Senior Project Update

(1) What are you currently doing in your independent component? 

For my independent component, I am currently observing my mentor. She lets me practice with some of her tools, but she doesn't actually let me use them on clients for some obvious reasons.

(2) What is a recent piece of research (article, interview, or audio-visual) that have you reviewed you would say was significant in helping you understand where to go next in your senior project?  The piece of research should be something you reviewed in November.  Please explain what you learned and where are you going next because of this piece of research.

A recent piece of research that I have reviewed that is helping me understand where to go next is a part in a book called Beauty: The New Basics. Through this book I have learned what hair is and what it's made of. I have also learned different ways one can take care of it. Where this piece of research is taking me is figuring out how the hair picks up color. It is also making me want to learn how the hair takes form and stays the way it is shaped when styling it.

(3) Provide evidence from your independent component or the piece of research as something you recently did.  For example, a photo of something you working on for your independent component or your notes from the video you watched. 

I currently don't have pictures from my independent component but I will make sure I take some next time I go. I do have a few notes from my piece of research I spoke about on question #3. These are the same notes from my previous posts:

• Hair is made up of keratin, the same thing that makes up nails and teeth.
• Everyone is born with all the hair follicles we will ever have.
• The average number of hairs on a person's head are 140,000 for blonds, 100,000 for brunettes, and 90,000 for red heads.
• A person loses 75- 100 hairs per day
• A hair shaft has three layers which are the cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla.
• The only living part of the hair is the root.
• Each hair strand is made up of 97% protein and 3% moisture.

This is also a picture from the book, but I found a copy of it online:

Senior Project Research

I have been doing some research on what exactly hair is and what a person can do to take care of it. I found some of this information on a book titled  Beauty: The New Basics by Rona Berg. I believe that an important part of being a hairstylist and doing the job correctly is understanding what exactly hair is. While trying to find research I came to the conclusion that if a cosmetologist doesn't know the basics of hair, then how do they expect to do the job right. The research that I did had some really interesting facts that I did not know before. Some of the ones that I found more interesting are:

• Hair is made up of keratin, the same thing that makes up nails and teeth.
• Everyone is born with all the hair follicles we will ever have.
• The average number of hairs on a person's head are 140,000 for blonds, 100,000 for brunettes, and 90,000 for red heads.
• A person loses 75- 100 hairs per day (This one sounds a little frightening)
• A hair shaft has three layers which are the cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla.
• The only living part of the hair is the root.
• Each hair strand is made up of 97% protein and 3% moisture.
• Shampooing with champagne brings out blond highlights, conditioning with beer adds shine, and rinsing with seltzer gets rid of product build up. (This one was the most surprising fact of all, I was shocked when I first read it)

I also learned a new word, sebum. Sebum is the natural oil that forms on our scalp and hair. I had always thought that hair was just dead skin cells, but this research really helped me understand the basics of the thing that's growing on our heads. Who knew hair could actually be this complicated?

Blog 5b: Science Fair Proposal

1. What is your topic?

My topic is Cosmetology: Hair Styling.

2. What is the driving problem behind your experiment and the quote by an expert to support that problem? (Expert citation must be MLA format.)

When a client walks into a salon, they don't know what type of hair style they want because they don't know what goes with their face shape and face length/width. This causes them to stay in the salon for a longer period of time.
Expert Quote: "In choosing the right hairstyles for your face shape, it's important to know your face shape in the first place.....consult your professional barber or stylist who can create a style that enhances your best features and balance your shape." -David Alexander
Citation: Alexander, Dave. "How to Choose the Right Hairstyle for Your Face Shape." About.com Men's Hair. About.com, 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2012.

3. What is your hypothesis? (Must be in If-Then form.)

If a stylist follows the customer service procedures of Diana's Beauty Salon, then a client will give the salon a high rating.

4. Write a paragraph summary of how you will perform the experiment.  Include the tools you plan on using.

Tools:

• Survey
• Graphs/Charts

The way I was thinking of performing the experiment was surveying clients at my mentor's salon. Some of the questions I would have would be "Have you ever given feed back to a stylist?" and "What type of feed back have you given them: positive, negative or both?". Based off of their second answer, I would ask them other questions that relate to the positive or negative answer. I would have different graphs or charts to compare the answers to each other and see if the stylist has or has not improved their techniques and listened to the client.

5. Select one of the following Project Categories for your experiment:
Behavioral/Social Science

Working EQ and Possible Answers

(1) What was the working EQ you used during your presentation?

The working EQ used during my presentation was "What is the best way for a hair stylist and a nail artist to perform their job more quickly and efficiently?"

(2) Did you decide to revise your working EQ after your presentation? If so, write your revised EQ here.  If not simple write "I am not going to revise my EQ at this time".

I'm thinking of revising my working EQ to "What is the best way for a hair stylist and a nail artist to create/style a design successfully on a client?", but I still feel like I can work with my current EQ. I will see if I can get more research on my current EQ for now.

(3) What are possible answers to your current working EQ? 

