Another week down and only about six more to go. Only three to go before the much-anticipated Thanksgiving Break! I’m sure I won’t have anything to do over my break (LOL—I was being facetious of course!). Anyway here’s what happened this week and what’s happening now…

I’m still aiming to keep my head above the water. This week, much to my surprise, I was able to do just that. In terms of this class, I kind of put all of this work off until the last minute. I aimed to decide on my 6th genre and I aimed to begin drafting that earlier in the week; however, it didn’t work out that way. I wanted to draft it earlier so that I wouldn’t have so much to do this weekend, but due to the overwhelming amount of work that I have had to complete for my other classes, I waited on this work (because I knew that I could!). I also aimed to make a solid decision regarding my unifying genre. I aimed to do this because I think this is going to be rather time consuming, and I want it to go ahead and begin thinking of ideas so that it will turn out halfway decent. Other than that, I didn’t have very many objectives for the week other that the ever-so-important “keeping my head above water” objective that seems to be an ongoing aim of mine. I guess that later this week, I had planned to get most of my work done on Friday so that I will only have my 6th genre to complete over the weekend. I am currently meeting that objective, as I am completing my journal entry and this morning, I completed the peer reviews for my group.

The content of this week was much like that of last week’s. It’s funny, but I feel as if I am very comfortable in this class (meaning, that I can get an idea about what will be expected of me from week to week). It seems as though we are at a standstill in our work for this class (almost very Twilight Zone-ish), but I’m not complaining at all. It’s a nice little breather and like I said before, I’m comfortable because I know what to expect for the next week. There wasn’t a MOO meeting this week, which freed up some time so that I could get some things done. Sadly enough though, or should I say, pathetically enough, I didn’t use the time to complete any assignments for this class. However, because I got so much done earlier this week, I now have more time to spend on my MRP (uh, you’re not buying that, are you?). Anyway, I peer reviewed my group’s 5th genres this morning and I have to say, I wasn’t surprised at all when I found that they were great. Now that I have decided what my 6th genre is going to be, I have decided to do this over the next couple of days. I have some ideas of what I may include in my interview script. I want to do it as if the parents of the client, the client, and the SLP are all invited to be guests on a morning talk show that is doing a special on autism awareness. I have more ideas about what I want to include, but there are so many, I may be here all day listing them and talking about them. So, for now, I guess you’ll just have to visit my blog!

What processes did I use this week in completing my work? I should probably note that my brain is currently experiencing technical difficulties and that using processes lately has been a very rare event. I do suppose, however, that I did have to use my brain a little this week in completing my work for this class. When it came to reviewing my group’s 5th genres, I just did exactly what I have done since the start; I went to their pages and I read their work and I found things that I liked and things that I thought could be changed. I can honestly say that my group makes it easy, they rarely have any major mistakes in their work and they are all such good writers and thorough in their work. In thinking of my 6th genre, I decided to do an interview script because I definitely want this to be a major part of my unifying genre, which by the way, will be my PPT presentation. I just thought it would make more sense if I did an interview script this week and also placed the exact script into my PPT, along with my other genres for next week’s unifying genre (my PPT). I might just so a portion of the script for this week’s genre, though. That, I still haven’t figured out yet.

I guess I am experiencing a little more clarity in my thinking when it comes to my work in this class. I feel as though my project has a definite sense of direction and as I had said last week, I can finally see the end and how it may look as a cohesive whole. I have also come to the realization that I haven’t done such a bad job at completing my work and in staying sane through it all. It’s not that this research was difficult or the genres were difficult to put together, it’s just that my other classes have been so demanding and it’s difficult to find time to do all of the things that are expected of me. I’m glad that we have a whole week to complete this work. I know that I have used this as a crutch lately, but I don’t really mind devoting some of my weekend to working on my MRP (really). I look at it this way: if I wouldn’t be doing this class’s work over the weekend, I would probably be doing work for another class. Also, I honestly cannot remember the last time that I didn’t have something to do over the weekend, so by now, it’s nothing out of the ordinary and I have come to expect it.

I had a question last week that I have an answer for this week. I asked, “Will I have time to do another e-mail exchange in addition to my other genres that I already have planned.” The answer to that question is: I have changed my mind. I decided not to do the e-mail exchange between the clinician and the client’s mom because I thought I could just do the interview and the PPT presentation. Why make it more difficult than it has to be? Until next time…

Heather P.

