E-Portfolio Cover Letter

What knowledge and skills have I acquired as a result of participating in this course?

As a result of this course I have obtained an extensive amount of knowledge and skills that I did not have before participating in this course. For me, this course has been both challenging and exciting in that I have obtained vasts amount of knowledge on topics I was previously unfamiliar with and learned how to utilize many tools that are available in digital environments. From this course I completed many assignments and projects that helped me to meet the course objectives of this class. Although at times the information was overwhelming and I thought I would never complete my assignments on time I feel that I have met the objectives of this course to the best of my ability.

The first conceptual outcome for this class states that the learner will acquire knowledge of the various conceptions of literacy in the 21st century. I feel I did acquire knowledge on various conceptions of literacy in the 21st century through reading articles focused towards various aspects of literacy and completing tasks that required the use of literacy skills. For example, I learned that to be literate in our society today it is crucial that people are equipped specific digital literacy skills. Being a literate person no longer only includes being able to read and write, but also includes other components. This was learned by reading an article by Amichai-Hamburger and Eshet-Alkali’s titled, ”Experiments in Digital Literacy.” This article discussed five different components of digital literacy which included ”photovisual, reproduction, branching, information, and socioemotional skills.” (A8.3) From this article I learned that each of these skills aid a person in being successful in a digital environment. Without these skills it would be very difficult to navigate and comprehend information located on the web. After reading this article I feel that I am still currently developing these skills, but because of the work I have done in this class I am being more proficient at the components of digital literacy (A8.3). I was able to take the information that I learned from this article and apply it by completing tasks that focused on the use of literacy skills. One specific task that comes to mind is participating in a virtual classroom which is tool of the 21st century that is changing how classroom instruction is done. After participating in a successful discussion with my classmates this is something I learned from the experience. ”I learned how to use specific key strokes to tell emotions. For this you just have to type a colon before the statment you wish to say. For example, :is laughing out loud” (Week 7 memo). I also learned from this experience that virtual meetings are beneficial because they allow students to be exposed to speakers, professionals, and other students who may not live around their area. My knowledge of literacy is the 21st century has grown immensly. I never knew before this class about digital literacy or virtual classrooms.

The second conceptual outcome was that the learner would acquire knowledge of what constitutes acceptable sources and resources within a profession and in the 21st century. I feel I acquired knowledge on this topic by completing an assignment in which I was required to critique a website located on the internet at www. betterdogfood.com. From this assignment I learned that when critiquing a website or article it is important to look at the accuracy, authority, objectivity,currency and coverage of the material. I learned from completing this assignment that it is very important to examine all information on a webpage before making a decision to buy a product or invest in something you do not know a vast amount of information on (A7.1). Aftering completing this assignment I now know how to critique a website which will be beneficial throughout the rest of my life as I research information on the internet.

The third conceptual outcome for this class is that the learner will acquire knowledge of the professional issues relating to literacy within the ASHA Scope of Practice. I feel I acquired knowledge on this topic because after completing a reading log on a piece of material I was required to answer a question about how the material I read could be related to the broader world of clinical practice. An example of an professional issue relating to literacy within the the ASHA Scope of Practice that I learned about was that as SLP’s we are required to use all the resources available to us to help treat our client. To do this I would be required to use my information literacy skills which include the ability to recognize the need for information, the ability to locate that information, and the ability to evaluate and effectively use that information. By having knowledge about information literacy skills I now know how to apply them. As an SLP I would use them to become a more knowledgeable clinician and be able to locate information for my client and use it to provide them with services that meet their needs.

The last conceptual outcome is that the learner will acquire knowledge of the forms of inquiry associated with evidence based practice. I feel I have developed knowledge on this topic by learning about seeking knowledge on topics. As I have learned you can not just take information someone places on the internet as truth. It is important to make sure that the information is supported with research which also holds true in a clinical setting. In regards to evidence based practice it is important to back a therapeutic technique with evidence that states why that technique is appropriate for that client. I have learned that it takes a lot of time to find information that is valid and reliable. It is important to seek out information from various sources such as mailing lists, discussion groups, and journals so that you are coming to a full understanding of the topic.