Some of the possible answers to my current EQ are:

• Speed
• Proper use of tools
• Lots of practice
• Hand coordination
• Finding and developing your own technique

Rough Draft of Presentation 1

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0YI-cY7nd1GT0FVQmhfRDdvOFk/edit

Independent Component 1 Plan Approval

(1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

For my independent component, I have two ideas on what I can do. The first is try and take a cosmetology class on hair styling and nail art/design. The second is to keep working with my mentor but also work on my own with the manikin doll heads she has.

(2) Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

For my first idea, I would be able to take the class for the semester and use the class hours form my 30 hours. When I work with my mentor, I usually work with her for about six hours. Aside from that, if I practices with the manikin doll under her supervision, I would be able to complete the 30 hours work requirement.

(3) How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?  

My working EQ is "What is the best way for a hair stylist and a nail artist to perform their job more quickly and efficiently?" If I do my first idea, I would be able to gain the basic skills that I need to become a cosmetologist. Once I learn those basic skills, I can use the knowledge that I have gained from research and the class to see if the combination of the two are quicker and more efficient. If I do my second idea, I know my mentor can show me and teach me how to do the job properly. With the practice under her supervision, I can try out what she has taught me and learn on my own, with a little bit of her help and guidance, how to do the job efficiently.

Second Interview Questions

Second Interview Questions

1. What was your reason for becoming a cosmetologist?
2. Which school did you attend to learn your skills? What type of course did you have to take?
3. What type of challenges did you have when you were first learning how to style hair and and do nails?
4. How and where did you first start working as a cosmetologist?
5. Did you have a reason for starting your own salon? If so, what was your reason?

Working EQ

The Pentagon:

(1) Positive Statement: What positive thing has happened as a result of what you have completed so far?

      A positive thing that has happened as a result of what I have completed of the senior project so far is that I have learned to appreciate the field of a hair dresser and a nail artist, especially the workers themselves. It has also helped me learn how to style mine and other people's hair better.

(2) EQ Content: Pick a piece of research or your Interview. How Has it helped you improve your understanding of your topic?

      The article called "How To Choose the Right Hair Style For Your Face Shape" by David Alexander and my interview helped improve on the understanding of my topic by showing me that there are many things to consider when styling someone's hair. It is important to recognize certain features on the client to give the a hair style that is compliments the features and face shape.

(3) What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

      What has worked for me so far is the mentorship and the interview. With the mentorship has shown me first hand what one has to do in a salon. It has shown me the point of view of the hair stylist and the client. The interview has shown me more of what a cosmetologist has to go through in order to do their job properly.

(4) What hasn't worked so far?

      What hasn't worked so far is also the interview because it's hard to determine what is really like for a cosmetology because this is only one person. Different salons have different environments and because of this it may also be different for the workers. 

(5) Finding Value: Based on your Experience so far,

• What possible question or questions come to mind regarding what you would like to study this year (don't list instructions related to the senior project)?

          The biggest question that come to mind is, what type of things and experiences do I need to learn in order to qualify for a cosmetology licence? As I become more and more involved with the senior project, the more I consider becoming a cosmetologist as a career.

• What is your goal this year with your senior project (don't say get a good grade or gain knowledge, put specific things you want to accomplish in your senior project this year)?

           My goal this year with my senior project is to have hands- on experience in the field of cosmetology. With this experience I can take a cosmetology class to try and get a practicing licence. This could be a career that I would hopefully come to enjoy doing so much that I want to get into the field.

• Who would you like to talk to you next? Why?

           I would like to talk to my first two mentors next because the first time I wasn't able to get an interview with one of them in the end. Besides this reason, my first interview recommended  them to me.

SF Blog 5A: Problem Statement

1) Topic- Cosmetology: hair styling and nail design

2) A. Problem- There are many chemicals in products used in salons and there might be a better way to be protected from these harmful chemicals.

    B. What will you do when you solve this problem?
         I would inform people from the salon and the people who provide the products to cosmetologist about the different ways they could be protected and suggest better and safer products they can use.

3) A. Problem- When a person goes to a salon, getting their hair done or their nails designed takes a long time and these people might not have that time to spare. There may be a more efficient way to finish the job quickly but do it correctly.
    B. What will you do when you solve this problem?
         I would tell my mentors what I have figured out and perhaps they will try it out. This might also help them get more clients for their salon and business.

4)  A. Problem- Some people have a hard time figuring out what type of hair cut they want and will look good with their face shape. This makes it hard for the hair stylist to cut the hair to satisfy the customer.
     B. What will you do when you solve this problem?
          I would help my mentors and their clients find a faster way to figure out the right hair style. This way there won't be any delays and the client would be happy and would want to return.

Interview Preparation

 1.Who do you plant to interview? Why?

The person I plan to interview is my first mentor, Adriana Solis. I’m choosing her because she was the first one I went to when I first picked this topic. Although both of my mentors explain and teach me different things, Adriana is the one that I talk to the most. I feel like I have a better connection with her. Talking with my mentor would help me want to talk to others who specialize in this field of work because I would get a better idea on what to ask other.

