Family and Community Perceptions of Children Who Have Disabilities or Special Needs, the Ranches near Irapuato, Guanajato, Mexico
A Field Study Proposal
Statement of Intent
My purpose in going to Mexico is to see how children with delays or disabilities are included in their schools and communities. I would like observe the interactions that take place between teachers and these students. I want to understand how frequent these interactions are and what the attitudes of the teacher and the students are when these interactions take place. I also would like to observe the interactions that take place between these children, their families, and others in the community. While I am there I hope to find answers to questions such as these: at what level are these children participating in their schools and classrooms? What interactions occur between the teacher and these children in the classroom to aid them in their learning? How do the interactions that occur between these children, their community members, and families impact their level of involvement in their society? The answers I find to these questions will help me understand what expectations the community has with children who have delays or disabilities. From the community’s, teacher’s, and family’s interactions with children who have special needs I will begin to see their understanding of a these children’s capacities to learn, grow and develop.
By observing these interactions I hope to understand how children with special needs are involved in their schools, communities and families. I will see what opportunities for developmental progress children with special needs in the ranches of Irapuato are given. I anticipate that children with severe delays will have limited interactions in the public schools with teachers and peers. These limited interactions will affect their ability to progress and learn developmentally. I expect that there will not be any special education teachers or special education resources available to them. I do however expect that children who have less significant learning delays or disabilities will be included in the regular classroom setting. Due to the children’s delays or disabilities I hypothesize that teacher’s interactions with these children will be more frequent and will involve a wider range of attitudes and emotions then those the teacher has with other typical students.
From these findings I expect to change my views and expectations of interactions between children who have special needs and their families. In the future how I approach the families I work with here from Mexico will change. Observing these interactions will allow me to understanding parents perceptions of how they feel their child can learn and grow developmentally. My own intervention ideas and strategies will then be aligned with parents expectations for their children and the parents will be more willing to implement those strategies. As the strategies are more fully implemented by the parents the children will make better gains in their developmental progress.
Previous to this field study I worked with families from Mexico providing services to their children with special needs. When I come back from Mexico I would like to continue providing early intervention services to these families. This understanding of where people from Mexico are in their attitudes towards children with I hope that this new perspective that I will have gained while in Mexico will help me know how to help these families better because I will see things how they see things. I would like to understand more fully what they are thinking and why they might be thinking this way. Because of this experience I will be more sensitive to their individual needs and provide better services for them and their children.
I would like to complete this study to help me determine future decisions of my education. I have always loved other countries and living with other people. It is so wonderful to understand and see things from their perspective. I have contemplated going into a masters program along this area of interest. I want to study different people and how they view the world. This experience will help me to decide if this is the area I would really like to continue my education in.
Background and Significance & Literature Review
Irapuato was founded in 1547 and has a population of around 342,500. Agriculture is the main industry of this city and the area is well known for its strawberries. Surrounding Irapuato are numerous outlying communities. My field study is an appropriate fit for this location mainly because it does have outlying communities where some of the historic and cultural ideals have been preserved. I specifically want to understand education opportunities for children from rural areas of Mexico, these provides those rural areas. I will live in these rural areas and be able to observe children who have special needs in their communities. I will also be able to go to Irapuato to see what schools there are, or are not available, to provide services to meet these children’s educational needs.
Many developing countries have struggled to meet the educational needs of children with disabilities. Mexico is no exception. Economic instability as well as cultural values has prevented many families from accessing services for their children who have special needs. However, with the strengthening of Mexico’s economy educators are now paying more attention to the needs of children with disabilities. Educational experiences for children with special needs is beginning to expand but many of these resources have only been available to children in Mexico City and other major populated areas of Mexico. There still exist large gaps in quality and quantity of services for all people with disabilities. Special Education is an important issue in Mexico and they have developed an emphasis on including children with disabilities into the special education classroom. “Mexico still has not fully embraced inclusion for all children with disabilities. Yet, successful inclusion is reliant on the attitude that all children can learn, and that all children can succeed. In Mexico, this attitude is prevalent…” (Brown 2003, pg. 8, 10).
I believe that in Rural areas children with severe delays or disabilities will not included in the regula
Since having a child with a disability can be looked on from community members as a bad thing. This creates a very tender and touchy subject. I do not wish to draw unwanted negative attention to these families because of views the community might have. If I am gathering feedback or people’s opinions they could begin to talk and this could impact the family feeling hostile towards the community members and their opinions or towards myself as well.
If I were to gather this information through interviews or surveys that would call direct attention to these families which could be unwanted. This may mean that I will only be able to gather information through observation. Possibly as relationships deepen I might be able to complete a few interviews with the family members or parents of these children.
Much information about attitudes and perceptions of these children has been gathered previously. Some of this information is specific to location and cultures. Much of what has been gathered connects to the family. What are the feelings of these families and what are the emotions they are dealing with. Then it looks at how these emotions impact the family unit.
I feel that it is very important to understand these views. Understanding how a child is perceived by their parents influences how those parents interact with them throughout the day. Those influences impact the child and their development. It is also important to understand where they are coming from. I would like to work with families from Mexico to provide services for their child. I need to better understand where they are coming from so that I am more fully able to address their needs.
Methodology/Procedures
In order to for this information to be gathered I will first need to build rapport with the families and community I will be working with. I believe this rapport is built by becoming an active participant of the community and as well by connecting on a personal level with individuals and families. My first month and possibly even more time will be dedicated to building this rapport.
To be an active participant of the community I must do things the way they do things, know about the concerns that face the community, and be willing to serve and give back to the community. This process will have begun even before I go to Mexico. I will study and learn about this area now so that when I go there, I will already have a good understanding of them and what is important to them as a whole. For example I will have an understanding of their history, how they became who they are. As well I will learn about their current situation and challenges they may be facing in the future. Understanding where someone comes from and being aware of their concerns helps to show awareness and a genuine care which can bond and strengthen the relation I will have with those there. When I am there I will take part in the things that they do as a community to show my support and I will do my best to fit in and do things the way they do things.
To connect to people on a personal and family level I will have to sincerely come to know them and care about them. These relationships can be built by spending time together. I will do activities they do in their homes with them. As I do what they do I will gain greater insight into what their lives are like. Then as I begin to see things from their perspective and can more fully understand them, I will in turn be able to support and strengthen them. I must be aware of their life and what matters to them. Conversations will aid this as well as confiding in them. If I go with a desire to learn from them I will bond with them as they teach me.
The population I will be sampling will be very small. I hope only to reflect on the perceptions of a few families and then the perception of that specific small community that I will be living in. These perceptions will come mainly from mothers and hopefully a few fathers.
These people that I will be gathering my sample from will be those whom I have come to know. It will be the people I have come close to because they have been willing to spend time with me and we have build and developed a good rapport. This is a heavy issue and so the only way to gain access or insights is through those who want to and choose to open up and share information with me.
This information will be gathered in a variety of different ways. Observations will be done in homes where there is a child with special needs or disabilities. Interviews will also be conducted with those who have children with special needs. Due to the sensitivity of my topic and to protect these families only observations will be conducted to more fully understand how those in the community view them. This will lead to much hypothesis when drawing conclusions about their understanding, but it is the more ethical way to approach this topic.
The method which I will use, interviewing, to gather insight into parents’ perceptions will lead me to conclusions for my field study purpose. I will have to be immersed in their culture and see things how they see things if I’m going to accurately reflect their perceptions and understanding. Due to language there may be some barriers. I speak Spanish, but not perfectly. There is sure to be some miscommunications. Even with the words translated correctly there can be some confusion due to different interpretations or meanings of those words. To address these problems I will need to clarify meanings and verify what has been said and what I understand to have been said.
