Monitor and Correct Performance
Developed by Melinda Stanley
“There is nothing wrong in
change if it is in the right direction. To
improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.”
Complete three of the
following activities.
For this competency, you will want
to read and refer to “Understanding Systems” from the Skills at Work Series
by South-Western Publishing on file in the Career Connection Office.
1.
Using
the newspaper or current magazines, find an article on a system in disrepair or
not working correctly. Predict the
results of the problem and what adjustments you would make to correct the
problem. Document your results.
2.
Using
a blueprint, determine what part of the plan could cause a problem during
construction. What adjustments need
to be made to correct the problem? Document
your results.
3.
On
July 4, 1997, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory landed the Pathfinder spacecraft on
the surface of Mars. The world
watched as Pathfinder’s rover, Sojourner, “studied” rock formations and
sent back digitized images of the formations to Earth.
Using the Internet, Media Center, or CD-ROM resources, research the
mission. Write a report, describing
the systems, the feedback required to operate the Sojourner remotely, and your
proposed remedy to fix any malfunctions in the project.
Helpful
websites include:
The Jet
Propulsion Laboratory http://mpfwww.jpl.nasa.gov/
Search using the keyword Pathfinder.
Space
Projects and Info http://members.tripod.co.uk/spaceprojects/marspathfinder.html
4.
Identify
a problem you have encountered with a system at school.
Answer the following questions:
¨
Is the system open or closed?
¨
Identify and clarify the problem.
¨
What are possible causes of the
problem? Are the causes related to
things, people, or information?
¨
Select the most probable cause of
the problem. What is your solution
and why should others support your decision?
¨
Generate and implement some
solutions to remedy the problem, based on your decision about the cause.
¨
Use feedback to confirm that the
system is operating properly. If it
is not operating properly, suggest your next step in reaching a satisfactory
result.
Write a
report that summarizes your findings for each of the steps. Did feedback confirm that the system is operating properly?
If not, what steps did you take to reach a satisfactory outcome?
5. Read
the Framework (create web link) guide and
then, in groups of 3-6 students, apply the framework to ideology or trends that
you perceive to have some degree of importance, e.g. Marxism, planned
parenthood, health care reform, Christian Coalition, fashion, the list goes on.
Find a specific and appropriate article about the trend you chose.
Each student should then apply the framework to the article. If information is needed and not present in the article, you
should note it. Document your
responses to the framework in a one to two page paper.
6.
Read the article “Where America Was a Century Ago.”
Answer the following questions in two pages or less:
¨
How accurate were these futurists’
predictions?
¨
Why were some of the predictions
incorrect?
¨
What common basic premise did they
share?
¨
Can the future be predicted?
7. Read
the article Florida Trends (create web
link). Brainstorm a list of the
various areas that could be impacted by the economic trends in Florida.
Hopefully, you will include child-care, mental health, professionals,
technology, education, etc. Write
up your list of the five areas that you believe will be most impacted.
Using those five areas, give a brief explanation of the changes they
expect to see in each field. You
should then select one field that you would like to investigate further.
Now, imagine that you are working in a think tank composed of experts in
your field. Brainstorm a list of
strategies that you believe will best prepare those in the field to meet the
challenges that will arise. You may do this activity under a teacher’s direction in
small groups.