contractor has to look into is the process for the production of the waterproof concrete that may incur more time to produce as compared to the original concrete, taking into consideration of the additional step of pre-mixing the waterproofing ingredients into the concrete. This may leads to longer waiting time for the arrival of the precast waterproof concrete to construction site upon placing order to the supplier. Hence, contractor has to allocate sufficient time and coordinate well in the ordering of materials process to meet the schedule for completion of the project. During the installation process, contractor may requires more time to plan and be extra cautious when lifting and placing the concrete as the improved concrete has extra loads due to the waterproofing mixtures.

In conclusion, with well coordination and detailed planning during the initial stage of construction, waterproof concrete is cost effective, less risky, environmentally friendly, having a high investment value in the long run and lower payback period can be achieved as the maintenance is lesser and easier in the future.

Summary: The Concrete Advantage

With the high initial investment of the greenroofs, various stakeholders will benefit from the enhancement of the greenroofs with the installation of waterproof concrete as it simplifies the design, building and maintenance processes.

The unique specialities of the waterproofing concrete yield positive outcomes. Waterproof concrete have permanent built-in waterproofing which cannot be tampered or worn out as compared to green-roof membranes during or after the construction phase. Minor defects such as cracks can be identified and reconditioned easily. Defects can be rectified by adopting the polyurethane grout injection repair to fill up the gaps from the bottom deck and it does not damage the plant life. Application of membrane can be eliminated thus shortening the drafting process. The cost per square foot for installation not only decreases but it also lowers the overall construction cost.

The idea of adopting waterproof concrete helps elevate the prospects of different group of people. For the designers, the detailing process is shortened and hence constructions can commence earlier. Construction is also simpler, efficient and inexpensive hence increasing the value of the property for the owner.

All in all, waterproof concrete is not only durable, but cost effective, less risky, environmentally friendly, having a high investment value in the long run and having a shortened duration for construction.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH FOR ME

In Singapore’s education system, English is a mandatory subject to be taken by all primary and secondary school students.  I am grateful and fortunate that English is introduced to me early in my preschool life from simple “ABC” rhymes being played and taught by my childhood teacher to comprehensive learning of the language in college life now.

In my tertiary education, submission of reports or assignments in English from time to time is required. Hence, mastering good English writing skills is essential as the assessors will understand the contents of my reports.  

Being worked as a Property Officer in the industry field of estate management in 2014 and 2015, I often have to liaise with various stakeholders and government agencies personnel. Therefore, having good command of English and good writing skills such as writing formal emails are important. From my past learning experiences, the relevant government’s agencies officers won’t treat my referral cases seriously if I wrote improper and broken English context to them. Poor command of English between two officers in a phone conversation may also leads to misconception of a particular case’s information resulting in time delay to get the problems solved.

English, an international language, is widely used in many parts of the world. I need to write and speak English well and will continue to improve my English language constantly in term of verbal or written through conversing and reading more in English.

My English learning journey will never end as there is a Chinese idiom that said live and learn continuously as it is never too old or too late to learn.