December Post

I had a really fun time on December 23 & 24 because I helped decorate some Christmas themed cupcakes. I noticed that creativity is essential to selling a lot so that you can get profit. This is a concept that I will consider to answer my EQ.

Blog : Senior Project, The Holiday

Content:

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you over the break with your senior project?
I went to my mentorship and helped out with many things, like decorating cupcakes and seeing different cake decorating skills.

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did and why?  What was the source of what you learned? 
The most important thing that I learned was that in order to sell a lot of baked goods, is to be creative.
I helped decorate some Christmas themed cupcakes and they were selling way more than the regular cupcakes, with little to no effort.
 3.  If you were going to do a 10 question interview on questions related to answers of your EQ, who would you talk to and why?
I would talk to one of the cake decorators in the second bakery I mentor at , but I don't remember his name. I would ask him 10 questions about my EQ because he has been a cake decorator for a while and I'd like to learn about his style of decorating.

November

This month I have been trying to look for more information. I found these websites. 
They include tips and everything you need to know about Cake Decorating.

http://www.cake-decorating-corner.com/

http://www.wilton.com/cakes/decorating-cakes/

http://www.americancakedecorating.com/

http://cake-decorating-tips.com/

EQ

Content

1.   Review this.  Confirm by stating "I reviewed the rule of three for writing an EQ."
Essential Question 

2.  Review the following EQs and

• Tell us if it meets the rule of 3 criteria.
• Tell why it does or why it doesn't

 a.  What is the most important factor in healthy weight loss? 
no, because it does not take a stance and the word choice does not make it specific.

 b.  What is most important to securing a conviction in a criminal investigation?
yes, because it takes a stance and it is specific.

 c.  What is most important in creating a hairstyle that best satisfies a customer?
no, because this answer includes an opinion answer, rather than a researched answer.


 d.  How can an Anesthesiologist best treat chronic pain?
yes, because it is specific and it takes a stance.

3.  Based on your review of the rule of 3 and your experience with assessing four EQs, please write another draft EQ for your senior project.
What is most important into being a successful cake decorator in today's economy?

10-Minute Presentation Reflection

Before my presentation on Monday, I prepared myself with a power point and made cookies for the whole class. Just about everyone liked my presentation and the hook activity. For my activity I decided to hand out cookies and frosting in a paper cone. I had everyone try and replicate the design below in 1 minute and 30 seconds.

Even though I was barely half way through my presentation, I felt that I did a good job because my shaky nervous voice wasn't present. Overall I think that I will be well prepared for my 2- hour presentation. I hope to create a cake decorating club soon.

Research and Working EQ

Content:

1.  What is your working EQ?
What does it take to be a successful Cake Decorator?

2.  What is a possible answer to your working EQ?

EQ: What does it take to be a successful Cake Decorator?

• you need to first master the basic skills into decorating a cake such as assembling, crumb coating, icing, and piping: this improves professionalism and aesthetics to the cake.
• you need to develop your own style and have originality: this will improve the view of prospective clients in your buisness
• master working with gum paste and fondant: "learning the techniques can dramatically improve your business and add significant professionalism and style to your iced cakes. It will give you and your prospective clients a wide range of choices in both design and price." as stated by Toba Garrett

3.  What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ? 

The most important source has been Professional Cake Decorating by Toba Garrett because it has not only taught me the importance of different skills and techniques , but how they are used in different environments as well.

4.  Who is your mentor, or where are you volunteering, and how does what you are doing relate to your working EQ?

My mentor is Jorge Renteria  and my mentorship allows me to have a feel for the environment that a cake decorator experiences everyday. It also allows me to learn some skills that research may not be able to tell me. It also helps me add what is most important to be a successful cake decorator.

Independent Component 1 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
Since my EQ is on how to be a successful cake decorator, I plan on doing my mentor ship at La Puente Bakery #1 and creating a club at school to teach people how to decorate cakes.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.
I will take pictures and log my hours at my mentorship and log the times the club meets.

3.  And explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.
I will be doing my mentroship at la Puente Bakery #1 because I will be able to get more hands on experience on decorating the cakes. Throughout my mentorship i will be asking different questions on how to teach people how to decorate cakes. The club will allow me to learn more about cake decorating because it will make me research more on the activities, while helping other people learn the basics. This will allow me to learn what skills are important and how does aesthetics,creativity, and originality help someone be successful in the point of view of people who have a broad knowledge on what cake decorating is and compare it with people who are skilled.

 4.  Post a log on the right hand side of your blog near your mentorship log and call it the independent component 1 log.

One step towards answering my EQ!

Throughout researching on cake decorating, I feel that I am one step closer to answering my EQ. My EQ is "What does it take to be a successful Cake Decorator?"In Professional Cake Decorating it states that "the right equipment is crucial to getting the best results", meaning that you should take into consideration that using the right equipment will help you be a more successful cake decorator. In one of my interviews, the person that I interviewed mentioned that to be a successful you need to have originality, be creative, and most importantly give your job meaning. If I were to answer my EQ right now I would say that you could answer it through an entrepreneur perspective and say that in order to be successful you need to be original, organized, and be willing to put more than 100% effort into your cake decorating business. From a cake decorators perspective I would say that you should use the right equipment, creative, original, and skillful in the basic icing and piping techniques.