I feel I completed the first technical outcome for this class because I did prepare for and participate in class discussions and activities. In order to prepare for out class discussion on copyright I read several articles on this issue so that I would have background knowledge going in to the discussion. I looked at copyright information on the websites http://fairuse.stanford.edu/ and http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/IntellectualProperty/cprtindx.htm. From these sights I learned that “copyright laws protect many different mediums of expression including poetry, novels, recorded music performances, videos, and many more.” (A6.3). I then took this knowledge and applied it to the class discussion in which my group discussed the use of burning cd’s and downloading music. My group decided that in regards to copyright it is always important to error on the side of caution when using another individual’s information (A8.4).

I completed the second technical outcome of developing strategies for effectively planning and completing independent work (meeting both the letter and spirit of the work, not just the letter of the work) in a timely manner by completing all the assignments assigned to our class on time. I feel I evidence completion of this outcome in that all my work was turned in on time. There was never any assignments that were late. To ensure that I met this outcome I made it my goal every week to have my assignments turned in on  time. One specific strategy that I tried to implement was to spread out the work so that I was able to give myself enough time to spend on each assignment (Week 2). Although this did not happen every week I did find it to be a beneficial strategy.

I feel I completed the third technical outcome which states, the learner will use practical thinking (solve problems and make decisions), critical thinking (analysis and evaluation), and creative thinking (imagining and creating) to complete an inquiry project focused on a disciplinary issue relating to literacy by completing research on my research topic, writing a paper, and making a movie. I feel that I used practicaly thinking when deciding on what topic I wanted to research. I had to decide which area of literacy I wanted to study and what questions I wanted to answer. From this I developed an essential question of “How can teachers foster the development of literacy skills in children from impoverished environments?” I also used critical thinking when completing my research. I had to analyze numerous amounts of information and make sure that they were credible sources. From this I developed a list of resources which helped me to write my paper. A list of the work I did can be found on my weblog on the link listed resources. I used creative thinking when I created my movie. Creative thinking was used in that I had to first write a story line for my movie, add pictures and sound, and compile it all together to make the end product which was a movie.

The fourth technical outcome states the learner will demonstrate enhanced communication skills and strategies, using the discourse of the discipline, in both oral and written formats. I feel that I achieved this outcome in that I showed enhanced communication skills through the audio component of my movie. By developing the audio recording I had to have specifc abilities to articulate a complex subject to my group of peers. I also enhanced written communication skills which can be evidenced in my development of my I-Search paper. Again, I was required to articulate a complex topic except this time in written forms.  Both my movie and my I-search paper can be located on my webblog.

I feel I accomplished the fifth outcome which states the learner will participate and collaborate, synchronously and asynchronously, in online professional communities. My accomplishment of this outcome can be evidenced by the mailing group list that I joined which was called ”The Poverty, Race,  Women and Literacy Discussion List” povertyracewomen@nifl.gov. By joining this list I recieved numerous e-mails each day about various topics such as researched based approaches to teaching reading to adults, and also information about conferences that related to the topic of the mailing list. It also can be evidenced in my development of a webblog in which I have been able to share with an online community the information I have been learning throughout the semester.

Lastly, I can say that I did achieve the last technical outcome goal by demonstrating self-confident interdependence in multiple digital spaces and with multiple forms of media. I feel that my achievement of this goal can be shown in my successful development of a web blog, my discussion in virtual classrooms, and my creation of my movie. Each of these various domains presented challenges for me, but I feel I have come along way from where I first began in this class. It is hard for me to explain all the strides I have made from this class, but I know because of my hard work and effort in this class I have come a long ways. In the beginning of this class I utilized the internet for research and e-mail. I know utilized the internet for not only those things, but I not have learned about other tools on the internet. Some of the tools I have learned about include wikis, mailing lists, virtual classrooms, social bookmarking sites, blogs, etc. The list of information and knowledge I have obtained could go on forever, but I feel the most important thing I learned from this class is that our world is constantly changing and becoming more technologically advanced. In order for me to be successful I need to stay informed on the various technologies and tools available to me so that I can stay informed and so that I can inform others.

A13.5: Week 13 Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week to turn in my I-search paper before the deadline on Friday. I wanted to make sure that I gave myself ample time for revisions on my paper so that I made sure I was turning in best work. In regards to the other assignmetns I simply wanted to them in a timely fashion. I really needed a break from school work so I didn’t put a timeline on myself. I wanted to work on the assignments at times where I felt I would be able to put forth my best effort.

