I was surprised to see our assignments posted on Sunday this week. Of course that didn't mean that I started working early.....but Andrea and I set two goals for ourselves early on. The first was to finish the Email Community assignment by Tuesday. The second was to finish our peer reviews by Wednesday. We succeeded! Neither of those assignments were tough, just took a little time to sort through. Of course that left us with the genres to complete. The whole week we have kind of been talking about how we were going to do our powerpoint, and then deciding on what our 6th genre should be. Sometime last night we decided that we had to crank those babies out, or we couldn't party this weekend! I think we finally hit the bed around 3 am. I was relieved, though that I had gotten something accomplished. My powerpoint still needs some work, mostly just addition of information to my slides. I was torn about what to do for my 6th genre. I just opened Microsoft Works last night and decided to do a newsletter. I believe that a newsletter was on my original list, but I didn't do it because I didn't have the format. I realized that my laptop has more up-to-date software on it, so I decided to use it. The other reason I was torn is because I am still trying to bring my genres together. Here are the 2 thoughts that I have about it: Oh, but first I just have a question. Is there going to be point where we *write* an answer to our question point blank? I know that our genres are supposed to answer that question, and I have to tried to answer it. Although, the answer may be more implicit than explicit. Are people supposed to be able to read through our MRP, and glean their own answer to our questions? Anyway, I have taken a outright stance on the funding issue for AAC devices. So I was thinking that I could use my genres as information supplied in a court case of someone who is actively trying to get coverage for an AAC device, or I could use it some sort of National Advocacy Conference (where the genres are used to heighten awareness and *bite* them with the advocacy bug) Through my genres, especially the journal and column, I have tried to tie in an emotional aspect that would make someone think about the importance of funding. I was also thinking about the 2nd half of my journal entry....should I do a much later entry date (a point after which she has already received an AAC device) and use that information to provide personal reasons why coverage is so important? My first entry is a point at which they are discussing a device, but no coverage stands in the way. Maybe that would be a nice contrast. I was also thinking that maybe I could do smaller journal entries, but more of them. I think it would kind of nice to show a little progression from entry one to entry two, plus I don't want to write a book for each entry....... I know I am swirling a lot of information around in this journal, but it about time that I get this figured out.

What else? I hope that things are coming together. Sometimes I think it’s harder for me to see it coming together because I am on the inside looking out. I am still trying to scour through all of the information and make it coherent. Hopefully others can see progress.

So needless to say, my brain has been burning this week. Andrea and I were talking earlier in the week about how we realized that we were not really seeing the *BIG* picture, but rather little steps that hopefully would get us to the big picture. So together we are making a shift in thinking. You know what they say…….two brains are better than one!

I thought I would start this journal out with a little bit of humor. It's week 6 and I am feeling a little worn out. I have mixed emotions about taking this class... on one hand I am SO glad that I taking it when I don't have any other classes to worry about, but on the other hand, I am craving some R & R. My summer is flying by and I know that I only have 1 week of summer free from classes. I worry that I am wearing myself out for fall semester, but I guess it's too late to worry about that now. I SO need a vacation!

I noticed that part of our instructions for the week were written in red. It didn't take Mrs. McComas long to figure out that we underestimated the time it took us to finish week 5. Everyone had their booty in gear this week, though. I was really concerned about doing another library search this week. It took alot of time to find 5 articles last week. But since I got some advice on how to obtain full text from the library, my work was much easier. I knocked most of that assignment out early on, although I didn't email it to the list until Thursday. Why? Heck, I don't know. I can't explain my ways. I also did my peer reviews early on. They were relatively easy becauase there are no right or wrong answers. It wasn't easy to do "constructive criticism" as it were. I would much rather say "Hey that's great" and go on. By I did try really hard to write things that would be beneficial to the author. I don't know if I succeeded, but I tried. The reading and prompt also didn't take up too much time this week. I am still lurking on my email list. It's been quite interesting, I must say. Last week some guy with Cerebral Palsy emailed the group and wanted to know if anybody else with CP was a virgin besides him. He was also expressing his desire to have a sexual relationship, yada, yada, yada... His email title was "Sexual Issue Clean." It was amazing to see the different responses he received. Some were outraged that he would even ask something like that on a professional list, while others encouraged him that the list was a place where he could look for support. It has almost been comical. I was taken back a little for a couple of reasons. First of all, I was expecting such a question to be brought up. It didn't offend me, just surprised me. Secondly, I thought the email list was about AAC devices and their users. While I know that this guy is a device user, I wasn't quite seeing how it fit in. The emails have finally died down, but I noticed that nobody ever answered his question. They were quick to give advice, but not an answer. So obviously I decided that this wasn't the week to make a posting. :) I am still working on my 2 genres. I did write one journal entry tonight, but like everything else, I think it needs some revising. It's kind of hard to write an entry that you would find in someone's personal journal because I am not making it her very first entry...I tried to make it an addition to the saga she has already started so to speak. Plus, I am still trying to put myself in her shoes.... remembering what life was like when I was 13 and then taking away the ability to speak. I still can't imagine. So I still have 1 genre left to do before Sunday midnight. Hopefully I will get that done Saturday night. (My dad's birthday is Sunday, so I am sure that we will be celebrating!) Plus, Andrea and I will be living together for a month (we are moving in Sunday) We are housesitting while my best friend and her husband are in Bilouxi, MS. It's gonna be a party on the West side. We will have to invite the class over for a stress relief party :) And there won't be any trampolines.......Andrea will have to push me down the steps if she wants me to tear the ligament in my other knee!! :) And this Tuesday, we are engaging in the Karaoke tradition.....7pm at Johnny's!! So get out your party hats.......