Ethics and Approval
To maintain confidentiality of the information that has been gathered will be unidentifiable. Genders and ages of the children will be known but names and places will be left confidential. This will help to protect the identities of those families I will be working with. These people will participate because they want to not because they feel an obligation. The interviews will be conducted through casual conversation. If a parent does not wish to answer something I’m sure they would change the conversation. I as the one conducting this interview will have to be aware of those feelings and respect the change of direction of the conversation. I will not continue to press and issue if they have avoided answering.
To minimize risk and mazimize be….reciprocity
Preliminary Plans for Post-field Application
This field experience will benefit me greatly in the future. I plan to continue working in the early intervention field as a developmental specialist. Since I speak Spanish I will be working with Hispanic families who have children with disabilities. The majority of which are from Mexico. This experience will give me insight into how these parents view their child who has special needs. Their understanding of their child impacts their involvement and interactions with them. This inquiry will allow me to see things how they see things and then allow me, because I am coming from their point of view, to know how to better help them.
I am also trying to look into masters programs. I love cultures and seeing how people view the world. This experience will permit me to live in another culture and study how they see things. Through this experience I will see if this is really the direction I would like my education to go as I go forward with these plans.
Qualifications and Limitations
I am qualified to participate in this field study program for a variety of different reasons. I
This information will be gathered in a variety of different ways. Observations will be done in homes where there is a child with special needs or disabilities. Interviews will be conducted with those who have children with special needs.
Work Cited
Brown, Randel, Contreras, Diana, Shepherd, Terry L. (2003). Special Education In Mexico: One Community’s Response. Teaching Exceptional Children. Vol. 34(5), 8-11.
Monday, June 13, 2011
FS Proposal 5/27/11
Family and Community Perceptions of Children Who Have Disabilities or Special Needs, the Ranches near Irapuato, Guanajato, Mexico
A Field Study Proposal
Statement of Intent
My purpose in going to Mexico is to see how children with special needs are viewed by their families and community. I would like understand how these families are viewed by the community. While I am there I hope to find answers to these questions. Do parents feel their child who has special needs is able to learn and progress? Do people in the community feel that these children can progress? What are the perceptions the community members have of these families? Where do these ideas originate from?
During my field study I will gather data through different means. I would like to interview parents who have a child with special needs. I will also complete surveys with local community members and collect information through observation.
Through this experience I hope to understand how these parents feel. I would like to see things how they see things. I hope to come back to Utah and benefit from this knowledge that I have gained there. Previous to this field study I worked with families from Mexico. When I come back from Mexico I would like to continue providing early intervention services. I hope that this new perspective that I will have gained while in Mexico will help me know how to help these families better because I will see things how they see things. I would like to understand more fully what they are thinking and why they might be thinking this way. Because of this experience I will be more sensitive to their individual needs and provide better services for them and their children.
I would like to complete this study to help me determine future decisions of my education. I have always loved other countries and living with other people. It is so wonderful to understand and see things from their perspective. I have contemplated going into a masters program along this area of interest. I want to study different people and how they view the world. This experience will help me to decide if this is the area I would really like to continue my education in.
Background and Significance & Literature Review
Irapuato was founded in 1547 and has a population of around 342,500. Agriculture is the main industry of this city and the area is well known for its strawberries. Surrounding Irapuato are numerous outlying communities. My field study is an appropriate fit for this location mainly because it does have outlying communities where some of the historic and cultural ideals have been preserved. I specifically want to understand education opportunities for children from rural areas of Mexico, these provides those rural areas. I will live in these rural areas and be able to observe children who have special needs in their communities. I will also be able to go to Irapuato to see what schools there are, or are not available, to provide services to meet these children’s educational needs.
Since having a child with a disability can be looked on from community members as a bad thing. This creates a very tender and touchy subject. I do not wish to draw unwanted negative attention to these families because of views the community might have. If I am gathering feedback or people’s opinions they could begin to talk and this could impact the family feeling hostile towards the community members and their opinions or towards myself as well.
If I were to gather this information through interviews or surveys that would call direct attention to these families which could be unwanted. This may mean that I will only be able to gather information through observation. Possibly as relationships deepen I might be able to complete a few interviews with the family members or parents of these children.
Much information about attitudes and perceptions of these children has been gathered previously. Some of this information is specific to location and cultures. Much of what has been gathered connects to the family. What are the feelings of these families and what are the emotions they are dealing with. Then it looks at how these emotions impact the family unit.
I feel that it is very important to understand these views. Understanding how a child is perceived by their parents influences how those parents interact with them throughout the day. Those influences impact the child and their development. It is also important to understand where they are coming from. I would like to work with families from Mexico to provide services for their child. I need to better understand where they are coming from so that I am more fully able to address their needs.
Methodology/Procedures
In order to for this information to be gathered I will first need to build rapport with the families and community I will be working with. I believe this rapport is built by becoming an active participant of the community and as well by connecting on a personal level with individuals and families. My first month and possibly even more time will be dedicated to building this rapport.
To be an active participant of the community I must do things the way they do things, know about the concerns that face the community, and be willing to serve and give back to the community. This process will have begun even before I go to Mexico. I will study and learn about this area now so that when I go there, I will already have a good understanding of them and what is important to them as a whole. For example I will have an understanding of their history, how they became who they are. As well I will learn about their current situation and challenges they may be facing in the future. Understanding where someone comes from and being aware of their concerns helps to show awareness and a genuine care which can bond and strengthen the relation I will have with those there. When I am there I will take part in the things that they do as a community to show my support and I will do my best to fit in and do things the way they do things.
To connect to people on a personal and family level I will have to sincerely come to know them and care about them. These relationships can be built by spending time together. I will do activities they do in their homes with them. As I do what they do I will gain greater insight into what their lives are like. Then as I begin to see things from their perspective and can more fully understand them, I will in turn be able to support and strengthen them. I must be aware of their life and what matters to them. Conversations will aid this as well as confiding in them. If I go with a desire to learn from them I will bond with them as they teach me.
The population I will be sampling will be very small. I hope only to reflect on the perceptions of a few families and then the perception of that specific small community that I will be living in. These perceptions will come mainly from mothers and hopefully a few fathers.
These people that I will be gathering my sample from will be those whom I have come to know. It will be the people I have come close to because they have been willing to spend time with me and we have build and developed a good rapport. This is a heavy issue and so the only way to gain access or insights is through those who want to and choose to open up and share information with me.
This information will be gathered in a variety of different ways. Observations will be done in homes where there is a child with special needs or disabilities. Interviews will also be conducted with those who have children with special needs. Due to the sensitivity of my topic and to protect these families only observations will be conducted to more fully understand how those in the community view them. This will lead to much hypothesis when drawing conclusions about their understanding, but it is the more ethical way to approach this topic.
The method which I will use, interviewing, to gather insight into parents’ perceptions will lead me to conclusions for my field study purpose. I will have to be immersed in their culture and see things how they see things if I’m going to accurately reflect their perceptions and understanding. Due to language there may be some barriers. I speak Spanish, but not perfectly. There is sure to be some miscommunications. Even with the words translated correctly there can be some confusion due to different interpretations or meanings of those words. To address these problems I will need to clarify meanings and verify what has been said and what I understand to have been said.
Ethics and Approval
To maintain confidentiality of the information that has been gathered will be unidentifiable. Genders and ages of the children will be known but names and places will be left confidential. This will help to protect the identities of those families I will be working with. These people will participate because they want to not because they feel an obligation. The interviews will be conducted through casual conversation. If a parent does not wish to answer something I’m sure they would change the conversation. I as the one conducting this interview will have to be aware of those feelings and respect the change of direction of the conversation. I will not continue to press and issue if they have avoided answering.