Declarative Knowledge:  There is a lot of information that I learned this week by completing the last revision of my I-search paper. In regards to my paper I learned that teachers play a very important role in the development of literacy skills of children. Teachers are the ones who help equip individuals with the skills to be successful which includes literacy skills. I learned that it is important for them to help “all” students, but it is specifically important to provide help to children from impoverished environments because they typically have delays in these skills. There are specific things teachers can do to help these children which includes providing a curriculum that is specific to their needs and then continually going through professional development to learn more about how to help these students. By doing this teachers will be providing students with what they need to be successful literate individuals.

I also learned this week that the revision of papers is a never ending process. No matter how many times I looked at my paper I always found something that I felt need to be revised or changed. Eventually I had to make myself just stop and turn the paper in. I know that if I went back right now and reread my paper there would be things I would want to change which is why I’m not allowing myself do that. I do no that in the future though it may be important to change this paper as new research is developed on the topic.

Procedural Knowledge: I can not think of anything new that I specifically learned how to do, but I did enhance some skills that I already had. I used my writing and revising skills a lot this week to complete my I-search paper and the assignments. These skills are ones I use a lot and it is crucial that I know how to use them profitiently.

Conditional Knowledge: I can use the knowledge I obtained on my research paper as a citizen to help make people aware of the importance of literacy. There are many children who are lacking the skills necessary to be literate individuals which is why the public needs to be informed of the affects this can have on children. I could provide this information to other people by teaching them about programs that focus on the development of literacy. I could also use the information I learned from my paper as a future SLP in that if I ever worked with a children who had delayed literacy skills. I now know some techniques that could help improve this skills. I would also be able to inform this child’s teachers about things that could be down with the child in the school. Lastly, I could use the information I learned from completing the weekly assignments because I know now how to write a preface, about the author sections, and acknowledgement section which could be helpful if I ever decided to write a book.

A12.4: Week 12 Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week was to complete all my work in a timely manner. I wanted to learn more about socio-emotional literacy by completing the assignment related to this topic. I wanted to complete this early in the week so that I could have the weekend to work on my I-search paper and provide feedback to fellow classmates on their papers. Overall, I feel I have achieved my goal for the week.

Declarative Knowledge:  This week I learned about the digital literacy skill of socio-emotional literacy. I found through my research this week that this literacy skill aids people in protecting themself and demonstrating appropriate manners on the internet. People who possess this skill are more likely to be able to differentiate information that is right, wrong, good, and bad. This is important because with all the internet scams that occuring on the web it is important for people to possess skills to protect themself. I also learned this week how benefitial peer feedback can be. I have done peer reviews before, but I never knew how helpful my comments were to another person’s work until I recieved feedback from my fellow classmates. The feedback I recieved was very beneficial. It made me aware of the strenths and weaknesses of my paper which helped me to revise it. I learned this week that peer review is a great way to have your work reviewed.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to complete a peer review. I learned how to do this by following an outline provided by my professor which helped me to focus on specific areas of the papers such as what person the paper was wrote in, blessings or good things about the paper, and areas of the paper the author could work on. By learning how to do this I was able to review two of my peers papers.

Conditional Knowledge: I will use the skills I learned this week to educate younger people about the dangers that lie on the web and the importance of being able to determine if something is true or a fallacy on the web. I think this will be beneficial in my future because children now-a-days are using the computer at a younger age which will me I will have to make sure I am educating my children on socio-emotional literacy skills. The knowledge of peer review will be beneficial in my career as a SLP in that I now know I good way to look at a person’s work to provide feedback on their papers. In my career I may have other SLP’s who want me to review their work, so now I know that I would be able to do this and provide beneficial information to make that person’s paper better.

A10.4: Week 10 Participation Memo

Traci Girondo

October 26, 2007

Aims and Objectives: My personal goal for this week was to continue to learn about the literacy skills that individuals need to posses to be successful in a digital world. I also wanted to continue researching information on my research topic so that I could begin writing my I-search paper.

Declarative Knowledge: This week I learned about reproduction literacy. What I learned is that reproduction literacy skills are something that I possess and have been required to use, but never knew there was a specific name for them. I learned that reproduction literacy is the ability to take various forms of media and transform that material to create a new idea or meaning. I learned that this is something I have done numerous times when writing research papers and I paraphrase information I have found. This shows how reproduction literacy skills can be used in writing, but these skills can also be used in art. In art images, videos, and photographs can be transformed to create a new visual image. A good example of this is a painting of mona lisa with a mustache. Basically, I learned that reproduction literacy skills are skills that I possess and will be using throughout the rest of my life.

