REFLECTION
Aims and Objectives:
This week, my goal was to finish my multigenre research project (MRP). I wanted to go through and thoroughly revise each of my genres, add the proper copyright information to each page, assure that each link worked properly, and complete this final reflection about my finished product. These tasks were difficult because there was so much that I had to pay attention to. Not only did I have to edit my pages grammatically, but I also had to edit them for content. I added more information and I also removed unnecessary information. I wanted to make sure that I did not skip any links and I checked that all links took the reader to the proper place. I also wanted to check and make sure that I had my copyright information on each and every page. At the beginning of the semester, my goals were basically just to get all of the assignments completed by the deadline. Now, not only am I trying to do that, but I am also making sure that each page is perfect so that my final project is the best that it can be. It was good to have aims and objectives for each week so that I was not overwhelmed at the end of the week trying to complete all of my assignments at once. I will not lie though, there were a few times when I was rushing to meet the assigned deadline. At the end of every week, I was a small step closer in completing my MRP because we did the project in steps. This was great because all that I needed to do this last week was to pull everything together and add a few important details. Now, I am proud to say that all of my objectives are accomplished and my MRP is finally complete!
Declarative Knowledge:
This semester I have learned a vast amount of information about computer technology. I have learned more than I ever thought I could in one semester. I never realized how important computer technology is in our profession of speech-language pathology (SLP) and in the whole wide world around us. Computer technology has always been there for me to use in the past, but now I can take great advantage of it by using what I have learned in this class.
One of the first things I learned this semester was what an MRP was. I have never heard of this term until I came to this class. An MRP is a collection of multiple genres of writing. Each genre is put together to answer one essential question. An essential question is put together with topics that the writer finds interesting. I learned that the more specific my essential question was, the easier it would be to answer and this in turn would make my project stronger. Each genre (i.e., poem, letter, pamphlet) helps to answer the essential question in its own unique way. The genres were written in different voices and were intended for different audiences.
After
meeting with Mrs. McComas and determining my essential
question, I then started my research. I
learned of the many types of search tools that I have available to me. I never thought that I could find so much
information from a variety of sources by just using the Internet. I learned about the many different databases
that I can search from on the
By completing my project prospectus, I learned that it was much easier to complete my MRP by seeing it planned out ahead of time. The prospectus allowed my to see what I needed to complete and how I was going to complete each of the genres. It was so much easier to complete my MRP in stages so that I was not trying to do everything at once.
Procedural Knowledge:
As I sit here and think about this section, I still cannot believe everything I learned HOW to do this semester! It almost seems unreal to me. At the beginning of the semester I never thought in a million years that I would know how to create my very own webpage. This was a very interesting way to research a disorder and put everything together that I had learned.
Learning how to create my MRP was the first step. I learned how to create an essential question from one broad topic that I chose. Then came the task of creating a genre and learning how to post it on my weblog in Tabulas. I was then able to learn how to edit my entries in Tabulas and also how to give feedback to my peers on their own entries. The biggest challenge for me was learning how to take my entries from Tabulas and turn them into web pages. I did this by using Mozilla. Mozilla was a program that allowed me to publish my works as web pages. I had never heard of this program before, so it took me some time to learn how to use it. I eventually became more and more comfortable with Mozilla and I was able to learn how to create my web pages. I learned how to create new pages, how to edit pages, how change colors and fonts, and how to add links to other pages. I also learned how to save these pages in my V-drive so that everything came together as my webpage.
This semester I also learned how to communicate with my classmates and professor in a couple of different ways. The first way was by e-mail. It was not your typical e-mail though where you send a message to one person. We had a class mailing list. The class mailing list was one single address that sent my message to every single person in the class. This was good because it enabled everyone to see my message and I was able to get answers and feedback from several different people. I also learned how to communicate with my classmates and professor through the MOO database. This database is something similar to AOL Instant Messenger. I had to type commands in and I was able to talk in real time.
Learning how to put all of my separate genres and other pages together to make one final MRP was a bit challenging. I had to make sure I had all the required sections, such as preface, acknowledgements, and references. I had to make sure that my table of contents was in the proper order. I had to know how to create links from pages that took the reader back to the table of contents or my home page. It was necessary that I knew how to edit my genres so that I answered my essential question thoroughly and that my MRP was the best it could be.
Conditional Knowledge:
The knowledge that I gained about computer technology will be very beneficial to me in the future. This information will help me to succeed while furthering my education and in my future profession. It is amazing how much I have learned about computer technology in just one semester. If I would walk into another class and the professor would tell me I had to make a webpage, I would feel very confident that I could do it again.
I also gained important knowledge from creating my MRP. The way that I began my MRP and how I put it together can be used in basically any other research project I have to complete in the future. Even if my next research project is nothing like an MRP, I can still complete the assignment in a similar fashion. I could begin with an essential question and build from there. I know now that if I plan out my project in stages, then it will not seem so difficult to complete.
One of the most important things I will take from this class with me in the future is the knowledge I have gained about research. I have learned about so many different places that I can go to find information. I also know how to determine if the information that I find is credible. I know the things that I should put in my work so that others will know my information is accurate. In my future career as an SLP, this will be very important because I will need to know if information that I find on how to treat a certain communication disorder is accurate or not.
As an SLP, I may find that it would be appropriate to create a webpage for clients to give them more information about their disorder. Now that I know how to create web pages through Mozilla, this will be possible. I just think it would feel so awesome having someone tell me how much the site helped them and knowing that I created that web page!
The
knowledge that I gained from creating separate pieces of
work, then putting these pieces together to form a whole will also be
important
in the future. I will now be a much
better reviewer of my work. I now have a
better understanding of editing my work for not only grammar mistakes,
but also
for content issues. Learning how to edit
my work and to double-check all the fine details, I believe, will make
me have
a better finished product in the end, no matter what that project may
be.