I can continue to forge my professional and academic development by always keeping an open mind to the new concepts, ideas, theories, and information that I encounter. Certainly, there will always be immeasurable amounts of information available, but if I learn to seek out what is pertinent and connect it in some way to my previous body of knowledge, then I can truly become an efficient student and professional. Something I am not afraid of is asking others for help or offering my assistance to someone in need. I think it will be wonderful in the future to create a network of other SLP's and related professionals who can rely on each other for new ideas, advice, or assistance with a certain issue. In addition to creating a network to advance my development, as an SLP, I will make it a point to never stop learning. I will take continuing education classes, attend seminars and meetings, possess a good collection of reference books, read books and magazines on a variety of diverse topics in the field, and continually advance my research and computer skills. Through continuous exposure to new opportunities for advancement and growth, my professionalism and knowledge as a clinician will further evolve. As aforementioned, I will respond to opportunities for inquiry/research with an open mind. As long as the topic is remotely interesting to me, I will make an earnest effort to internalize the new information and use it to make myself a more productive and well-informed clinician/human being. Currently, I meet my own learning needs through completion of my school work. In school, my learning is often directed by the objectives a particular teacher has for a certain class. This is understandable (and actually helpful) for the time being, but I will most definitely look forward to being a professional and inquiring about specific subject areas which really interest me. It's not that I can't currently inquire into these interests, but time is a factor when I have all of my other coursework to think about. Without a doubt, taking charge of one's own learning is a very empowering thing and it is a skill that will greatly influence the quality of my future as a professional, as well as, a lifelong learner.

There are endless areas relating to this field that have captured my interest. First of all, I am really fascinated with how children acquire language. More specifically, I would like to further explore the interconnections between a child learning to speak and learning to read. I already know that research has shown a correlation between phonological development and later reading skills. Also I am aware that a child’s awareness of the sounds in their language impact their reading ability. A question I have concerning this subject is…do children acquire metaphonological skills as a result of their emerging literacy or are these skills necessary to have before they can become literate? I’m unsure if there is a definite answer to this question, but I would be interested in examining some of the research concerning this matter. Children with phonological disorders are also at great risk for certain related literacy difficulties and I’d like to see if specific phonological disorders cause specific reading difficulties or if the connection between the two is not that precise.

Another area that piques my curiosity deals with speakers of English as a second language. I would like to find out if certain native languages are more conducive to an individual's success in acquiring the English language. My guess would be that many other factors would come into play as well, such as the individual's determination, teachers, intellectual ability, and their willingness to learn. I would also be interested in finding out what methods therapists use when working with people whose native language is not English. I know that a clinician must be knowledgeable about the vowel and consonant differences between the inventories of the English language and that of the speaker’s native language. This is crucial in order for the clinician to make an accurate diagnosis of a phonological disorder. Personally, I love the Spanish language and would definitely love to one day work with a native Spanish speaker on their acquisition of English. I'm not very familiar with other foreign languages but I think Spanish would be one of the easier languages to work with because the Spanish language is similar in many ways to English. While it would be relatively easy to find clinicians to work with people natively speaking Spanish or French, I wonder if it would be difficult to find clinicians qualified to work with individuals with not so common native languages such as Mandarin or Cantonese. If so, my question would become...who would the individual be referred to for help if a qualified clinician could not be found. I assume in that case, the clinician must take it upon themself to become more proficient in and familiar with that specific language.

Both of my topics of interest have been briefly covered in my previous courses, but I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge of them in the future.

Born into a family of educators, I often feel as if the value of education was somehow included in my genetic makeup, as opposed to being something that I have learned over the years. From the start, I knew education was important and to be taken seriously (and perhaps to be held in awe) because both of my parents worked in educational institutions and talked about educational "stuff" almost every waking moment. My family’s views, attitudes, and values toward education were implicit; yet, my parents did much to ensure that I truly understood this importance. For instance, my parents read to me when I was days old, not years. I learned many concepts early on because my parents spent a great deal of time reading to me and teaching me new things. Both of my parents were voracious readers and were constantly seeking new, inventive ways to do their jobs. Books were abundant in my household and thus, I learned the power of reading at a very early age. I was later placed on the waiting list of the highly desired and competitive college preschool in my hometown. Subsequently, I was enrolled in Sally’s day care, which in actuality, was a child care center tantamount to academic boot camp. I believe growing up in a college town has also impacted me. I always knew I would go to college; it was just understood. In other words, it was never an option. As a child, I frequently attended college functions such as games, plays, guest speakers, and musical programs. Consequently, this allowed me to see the "fun" side of college. Plus, I was never intimidated by the setting because I had been immersed in it all my life. I feel that my friends in grade school and high school influenced me, as well. We all studied, competed with each other, really liked school, and were terribly DRIVEN to get good grades. I will never believe that my parents pressured me to get outstanding grades, though. Instead of my parents, I was the one who put an inordinate amount of pressure on myself to achieve (still do to this day). I feel that a person’s desire, somehow, comes from within. Yet, I suppose the importance of education permeates a household, especially when two teachers live there. I could SEE that my parents valued education when my mom would read aloud a good passage from someone's paper or when my dad would comment about how proud he was of one of his students. Maybe I also learned that they still LIKED the kids who weren't the best students. For as long as I can remember, kids my mom had in class were constantly dropping by our house to say hello and talk. It seemed everyone who had my mom for senior English loved her (I can vouch for this because I’ve had her, too). Even those who didn’t like her could not deny that she was a fabulous teacher. She had the ability to relate the topics she taught to all types of students, not just the overachieving honor students. She was very well-traveled and loved to share her experiences about traveling to the places we read of in class. She was smart, funny, articulate, and LOUD (it was nearly impossible to fall asleep in her class). She loved what she taught and it showed. She cared about her students deeply and taught with an unparalleled exuberance and fervor. My dad grew up in a family with very little money and I believe this factor drove him to achieve even more. He would often tell me that he thought of education as the great equalizer. A number of times he has said, "Public education is truly the backbone of a democratic society." Undoubtedly, my parents’ strong work ethic permeated all facets of my life. My parents valued hard work and work done with the utmost quality. Therefore, these values were inculcated in me and have influenced my thinking and behavior throughout my years of schooling. More than desire and respect for formal education, my parents instilled in me, a love of inquiry and learning. It is for this gift that I will be forever grateful. Clearly, the fact that they’ve both spent their entire careers in public education speaks volumes about their attitudes toward education. I truly am fortunate and blessed to have grown up in the environment I did under the influence of two of the most brilliant lifelong learners I know.