To minimize risk and mazimize be….reciprocity
Preliminary Plans for Post-field Application
This field experience will benefit me greatly in the future. I plan to continue working in the early intervention field as a developmental specialist. Since I speak Spanish I will be working with Hispanic families who have children with disabilities. The majority of which are from Mexico. This experience will give me insight into how these parents view their child who has special needs. Their understanding of their child impacts their involvement and interactions with them. This inquiry will allow me to see things how they see things and then allow me, because I am coming from their point of view, to know how to better help them.
I am also trying to look into masters programs. I love cultures and seeing how people view the world. This experience will permit me to live in another culture and study how they see things. Through this experience I will see if this is really the direction I would like my education to go as I go forward with these plans.
Qualifications and Limitations
I am qualified to participate in this field study program for a variety of different reasons. I
This information will be gathered in a variety of different ways. Observations will be done in homes where there is a child with special needs or disabilities. Interviews will be conducted with those who have children with special needs.
A Field Study Proposal
Statement of Intent
My purpose in going to Mexico is to see how children with special needs are viewed by their families and community. I would like understand how these families are viewed by the community. While I am there I hope to find answers to these questions. Do parents feel their child who has special needs is able to learn and progress? Do people in the community feel that these children can progress? What are the perceptions the community members have of these families? Where do these ideas originate from?
During my field study I will gather data through different means. I would like to interview parents who have a child with special needs. I will also complete surveys with local community members and collect information through observation.
Through this experience I hope to understand how these parents feel. I would like to see things how they see things. I hope to come back to Utah and benefit from this knowledge that I have gained there. Previous to this field study I worked with families from Mexico. When I come back from Mexico I would like to continue providing early intervention services. I hope that this new perspective that I will have gained while in Mexico will help me know how to help these families better because I will see things how they see things. I would like to understand more fully what they are thinking and why they might be thinking this way. Because of this experience I will be more sensitive to their individual needs and provide better services for them and their children.
I would like to complete this study to help me determine future decisions of my education. I have always loved other countries and living with other people. It is so wonderful to understand and see things from their perspective. I have contemplated going into a masters program along this area of interest. I want to study different people and how they view the world. This experience will help me to decide if this is the area I would really like to continue my education in.
Background and Significance & Literature Review
Irapuato was founded in 1547 and has a population of around 342,500. Agriculture is the main industry of this city and the area is well known for its strawberries. Surrounding Irapuato are numerous outlying communities. My field study is an appropriate fit for this location mainly because it does have outlying communities where some of the historic and cultural ideals have been preserved. I specifically want to understand education opportunities for children from rural areas of Mexico, these provides those rural areas. I will live in these rural areas and be able to observe children who have special needs in their communities. I will also be able to go to Irapuato to see what schools there are, or are not available, to provide services to meet these children’s educational needs.
Since having a child with a disability can be looked on from community members as a bad thing. This creates a very tender and touchy subject. I do not wish to draw unwanted negative attention to these families because of views the community might have. If I am gathering feedback or people’s opinions they could begin to talk and this could impact the family feeling hostile towards the community members and their opinions or towards myself as well.
If I were to gather this information through interviews or surveys that would call direct attention to these families which could be unwanted. This may mean that I will only be able to gather information through observation. Possibly as relationships deepen I might be able to complete a few interviews with the family members or parents of these children.
Much information about attitudes and perceptions of these children has been gathered previously. Some of this information is specific to location and cultures. Much of what has been gathered connects to the family. What are the feelings of these families and what are the emotions they are dealing with. Then it looks at how these emotions impact the family unit.
I feel that it is very important to understand these views. Understanding how a child is perceived by their parents influences how those parents interact with them throughout the day. Those influences impact the child and their development. It is also important to understand where they are coming from. I would like to work with families from Mexico to provide services for their child. I need to better understand where they are coming from so that I am more fully able to address their needs.
Methodology/Procedures
In order to for this information to be gathered I will first need to build rapport with the families and community I will be working with. I believe this rapport is built by becoming an active participant of the community and as well by connecting on a personal level with individuals and families. My first month and possibly even more time will be dedicated to building this rapport.
To be an active participant of the community I must do things the way they do things, know about the concerns that face the community, and be willing to serve and give back to the community. This process will have begun even before I go to Mexico. I will study and learn about this area now so that when I go there, I will already have a good understanding of them and what is important to them as a whole. For example I will have an understanding of their history, how they became who they are. As well I will learn about their current situation and challenges they may be facing in the future. Understanding where someone comes from and being aware of their concerns helps to show awareness and a genuine care which can bond and strengthen the relation I will have with those there. When I am there I will take part in the things that they do as a community to show my support and I will do my best to fit in and do things the way they do things.
To connect to people on a personal and family level I will have to sincerely come to know them and care about them. These relationships can be built by spending time together. I will do activities they do in their homes with them. As I do what they do I will gain greater insight into what their lives are like. Then as I begin to see things from their perspective and can more fully understand them, I will in turn be able to support and strengthen them. I must be aware of their life and what matters to them. Conversations will aid this as well as confiding in them. If I go with a desire to learn from them I will bond with them as they teach me.
The population I will be sampling will be very small. I hope only to reflect on the perceptions of a few families and then the perception of that specific small community that I will be living in. These perceptions will come mainly from mothers and hopefully a few fathers.
These people that I will be gathering my sample from will be those whom I have come to know. It will be the people I have come close to because they have been willing to spend time with me and we have build and developed a good rapport. This is a heavy issue and so the only way to gain access or insights is through those who want to and choose to open up and share information with me.
This information will be gathered in a variety of different ways. Observations will be done in homes where there is a child with special needs or disabilities. Interviews will also be conducted with those who have children with special needs. Due to the sensitivity of my topic and to protect these families only observations will be conducted to more fully understand how those in the community view them. This will lead to much hypothesis when drawing conclusions about their understanding, but it is the more ethical way to approach this topic.
The method which I will use, interviewing, to gather insight into parents’ perceptions will lead me to conclusions for my field study purpose. I will have to be immersed in their culture and see things how they see things if I’m going to accurately reflect their perceptions and understanding. Due to language there may be some barriers. I speak Spanish, but not perfectly. There is sure to be some miscommunications. Even with the words translated correctly there can be some confusion due to different interpretations or meanings of those words. To address these problems I will need to clarify meanings and verify what has been said and what I understand to have been said.
Ethics and Approval
To maintain confidentiality of the information that has been gathered will be unidentifiable. Genders and ages of the children will be known but names and places will be left confidential. This will help to protect the identities of those families I will be working with. These people will participate because they want to not because they feel an obligation. The interviews will be conducted through casual conversation. If a parent does not wish to answer something I’m sure they would change the conversation. I as the one conducting this interview will have to be aware of those feelings and respect the change of direction of the conversation. I will not continue to press and issue if they have avoided answering.
To minimize risk and mazimize be….reciprocity
Preliminary Plans for Post-field Application
This field experience will benefit me greatly in the future. I plan to continue working in the early intervention field as a developmental specialist. Since I speak Spanish I will be working with Hispanic families who have children with disabilities. The majority of which are from Mexico. This experience will give me insight into how these parents view their child who has special needs. Their understanding of their child impacts their involvement and interactions with them. This inquiry will allow me to see things how they see things and then allow me, because I am coming from their point of view, to know how to better help them.
I am also trying to look into masters programs. I love cultures and seeing how people view the world. This experience will permit me to live in another culture and study how they see things. Through this experience I will see if this is really the direction I would like my education to go as I go forward with these plans.
Qualifications and Limitations
I am qualified to participate in this field study program for a variety of different reasons. I
This information will be gathered in a variety of different ways. Observations will be done in homes where there is a child with special needs or disabilities. Interviews will be conducted with those who have children with special needs.
