In the article, “Boy Genius Boyan Slat’s Giant Ocean Cleanup Machine Is Real”, Schiller (2017) talks about the events that lead to the conception and evolution of Boyan Slat’s Ocean Cleanup Machine design, which will start to help rid the ocean of tens of thousands of plastic garbage yearly from 2018. Since 1997, the Patch was sighted to be covered in plastic debris, and the build-up has worsened since then; thus, inspiring Slat to clean the ocean. His design involves a large boom rooted to the seabed and uses the Pacific’s current to gather the trash into the centre which will then be cleared up by “ocean garbage truck”. However, the project faced different reactions for its large scale concerning its resources and prospect. With all the hype generated by the initiative, Slat has modified his design to be more cost effective and efficient. Through research and development, the improved system consists of a large anchor to suspend the boom in “deep-water layer” and is scaled to contain 50 devices of 0.6 miles each. Therefore, the system does not require excavating the seabed, and it ensures the continuity of the system even when one device ceases to function.

Overall, the article did address the current situation of the Patch and the ongoing development of the Ocean Cleanup Machine. Throughout the article, it has provided adequate information and explanation of the design modification and the creator’s expectation of it, but it has failed to convince the reader on the design’s efficiency to meet the high estimations, the durability of it withstanding the harsh weather conditions of the ocean and its interaction and impact on the marine lives.

Edited On: 30/01/2018

For the self-reflective task assigned during lecture, Barney has identified that he was an impulsive shopper. He further emphasised that his habit developed due to his love for shopping and has resulted in him spending money in a range of a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. Barney has mentioned that being a spendthrift has not allowed him to save his earnings from his part-time job and that has brought worries to his parents. Hence, he created a goal this year to start saving money in which he will set up a secondary bank solely for savings. All in all, he believes that his parents will feel relieved after observing the change in him as he starts taking responsibility in managing his money.

Edited on 18/01/2018

Dear Professor Brad,

I am writing to you to formally introduce myself as a student in your effective communication module. My name is Rennie Toh, and I am currently an undergraduate in the civil engineering programme in Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).

In 2016, I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic (SP) with a diploma in civil engineering with business. Regrettably, I did not do as well as I wanted to, and this left me doubtful of my future career path. Therefore, I decided to take a gap year in my studies to complete a bond I had signed under the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Diploma Sponsorship and work in a civil and structural consultant firm as an assistant engineer. Working full-time has enabled me to be placed in multiple projects where I was assigned heavier responsibilities, and this experience has broadened my knowledge and skills related to the industry. Hence, my time in the firm was an eye-opening experience and has reassured me to be an engineer in the industry, with the possibility of specialising in structural or geotechnical engineering.

My strength in communication is through writing and visualisation. Having first-hand experience in the working world, I can explain my materials and jot down my thoughts more effectively through writing and visual images. Similarly, I am a visual person who learns better through the reading of notes and analyzing of diagrams.

My weakness in communication is bashfulness when presenting to a broad audience. Even with well-prepared materials, I would often find it difficult to articulate my thoughts effectively. I believe this happens as I tend to assume my audience would laugh at my pronunciation or my materials.

This module is important to me in my development of soft skills which are essential to my future endeavours as I face communication in my professional and social life. Overall, I wish to gain the ability to present confidently out of my comfort zone, improve my flow of writing and refine my grammar.

I look forward to your up-coming lessons and will be anticipating any form of feedback to strengthen my command of English.

With Regards,
Rennie Toh

Edited On: 10/02/2019

Commented On: Joel, Sam, Benedict

As a student in Effective Communication class with Mr Blackstone, I have created this blog to serve the purpose of delivering my work and showcasing my development in writing and oral communication throughout the module.