Ok, last week, I said that things were very calm and very “low stress”. I also mentioned how that was probably the calm before the storm. Well you know what? I was right!! This week was particularly eventful (a nice way of putting it!) and a little on the “high stress” side (to be understating just a bit). So, I guess that’s midterm and I guess that is how it has always been since I’ve been in school. Funny…you would think that I would be used to it by now! Here’s what happened this week in terms of 315:

I think it was last week when I started getting most of my wok complete before the weekend (which worked out pretty well). Well, this week, I set out to do the same thing. However, I wasn’t as successful as I was last week. I had a lot of things to do this week (outside of this class) and because of that, I put off some of this work until later. I did do the peer reviews on Monday and began planning to draft my 5th genre on Tuesday. I started piecing things together so that I could be ready to draft by the weekend (yes, I’m going to have homework this weekend…again!). This week, I also set out to begin planning for my Powerpoint presentation. I did this because I want it to be something that is thought out and thorough, so I am beginning to think more extensively about it. This is something that I plan to draft for next week and so one of next week’s objectives may be to gather all that I need to compose a Powerpoint presentation. Perhaps the most important aim that I had this week was to just keep my head above the water and try not to worry myself sick about all of the work that I have had to do. Still, what Mrs. McComas told me earlier in the semester has helped me to remain calm. She told me to think of things as if I were asking myself “What comes next? What is the next thing that someone is going to ask me about?” This has ever since worked and has been an ongoing objective of mine throughout the entire semester for this class (and for life in general!).

The content of this week was on the low side, but I’m so glad that it was. Having only a few things to do for this class has really helped me to complete my work in 315 to the best of my ability and it has given me a chance to be thorough and insightful. I started out this week by completing the peer reviews for my group’s 4th genre. I was so impressed with everyone’s work and it was really neat to see how everyone’s projects are beginning to come together. I also began drafting my 5th genre. This has taken a little time. I have been trying to piece together enough information on different behavioral management techniques that are used on children with autism by SLP’s. I thought of creating a newsletter with this information (a newsletter for SLP’s who work with autistic individuals). I also began visualizing how I may want my Powerpoint presentation to look and what I may want to present as information. This will be done as part of next week’s content. Finally, I have continued to research (because it is something that has to go on!) and journaling (which is my favorite part—it comes naturally). We also met on the MOO this week, which was nice because I got to talk with my group about how we are coming along in terms of our projects. I presented them with the idea of my unifying genre, and they seemed to think it was a nice idea. I also helped them to develop (or begin to develop) and idea for their unifying genres as well.

Most of the processes that I used in completing my work this week were in finding information and decision making. I began thinking critically about the information that I have already found and I really fumbled through all of the things that I have found (you should see the piles of stuff on my desk!!). I did this so I could pick out all of the really relevant things and all of the things that I thought would be key in creating my genres. This, much to my surprise, was quite easy. I suppose it was easy because I already had an idea of what kind of info. I wanted to use and what would be most helpful to my MRP. In terms of decision making, I made the decision to do a newsletter of some sort, although this may change by tomorrow! The processes that I used during the MOO this week were perhaps the most interesting. I shared with my group my ideas on my unifying genre. They seemed to like it. I began to help my group develop their unifying genres. It was like a rush of ideas began flooding my head and I felt so helpful. It was great to be able to help the members of my group like that. It seemed so easy though. I guess that was because everyone’s projects are very interesting and because they are so different, it was rather easy to imagine a unifying genre for each project.

I have arrived at a new place in my thinking this week. I have never really thought of it before, but I can honestly see why collaboration and group input are vital to developing a nice piece of work. I like it because it seems as though everyone has a small part of the whole in my project and I in their’s as well. I have also found it interesting to see how other people interpret information and how that information and knowledge comes out in their work. I think on some level, it begins to say something about that person (whoever is doing the work) and it reflects upon them as a student. Also this week, I sort of began to see the end of this little journey that we are on. Perhaps after I decided on my unifying genre, the end became more evident. I can now see how all of this is coming together and how my work may look when it’s all said and done. I have to admit, I like what I am imagining and I only hope that I can pull it off.

I do have a question at this point in time. I’m contemplating doing another genre, actually another e-mail from the clinician to the client’s mother that will lead up to my Powerpoint presentation. I guess my question is this: will I be able to do this? Also and more importantly, will I have time to do this? I suppose that I will have an answer to these questions soon so until next time…

Heather P.