I also learned this week about myself and my work skills. I have become very accustomed to having specific readings and assignments that are due on a specific day. Since our work in this class is becoming more focused on our personal research I found that I have been putting off researching my topic since I wasn’t being required to do research and turn in an assignment on my research. Now that the due date is approaching I know I need to focus my time on completing this projet. I learned that my time management skills are going to become very important to complete my paper and movie on top of my work for other classes.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I did not learn how to complete a specific process, but I did learn that reproduction literacy skills are something that I will be using very soon as I begin to write my I-search paper for this class. From my research on this topic I will now know how to use these skills when writing my paper and creating my movie.

Conditional Knowledge: The information I learned this week will be something that I use both in my career as a student and as a future speech language pathologist. In both of these I will use reproduction literacy skills to create new ideas, meanings, and interpretations of pre-exsisting material. As a student I will use these skills when writing research papers and completing projects. I will use these in my future career in that I will constantly have to take information and transform it in to my own words so, that when I talk to parents and clients they will understand the material I am talking about. In my own life I will use reproduction literacy skills when I scrapbook as I take various forms or images and words and transform them in to a page that will help me to remember special times in my life.

A9.4: Week 9 Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week was to begin sorting through all the information I have obtained for my research project. Up until this point I have just been collecting information that I felt related to my topic and the amount of information I had was becoming overwhelming. This week I wanted to sit down and read all the articles and pull out the resources that I felt contained valid and reliable information and would help me to answer my research question. I also wanted to become more familiar with the delicious site and how to tag sites that I felt were important. I feel that this site can be confusing at times. I haven’t quite figured out how to navigate my way around the site.  As always I wanted to have all this work completed by the due date and not let it be 11:55 when I was turning in my work.

Declarative Knowledge: This week I learned that when researching a topic you should chose a topic that is interesting to you. The topic I had chose to research before my meeting with my professor was a topic I did not have a lot of interest in, but felt was a topic I could find a lot of information on. After discussing with her I realized just how much information I actually knew about my previous research question. The information I had been finding on the question wasn’t interesting to me because I already knew that information. From this meeting I learned how to develop foundation questions that will help me answer my research question. I also learned that the research question I really wanted to research was imbedded in my previous research I just need to find a way to word it to make it in to an actual research question. This week I also learned about photo-visual literacy which was a very interesting topic in that it is a skill I use every single day and never knew I had or never realized there was a word that defined these skills.

Procedural Knowledge: This week  I learned how to narrow my essential question to make it a researchable question. Before this week I had a topic that was very broad and poorly worded. I also learned how to develop foundation questions that will help me to focus my research to answer my essential question. These questions are very important in that they will be what my research is based off of to answer the essential question. This week I also learned how to create and I-search paper which is different from any other research paper I have wrote in that it is wrote in first person.

Conditional Knowledge: I can use the information I learned this week as both a student and as a future Speech-Language Pathologist. In both of these professions it will important to be aware of visual literacy in that this is a skill that is required for us as individuals to be successful. As a professional I need to realize that just because a person can not read or write does not make them an iliterate person. In all actuality this person my be very literate in another form of literacy. They may be able to tell you what any sign or photograph means because they are visual literate. I am also going to use the information I recieved from my professor in our meeting to help me develop an I-search paper and movie that will describe to people how a child’s impoverished environment can affect their literacy and what a teachers role is in fostering the development of literacy skills.

A8.6: Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week was to have my work completed by Friday night, but it is now Sunday night and my work is just now being completed. I have found it very hard to complete my work this week because my internet has been done for most of this week. I also have found myself procrastinating this week. I hope to stay on top of my work next week so, that I do not find myself in this same situation again.

Declarative Knowledge: This week I learned more about virtual classrooms and online discussions. In this discussion I learned more about copyright and all that it entails. While discussing with my group I learned more about what can be classified under copyright laws. From the group discussion I learned that it is important to always ask permission before using copyrighted material and if a person is unsure whether or not the material they are using could be considered copyright infringement then this material should not be used. I also learned this week a lot about APA citation style. This study on APA was very helpful in that I found there were many things about APA style that I did not know. For example, I learned that before the name of a database the word “the” should preceed the database. Also, I learned that the word “database” should follow the actual database itself. From this study on APA style I learned that it is important to make reference to an APA manual to make sure the citation style a person is documenting is correct and follows the APA format.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to correctly cite articles from the internet. I learned how to do this by making reference to the 5th edition of the APA resource manual. I learned that with APA citations a person must list the word the before the database and the word database after the actual name of the database. For example, retrieved from the ERIC database. I also learned how to create my own classroom on the TappedIn website. This will be important for this class in that I can now hold a discussion with my group in my own classroom.

