This week I have felt like 500 pounds has been lifted from my chest. I had a big discussion with "Van" and she was so encouraging. I was so stressed out because my topic seemed to be too narrow. I was so worried about trying to make my MRP good and at the same time not offensive to parents of children with cleft. I could not seem to do what I wanted with the smoking/alcohol topic and had planned to drop the class for lack of inspiration. After I left the office and had been told it was not too late to change my plans I felt rejuvenated and my mind was running crazy with ideas again! YIPEE!!! Now I am doing my project through the eyes of a mother who has found out in utero that her child will be cleft affected. Even though I sit here on Sunday night finishing up a few last things I don't feel the pressure that I normally do. I completed my pamphlet which really turned into a difficult task-everything kept moving to the wrong space. It was extremely frustrating but well worth it. I showed my finished product to several people (I printed it out for the full effect)and got a very good response. My dad says they will want to put it in OB offices...he got a little carried away but still I could tell he was proud of my work. Guess what..I am too! Things finally seem to be looking up now! We only have 7 more weeks+finals but Thanksgiving break falls in there so it should hopefully fly by. I had never used the brochure template before and so that was very interesting. I didn't even know Word had that option. I am sure I will discover many things in the future! Next week I want to focus on my powerpoint presentation. I had sent an email to my mailing list asking if anyone would be willing to let me use some of thier children's pics but unfortunately the server went down and it was never delivered. I will have to rewrite it (didn't save it-big dummy)and send it again. Keep your fingers crossed that a few of them will be generous. They have been great up to this point. I have tinkered in powerpoint some but need to do alot more investigation. Not so sure I am going to write the play now-I still have to think on that one. I have enjoyed looking at everyone's genres also. Sometimes it makes me think of something I would like to do for my genres. That's all for now!
Later,
Cindy

I began this week thinking I had a head start on my assignments. Little did I know most of week 7 assignments were due in one week. Ugh! I have managed to stay on track-I haven't finished my library search yet but do have a few things for it already lined up. I also have not started on my 3rd genre. It seems as though everyone is doing a journal and so since that is not one of my choices for my MRP that leaves me a little stuck. I have no idea how to start my 3rd genre. I don't know which one to do next. I know each genre needs to be able to stand alone and make a statement. I would like to do the brochure but I am not sure how to go about starting that. Maybe Mrs. McComas just assumed everyone would be doing a journal in their project-of course I would be the exception to the rule. I just do not like doing what everyone else does. I really struggled with my poem. It was hard to create a peom that did not put the mom in a negative light. I tried really hard to relay that the mother did not know she was pregnant at the time of her bad habits and that she completely stopped smoking and drinking as soon as she found out. Unfortunately, cleft palate/lip occurs during the fourth to eighth week and most women do not even realize they are pregant that soon. Responding to other peoples genres were much more difficult than I had anticipated also. It is hard to critique someone elses work and at this point we really don't know what the goal of thier finished product is. I just tried to be helpful and not hurtful. I enjoyed viewing everyones blogs. I visited several more than just Geneva and Allisons. Everyone seems to be off to a great start. My goal for this next week is filling my webliography up with my discipline info and more info that would benefit the SLP. I would like to add a few more fun links also. I showed it to my mom and she thought it looked pretty good, of course she isn't computer savvy so anything would look good to her. Also, I hope to get more opportunities to do 315 during my breaks at school. Let's hope this gets a little simplier.
Cindy

I would just like to begin by saying, "Wow, what a difference a week can make." Last weeks journal is so funny to me now, though at the time I meant every word I was typing. Can you say Migraine? Anyway, this week has been sooooo much better. I have really began to get worked up about the MRP. After Wednesday's class meeting and taking a gander at the Powerpoint stuff my mind has been working nonstop.(Almost to the point where I cannot rest...I am having MRP dreams.) This weeks assignments were not bad at all. I actually enjoyed researching the articles for my project. I am really enjoying my mailing list-I get about 100 emails a day. I don't get to read them all in great detail but I do stop to read the ones that seem to be pertinent to me. I emailed my list this past week and got an awesome response. The parents are already trying to hook me up with contacts for a job after I graduate. I don't know what exactly I wrote in my email to grant such praise but it seems as though all the parents are excited that a future SLP has an interest in Cleft patients. A few of them even took the time to write about good and bad experiences they have had with their SLP. Yes Mrs. McComas, I saved them! I got a chance this week to work on my blog a little. It's really looking alot nicer now. Look at all the pretty colors. Who would have known I could manage something like this. I have also been checking out the summer blogs. Hope our class out does them...not that it is a competition but...I still hope we do really great!! I am so proud of myself because I have not been the procrastinator this week. I managed to get some of my assignments done or partially done in the computer lab with Julie and Abbye. I think I was there more than them this week. Big change! I have even managed to get one of week 6 assignments done. I done it first before most of week 5 that way I would have a headstart for next week. Are you impressed yet? I have changed my essential question and my foundation questions since Wednesday's meeting but now I think I may go in a different direction...I know I know I have got to stick to something. I have to talk to Mrs. McComas tomorrow to discuss the possible changes. My dreams about this class have brought about the ideas for change. I just really would like for my mailing list to be able to look at my project and feel as though they have inspired something. I feel like doing my project about the correlation of smoking/drinking and cleft palate may offend someone or give someone else the wrong idea(like they would think that cleft palate is always because a parent did not take care of themselves during pregnancy which is certainly not the case in most children.) Smoking and drinking has been linked to cleft palate/lip but it can also be genetic or due to environmental factors. Anywhoo, my week has sure been better than last week. I hope they only get better! At least my attitude has gotten better and that's a start. When my creative juices begin to flow I begin to get inspired! Thanks for listening!
Cindy