Literature Review
The first book I attempted to read was, “El Llano en llamas” by Juan Rulfo. I then decided that I would get the English version because it was taking too long to read in Spanish. They didn’t have any at either library in Provo so I ended up purchasing a cheap copy off of Amazon so I could read the English version, “The Burning Plain.” When it finally arrived I started reading and realized it was somehow not the same version I was hoping to get. This book was a compilation of Juan Rulfo’s short stories instead of the complete story of “El Llano en Llamas.” I was able to read a few of these short stories and then see some underlying themes.
I was really surprised while reading. The literature is just different then what I am used to. I had a harder time following the plot and understanding the main ideas. The first thing I noticed was that all of the main characters were male. Every single one of the main character was a male and many of the stories had a connection to some male relationship. For example, a few brought in the dynamics of father and son. One even mentioned the grandfather, father, and son. This was common theme in all the short stories.
I think this comes up so frequently in this literature because in this culture the males are considered higher than the women. I could see how males would be considered more important. There was little reference to women. When the reference was there the focus was still from the angle of the male character. It was very interesting to me to see this. I know that in these cultures you talk to men differently and they are in a sense higher than the women, but I could really see how that is because of the way things were written in Juan Rulfo’s stories.
There was also a lot of reference between good versus evil. A lot of the characters were doing bad things, but were almost looked at as the good guys. There was frequently a fight between the common man and the government. With the men that were fighting against the government as the good guys. This makes sense because multiple times in this society the people were going against the government. The government was usually considered bad. You could really see that coming through the literature.
I also noticed simple things like the focus there was a destruction and distress. I found a lot of the reading very gory. There was a lot of fighting, and the descriptions were a bit more descriptive than your literature from say, America or England. I do think a lot of people from this culture have lived more difficult lives. They had things that were more difficult to deal with because of economical situations and their geographical location.
It was very interesting to notice all of these things. I wouldn’t have thought about these differences if I hadn’t read with the specific intent to see the culture come through the literature. It was a good experience to read and notice this stuff.
I was really surprised while reading. The literature is just different then what I am used to. I had a harder time following the plot and understanding the main ideas. The first thing I noticed was that all of the main characters were male. Every single one of the main character was a male and many of the stories had a connection to some male relationship. For example, a few brought in the dynamics of father and son. One even mentioned the grandfather, father, and son. This was common theme in all the short stories.
I think this comes up so frequently in this literature because in this culture the males are considered higher than the women. I could see how males would be considered more important. There was little reference to women. When the reference was there the focus was still from the angle of the male character. It was very interesting to me to see this. I know that in these cultures you talk to men differently and they are in a sense higher than the women, but I could really see how that is because of the way things were written in Juan Rulfo’s stories.
There was also a lot of reference between good versus evil. A lot of the characters were doing bad things, but were almost looked at as the good guys. There was frequently a fight between the common man and the government. With the men that were fighting against the government as the good guys. This makes sense because multiple times in this society the people were going against the government. The government was usually considered bad. You could really see that coming through the literature.
I also noticed simple things like the focus there was a destruction and distress. I found a lot of the reading very gory. There was a lot of fighting, and the descriptions were a bit more descriptive than your literature from say, America or England. I do think a lot of people from this culture have lived more difficult lives. They had things that were more difficult to deal with because of economical situations and their geographical location.
It was very interesting to notice all of these things. I wouldn’t have thought about these differences if I hadn’t read with the specific intent to see the culture come through the literature. It was a good experience to read and notice this stuff.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Small Assignment: Methods Practice 1: Interviewing
Here are the questions I planned to ask:
Tell me about your love of special therapy?
What made you want to go into this field?
What experiences have you had previously working with kids who have developmental delays?
Can you tell me about some of the difficulties these children have? How does it impact them in the classroom?
How do you think having a speech delay impacts them when trying to interact with other children and when making friends?
Do you notice if children with a delay are treated any differently then those children without a delay? By their teacher? By their peers?
How will what you do impact these children?
Where do you see a child you are working with say in.., 5 yrs? In 10 yrs? As an adult?
Interview transcribed from recording and Coding afterwards:
Coding: interactions perceptions
Me: So.. again, [name] thanks so much for letting me interview you. We’re just basically going to kind of, kinda, get some ideas of what you do and kind of what your understanding is of children with special needs. So tell me about your love of speech therapy. Where does that come from?
I: Well it was kind of interesting because I didn’t start out intending to go into speech therapy. I didn’t even know what it was when I started college..I um.. started my freshman year of college and I didn’t know what I wanted to do and so I thought maybe all be a teacher, maybe I’ll go into English, maybe I’ll go into music..um, but I went to our career center and took some assessment tests there and audiology showed up on one of the test and I was like, uhh that sounds interesting we have a program here and I’ll sign up for it so I signed up not really knowing much of what it was um, and originally going into the ear side of things, but I decided as I got further in that I preferred speech pathology and it was interesting because all the way through my undergrad I was like. This is interesting, but I don’t know if I feel passionate about this. I went on my mission and was still like, ahh, is this really what I want to do. And it wasn’t until I got into grad school that I found that I love this. I started actually working with clients and getting further into speech therapy and just loved it!
Me: Now you say clients, what um.. can you describe them to me?.. what were some of the things like… were they students, were they kids, were they adults?
I: Well at the clinic uh, we work with a wide variety of clients. There are a wide variety of clients. There are adults clients some of them, some of the clients are BYU students, most of them are kids. Um…I’ve worked with one adult and a few kids. I’ve worked with a hearing impaired individual. I’ve worked with someone with vocal modules, worked with a kid with down syndrome. Also a kid with autism, so that’s what I’ve done so far. I’ve assessed a kid with an articulation disorder.
Me. So, um do you feel uh….that you’re getting more experience overall with all like all children who have, like cuz you work with specific subjects that have disabilities, but as well there are.. I’m sure there are some kids with just like typical speech delays. Or, like a delay in expressive language, just because there not able to express. Do you feel like there’s uhh, have you felt a difference working with any group of these children necessarily?
I: Um…
Me: Not quite sure what my exact question?? That doesn’t make sense.
I: So are you saying, asking if there’s difference in working like with the kid that has…
Me: Like a kid that is more severe because of a disability they have compared to a child who might just be showing like maybe a mild delay in expressive language because of an specific articulation…um…?
I: Um, I would say yeah, yeah, because with the more severe cases, specifically with down syndrome and with autism then you have different, different levels of cognition, um.. then with and otherwise typically developing child. Um, and so you have to use different techniques then you would with a regular garden variety kid, if you will….(laughter)
Me: That’s great, it sounds like you make different adaptations and accommodations according to the child and their specific disability or need.
I: Oh yeah, yep..
Me: That’s wonderful. Um, What experiences have you had working with these kids who have disabilities? You went to a clinic, um when you were doing like the, um, graduate… sorry you’re in graduate school now…when you were doing.. I’m trying to think of what that’s called.
I: Undergraduate?
Me: Undergraduate,..program.
I: U huh.
Me: When you were to do any like hands on experiences or time in the field?
I: Um..not a lot. Uh, we had a fairly big major and so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity.. for hands on. Um, when I was my senior year of high school I worked at the boys and girls club in my town and so that gave me some experience with regular kids. Then, but Um my experience with kids with disabilities other than the clinical setting in graduate school has been….Um, I have two brothers that have autism.
Me: Oh, I didn’t know that.
I: um hum, and well…one of them, one of them is my mom’s son from her second marriage and then one of them is my dad’s son from his second marriage. Um, I’ve worked more closely with my moms son. Um, and.. yeah. I’ve had a couple of my close friends have had, have been, autism. They’ve been more on the high functioning end…Aspergers end of the spectrum, but…yeah.
