Sweet Ending

This will be my last official post for the Fall 2013 semester. I'm beyond excited to have my final proposal paper finished, submitted, and returned with comments. This past week, I spend over 10 hours finalizing the final project. I completely underestimated how time-consuming it would be to revise and finalize the final document. What an accomplishment! This past Monday, I spend 3 straight hours at my desk before finally submitting. I nearly fell over when I finally stood up (this is not an exaggeration). However, even with numb legs and blurry eyes, I am overwhelmed with joy having finished. I have to also say I'm very appreciative to Amy for all her feedback, guidance, and encouragement during this process. So, Merry Christmas and Happy 2014! See everyone next semester for Capstone: Round 2. I'm including a holiday recipe (see image for inspiration)

Chapter 3 Submitted

What a relief to submit Chapter 3! I feel like I can finally relax and focus on all things turkey in preparation for Thanksgiving. It took me about 2 hours to write all of chapter 3. As usual, I did my writing on
Sunday at the Stafford library. In the spirit, I'm grateful for Sunday library hours and a husband who will stay home with our boys. I'm looking forward to attending the Capstone Showcase on December 9th in preparation for our own projects. I'm also working on revising earlier chapters of my research project in anticipation of the end of our semester. This is where the majority of my time will be spend between now and the rest of our time in the class. Happy Turkey Day everyone!

Research Hiatus... Over

For our vacation, I spent a relaxing and rejuvenating week in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. What a cool place! Similar to LBI, but with southern flare. I needed the mental break from research and work. Now, I'm planning on completing and submitting my Evaluation Tools & Procedures. It's hard to believe we have just four weeks left in the semester, which means the holidays are upon us. Time passes quickly. In the next week, I also plan to start compiling Chapters 1-4 of my research in order to identify any inconsistencies and/or areas in need of revision. What an undertaking! Wish me luck.

On our trip back from NC, we stayed overnight in Virginia. To my surprise, our hotel was right next to this outlet mall, which included a Vera Bradley Outlet. Jackpot!

The image is take from the deck of our timeshare. Breathtaking sunsets!

Halloween Highlights

Harrison & Sawyer Halloween 2013

The scariest part of this Halloween is the amount of time and energy required to complete this Capstone research project. I underestimated the time necessary to complete the analysis of needs assessment data (5 hours total to write 7 pages). The most challenging aspect was communicating the data in the appropriate charts and graphs. I tried to read the paper from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with my topic. I'm awaiting feedback on my recently submitted Needs Analysis Findings section of the project. Currently, I'm reviewing IDD text to review goals and objectives. I plan to reread this portion of my IDD paper too. My family is vacationing over November break, a much needed break for my research-saturated brain. 

Wishing all treats and no tricks to everyone this Halloween!

Literature Review Submitted

Well, I tackled the beast of a literature review and lived to see the other side! Now, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm on the right track with my thoughts and research. Like Darlene, I took hours to research articles (maybe 10 total), prepare an outline (2 hours) and write the actual paper (probably 5 total). I feel like I have a better understanding of my topic and the direction I'm headed with my own study. There's still so much work to be done, but for now I'm relishing this accomplishment. Tomorrow is another day....

Literature Review Jackpot

Locating articles related to my research topic feels like hitting the jackpot. Luckily, I'm not a gambler, otherwise the rush of research could have me turning to a hotline for help! I like the process of digging and learning from the work of others. Although it's very overwhelming, time-consuming and exhausting to be reading studies hour after hour. I squeeze in reading at every spare minute. I even had success with the library loan system. They emailed an article the database did not hold in under 24 hours. I anticipated reading this weekend, however, rain and housework kept me busy with "mom" duties. I'm grateful for the chance to read and write in exchange for class time this evening. Everyone in my house is on Columbus holiday, except me. Today, my boys are here with their grandparents. I'll be glad to accomplish this researching hurdle. As a side note, it was difficult to arrange for my two classes to take my post-test. I'm already feeling the crunch of the end-of-marking-period-quarterly-exam timeline. I should have my data by the end of next week, ready to analyze. Happy writing everyone!

Tools of the Trade

This was a busy week! I spend about 5 hours revising my topic paper and adding a lengthy page of references. As a product of MLA citations, I still find the APA format a struggle. I spent a lot of time with the handbook checking correct format, but I think it paid off! Throughout the week, I gathered material for my needs assessment tools. Now I have to plan to administer the tools in the upcoming days. I previously wrote about emailing the author of one study, inquiring about an survey he used in his study. To my surprise and joy, he wrote back two days later and sent me his entire dissertation (170 pages)! He wished me luck and offered additional assistance if needed! That was motivating. My article critique is almost ready for submission. Currently, I'm reading through the assigned chapters of the textbook for class next week! Hope everyone is hanging in there!

Needs Analysis: Coffee

So far this week the majority of my time has been spent reading research articles. I average about 2 articles per day; each being between 16-25 pages. That’s a lot of writing about reading comprehension. Ideas about my own research become clearer with each study I read. I’ve developed a method to reading each. I pay close attention to the purpose, population, methods, results, limitations, and suggestions for future studies. The actual data analysis slows down my overall understanding of the study, so I tend to gloss over that section. I did hours of research at the end of last school year and either printed or emailed myself all the articles that are now kept in one folder. I like both hard and digital copies of the research. However, I didn’t read anything until the start of this semester. I know I’ll need to search some more, but for now reading is occupying most of my time.

It took me an hour to write my Needs Analysis; I found a quiet place in Starbucks to type it. Like Lindsay, I reread the Needs Analysis section of my IDD paper. That was somewhat helpful. So far this week, I’ve also done the following:

• ·         Order a copy of the IDD textbook. I “rented” a copy for the previous class.
• ·         I emailed an author of a research article to find out more about the Student Reader Satisfaction Survey he used in their study. I have yet to hear back.
• ·         I bought a calendar with LARGE boxes to organize all due dates for this project. I’m not a Google calendar girl, so I went with the “old-school” version.
• ·         I arranged a meeting with my supervisor to discuss permissions as related to research participants (my students). I’ll write more about that next time.

I recently read this post about the sacred nature of libraries. The timing was perfect considering my current student status and also made me long for the simplicity of undergraduate life.

Ying & Yang of Research

So, the much anticipated Capstone project has begun. I am excited about my topic; a love of reading is the reason I became an English teacher. Through my Capstone project, I hope to create an innovative way for present and future students to engage and connect with literature. Personally, I'm making a few commitments to myself in order to stay balanced, and sane, throughout this journey. I'm vowing to continue my yoga practice at least two night per week. Exercise and yoga are outlets for stress and anxiety, so I must not lose focus on my well-being the further I immerse myself in this research project. I continually check in with the various roles and responsibilities I have in my life, doing my best to keep all aspects balanced. Good luck to us all as we begin the next leg of this journey, bringing us one step closer to our common goal: graduation! The image is of the Ying & Yang martini at The Melting Pot. My husband & I celebrated our 7th anniversary Saturday; the martini was dessert!