Conditional Knowledge: The information that I learned this week will be helpful to me both as a student and as a future SLP. I can use the information I learned about APA citations with both of these professions in that I will be required to cite many sources as I complete research. It is also important that I take the knowledge I have gained on copyright laws so that I make informed decisions about material I am using that has been created by other people. I feel that the information I have learned this week is information that I will use for a lifetime. I am glad that I took the time to learn more about these topics. I now feel that I have a better understand of both of these topics.

A7.7: Week 7 Participation Memo

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week in regards to the course work was not to become overwhelmed. I had a substantial amount of work not only for this class, but for  other classes. My other course work demanded a lot of my time this week so, I was left to complete this work over the weekend. I also set out to become more knowledgeable on how to evaluate websites. I feel that this is an important skill to know in that their is a lot of information available on the internet that is not truthful.

Declarative Knowledge: I learned this week the specific areas you should consider when examining a website. It is important to look at authorship, publishing body, and currency. I also learned about literacy with TBI and Aphasia patients by conducting an online discussion with a speech-language pathologist. I learned how a speech pathologist must be creative in coming up with ideas on how to make therapy functional for patients. Sometimes therapists must also learn information outside of their field to better serve their clients. Lastly, I learned about the Three R’s of inquiry and how they relate to conducting research.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to participate in an online discussion. I learned how to use specific key strokes to tell emotions. For this you just have to type a colon before the statment you wish to say. For example, :is laughing out loud. I also learned how to develop an de.lici.ous account that I can use for social bookmarking.

Conditional Knowledge: The information I learned this week can be connected to other aspects of my life in that I am constantly using the information to look up topics of interest. I now know how to critique these sites which will be helpful for me to determine their credibility. The information on the McInnis article is especially important in my field of study in that I will constantly be doing research on therapy techniques and disorders. I learned from this article how to better organize and obtain information. I also feel the social bookmarking site I developed will help me to organize sites that I regularly use or feel contain pertinent information.

A5.5: Week 5 Relfection

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week was to become a more knowledgeable person on virtual meetings and virtual worlds. I knew that we would be having a virtual meeting next week for class so, I wanted to make sure I knew what a virtual meeting was and the impact they have within the classroom. I also wanted to gain more knowledge on virtual worlds because I feel that this is a tool that will be used more readily in the future. I set out to complete my schoolwork by the time I went to work on Sunday because I knew I would be home late that night and not have an oppurtunity to finish my work before its due time.

Declarative Knowledge: This week I learned about virtual meetings. Virtual meetings are a place on the internet in which individuals can gather to discuss information or learn a new skill. Virtual meetings can be facilitated by anyone, but specifically they have a huge impact on the educational setting. Virtual meetings within the educational setting allow students and educators to meet at time that is conveniet for them. Individuals are not required to travel to a classroom to meet, but can attend the meeting from anywhere there is a connection to the internet. This is also beneficial because it allows students to be exposed to speakers, professionals, and other students who may not live around thier area. I also learned about another tool on the internet which is a virtual world. Virtual worlds are places that simulate a specific enviroment. For example, a doctors office or a classroom. People develop avatars in which they can provide the appearance and dialogue for. These worlds allow individuals, specifically students to lead thier own learning through exploration as they are designed to allow the student to learn by figuring things out on there own. I also learned this week about social bookmarking. Social bookmarking is a great tool in that it allows people bookmark sites on a public website. This is beneficial in that a person can locate thier bookmarked sites from any location. Also, other individuals can see what site that person has bookmarked.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to develop a blogline page. I created a page and subscribed to numerous feeds on the internet. It was actually very easy to develop this page and locate feeds to subscribe to. I joined feeds that would keep me updated on information that is important to me such as the news and weather. I also joined some feeds that had fun ideas such as quotes of the day and a Dilbert feed.

Conditional Knowledge: I will use the knowledge and skills I obtained this week to help me stay updated on the lastest technology and tools that are available on the internet. I will use my blogline to stay update about specific information relating to present news and literacy. Both these topics are important because they help me stay connected to both the world and my field of study. As a student I have learned that acquiring knowledge never stops. I have also learned that new tools are being developed everyday that can be very beneficial to me as a student and a future SLP. I will be able to use shared bookmarking to stay connected to other SLP’s that I may be working with on research. I could also use virtual meetings to meet and discuss information with them. All the tools discussed this week will be beneficial to me because they help me to stay updated, connected, organized, and informed.