 

This was the book that I cited in my post

This book helped me answer my EQ from an entrepreneur's perspective

Another book that helped me out

Second Interview Questions

Content: 

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?
My mentor is Jorge Renteria and he works at La Puente Bakery #1 and #2.
2.  What five questions will ask them about their background?

1. How did you get the idea about opening two bakeries?
2. What degrees do you currently hold, and where did you receive them?
3. What do you think is most important to consider when owning a bakery?
4. What cake decorating skills are essential in cake decorating?
5. What do you think makes a successful cake decorator?
6. How is your business successful?
7. Has cake decorating always been your main focus?

Blog 5 Project Reflection and Working EQ

Content:  
The Pentagon: 
(1) Positive Statement: What positive thing happen as a result of what you have completed so far?
So far a positive thing that has happened is that during my mentorship I have met a lot of new people that I may interview in the future.

(2) EQ Content:  Pick a piece of research or your interview.  How has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?
The book "Cake Boss" has helped me improve my understanding on the business aspects of cake decorating.

(3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?
The things that have worked so far in my senior project is writing reminders in my agenda for deadlines. Another thing that was worked so far is that I have been able to checkout books for my research checks.

(4) What hasn't worked so far?  
I think that the only thing that hasn't worked so far is asking for certain information on the senior project from people in other houses. For example, about the extra blog some people said different information than what was expected.

(5) Finding Value:  
 What is a potential question you would like to study this year? 
What does it take to be a successful cake decorator?

What do you plan to do for mentorship?
I plan on doing some more hands on work and ask more questions on how to be more successful in this business.

Organizing Cake Orders

The best way to get a customers cake order right, is through organization. La Puente Bakery uses special cake order slips to right down the specifications for the customers cake.

If the customer chose a cake out of the catalog then it's the cake decorators job to make the cake exactly like the one shown in the picture, unless the customer specifies the color of the borders. For example the customer wanted the top border to be pink instead of yellow.

The customer then gets what they want and their will be no need to have an upset customer. Then the following cake orders await in a clip with the day on it.

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

Content:

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  Why?
I plan on interviewing Carlos, a cake decorator from La Puente Bakery #2 because he has a lot of experience in the field and he will be essential in giving me a good background. This will not be the first time I have talked to him since I met him during my mentorship. I have seen his skills at hand and I would like to ask how he can make amazing cakes without losing time. Carlos is in the picture below making an oreo cake.

2.  What additional questions do you plan to ask? 

 I plan to ask Carlos where he learned how to decorate cakes? How do you prepare yourself for a special cake? When the cashier writes a cake order what key things would you like so that it  helps you identify how you decorate the cakes?

Topic Choice and Semester 1 ESLR Goals

Content:

1. My topic is Cake Decorating.
2. I plan on being a part of a few other committees, such as prom committee decoration, powderpuff, and blood drive committee to show growth as an Ipoly citizen this year. To show growth as an effective learner this year, I plan on tutoring people in physics, Spanish, or statistics because practice will help me master the material and learn more while I am tutoring people. For example I could probably tutor Erika Lara because she was having trouble with the kinematics unit in Physics. I can show growth as an effective user of technology by using the Cal Poly databases at least 3 times this year for the research checks. I could also use the prom sites in order to help make our prom better. For example I could use promnite.com to give the prom committee ideas on themes for this years prom. Finally I can show growth as an effective communicator by taking a stand in organizing a house party or a potluck to learn how to communicate better. I could also make a club for people who are interested in learning how to decorate cakes.

Summer Mentorship Component

Content:
Answer the following 5 questions.  Remember to link the log of your mentorship hours using google docs (drive).  Post your blog response on your senior project blog.  We check it there. 

Literal:

1. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArAlQS2inC8udFVJZ1g1d3lIMG9zTEtJTW1KM2hRSlE&usp=sharing
2. La Puente Bakery #1: (626) 961-4545,     #2: (6260 851-9223
3. How did you get the idea of owning a bakery? Where did you get your training at? How is your business successful?

 Interpretive:

     4.  The most important thing that I gained from this experience is that the customer is the "boss" and that whatever they say will be. An example of this is that at the second bakery there was a special order and the client said that they wanted a picture and a bunch of army toys on their cake, but the thing is that the cake was too cluttered. In the end the client got what they wanted.



Applied

      5.  I've always had a passion for cake decorating, but after this experience I have decided that I want to go further than what I already know. I was just so moved by the diverse clients and I like to do things different.



2013 2-Hour Presentation Reflections

1. I saw Marathon Running with Bobbie Rodriguez on the first day.

2. Bobbie covered so many things on her topic, but my only question is how did she come up with the activities that we did because she did a really good job.

3. The most important part of the senior presentations based on what I saw was the oral presentations and making time, which was 30 minutes minimum.

4. I am considering on doing my senior project on cake decorating because I already have my mentor. I also have a lot f experience on cake decorating as well. I find this topic very interesting.