Me: Sounds like you’ve got a lot of specific experience with kids with autism.
I: um, hum…
Me: Do you feel like you have um, different understanding of the different disabilities. Because of more, I guess, interactions you’ve had with them? Do you feel because you’ve been more involved with children who have autism, or, with a certain type, do you feel like you have better..um, understanding of how to work with them because of those interactions that have been more frequent or?
I: Yeah I do. I, I feel like of all the disorders, I don’t feel like I’m an expert of any of the disorders, but of all of them then I’ve had, definitely had the most experience with those with autism and how to interact with them…so.
Me: Do you have kind of a preference, or…?
I: Um, yeah I, well I have been fairly successful in working with kids and people with autism, and I.. so that is kind of where I would like to go after grad school. I’d like to…down the road, hopefully get my doctorate and go into research and autism.
Me: Very exciting…we should talk after the interview about bridges
I: (laugh)
Me: It’s a program for children with autism.
I: uh huh.
Me: Anyways..um, Can you tell me, that you’ve worked with these children who have kind of a delay or disability, can you tell me some of the differences you notice between, um.. like these children and the other children, like in the classroom. How does it…How does it impact them?
I: Well I haven’t worked with them in the classroom that much, but I would anticipate that… well, that betting on the disorder that you have (laugh) The, like the boy that I worked with that has autism. I went and observed him in the classroom. And I…hum. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say for confidentiality purposes, but, um I just that the difficulty with engaging and having, uh, limited language both comprehensive and expression that its defiantly going to impact how he can function in the classroom. Also the client that I worked with, with down syndrome. Um, he had, was functioning at, defiantly a delayed level so he would need to have adjustments made so he can understand basic classroom instructions. Um, and as far as academics go then he would need to have them tailor to his level. Um, because he just wouldn’t be able to go in with the regular kids. Socially he might be stronger in that area, but still he needs support in learning how to behave appropriately and, um understand how to interact with his peers.
Me: How do you feel having a speech delay would impact a child when interacting with other children in the classroom?
I: Um,
Me: As far as making friends..
I: Well it depends on how severe it is. If you’ve just got, if you have a little trouble with your R’s or your L’s it’s not going to have as big an impact. Although if it persists then they’ll get teased for that.
Me: Right.
I: But as far as a language delay then… you know, if that continues for long enough then kids may say, “stop talking like a baby.” Or you know if they don’t have enough of normal structure in their language than other kids are going to have trouble understanding them. And also the social component of language, where you have a hard time if they don’t understand basic rules of how you talk to someone your own age…this is how you talk to someone your own age, this is how you talk to an adult, this is how you start a conversation, this is how …you have to be cognoscente of what your partner is interested in and..um so, There’s lots of things to be taken in account.
Me: Sure. Very true. Um..okay. so, um. Specifically these children…you said you’ve had limited experience in the classroom, but have you noticed that the interactions the teachers have with them as well as the peers…you’ve kind of gone into the peers how they might interact a little bit differently then, they might have some social problems… How do you think that, that, because of those disabilities they have…or delays…how do you feel they…what are their interactions like? What do they look like compared to the typical peer in the classroom?
I: Um
Me: Specific to the teacher
I: You know…I really don’t know. I haven’t had an opportunity to interact with, with teachers and the students really. Except for in a special education situation. Um, with my brother. Um, then his teachers have been amazing, but he has always been in the special education classroom and um, so the teachers are used to dealing with kids with special needs.
Me: Would you say there’s diffidently a difference being in a special education classroom compaired to being in a regular classroom?
I: Yeah, because you have all these different things that you’re dealing with and, I, I would imagine but I don’t know, um… that a teacher. It would be difficult to have, you know 20 kids dealing with 20 regular kids than dealing with all of their variety and than one or two special kids in the classroom. That might be overwhelming. But on the other hand teachers are usually fantastic people.
Me: right.
I: And..
Me: Would you say even just the regular teachers, just because of maybe lack of education. Would that impact the interactions you see?
I: Definitely, definitely…it could, if they, um..are familiar with the disorder and typical things that go along with the disorder, they might not know how to interact in a way that will benefit, the greatest benefit to the child. Or if they don’t know that the kid has a disorder they might attribute their behaviors to defiance or, you know, stubbornness. So…education, education is huge.
Me: That is a very good point they might kinda confuse um, some of those behaviors and then tangent off on other areas, and not address the main concern.
I: Um hum. Or at least understand it and be able to. Cause, the way you deal with a behavior problem that is related to a disorder is going to be different than how you deal with behaviors that doesn’t stem from some underlying specific so… Knowing why is important.
Me: Yeah. Um.. Very true. How do you feel.. like, how will what you do impact these children?
I: Well, Our whole lives are communication. How we develop relationships with other people and how we interact with our world, and so by helping these kids improve their communication I’m helping them interact with their world. And, those relationships then…
Me: So your interactions with them are impacting their interactions with the world around them?
I: Um, hum. Like teaching them the skills they need to um, have a rich life. Be able to communicate not just their wants and their needs but also their interests and their preferences and to tell stories and to..um, you know it’s part of human experience.
Me: Yeah. Where would you say if you’re working…k, think of one child you’re working with, and just imagine him in your head. I don’t know how old his is, or if it’s a girl or a boy, or what disability it is, maybe it’s a delay he’s showing in expressive language, um, but take this child and imagine… Where do you think he’ll be in like a year from now?
I: Hum, let’s see. I would say…well, that defiantly does depend on the client. Because with a client that I’m working with, a client that I have worked with that has autism, it’s fairly severe and so the progress with him is kind of incremental and slow, but um, I have hope that he will be able to make some progress toward his goals and hopefully.. maybe further down the line because of what we’ve done. But don’t know exactly how far.
Me: What do you see in far as interactions with classrooms or peers…?
I: Um,
Me: Do you see him…?
I: I would hope that he would be able to interact at least more with his peers and be able to engage with them, whereas there’s little to no engagement with other people at this point in time. I’d be really neat if he could engage with his family first. There’s some engagement there, but it’s limited. That would be my first hope. That that is improved, and then we can move to peers and teachers (laughter).
Me: Okay. Where do you think maybe five years from now they might be?
I:I just see him being, like more verbal and probably not typical, but I can see, like hopefully some interaction with peers and more consonant interaction with family. Um, a, probably will still need special education and, huh, care… but hopefully he could be more mainstreamed. That just depends. It’s really hard to predict with these kids. Especially when they are fairly severe.
Me: Yeah that’s true. Would you say within ten years from now…where would you see him.
I: Let’s see..
Me: Probably an adult by then.
I: I don’t see… unless things change significantly he probably won’t be living independently. Um, yeah, but depending on how things go, hopefully he’d be able to maybe work in a supported work environment. Maybe, not. It’s really hard to tell.
Me: True. Very true. Um, well is there anything that you can think of specifically that maybe I
haven’t thought of, or maybe I haven’t covered that… your interest or understanding of the kids that you’re working with or, um intervention you’re providing for them?
I: Um, not that I know of…like, as far as…yeah. We’re just trying to help them function more, function better in their life situations with their family and at school. Things that will be relevant to them in real life context. Um…
Me: I really appreciate your time, so I thank you for letting me do this interview.
I: Well…you’re welcome.
Note taken while recording:
A- new insight, B-body language
-How much do I interact and talk about me during an interview? Am I open and can I share things about me?
-Do most people working with these children have a passion?
-Working with clients, mostly kids.
B-Holding hands, looked
-With the more sever have differing levels of cognition. Have to use different techniques
B-She’s shaking her leg. Is she nervous?