A4.8: Week 4 Reflection

Aims and Objectives: When I first looked at the work required for CD 315 this week I became very overwhelmed. I was really unsure how I was going to complete all the work required for this class and other classes, study for the GRE, and work at the Olive Garden. I set the goal for myself to have my work completed by Friday morning. By diligently working on my assignments I was able to surpass this goal as it is only Thursday and I am done with work. I wanted to have my work completed by atleast Friday morning so that I did not have to worry about completing work the night before I take the GRE. I also set out this week to gain more knowledge about Wikipedia and RSS. Since RSS was something I had never heard before I wanted to make sure that I understood what it was and how I could use this as a student and as a future SLP. The last thing I set out to do this week was to really examine the research question I developed, make improvements on it, and begin searching for information available on that topic. Writing research questions is something that I have a difficult time with so, I wanted to use the assignments required of us this week to help me to improve my skills on writing and searching for information on my research topic.

Declarative Knowledge: This past week I learned that RSS is a a protocol that allows individuals to subscribe to content on the web. Individuals recieve updates when any information has been on a site in which they have subscribed to. RSS is very beneficial in the educational curriculum and the professional world in that it allows people to stay updated on the latest news, research, and information. I also learned more information on Wikipedia. I developed a better understanding of what Wikipedia is and how an individual can edit and post information to the site. The information I examined this week looked at how certain tools on the internet can help people stay connected and find information using the WWW. I became a better navigator of the web this week as I learned all about various search engines. I learned the advantages and disadvantages associated with specific search engines. I even learned some new information about my last name.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to successfully complete research on a specific topic using a search engine. I have done numerous amounts of research using search engines, but the assignments this week helped me to learn which sites elicit better results and more hits. I learned how to type information in to the search engine so that I recieve the best results for that site. For example, the use of quotations and capitalization.

Conditional Knowledge: The information I obtained this week is something that I will use throughout the rest of my life, both as a student and a pre-professional. I will use search engines to research information for school and for fun! I know using RSS is something that I want to experiment with. I feel that this would be very beneficial to me as a future SLP in that I will be able to stay informed when researching is being updated in areas dealing with my field of study. I am excited to put these new skills to work as I finish this semester and continue on with the rest of my life.

A3.6: Week 3 Reflection

Aims and Objectives: My goal for this week was to have my work completed by 4:00 on Sunday. I knew that between working and all the activities leading up to the Marshall/WVU game that Sunday morning would be the only time left for me to complete the rest of my work. I set out this week to more open minded about the material I have been reading. For the past couple weeks I have simply been reading the articles to be able to complete my work. This week I wanted to concentrate more on what I was reading and how that article could be beneficial to me. I think that by truly getting an understanding of the article instead of just skimming through it, it was easier to complete the assignments.

Declarative Knowledge: This week I learned about wikis and collaborative editing. Both of these tools allow an individual to collaborate on information. With a wiki any person can edit or publish information within a wiki. This makes them great for classrooms in that students can develop them on information they may be researching for class. Collaborative editing is where numerous individuals can edit information all at the same time. This is great for the college setting in that students can create “community notes” where many individuals can write notes on the same document. I also learned about developing a research question and 8 things that you should look for when critiquing a research questions.

Procedural Knowledge: This week I learned how to create a wiki. I had never used a wiki before so this was something new to me. The wikis that the students created for this class are protected by a password in that only the people who know the password can edit the documents within the wiki. The actually creating of the wiki was very easy. I simply logged on to the site, hit create a new page, typed in the password, logged in, developed a name for my site ( I chose my name since thats what we are asked to do), chose the specific format for my page, hit save, and my page was created. I expected creating a wiki to difficult, but it was actually very easy.

Conditional Knowledge: The information I obtained this week is something that I am going to use as a student and as a pre-professional. My Communication Disorders’ classes are not the only classes that require me to write research papers. I am required to write these in mostly all of my classes. I will be able to take the knowledge I now have on research questions and apply it to other areas of my school work. Wikis are something that I can also use as a citizen. I think that if I have knowledge on a subject that it would benefitial for me to share that with other people. I can also edit information on wikis that I find that is false.