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!