Welcome to my portfolio. My name is Karen Yang, and I am a senior at South Western High School. In school, I regularly challenge myself with rigorous courses, such as IED. These demanding courses will help me as I attend the University of Pittsburgh to pursue a career in the sciences.
I am involved in a variety of school activities such as South Western's Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, where I lead the viola section. On viola, I have made PMEA District and Regional Orchestra; additionally, I am a member of Tri-M Music Honor Society.
Outside of music, I am also the team captain of the Girls Tennis Team. I helped my team make team districts by playing #3 singles. I ended the record-breaking season with my doubles partner as YAIAA County Runner Up Champions.
Other activities I am involved in include National Honor Society and Class Office. As the president of NHS, I help make executive decisions along with helping organize events. As the secretary of Class Office, I help organize events for the class of 2019 such as class trip, graduation, prom, and more.
PLTW- IED
Project Lead The Way- Introduction to Engineering and Design is a course, taught by Mr. Sieg, that exposes students to the design process, professional communication and collaboration methods, design ethics, and technical documentation. It is a class appropriate for students who are interested in design and engineering or another technical career. Along with giving students the opportunity to develop skills in research and analysis, teamwork, technical writing, engineering graphics, and problem solving, IED also counts as a practical art- a required credit in order to graduate.
This webpage is designed for my PLTW- IED class. Class projects, field trips, and general information about the course are presented through this online portfolio.
How to Succeed in IED
Mr. Sieg will emphasize these points throughout the course, but it's always more effective coming from a fellow student. Plus, I listed some helpful hints that I discovered along the way of this course. Notebook Checks
If you wait until the night before the notebook check to put in all the activities, you will either get no sleep or a bad grade, or maybe even both. It can take countless hours to paste in an entire unit's worth of papers in one sitting. I recommend pasting in each activity as it is completed.
There's a paper cutter in the room, use it. To boost the professionalism category in the unit notebook checks, use the paper cutter to keep cuts straight.
Double sided tape. Use it. Do not make tape donuts, it is a waste of tape and time.
If there is no double sided tape, simply center the paper in the notebook and tape down the corners to prevent curling.
Don't forget signatures and dates, they are simple to obtain and are worth several points.
Peer Evaluations
Don't be the person that gives out 40/40's to everyone. 40/40's should be earned through hard work. Be honest and take the time to give helpful feedback. Receiving helpful suggestions from peers is more valuable than only compliments and 100's.
Give Mr. Sieg feedback as well. Whether it's about him or a design brief, he's an engineer, he likes to know what he can improve on.
Time Constraints
Sign up for 5th periods or come in before/after school. Projects take a lot of time, and A quality projects typically come from groups that put in time outside of class.
Complete unit activities before the due date. Sometimes Mr. Sieg will surprise the class by collecting and grading activities assigned for homework.
Tests and quizzes are timed. There is enough time if you have studied.
How to Win Challenges
Execution and craftsmanship are key. Although creativity is thoughtful, most votes go towards the projects that are simple, clean, and well executed.
Planning and communicating with your team is essential to the completion of projects.