leah's entries

  Summary Reader Response Draft 4 by Leah, Duanghathai Sonna In the article, “An Architect’s Guide to Building with Bamboo,” Vadot (n.d.) explains how bamboo is an alternative material that holds a place in the construction industry in time to come. He states that the inspiration for adopting organic materials came from the growing awareness of sustainable living. He mentions that bamboo has the potential to replace steel, but the only drawback is its fragility. Its core is prone to cracks during hot and humid weather, and when untreated properly before being used, the bamboo will decompose due to the microbes. He counters that with the bamboo’s strength-to-weight ratio, its production cost and its capability of growing rapidly anywhere in the world with minimal maintenance. Unlike conventional timber, classifying bamboo is hardly possible as its characteristics vary depending on the growth environment. Nevertheless, Vadot gives an example of how Colombia was able to adopt bamboo m...

 Module Learning At the start of this module, my two personal goals are to improve my articulation in impromptu speeches and be more comfortable when speaking in front of a big and unfamiliar crowd. Over 13 weeks, this module has empowered me to step out of my comfort zone and tackle my weaknesses. The various class activities that Professor Blackstone organised had enabled me to improvise and express my thoughts, helping me communicate my ideas with my classmates effectively.  My key takeaway from this module would be attempting to write a summary reader response. The assignment gave me an opportunity to interpret and shed a different light on the article I chose, allowing me to reflect on my understanding of the text and express my ideas in my own words. Through the different assignments and peer evaluations given by my classmates and Professor Blackstone, I believe I have progressed well to grow into a more competent communicator. For instance, I noticed that I took pride i...