Journals Set 4 - Due Jan. 11

Journal Entry 21:
I would rate myself to have done a pretty nice job. I cannot find the rubric with the criteria on it in my folder nor online, but I know it is about grading yourself based on your own criteria. All parts of my bike seem to be in working condition and I think it looks nice. I am not all the way done, though, and therefore cannot completely evaluate my project outcome.

Journal Entry 22: 
No questions come to mind about writing the report. I have completed an outline for my English class and I will probably just do a couple paragraphs for each "question" asked in the outline. I know it has to be very thorough and 1,500 to 3,500 words. I have read the "Personal Project Paper Details" handout and have had most of my questions answered by my English teacher, Mr. Cook.

Journal Entry 23:
Reflecting on my project has extended my knowledge on this topic very well. I liked learning how to do things and when reflecting, my level of learning grew. I now understand or have a good idea of what it is like to put a bike together. Reflecting didn't help me learn about it as much as actually doing the project.

Journal Entry 24: 
I have developed as a learner going through this project. I have continued to learn that as I learn, which means completing assignments, doing projects, taking tests, etc., there will be frustrations, anger, happiness, joy, and many emotions in general. I have experienced this throughout my whole schooling career, so the more it happens, the more I will be able to come to terms with my emotions and realize that it is a part of learning. I have also developed as a learner by becoming more open to the concept of things being open-ended. I usually expect things to be laid out for me, large and small, and I will do them. When a project is given to me and the directions are "make it up" or "do what you want", I go a little bit crazy because I need some direction. I know that in the IB program, there are many things like this and it is simply preparing me for it and tasks beyond my high school education.

Journal Entry 25:
If it is allowed, I would like to present my project by bringing my bike in. I will have one of my parents bring it to school (or I will ride it!) to show to people what I made. If, for some reason, that is not possible, I can always bring in pictures and my journals to explain what I have done. I could also show pictures of me putting it together and the bike taken apart. There are other creative ways I could showcase my project as well.

Here is a picture of the bike I ended up buying for $65. It is salmon colored and was once a hip bike. (BEFORE VERSION)

Journals Set 3 - Due Dec. 14

Sorry Mr. Shaw! I didn't publish these, I just saved them!

Journal Entry 18:
There are many things that are going well. The first is that I have found some bikes I could use. The second is that I have a plan for I am going to do it. There are also things that are going wrong. The person I contacted on Craigslist hasn't replied to my email I sent out. The time frame continues to get smaller as I have to wait longer. I also don't want to spend $100, but it's what I will have to do.

Journal Entry 19: 
Yes, my project is matching my goal at this point. The point was to find a used bike, deconstruct it, and then rebuild it again, adding my own touch to it. I am following my schedule and my plan very well. It has transformed from me finding all the parts to building the bike to deconstructing it and putting it back together. There aren't really any changes I want to make as of now.

Journal Entry 20: 
What I need to do to finish my project:
a. Get the bike and reconstruct it over break
b. Find handlebar tape
c. Find a timeframe that my dad can help me do it

Possible bikes

This is a bike that costs $100 that I found on Craigslist.

This is another bike that I found. It costs $133 but seems to be in nicer condition.

Journals Set 2 - Due Nov.16

Journal Entry 11:
My project is progressing very well. After much consideration and advice, I have made the decision not to find the parts for a bike, but to find a cheap bike online, have my dad or stepdad instruct me on how to take it apart, and I will put it back together, maybe adding new bike tape or a paint job to customize it.

Journal Entry 12:
There are a couple of challenges that I am encountering in my project. The first one is the cost. I would rather not spend my own money on this and my parents aren't willing to pay for much. The second one is finding the correct bike size and type. I am a small female and looking for a single speed bike just for simplicity's sake. To solve the first problem, I have turned to looking for used bikes. I figure that they will be a lot cheaper and I can always make them look better. Currently, I am checking Craigslist to see if there is anything I can buy. There is not really a solution to the second problem, except to keep looking. With my budget and time frame, I just have to hope that a bike pops up that I can use. If it does not, I will have to look deeper. Things that are going well include that I will not have to look for parts individually and I learned that I have a lot of people I can turn to for guidance and advice.

Journal Entry 13:
There are many ways in which I can use my resources and prior knowledge to achieve my project's goal. The first one is my sources. Like I have mentioned before, my dad, stepdad, and Grand Perfomance Bike Shop will help me and advise me when I run into trouble. For example, when I am putting the bike together, I may have problems with putting things in the right place or screwing things on right. The second one is my prior knowledge. My family has always been active and ever since we met my stepdad, we have been into triathlons, especially running and biking. Over the years, I have had my own road bike and learned how to maintain it. I have always had questions and ask my dad, the bike shop, or my stepdad. Slowly, I have started to understand the art of fixing and maintaining bicycles. I know how to change out pedals, put on bike tape, take wheels off and on, put tubes in wheels, and take parts off to clean it and then put it back together.


Journal Entry 14:
I have a variety of sources. Most are from the internet, yet I have many that are primary sources of loads of firsthand information. My dad and stepdad are very experienced in building and fixing bikes. They also have friends that know even more than they do and are connected to Grand Performance Bike Shop. There are many resources around me to help me. I think I can continue to look for instructions and background information on putting a bike together, like videos and how-to instructions until I get the bike I will use. This way I will have "practiced" in my brain prior to building the bike.

Journal Entry 15:
Knowledge from my sources has changed my project in a big way. As aforementioned, after I learned about the price of buying bike parts individually and the complexity of it, I had to change it around a little bit. My stepdad recommended that I find a single-speed bike to take apart instead of finding the parts from different websites and people.