What a very calm and low stress week! I think for the most part, this is what many of us needed. I don’t think this is going to last very long, though. It’s kind of like the clam before the storm. The good news is that we are to the halfway mark in our quest to make it through this semester. The bad news is that means midterm exams, deadlines for projects, and a half of a semester worth of homework and tests awaits us before the end. I think the important thing to keep in mind is that we’ve made it this far, so let’s just keep pressing on. This too shall pass, as all other rough semesters have. On with the journaling…

This week, I set out to complete most of my work for this class before the weekend. I set out to do this because frankly, I am getting sick and tired of doing homework on the weekends. I know I have no one else to blame for this other than myself for being the procrastinator that I am. I decided to change that this week, and it worked out pretty well. Perhaps if we would have had more assignments, this would not have been the case. I also set out to start drafting the 4th genre for my MRP. This was required this week and I am still in the process of putting together ideas for it. I think I am going to do an e-mail exchange between the client’s mother and the clinician. Last week, I set out to research my topic more in-depth and this week, I achieved that. I went over to the Autism Training Center’s library (located on the 3rd floor of Old Main) this week and found some really great books. I guess I will look through these this weekend (I guess I do have homework!). This won’t actually be aversive for me, though. Even though I really don’t like to read, I don’t really mind if it is something that can hold my interest.

The content of the week was much like that of last week’s. I reviewed Erin’s, Rikki’s, and Cheryl’s 3rd genres and I am beginning to draft my 4th genre. I have to say that the people in my group are really doing some excellent work. I am finding it hard to find things in their work that they need to address. This week, I found mostly mechanical errors in their writings (like grammar and punctuation), as I did last week, too. I am very proud of them. It’s interesting to see each other’s work and how our hard work in research comes through in our writings. I am beginning to draft my 3rd genre. I am going to post an e-mail exchange between the client’s mother and the clinician this week. I am in the process of drafting it on paper. I also reported on my list that I subbed to. It was interesting to see what others’ lists consisted of as well.

Like last week, I didn’t utilize many processes in completing my work. I suppose I used the most processes in reviewing my group’s genres and in beginning to draft my 4th genre. In looking at my group’s work, I tried to find as many good things as possible in order to trump the few changeable things that I was able to find. They made it really easy on me, because their work was so awesome that mostly all that I found was good things. Also, I tried to be constructive in my criticism something that I think is very important right now. I look at my peers as beginning to become experts on their topics so I don’t want to be like, “No that’s not right. It should be this way.” How do I know what their research has said? So when I run across something that I find to be a little strange (in my opinion, mind you), I just tactfully ask a question about it and ask them to “maybe” check on that fact. However, this hasn’t happened at all really so I haven’t had to use this process very much. In reporting about my list, I remembered most of the topics that are discussed on the list; however, I went back through the databases to see if there were any discussions that stood out from the others or that I may have overlooked. In beginning to draft my 4th genre, I chose to do the e-mail exchange because, well, it was next on my list of genres to do! I also thought that it would be relatively easy to do since I have been writing down topics (not actual discussions) that have come up on my discussion list. From that, I have kind of spun off in my own direction. Of course it’s not posted yet because I am THE procrastinator and I also have to write it before I can type it (see my VARK inventory results and you’ll see why!).

I have to be honest… I haven’t really arrived at any new places in my thinking this week. Then again, maybe I have and I just haven’t realized it yet! That sometimes happens when you are scatter-brained like me. I may realize it four months down the road, when all is said and done. I have realized as a result of this week how I am among some very talented writers. I have to pick on Erin in particular. On the surface, she is so quiet and a little reserved and it has taken me almost four years to get to know her (and I am so glad I did!). Inside, though, she is amazingly deep and I think this really comes through in her writing. I have always thought of myself as being a little analytical and possessing some depth, so it’s really awesome to see that other people possess these unique qualities as well. I think that’s why I sort-of connect with her and with Mrs. McComas (not trying to be a brownnoser) because I can see these qualities in them. You can tell that they really enjoy writing and use it as a tool often. There are also things about Rikki’s and Cheryl’s writings that I found to be quite compelling as well. I am really glad that we are doing the kind of work that we are doing in this class, because on some level you get to see how people interpret information and in the process of writing about what they have found, they are able to let others see fragments of who they are as a learner and really, as a person. This project isn’t just straight research and doing a paper, it’s utilizing information in a way that brings research to life. It brings all of the technical writings and publications and all of the professional jargon we run across in our research to a whole new light. Then, we can add our own spin to things as we begin to understand what we are reading and what we are finding about our topics. I think I have in fact come to a new place in my thinking. I think that I enjoy doing this work (even though it’s frustrating at times) and I really enjoy reading other people’s work as well. I think that once we all finish and look back on this experience, we will all come to the realization that we LEARNED because we APPLIED and to me, that’s what’s most important.

I currently have no questions. I also had no questions last week that can be answered this week. Like I said last week, I’m sure questions will arise and when they do, I’ll send them via the class list, or I’ll just bug Mrs. McComas in her office like I always do :-). Until next week…

Heather P.