MRP Reflection Page

Content:
Over the course of this summer I have learned how to use the internet as a tool to find information, communicate ideas with others, learn from others, and learn about myself. This has been a short, but get-your-moneys-worth summer. First we needed to become familiar with working over the Internet. I don’t think a lot of us had that much experience doing work like this. When I read back over my journal they seem so amateur, I was so afraid to do anything, I know that I needed to be careful when putting information up on the web, but I have learned that there is a system to the way things work on the web. It is no longer unfamiliar territory, we used databases to find articles that we were to think about and offer a sincere question related in some way to the article that had just read. Sometimes it took longer than others to come up with a question I felt was appropriate, because I may have never considered the topic before. I have had to become more familiar with terminology used in this field and some related fields in order to uderstand the information I received. Also, using a mode through which I could communicate with others that I had never heard of before was through the Moo. The Moo was so fun, it thrilled me to know that some classmates and an instructor were located in other places, but we were able to link together at a given time and talk about this class. This experience encouraged me to use the online help chat services when I had trouble with my computer. Something else that was apart of this class' assignments was the test called the Vark, it allows students to become aware of which study methods would work best for them. My online journal has allowed me to document my trek throughout this course, I like the fact that others can comment on what I have to said whether I agree or not; it is nice to read others reactions to your work. This class has given me tools that I know I will be using again, really soon, I have kept all of the assignment sheets to help me with any sticky spot I might encounter over the web in the future.

Process:
By learning how to manipulate the WWW I have been able to find tons of information I needed for my MRP. Learning techniques within the context in which they have been used allowed me to invision how these skills can be employed towards activities of personal and academic interest to me.
For my MRP first I had to decide what my essential question would be. I had to make sure that it was not a one-answer question. My foundation questions were the things that were to support my essential question. I had to revise my essential and foundation questions one time each, initially, because they were to broad. As I narrowed my topic down, the concern of being able to find enough information was lurking in my mind. I had to figure out which genre, besides the ones specified, I would use to express my idea/opinion about my topic intercultural communication & SLPs. I did not have a difficult time figuring out what I was going to use or even how it would fit together, it just came together like the pieces of a puzzle. But once I began working and trying to shape my project somethings did not fit so smoothly,realizing that learning the skills I needed to complete my MRP stemmed from learning how to find information I needed. As some of my fellow classmates and I were figuring out element of MRP a couple of us decided that music would add to the presentation of our work. Well this was the beginning to a long search for me. In my quest to be creative, I wanted slides cascading across the screen as the Malian gentlemen sang his song. I mean I went to bed thinking, about drumbeats and rhythm that would set the pace of my PowerPoint. And what better photos could convey my message..... only National Geographic Photos. So I went to the public library and got some old NG magazines from the early to the late 80’s, I picked up a CD with music from different regions of Africa on it, boy I had it made--yeah right. So now this copyright issue comes up, I thought there must be a way around it. So I look through literature concerning this issue, yes I found it I thought---FAIR USE! But then there was a problem with my only glimmer of hope, fair use did not apply over the Internet. So this prompted me to get permission from the artist or company. …surely this will be as simple as a piece of cake. I called NG and they said that any photo 75 years old or older were deemed public domain…. but the 1980’s photos I wanted to use were just pups in respect to what I had just been told. So I asked how much would it cost for me to use them she replied, “$300.00 per image”…my mouth drop to the floor. So those were out of the picture (why not take advantage of a pun). Oh and my drumbeats in the night stopped, once I contacted PBS's legal department and learned that I would have to get several releases to use the song, in addition to the fact that my request would not be high on the record companies list of priorities. Well I have really only talked about one genre, but I think it serves the purpose. I was able to find out how th contact this people by using the Internet. I also used the internet to find several sources for my project and now I am communicating my ideas over the internet.

Premise:
I have accepted this assignment as an opportunity to find out what areas are available involving my ideas of interesting things within this field. I also believed that this allowed me to discuss topics that are not common and that may not have even been considered previously. I have learned from my research the culture does influence the way we behave, speak and interact with others over the course of my research. I think I am beginning to understand why some things that people do seem so strange to me. I have learned that if you want to know something the information is available, you just have to be willing to go after it.

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