Journal Entry 16:
There is not a clear way for the audience to see my sources in my project. All of the sources contribute to the making of the bike itself. Others may be able to use a scientific fact to back up a statement or something of that nature, but that is not really possible for me. In my paper and when I present my project, I can say how the different sources helped me and how I used them.

Journal Entry 17:
My area of interaction that I am focusing on, human ingenuity, is about humans making and creating things for themselves. The idea behind building a road bike is that you do not have to spend a lot of money on a nice, new bike, but you can find the appropriate parts to put it together for less money. This project revolves around human ingenuity and the name itself, "Building a bike" even shows how much the area of interaction is woven in.

Journals Set 1 - Due Oct. 12

Journal Entry 1:
I am setting up my journal in the form of a blog. I am doing it this way so that I can organize the journal entries as efficiently as possible. Another benefit of having the journal on the internet is that I will not misplace it and I can access it from anywhere. I will be using as many different methods as I can so I am able to portray my thoughts and information well. The most prominent form of visuals I will use will be pictures; they will record the process of putting the bike together.

Journal Entry 2: 
The intended impact of my project is for others to understand that we, ordinary people, can create things and not spend a large amount of money or put much effort into it. Building a bike is a daunting task. However, I am hoping to challenge myself through this project. I hope I can sharpen my time management skills, communication skills, mechanical skills, and creativity skills. The time allotted to us for the project is a long time, but that can be worse if you are a procrastinator. I will have to talk to and call many people to obtain parts and ask questions. Of course, actually putting the bike together will not be easy either and I will need nimbler fingers and more muscle to do it well.

Journal Entry 3: 
The Area of Interaction I have chosen to center my project around is Human Ingenuity. In the beginning, I thought the idea of building a plain bike was too cliché and I wanted to go out of the box, so Mr. Leab suggested a bike made of sustainable materials. After doing large amounts of research, I decided that an eco-friendly bike would be too expensive and labor-intensive. Now I have come back to building a normal bike and I am happy with the decision as it is a lot of work. Human Ingenuity is visible because I am creating a forming a bike from different materials. I will have to explore and experience the process of it. Centering my project around it will enrich it because there will be more of a focus on how I build it and its craftsmanship rather than its looks or if I am going to donate it.

Journal Entry 4:
I am getting started on my project a little bit late, yet I think I will be able to do it. The biggest thing I am worried about in terms of time is how long it will take certain parts to come.

• Oct 13-20: Set  up appointments at Grand Performance Bike Shop to propose plan, figure out sizing 
• October 21-?: Research the best way to build a bike and be prepared for when parts arrive
• November 15-30: Construct bike. It will be a little bit choppy because I will have to keep it at one house yet also bring it to bike shop from time to time to get it checked on and ask questions 

Journal Entry 5:
I will measure the success of my final product by whether or not it is functional. For example, it may work fine, but the seat may be too high or low and impossible to adjust. There aren't many criteria to judge it on based on my Area of Interaction. Whether or not it works it the best one.

Journal Entry 6: 
I have a family that is knowledgeable about bikes. Both my dad and step-dad are triathletes, so they have to know how their bikes work. They have many friends who are even more knowledgeable, yet also have connections to cheap bike parts. They are both well-known at Grand Performance Bike Shop, which will be my biggest source of help for this project. The workers there are willing to help with anything for little to no-charge. I am planning to go to Grand Performance this weekend to talk to them about it. My dad will mostly be around to help me. I will communicate progress with my dad, and like I mentioned earlier, go into the bike shop on a regular basis once I start putting the bike together, always recording in my journal.

Journal Entry 7: 
The materials I already have are bike tubes, pedals, a tire pump, and bike tape. The materials I still need are a frame, component kit, wheels, tires, a saddle, and handlebars.

Journal Entry 8:
My research will only be from reliable sources. I will post it on the blog to keep track of it. The sources I need for my project are a guide with step-by-step instructions on how to build a bike. I also mentioned earlier that Grand Performance Bike Shop will be my biggest source and help.

Journal Entry 9:
     Source 1:
"How to Build Your Own Bike." EHow. Demand Media, 12 Sept. 2010. Web. 09 Oct. 2012.                     <http : //www.ehow.com/how_2305658_build-own-bike.html>.

     This website gives me a step-by-step guide for how to build a bike. Although it does not have lots of detail, it gives me a very good idea for how I will go about it.

     Source 2: 

Trytoneproductions. "How to Build a Fixie from Scratch Part 1 Bottom Bracket and Crank Set Live4bikes." YouTube. YouTube, 17 May 2011. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20rDrdJ2_jI>.

     This source is a visual for how to build bikes. It is the exact step-by-step that I need. It also has parts 2 and 3 of video that are the follow-up of this. It will be useful when I am creating the bike.

     Source 3: 

"Bikes." How to Build Up a Bike. N.p., Jan.-Feb. 2012. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-Up-a-Bike/>.

     This website is a page that instructs you on how to do almost anything and different users post instructions. In this case, an informed man provided a list of parts that will be very helpful and pictures. I need a parts list so I know what to get. 

     Source 4: 

Penn, Robert. "How to Build Your Own Bike." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 09 June 2011.  Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/09/cycling-fitness>.

    This is an article summarizing how to build a bike and it includes how to do it cheaply. I will use it as another resource for a guide for creating my bike.

     Source 5: 

"How to Assemble a Road Bicycle Using Minimal Tools." YouTube. YouTube, 03 May 2012. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ-qbAnRA9E>.

     This is a YouTube video that shows how to assemble a bike with the proper tools, but also common tools. I know I won't need to go buy tools because my dad has all of the ones that I need.

These sources are credible because their information matches up with each other. I am able to test the credibility by verifying the information with my dad and with the bike shop. It is pretty easy to judge the sources because my project is so straightforward.