Month 6 Off and ........

* How is your AR project unfolding for you?

My AR project is behind schedule in the implementation of my website and my first cycle. Most of my delay in posting my website comes from my attempt to cover too much material and, after conferencing with Roxanne De Leon, I realized that my focus needed to be much sharper and the packaging of my website should be more of a measurable, interactive training site and not just an information blog. So my website is gaining momentum and, most importantly, the website is shaping into a tool that can be used by other educators to learn to use effective communication tools with Asperger’s Syndrome afflicted students. I’m excited to see the website in its entirety; I think that it will be compelling and challenging to all of its viewers.

• How are you tracking your data?

I’ve put a lot of thought into data collection and tracking, trying to make it as simple as possible and yet copious enough to give valuable input and reflection. I’ve set up four different pipelines for data collection and the input of critical friends. My first level of data input is a steering committee that I have assembled of Asperger’s parents and special needs educators. This group has been a great resource in guiding information dissemination and they have served as fact checkers to make sure that the website is as factual and functional as possible. My critical friends have been the outsiders looking in and have been invaluable in asking me questions as to why I’ve set things up the way that I have and offered advice on website planning and interaction. When the site is up and running I will have a pretest to see what knowledge is already familiar, a post test to measure knowledge gained with post training and a comment and evaluation section that will be used to develop the final site. This will also give me input for future subject matter and resources for those who want to explore Asperger’s Syndrome more thoroughly.

• What's happening in your research that you didn't expect? Explain.

I’m finding that a lot of the information that I am learning, I’m re-learning; the Asperger’s communication tools are tools that I already possess but unfortunately I rarely put them into practice in my classroom. Why have my own communication skills so digressed? I believe a lot of my digression has come from the maturity level of students that I teach (high school) and that I don’t have to practice the communication skills of younger, less developmentally mature students. Asperger’s Syndrome effects the social development and the development of deeper interpersonal relationships, much of it mirroring developmental issues of younger children. Little did I know that my own children’s growth and maturity were preparing me for teaching others about Asperger’s communication tools.


* How has this month’s course (so far) helping in shaping your ARP?

I used to teach Web Design so a lot of the content is relearning. The text for this course is quite good and I am gleaning out a lot of great ideas to consider while shaping my AR website.