This is Me : )

Interview/Questions

2008-08-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

I will be conducting a primary research by conducting interviews and observations.

Interview questions for teachers:

How often do you come across a teenage pregnancy with your students?
What do you feel should be done to bring awareness of safe sex to your students?
What type of information is provided to your students about safe sex?
What do you think teenagers know about sex?
Who do you think should bring awareness to the students?

Interview questions for students:

What do you know about sex?
What do you think should be done to bring awareness of safe sex to the students?
How many of your friends are having pre-martial sex?
How many of you have been involved with pre-marital sex?
Is there anyone you feel comfortable taking about sex with?
What type of information would you like to know about safe sex?

Interview questions for parents:

Have you ever had a talk about sex with your child?
Do you know if you child is involved with having pre-martial sex?
What information would you like your child to learn?
How comfortable are you talking about safe sex with your child?
Are you willing to participate in group talk with you child and other parents and children?

Formal Proposal

2008-08-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

To: Antonio Limon, Superintendent of San Benito School District
From: Cynthia De La Garza, CIS Case Manager
Date: August 7, 2008
Subject: The need to bring awareness of the recent increase of teen pregnancies in our school district

Enclosed you will find a report based on the recent increase of teen pregnancies in our school district. This report address all the concerns regarding the increase rise of teen pregnancies and some options that our school district might want to consider taking to help lower this rate.

It is of great interest and concern that something should be done to bring awareness to our students about the precautions of having pre-martial sex and the consequences that may follow. As a community it is a concern that we need to teach our children that their are options out there for our children/students can take. I hope that the recommendations that I have made are helpful to you and our school district. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me by phone any time after 5:30 at (123)456-7890 or via email anytime at dlg22497@yahoo.com. Thank you for your time and I hope to be hearing from you soon.

Sincerly,

Cynthia De La Garza

Encl: Proposal

References/Source Page

2008-07-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

The following websites are websites that I will be using to help complete my report:

Solutions for America (2007). "Teenage Pregnancy Preventions." The Guide for Civic Problem Solving: Solutions for America. Retrieved from http://www.solutionsforamerica.org/healthyfam/teenage-pregnancy.html on July 20, 2008.
The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc (2005). "Teenage Pregnancy." The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc. Retrieved from http://community.michiana.org/famconn/teenpreg.html on July 20, 2008.
Wikipedia (2007). "Teenage Pregnancy." Wikipedia Online. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancy on July 20, 2008.

Proposal for Project 5

2008-07-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

Cynthia De La Garza
180 Abigail Lane
San Benito, Texas 78586

July 17, 2008

Antonio Limon
Superintendent for San Benito School District
San Benito School District
San Benito, Texas 78586

Dear: Mr.Limon:

I am writing this letter to ask for your permission to to conduct a thorough research regarding the recent increase in teen pregnancies that are affecting your school district. I will be researching how often this is happening and what we can do to help reduce this occurrence. My research will include recent articles from journals, newspapers, Internet, and of personal interviews with some students who are either teen parents or are currently expecting a baby.

I will be making a few recommendations that are the following:

a change in your curriculum that I believe will benefit our students district wide
have all our fourth grades and fifth grades take a health class that will provide a more in depth theory about the human body
have our school nurses attend seminars that will help teacher them in depth trainings that will provide them with the tools that they may need so that if our students have any questions regarding their bodies our anything pertaining to sex that they can provide them with the correct answers
provide monthly counseling group sessions for our parent and students so that they can learn to communicate opening so that if they have any questions they will feel comfortable to talk to their parents with any of their concerns or questions

I would like to thank you for taking the time to review my proposal. I hope that you will consider some of my options and that you look forward to any other recommendations that I might come up with in my complete report.

This report with be at no cost to you or your school district. All I ask is that you allow me the time to complete all my research. This report will be completed by July 27. I will be conducting all my research through my computer desk top and with interview through some students.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me any time after 5:30 at (956) 123-4567 or through my email at any time at dlg22497@yahoo.com. Once again I would like to thank you for taking your time on my proposal.

Sincerely,

Cynthia De La Garza

Main Sections of a Report

2008-07-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

indicate its purpose of the report and what to expect in the report.

Technical Background:

require some technical discussion in order to make the rest of the report meaningful to readers

Background on the Situation:

you'll need to discuss the problem, need, or opportunity that has brought about this report

Requirements and Criteria:

discussion of the requirements you'll use to reach the final decision or recommendation; can be found in various ways: numerical values, yes/no values, or ratings values.