B-She smiled when I yawned.
A-I found myself trying to listen and dive into new directions because of what she was saying.
-How can I listen, analyze, and take notes?
A-Severity of disability can impacts the level of involvement.
A-I found myself trying to lead the conversation to get her to my opinion or viewpoints.
-Her interactions are impacting the interactions those children are having with their world.
B-I found myself further back in my seat, showing a distance and then she was further back.
B-Our eyes were contacting on and off. She started touching her wrist.
A-Interactions could change over time due to intervention.
Tell me about your love of special therapy?
What made you want to go into this field?
What experiences have you had previously working with kids who have developmental delays?
Can you tell me about some of the difficulties these children have? How does it impact them in the classroom?
How do you think having a speech delay impacts them when trying to interact with other children and when making friends?
Do you notice if children with a delay are treated any differently then those children without a delay? By their teacher? By their peers?
How will what you do impact these children?
Where do you see a child you are working with say in.., 5 yrs? In 10 yrs? As an adult?
Interview transcribed from recording and Coding afterwards:
Coding: interactions perceptions
Me: So.. again, [name] thanks so much for letting me interview you. We’re just basically going to kind of, kinda, get some ideas of what you do and kind of what your understanding is of children with special needs. So tell me about your love of speech therapy. Where does that come from?
I: Well it was kind of interesting because I didn’t start out intending to go into speech therapy. I didn’t even know what it was when I started college..I um.. started my freshman year of college and I didn’t know what I wanted to do and so I thought maybe all be a teacher, maybe I’ll go into English, maybe I’ll go into music..um, but I went to our career center and took some assessment tests there and audiology showed up on one of the test and I was like, uhh that sounds interesting we have a program here and I’ll sign up for it so I signed up not really knowing much of what it was um, and originally going into the ear side of things, but I decided as I got further in that I preferred speech pathology and it was interesting because all the way through my undergrad I was like. This is interesting, but I don’t know if I feel passionate about this. I went on my mission and was still like, ahh, is this really what I want to do. And it wasn’t until I got into grad school that I found that I love this. I started actually working with clients and getting further into speech therapy and just loved it!
Me: Now you say clients, what um.. can you describe them to me?.. what were some of the things like… were they students, were they kids, were they adults?
I: Well at the clinic uh, we work with a wide variety of clients. There are a wide variety of clients. There are adults clients some of them, some of the clients are BYU students, most of them are kids. Um…I’ve worked with one adult and a few kids. I’ve worked with a hearing impaired individual. I’ve worked with someone with vocal modules, worked with a kid with down syndrome. Also a kid with autism, so that’s what I’ve done so far. I’ve assessed a kid with an articulation disorder.
Me. So, um do you feel uh….that you’re getting more experience overall with all like all children who have, like cuz you work with specific subjects that have disabilities, but as well there are.. I’m sure there are some kids with just like typical speech delays. Or, like a delay in expressive language, just because there not able to express. Do you feel like there’s uhh, have you felt a difference working with any group of these children necessarily?
I: Um…
Me: Not quite sure what my exact question?? That doesn’t make sense.
I: So are you saying, asking if there’s difference in working like with the kid that has…
Me: Like a kid that is more severe because of a disability they have compared to a child who might just be showing like maybe a mild delay in expressive language because of an specific articulation…um…?
I: Um, I would say yeah, yeah, because with the more severe cases, specifically with down syndrome and with autism then you have different, different levels of cognition, um.. then with and otherwise typically developing child. Um, and so you have to use different techniques then you would with a regular garden variety kid, if you will….(laughter)
Me: That’s great, it sounds like you make different adaptations and accommodations according to the child and their specific disability or need.
I: Oh yeah, yep..
Me: That’s wonderful. Um, What experiences have you had working with these kids who have disabilities? You went to a clinic, um when you were doing like the, um, graduate… sorry you’re in graduate school now…when you were doing.. I’m trying to think of what that’s called.
I: Undergraduate?
Me: Undergraduate,..program.
I: U huh.
Me: When you were to do any like hands on experiences or time in the field?
I: Um..not a lot. Uh, we had a fairly big major and so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity.. for hands on. Um, when I was my senior year of high school I worked at the boys and girls club in my town and so that gave me some experience with regular kids. Then, but Um my experience with kids with disabilities other than the clinical setting in graduate school has been….Um, I have two brothers that have autism.
Me: Oh, I didn’t know that.
I: um hum, and well…one of them, one of them is my mom’s son from her second marriage and then one of them is my dad’s son from his second marriage. Um, I’ve worked more closely with my moms son. Um, and.. yeah. I’ve had a couple of my close friends have had, have been, autism. They’ve been more on the high functioning end…Aspergers end of the spectrum, but…yeah.
Me: Sounds like you’ve got a lot of specific experience with kids with autism.
I: um, hum…
Me: Do you feel like you have um, different understanding of the different disabilities. Because of more, I guess, interactions you’ve had with them? Do you feel because you’ve been more involved with children who have autism, or, with a certain type, do you feel like you have better..um, understanding of how to work with them because of those interactions that have been more frequent or?
I: Yeah I do. I, I feel like of all the disorders, I don’t feel like I’m an expert of any of the disorders, but of all of them then I’ve had, definitely had the most experience with those with autism and how to interact with them…so.
Me: Do you have kind of a preference, or…?
I: Um, yeah I, well I have been fairly successful in working with kids and people with autism, and I.. so that is kind of where I would like to go after grad school. I’d like to…down the road, hopefully get my doctorate and go into research and autism.
Me: Very exciting…we should talk after the interview about bridges
I: (laugh)
Me: It’s a program for children with autism.
I: uh huh.
Me: Anyways..um, Can you tell me, that you’ve worked with these children who have kind of a delay or disability, can you tell me some of the differences you notice between, um.. like these children and the other children, like in the classroom. How does it…How does it impact them?
I: Well I haven’t worked with them in the classroom that much, but I would anticipate that… well, that betting on the disorder that you have (laugh) The, like the boy that I worked with that has autism. I went and observed him in the classroom. And I…hum. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say for confidentiality purposes, but, um I just that the difficulty with engaging and having, uh, limited language both comprehensive and expression that its defiantly going to impact how he can function in the classroom. Also the client that I worked with, with down syndrome. Um, he had, was functioning at, defiantly a delayed level so he would need to have adjustments made so he can understand basic classroom instructions. Um, and as far as academics go then he would need to have them tailor to his level. Um, because he just wouldn’t be able to go in with the regular kids. Socially he might be stronger in that area, but still he needs support in learning how to behave appropriately and, um understand how to interact with his peers.
Me: How do you feel having a speech delay would impact a child when interacting with other children in the classroom?
I: Um,
Me: As far as making friends..
I: Well it depends on how severe it is. If you’ve just got, if you have a little trouble with your R’s or your L’s it’s not going to have as big an impact. Although if it persists then they’ll get teased for that.
Me: Right.
I: But as far as a language delay then… you know, if that continues for long enough then kids may say, “stop talking like a baby.” Or you know if they don’t have enough of normal structure in their language than other kids are going to have trouble understanding them. And also the social component of language, where you have a hard time if they don’t understand basic rules of how you talk to someone your own age…this is how you talk to someone your own age, this is how you talk to an adult, this is how you start a conversation, this is how …you have to be cognoscente of what your partner is interested in and..um so, There’s lots of things to be taken in account.
Me: Sure. Very true. Um..okay. so, um. Specifically these children…you said you’ve had limited experience in the classroom, but have you noticed that the interactions the teachers have with them as well as the peers…you’ve kind of gone into the peers how they might interact a little bit differently then, they might have some social problems… How do you think that, that, because of those disabilities they have…or delays…how do you feel they…what are their interactions like? What do they look like compared to the typical peer in the classroom?