Anyway, I think I have done okay this week. I am getting a little nervous because we are down to 4 weeks. I need to get some energy pills. I am trying to predict what our assignments will be next week. I have a few ideas, so it will be interesting to see if I am right.

Well I will just be frank about the whole thing...I about had real life heart failure when I found out that our assignments for the week only *enjoyed* a one week completion time. Sometime this week, I likened the experience to being run over by a Mack Truck. Not an overall good feeling to have. The major reason was because I hadn't totally completed my week 4 assignments, plus I had really settled into a 2 week schedule kind of thing. When I found out that our 2 week completion time was out the window, I was SO SO SO thankful that we planned our vacation the week after class ends. It would have been absolutely no fun spending my days of vacation working, at the beach no less. Anyway, I think Mrs. McComas was (is) trying to keep us on our toes.... (and her *surprise* worked). Anyway, after I got over the initial shock (which took several days), I sat down and tried to finish my assignments.

So it's kind of ironic that I have been setting the same goal week after week (to finish all of my assignments in week 1), and I finally attained it this week. Well actually I can't say that.....I still need to post my 2nd genre and email my library search. I can't email the search until my dad comes home from work and I get my APA manual out of his car :) But I *will have* attained my goal, hopefully by tonight. But for some reason it hasn't been as fulfilling as I thought....maybe I can attribute that to the fact that I didn't have a choice but to finish my assignments this week. Every other week I have been in control, so to speak. If I finished or didn't finish, it was because I made the decisions on my own. I guess I should be grateful to achieve my goal, no matter the rhyme or reason.

I was *mildly* relieved to see that there were fewer assignments this week. I decided to knock out the web evaluations email and reading first. But I did work on my library search off and on in the meantime. After I finished those, I sat down and wrote my poem for my 2nd genre. I can't decide if I am pleased with it as a whole. I like parts of it, but maybe some other parts need to be changed. So I am going to post it with the mindset that it might need some (alot) of revision. I was just *mortified* at how incredibly hard it was to right a poem from the mindset of a girl who can't speak. I had no idea what life must be like for her, yet I am trying to describe it. So that whole experience scared me because I know that I am going to be writing more things.....from a standpoint that I haven't even experienced. I just wonder.....if an actual AAC device user read my poem, would they, too, be *mortified*? Have I portrayed their thoughts and feelings in a superficial manner? Would they "flame" me with an email telling me that I had no idea what I was doing? I just think the whole thing is scary. Maybe I shouldn't feel that way, but I do. Actually, I will probably be opening myself up right now, but I think I have a way to tie this in to me. If someone decided to write a poem about being a *plus sized* (who was thin as a stick), I would be on the other side saying "You have not one clue what it feels like, what life is like, etc....; You have no *authority* to even write about it, because until you have experienced it, you know nothing..." Now I am pretty comfortable with my life because it is who I am. Sure I would go to the "Body Exchange" if it were available, but since it isn't...I will take what I already have! But I was just trying to make a point. And if you aren't plus sized, then use another characteristic about yourself. I think you will get the idea... So those are the emotions that I am dealing with as I write these genres. It's as if I want to do this person (who I have made up) *justice*, because I know that there is someone like her in the world. It's has just not been easy to take on the emotions and feelings of someone else. Anyway, I have my poem written and I am going to post it sometime today.

I have my tenative resources for my library seach. I just need to get my book and type them up. After I do that, I will be DONE. What a sweet word. Oh, but I do have a question about my research. Most people know that I changed my research question to include the monetary realm of AAC devices. In doing my research online, I have not found anything pertaining to the cost, although there were a few articles on the funding available. The articles I picked are focused on answering a few of my foundation questions, but I haven't been able to bring in anything about the cost. Maybe I need to try and do some different research strategies. Its amazing how many of the articles are about AAC devices and the population they serve. So stay tuned for an update about the research........

Well I think I have exposed enough of myself for one week..... I hope I am not *over-reacting* about the
genres. Maybe someone can give some comfort or encouragement. Or maybe someone else experienced the same mindset (I haven't read all of the journals yet). Either way it is incredibly hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone whose lifestyle you are blessed enough to have not experienced.

~Enjoy your weekend~