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Reflection

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Aims and Objectives

During the past week I have been revising my multigenre research project (MRP). I have been changing the font and background colors to ensure that all readers will be able to view my website, revising my genres, adding my copyright information, fixing my links on my homepage in order for the links to work on all web browsers, and reflecting on my MRP. I believe my goals this week were the most time consuming and challenging. This is because I wanted to make sure that my MRP was the best it could be and complete on time.

My main objective while completing this project this semester was to answer my essential question, "What are the most effective treatment methods a speech-language pathologist (SLP) can utilize when working with young adults who have closed head injuries?" I created this question at the beginning of the semester when I was supposed to pick a topic for my MRP. I became interested in the therapy techniques that a speech-language pathologist uses while working with a patient with a closed head injury after reading the story "Being with Rachel." To answer this question that I have been pondering about since I read the story I set out to create a character that I would be able to base my project on. I created a character who was a young adult. I decided to choose a young adult simply because I am a one. Next, I realized I needed to refresh my memory on what a closed head injury was and what deficits can occur after a brain injury is sustained. After reading my notes that I took last year in my neurology class I had a great foundation to my project. Last, I set out to research as much information as I could about closed head injuries. I wanted to learn about statistics, facts, deficits that can occur, and how family members deal with these changes. I feel that I have accomplished all of my goals which I set out to do this semester. I am proud of my work and pleased to say that this website is my creation.

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Declarative Knowledge

During this semester I have learned a massive amount of information about computer technology. Without enrolling in this class I would not know half of what I know today. I believe the most important fact about technology that I learned was how advanced the world is becoming, and how much we rely on technology everyday. Learning about how much we depend on computers and other types of technology made me realize that I need to stay up to date with the changes in order to be successful in the future.

Throughout this semester, I also learned that it is very important to evaluate a website when researching. This is essential because there is so much information on the Internet these days, and who knows if the website or information that you find on the Internet is reliable or not. To evaluate a website there is some criteria that can be looked at. This includes the following: authorship, the publishing body, point of view or bias, referral to other sources, accuracy or verifiability of details, and currency. All six of these items should be looked at in order to determine if a web site is reliable and up to date. Since I have learned about how to determine if a website is reliable or not, I realized that I needed to make my website reliable. Therefore, I included information about the author (me), publishing and copyright information, information about why this website was created, a listing of references which I used, and provided the date when the page was last updated.

More factual knowledge that I have gained during this semester includes learning what a project prospectus is. A project prospectus is an outline of my multigenre research project. It allowed me to outline my project at the beginning of the semester and helped me answer my essential question. In addition, it contained valuable information which stated what needed to be completed and in what way I should complete my genres.

Most of all, the declarative knowledge that stood out to the most this semester includes information about brain injuries.
I believe this information stood out to me the most because I had to research the information on my own time. In addition, I had understand how different individuals (client, family members, and clinicians) deal with the deficits and changes that can occur by writing my genres in different voices. My genres allowed me to take a step back and look through the eyes of others.

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Procedural Knowledge

The most difficult assignment this semester, which I finally have completed, was creating a multigenre research project. This assignment was very tedious but rewarding in the end. To start my MRP I first had to create a project prospectus to help outline my project. In my project prospectus I had an essential question, foundation questions, an outline of my genres, an overview of my project, and tentative resources. I believe the essential and foundation questions were very important because these questions helped guide my researching process. In addition, without the questions and outline I do not think I would have been able to tie my genres together. The next step when creating my MRP was deciding what type of genres I should use for my project (pamphlets, poems, referral letters, journal entries, brochures). I had a general idea but was not sure how I would be able to tie all seven of them together. After I decided on a few that I wanted to use my MRP started to develop. Week by week I wrote a new genre and constantly revised previous ones. I feel that I have put a great deal of time and effort into all of my genres, and I hope that by reading them everyone will able to notice.

If creating a MRP isn't hard enough I soon realized that my project needed to be posted on my personal weblog and then on a webpage. It was not hard to pick up on how to post my genres on my weblog. I simply had to log in, type the information, and hit post. However, when it came to creating my first webpage I will admit I was completely lost. If it was not for the assistance of a few classmates I do not think I would of ever figured it out. To go about creating a webpage this is what I did: I downloaded a html editor (I used Mozilla at first but then switched to FrontPage because I felt like it was easier to use and had more options). Next, since I am affiliated with Marshall University I had to log onto my V-drive, which is a ftp file. I created a folder in this file called public htm. From there I had to create the webpage on a html editor, and then copy and past my work to my public htm folder.

With the last couple of weeks left in the semester I realized that all of this information needed to be tied together. This task was very challenging for me because I did not know which genre I should use to do this. I thought I would be simple because I worked on my project step by step and spent weeks and even months to create it. However, I felt like none of my ideas were going to work. That was when I realized I needed sit down and read each genre to find the one that had the most meaning to me, which are the journal entries. From there my fingers began to type, and I realized that by simply looking from another individual's prospective I knew how to tie my project together.

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Conditional Knowledge

Everything that I learned this semester has been very informative and helpful because it has widened my computer literacy skills. I feel that I have taught myself a lot through researching and trial and error. In addition, I feel that the knowledge which I gained about technology will help me become more successful in the future. For instance, when I begin to further my education I will be able to use the information from this class to help me research reliable websites and even create another web site if I am required to.

I never heard of a project prospectus, an essential question, or even foundation questions before taking this class. Learning about what each of these terms are and what they are used for will enable me to complete future research assignments with ease. I will be able to write a project prospectus to create an outline before I research for a project or paper. In addition, I will be able to write essential questions which will help me narrow a topic that I will have to research, and foundation questions will help me answer my essential question. Overall, creating a project prospectus and writing essential and foundation questions will allow me to become a more proficient researcher and possibly receive better grades on assignments.

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This page was created by Connie Miller,

a student at Marshall University, in order to fulfill requirements for a CD 315 course.

Page last updated: December 6, 2005

If you have any questions or comments please contact the author via e-mail
miller255@marshall.edu