I: Um
Me: Specific to the teacher
I: You know…I really don’t know. I haven’t had an opportunity to interact with, with teachers and the students really. Except for in a special education situation. Um, with my brother. Um, then his teachers have been amazing, but he has always been in the special education classroom and um, so the teachers are used to dealing with kids with special needs.
Me: Would you say there’s diffidently a difference being in a special education classroom compaired to being in a regular classroom?
I: Yeah, because you have all these different things that you’re dealing with and, I, I would imagine but I don’t know, um… that a teacher. It would be difficult to have, you know 20 kids dealing with 20 regular kids than dealing with all of their variety and than one or two special kids in the classroom. That might be overwhelming. But on the other hand teachers are usually fantastic people.
Me: right.
I: And..
Me: Would you say even just the regular teachers, just because of maybe lack of education. Would that impact the interactions you see?
I: Definitely, definitely…it could, if they, um..are familiar with the disorder and typical things that go along with the disorder, they might not know how to interact in a way that will benefit, the greatest benefit to the child. Or if they don’t know that the kid has a disorder they might attribute their behaviors to defiance or, you know, stubbornness. So…education, education is huge.
Me: That is a very good point they might kinda confuse um, some of those behaviors and then tangent off on other areas, and not address the main concern.
I: Um hum. Or at least understand it and be able to. Cause, the way you deal with a behavior problem that is related to a disorder is going to be different than how you deal with behaviors that doesn’t stem from some underlying specific so… Knowing why is important.
Me: Yeah. Um.. Very true. How do you feel.. like, how will what you do impact these children?
I: Well, Our whole lives are communication. How we develop relationships with other people and how we interact with our world, and so by helping these kids improve their communication I’m helping them interact with their world. And, those relationships then…
Me: So your interactions with them are impacting their interactions with the world around them?
I: Um, hum. Like teaching them the skills they need to um, have a rich life. Be able to communicate not just their wants and their needs but also their interests and their preferences and to tell stories and to..um, you know it’s part of human experience.
Me: Yeah. Where would you say if you’re working…k, think of one child you’re working with, and just imagine him in your head. I don’t know how old his is, or if it’s a girl or a boy, or what disability it is, maybe it’s a delay he’s showing in expressive language, um, but take this child and imagine… Where do you think he’ll be in like a year from now?
I: Hum, let’s see. I would say…well, that defiantly does depend on the client. Because with a client that I’m working with, a client that I have worked with that has autism, it’s fairly severe and so the progress with him is kind of incremental and slow, but um, I have hope that he will be able to make some progress toward his goals and hopefully.. maybe further down the line because of what we’ve done. But don’t know exactly how far.
Me: What do you see in far as interactions with classrooms or peers…?
I: Um,
Me: Do you see him…?
I: I would hope that he would be able to interact at least more with his peers and be able to engage with them, whereas there’s little to no engagement with other people at this point in time. I’d be really neat if he could engage with his family first. There’s some engagement there, but it’s limited. That would be my first hope. That that is improved, and then we can move to peers and teachers (laughter).
Me: Okay. Where do you think maybe five years from now they might be?
I:I just see him being, like more verbal and probably not typical, but I can see, like hopefully some interaction with peers and more consonant interaction with family. Um, a, probably will still need special education and, huh, care… but hopefully he could be more mainstreamed. That just depends. It’s really hard to predict with these kids. Especially when they are fairly severe.
Me: Yeah that’s true. Would you say within ten years from now…where would you see him.
I: Let’s see..
Me: Probably an adult by then.
I: I don’t see… unless things change significantly he probably won’t be living independently. Um, yeah, but depending on how things go, hopefully he’d be able to maybe work in a supported work environment. Maybe, not. It’s really hard to tell.
Me: True. Very true. Um, well is there anything that you can think of specifically that maybe I
haven’t thought of, or maybe I haven’t covered that… your interest or understanding of the kids that you’re working with or, um intervention you’re providing for them?
I: Um, not that I know of…like, as far as…yeah. We’re just trying to help them function more, function better in their life situations with their family and at school. Things that will be relevant to them in real life context. Um…
Me: I really appreciate your time, so I thank you for letting me do this interview.
I: Well…you’re welcome.
Note taken while recording:
A- new insight, B-body language
-How much do I interact and talk about me during an interview? Am I open and can I share things about me?
-Do most people working with these children have a passion?
-Working with clients, mostly kids.
B-Holding hands, looked
-With the more sever have differing levels of cognition. Have to use different techniques
B-She’s shaking her leg. Is she nervous?
B-She smiled when I yawned.
A-I found myself trying to listen and dive into new directions because of what she was saying.
-How can I listen, analyze, and take notes?
A-Severity of disability can impacts the level of involvement.
A-I found myself trying to lead the conversation to get her to my opinion or viewpoints.
-Her interactions are impacting the interactions those children are having with their world.
B-I found myself further back in my seat, showing a distance and then she was further back.
B-Our eyes were contacting on and off. She started touching her wrist.
A-Interactions could change over time due to intervention.
Trying and Failure
I totally need to get out all of my frustration. I feel horrible again! I cannot believe how hard this process is! I don’t think I’ve ever tried so hard and failed so much. As I’ve thought about my life I don’t think I’ve ever really failed at something I was trying to do well in. Sure there were things I wasn’t good at, but I always seemed to do well in those things where I had put forth the effort. This is something I want to do and it’s like I keep trying and trying and I’m getting nowhere. I put forth the effort and I end up back at the beginning. Today seriously felt like I had been chewed up and spit back out. My IRB was “tabled” by the class. For good reasons too! I felt like it should be “tabled” as well. The process we went through was good. Everything they said was helpful and I needed the feedback. I was tabled because I’m not where I need to be with my proposal. I’m still missing a significant amount of research to back me up and I haven’t narrowed things down enough in my methods. There are so many things I haven’t considered and planned out.
I know what direction I am going to go. I get what I’m going to do, but I guess I just feel tired that I keep trying and I’m still not where I want to be. I’m not where I want to be with the product. However, I do realize there are a lot of things I am learning through the process. As much as I seem to feel frustration and hurt right now I am grateful for the process I’m going through. I am truly starting to understand how to research and conduct my study. It was need to talk with Maggie today and understand how to funnel things down in my research as well as what I will be doing in the field. I think I’m starting to understand the process and how to get to the product because I have failed numerous times. When I say, “failed” I mean that I thought I had things figured out and I knew what I was going to do, when I realized I don’t have things figured out and I’m not where I want to be (I hope that makes sense).
I’ve felt like there are two sides to the class. There is the research side where you have to know how to research and prepare your study. Then there’s the other side, which I love, where you learn about observations and how to do research in the field. I want to dive into the side that I love but I can’t until I understand the side of research and how to properly prepare and carry out a study in the field. As much as I don’t seem to like this process of trying and failing through research I see its value and importance.
I’m typing this entry up at the park and I just observed a little boy around 4 yrs old deal with an interesting situation. He was trying to get around some rocks and up a hill to get to his father. He slipped, tried about two more times, lost his balance, and then slipped again. Finally he turned and went around the rock the other direction. A few thoughts came to mind. He tried a few times and failed. I’ve been doing that with my proposal. He had to change the direction he was going, or the method to get to his father. The route I’m going needs to be changed just a bit more and then I’ll get to my objective. Interesting how you can learn so much through observation. The great thing about this situation is that the little boy didn’t get frustrated. He just kept trying. Wow, if only I could be like a child, determined without complaining.
