The week’s are slowly, but surely, dwindling away and I am becoming more and more overjoyed. Soon, all that will be visably left of this fall 2002 class will be our weblogs and all of the various work found there. Despite this, I will take from this experience a greater understanding of the research process, accessing and analyzing online information, and how to apply this knowledge to create a one of a kind research project. Anyway, in regard to this week’s assignments, I set out to complete peer reviews on two pieces of work done by each of my group members, draft the about the author, preface, and acknowledgements sections of my MRP, make revisions to my genres, and complete my online journal. I must say that although the assignments did not appear to be too lengthy this week, it took me a great deal of time to complete the additional MRP sections. I guess since I was so use to writing the research-based genres, it was difficult for me to “switch modes,” to write about myself and the MRP. I don’t know why this was difficult because I am use to writing about these topics in my online journal every week, but it was for some reason. I looked at the summer blogs for some examples of ways to incorporate information into these sections and I found that this was very useful. Everyone had a unique way of creating these sections, while still addressing what was required. The peer reviews were fairly easy to complete this week. I used the same thinking processes that I always do when I reviewed my group members’ unifying genres, but when reviewing the references, I had to rely upon both the previous knowledge I had about APA style, as well as, the current 5th edition APA manual in order to provide accurate feedback about the citations. Also, I made a few changes to some of my genres, but I still must continue to revise them in the following weeks. I tried to get most of these assignments finished earlier in the week, but was not successful in this task. I know this is the worst time in the semester to be losing interest and motivation, but that’s what appears to be happening. I have spent so much time thinking about, planning, drafting, writing, revising, and reviewing these genres that I am getting very burnt-out on them. I just need some time to sit back and reflect, I think. But, alas, it is not to be...at least not until the end of this semester, anyway. Maybe a good pep talk would reignite my interest. I really don’t have anything else to say for this week. I have been at the library for six straight hours working on various projects (which is not at all unheard of for me) and I have not stopped to take a break once. I am hungry, tired, stressed, burnt-out, angry, and in desperate need of some visual stimulus beside this computer screen and these bright white lights. I’m glad this undertaking is getting closer to being finished because I can’t handle too many more nights like this. I often wonder why it is that I obsess over this class day and night, no matter how great or minuscule the task is that I must complete. I guess the answer to this lies in my drive to succeed, though I often wish I could just find a more time-efficient path in this quest. Until next time…

One of the main requirements for students enrolled in the computer networking course, CD. 315, is to develop a Multi-Genre Research Project (MRP) throughout the semester. A MRP is similar to a research paper in that it addresses an essential question. However, this project is unique because it presents a variety of different perspectives on a given topic, which are referred to as, “genres.” This project contains six main genres that are written in at least three different voices selected by the writer. In addition, a unifying genre is included in order to incorporate all of the various genres and research that have been completed. It is important to note that the characters presented in my project are merely works of fiction, although, all of the information presented has been derived from my personal research and thoughts on this topic.

I chose to research the topic, “How can understanding the needs of a client learning English as a second language assist the therapist in developing an effective treatment plan?” The inspiration for researching this topic came, primarily, from my love of different languages and my interest in the difficulties faced by individuals learning foreign languages. In fact, if I were not currently studying Communication Disorders, I believe that I would be majoring in the study of a foreign language. Another source of inspiration for researching this topic came from my conversations with a group of Japanese students attending Glenville State College. Prior to coming to school this fall, I spoke with these students and learned of the difficulty many were having with passing the English proficiency exam required for them to enroll in the courses they needed. The hardships that these individuals faced made me want to learn more about the English as a second language (ESL) learning process. This topic had not been addressed in detail in any of my previous communication disorders classes, but I knew that Speech-Language Pathologists could provide therapy services to individuals learning ESL. Therefore, I felt that researching this topic would provide me with a great deal of information on a topic that was extremely interesting, yet relatively unfamiliar, to me.

After selecting a topic, I then had to decide what type of genres would most adequately help to address this topic. The genres I selected were a webliography, poem, Power Point presentation, interview, journal entries, email exchange, and letter. Perhaps, the genre that I spent the most time selecting was the letter to the employer. This letter serves as my unifying genre, therefore, I had to devise a way to logically incorporate all of the previous genres into this one. This letter was written in the voice of the clinician, and addresses a variety of processes used during the ongoing needs assessment of one particular ESL client. Throughout the various genres, I strived to maintain a balance between showcasing the information derived from my research, along with the thoughts, feelings, and concerns that I imagined my fictitious characters to possess.

I have spent an incredible amount of time researching and writing the genres for this project. Not only have I learned more about this particular research topic, but I have also learned a great deal about myself as a person in regards to self-discipline and time-management. I hope that my MRP proves to be an interesting piece of work for anyone desiring greater knowledge about needs assessment in ESL clients and how this process can aid speech-language pathologists in developing an effective treatment plan. Enjoy!

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