2. You have to ask 5 questions. What additional questions do you plan to ask?

                                

I.            What made you want to go into the field of cosmetology?

II.            What kinds of things do you have to deal with while working on a client?

III.            What types of difficulties come with being a cosmetologist?

IV.            Were there any special courses you had to take in order to learn how to do your job?

V.            Are there any special skills you need to have, learn, and/or develop in order to perform your job well?

Topic Choice

A: What is your topic and why?

My topic is cosmetology. I chose this because I have always enjoyed designing my own nails. However, after watching my mentors work with different types of hair I noticed that hair design is an interesting part of cosmetology as well. I'm still deciding whether I should do nail art or hair design. I used to dislike nail polish, but one day my sister started to create art on my nails. I found it fascinating that a person can design something on a surface so small. When I found my mentors they were going to teach me about nail design,  but as I watched them work with the client's hair I started to ask them questions because the hair design fascinated me as equally as nail art. Now, I enjoy doing both things on my own time, so I think I would also enjoy doing this as my senior project.

B: And what do you hope to accomplish this year with this topic (connecting your answers to each of the 4 ESLRs)

IPoly Citzen: I plan to be more interactive while talking to a person one- on -one. I realize that at IPoly we learn how to communicate and interact with a group of people, when we're presenting for example. I know I have trouble talking to a person I don't know very well when it's just two of us talking. By working with my mentors at the salon I noticed that they know how to interact with a person one- on- one even if they just met them that day. By learning this I think I can learn to talk to anyone from any grade level at school. By doing this I think I can even make new friends.

Effective Communicator: I plan to become a better communicator with different people of different ages. This will help me become a more effective communicator because when working in the field of a cosmetologist, you have to be in constant communication with your client because you want to do your work the way the client wants it. If you don't listen to their requests then you won't have a customer anymore. A cosmetologist has to do their work exactly the way the the customer likes and wants in order to have them return to the salon.

Effective Learner: I plan to become more focused on my work and more aware of what is going on around me. This will help me become a more effective learner because while doing someone's hair or nails you need to be focused on what you are doing. I you aren't the your job will come out wrong or you will be taking too long to finish, and I know that some people don't like to sit in the same position for a long period of time. It will also help me be more aware of my surroundings because, especially with hair dye, you don't want to get yourself or the client dirty. You need to pay attention to where things are, what you're, and what's going on at all time.

Effective Learner of Technology: I plan to become better at researching different things that I don't understand. Since I was not all that interested in cosmetology there are many things and names that I am not familiar with. Using the internet and other resources, I can find out what things are. I know that hair care products have their own ingredients, and if I don't know what they are then I won't know if they are safe. Also I know that throughout this project I will have to research constantly for my topic, and this will help me learn which types of resources to rely on.

Blog 1: Summer Mentorship Component

Assignment

Literal (Know)  

   Log of specific hours with a total and a description of your duties  

Date: 8/25/2012 - 9/1/2012
Total Hours: 12
Duties: I observed how my mentors, Adriana and Diana, properly cut their client's hair. Most of my duties were observing on how to dye, cut and style other people's hair. One of my favorite duties was that I was allowed to color retouched my mother's hair. After, I was also allowed to style her hair with the blow dryer and a barrel hair brush. While observing I also had to listen to the different techniques they were telling me as the did their client's hair.
 
Contact Name & Number

Name: Adriana Solis and Diana C. Solis
Number: (909) 643-3791

    Literal (Need to know)  

     What questions were raised because of the 10 hours of experience?  List them.     

• Why is tin foil necessary when doing highlights on a client's hair?
• What type of hair is the easiest and most difficult hair to work with?
• How do you know the right amount of dye to use in order to get the right color?
• When cutting someone's hair, how do you determine where to start cutting?
• What is the most important skill you need to have in order to do the job quickly and correctly?

   Interpretive

     What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?

The most important thing that I gained from this experience is the knowledge that every thing has it's own process that needs to be followed. While mixing the hair dye, I realized that in order to get the correct color you need to know what you're doing. While applying it on my mothers hair, at first it looked like the wrong color. After I waited and kept applying it after a few minutes, I noticed that the color changed to the color of my mother's hair. In a salon I learned that everything has to be done properly, just like any other job, because if it isn't, there would be many unsatisfied customers and this does not many you or the salon look good. I noticed that in order to have a successful business the cosmetologist needs to be in good terms with the client in order for them to come back. This means doing everything right in order to keep the client happy.

   Applied

     How did what you did help you choose a topic?  Please explain.

 By doing my service learning in a salon I learned many different things about cosmetology that I did not know before. I had always thought that dying someones hair or even cutting it was something simple that anybody can easily do. Now I see that it has its process and that the cosmetologist has to know exactly what he/she is doing because one small mistake means that the whole process would be ruined. This can result in losing a client, which can be damaging to the business. I would like to pursue this topic as my senior topic because it would  help me experience something different that I would normally dislike. After observing my mentors, this topic has peaked my interest.