In Mexico I’m going to get frustrated. I’m going to feel like I’m trying and trying and that I keep falling. I will need to remember to keep things in perspective. I’m glad I came to the park. It really helped me calm down. When I’m in Mexico and I’m frustrated I’m going to need to find time to enjoy nature and ponder the situation. Writing these feelings out also helped me greatly. Field study notes and daily journal entries are going to be very helpful to me. Most importantly when I’m in Mexico I’m going to try to remember this little boy. I want to try and try and try again, and I don’t want to complain while doing it. Oh, the adventures to come and the things to be learned! Now this is getting good!
I know what direction I am going to go. I get what I’m going to do, but I guess I just feel tired that I keep trying and I’m still not where I want to be. I’m not where I want to be with the product. However, I do realize there are a lot of things I am learning through the process. As much as I seem to feel frustration and hurt right now I am grateful for the process I’m going through. I am truly starting to understand how to research and conduct my study. It was need to talk with Maggie today and understand how to funnel things down in my research as well as what I will be doing in the field. I think I’m starting to understand the process and how to get to the product because I have failed numerous times. When I say, “failed” I mean that I thought I had things figured out and I knew what I was going to do, when I realized I don’t have things figured out and I’m not where I want to be (I hope that makes sense).
I’ve felt like there are two sides to the class. There is the research side where you have to know how to research and prepare your study. Then there’s the other side, which I love, where you learn about observations and how to do research in the field. I want to dive into the side that I love but I can’t until I understand the side of research and how to properly prepare and carry out a study in the field. As much as I don’t seem to like this process of trying and failing through research I see its value and importance.
I’m typing this entry up at the park and I just observed a little boy around 4 yrs old deal with an interesting situation. He was trying to get around some rocks and up a hill to get to his father. He slipped, tried about two more times, lost his balance, and then slipped again. Finally he turned and went around the rock the other direction. A few thoughts came to mind. He tried a few times and failed. I’ve been doing that with my proposal. He had to change the direction he was going, or the method to get to his father. The route I’m going needs to be changed just a bit more and then I’ll get to my objective. Interesting how you can learn so much through observation. The great thing about this situation is that the little boy didn’t get frustrated. He just kept trying. Wow, if only I could be like a child, determined without complaining.
In Mexico I’m going to get frustrated. I’m going to feel like I’m trying and trying and that I keep falling. I will need to remember to keep things in perspective. I’m glad I came to the park. It really helped me calm down. When I’m in Mexico and I’m frustrated I’m going to need to find time to enjoy nature and ponder the situation. Writing these feelings out also helped me greatly. Field study notes and daily journal entries are going to be very helpful to me. Most importantly when I’m in Mexico I’m going to try to remember this little boy. I want to try and try and try again, and I don’t want to complain while doing it. Oh, the adventures to come and the things to be learned! Now this is getting good!
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Safetly while in Mexico
I am grateful for the discussion we had in class on safety. I have thought quite a bit about the situation I will be putting myself in by going to Mexico alone. I realize Mexico is not the smartest place to go as an American single female, but for what I hope to accomplish through my field study the location is perfect. I will need to be smart and aware of safety concerns.
They gave us some great information in the packets during class on Wed. which I look forward to reading. It gives some basic outlines of safety for the specific area where I will be going. That will be very helpful. I am also trying to see if they offer the RAD course here at BYU before I leave for Mexico. I’ve taken this course before, but I think it would be good to refresh. It’s not specific to being robbed, kidnapped, etc. but it did teach some basic overall ideas about safety awareness and self defense. I think it would be helpful.
I do not want to go to Mexico paranoid, but I realize I need to be smart at the same time. I am going to try to prepare myself right now by refreshing my self defense skills. It will also be helpful to look into possible situations that might arise when I’m there. I can think through them and have a plan as how to protect myself in these situations. Then when I am in Mexico I will need to rely on those things I have learned and apply them so that I’m smart in different situations that might arise. Having a situation arise isn’t necessarily horrible. It is possible that things might happen.
I want to know what to do if a situation does arises, because one might just arise. If I’m prepared to handle the situation then I can get myself out of it, and things will be okay. However, if I am not prepared and something does arise then it could turn from, “just going through a scary experience” to really being in a dangerous situation or running into a serious problem. The key is preparedness, knowing how to handle what might arise.
They gave us some great information in the packets during class on Wed. which I look forward to reading. It gives some basic outlines of safety for the specific area where I will be going. That will be very helpful. I am also trying to see if they offer the RAD course here at BYU before I leave for Mexico. I’ve taken this course before, but I think it would be good to refresh. It’s not specific to being robbed, kidnapped, etc. but it did teach some basic overall ideas about safety awareness and self defense. I think it would be helpful.
I do not want to go to Mexico paranoid, but I realize I need to be smart at the same time. I am going to try to prepare myself right now by refreshing my self defense skills. It will also be helpful to look into possible situations that might arise when I’m there. I can think through them and have a plan as how to protect myself in these situations. Then when I am in Mexico I will need to rely on those things I have learned and apply them so that I’m smart in different situations that might arise. Having a situation arise isn’t necessarily horrible. It is possible that things might happen.
I want to know what to do if a situation does arises, because one might just arise. If I’m prepared to handle the situation then I can get myself out of it, and things will be okay. However, if I am not prepared and something does arise then it could turn from, “just going through a scary experience” to really being in a dangerous situation or running into a serious problem. The key is preparedness, knowing how to handle what might arise.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Carifying the Meaning
I know that I have addressed this principle before, but I feel it should be addressed again. I'm grateful that we talked once again during last Monday’s class about symbols. There can be more than one meaning to a symbol. I feel this most often happens with words. Many times people have different meanings for words.
Since we have talked about this I have been paying particular attention to the meaning to words. I find myself asking people to clarify their meaning of a word. I’ve started to do this about 2-3 times per day. For example I will generally say something like, “So what is your meaning of….” Or “What does……..mean to you.”
I have found this to be very helpful as we’ve talked. Because I’ve sought clarification of their meaning for that word, or in other words that symbol, I gain more insight into the overall message they are trying to share with me. It has been great.
I expect that I will continue to do this on a daily basis. Understanding the meaning of a symbol gives me great insight into the message they really are trying to convey. It helps things become clear and I can gain understanding into their personal views. Clarifying meaning of words is a great thing to do. I am going to do this in Mexico.
Many things get lost in translation. I may hear them use a certain word and understand it, but I realize I can misinterpret the meaning of that word. When I stop and ask for clarification of the meaning of that word the message will become clearer to me. This will be good to do if I’m trying to understand and see things they way they understand and see things. I will be sure to do this on a daily basis there. I’m glad I’m starting to get into the habit now so that later in the field it will benefit me.
Since we have talked about this I have been paying particular attention to the meaning to words. I find myself asking people to clarify their meaning of a word. I’ve started to do this about 2-3 times per day. For example I will generally say something like, “So what is your meaning of….” Or “What does……..mean to you.”
I have found this to be very helpful as we’ve talked. Because I’ve sought clarification of their meaning for that word, or in other words that symbol, I gain more insight into the overall message they are trying to share with me. It has been great.
I expect that I will continue to do this on a daily basis. Understanding the meaning of a symbol gives me great insight into the message they really are trying to convey. It helps things become clear and I can gain understanding into their personal views. Clarifying meaning of words is a great thing to do. I am going to do this in Mexico.
Many things get lost in translation. I may hear them use a certain word and understand it, but I realize I can misinterpret the meaning of that word. When I stop and ask for clarification of the meaning of that word the message will become clearer to me. This will be good to do if I’m trying to understand and see things they way they understand and see things. I will be sure to do this on a daily basis there. I’m glad I’m starting to get into the habit now so that later in the field it will benefit me.
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