Discussion of the Options:

you'll need to explain how you narrowed the field of choices down to the ones your report focuses on

Category-by-Category Comparisons:

the comparison of the options and this should be handled category by category

Conclusions:

is in part a summary or restatement of the conclusions you have already reached in the comparison sections

Recommendation or Final Opinion:

states the recommendation of what should be done or conducted

Reflection on Usability Project

2008-07-17T13:34:00.000-07:00

What did you find was easiest about doing the usability test?
I thought that completing the usability test was rather hard. The easiest thing might have been the constructing my own instructions. I know how to construct a dish of enchiladas, so I did not have any trouble completing the instructions part. The part of actually testing if the instructions were effective enough was hard. It took time to construct our questionnaire and actually asking clients to fill it out.

What did you find was missing in your test?
I felt that if we had some more time to work on this project maybe my test could be a little more efficient. I tried as best as I could to follow the instructions of how to properly conduct this test/project, but I still find it difficult to complete it.

What did you learn about your instructions form the test?
I learned from my instructions that no matter how many times you have made enchiladas and you have the steps memorized, once putting the instructions down on paper was a little more difficult than I thought it would be. I hope that I fully grasped the concept of properly constructing efficient instructions that others will find them easy to follow.

Did you find the test valuable? Why or why not?
I did find the test to be valuable. The test proved that the instructions were easy to follow and to complete it.

What changes did you make to your instructions after user testing them? Did the results of usability testing surprise you?
I did not make any changes to my instructions after they had be tested. Many of our readers found them to be very easy to follow. The results did not surprise me, since I did expect the readers reaction to be that of the instructions being easy to follow. The only thing that I would add on to my instructions, is that the reader does not have to use the exact ingredients that I use when making the enchiladas. I want the reader to know that they can use whatever brand of ingredients that they prefer.

Comment on working collaboratively? How was this similar, different, easier, more difficult than other projects you have completed on your own?
Working with a partner was fairly refreshing to me. I enjoyed having someone else's input on what I had to say or write. I enjoy having someone to add on to maybe what I have to say or for them to maybe just help explain further what we were trying to get across to the reader. I have always agreed with the saying that two heads are better than one, so I was a little relieved that we had the opportunity to work along side someone else. I felt that working on this project, even though we had a partner, was may just as difficult or even slightly more difficult than working by myself.

Usability Test -Questionnaire for subjects

2008-07-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

1. Why did you decide to take this test?
To learn how to prepare a new item to prepare for dinner.

2. Were the instructions precise and detailed in order to accomplish the task?
Everything was explained so that someone who had no experience cooking would have no problem with the instructions.

3. Were all the supplies needed stated in the instructions?
Yes, everything that was needed was told in the instructions

4. Was the terminology used in the instructions easy to understandable?
Yes they were easy to understand.

5. Did the test provide the user with any warnings that could be helpful?
Yes but it was common knowledge.

6.Was the test completed by the time stated in the instructions?
Yes, the time was precise.

7. What was the reaction of the subject towards the questionnaire?
The reaction was fine, the subject was expecting to fill out a questionnaire.

8. How long did it take the subject to fill out the questionnaire?
Ten minutes maximum.

9. Did the questionnaire pose any problems being filled out.
No one seem to have any problem.

Project Goals

2008-07-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

1.What are the goals of your instructions?
The goal of the instructions was to teach the reader the proper procedure on making enchiladas.

2.How are they useful or beneficial to the user? What do users want or need to do?
They would be useful in making a dinner for yourself and family. The user would need to want to learn how to prepare enchiladas.

3.What is the general background of the users?
The users background could be a wide array of options. Chefs, mothers, students, or anyone who desires to learn how to prepare a new dish.

4.What is the context in which the user is working?
The users will be working in a kitchen and will be using basic kitchen utensils.

5.What has to be left to the machine? What to the user?
The stove will be the only appliance that will be used. It will be used for cooking the food the proper way. All other aspects will be done by the user by hand.

My Reflection

2008-07-13T17:45:00.000-07:00

My instructions could be geared towards anyone who likes to cook or are wanting to learn to cook a new dish. The audience probably will have some degree of passion to want to cook or just to learn something new.

I used visual aids to help guide the reader through the instructions. I hope that seeing how that exact step would look, would help the reader following the instructions a smoother and pleasent experience.

I thinks the most important element in my instructions was the step by step process that I included. For the enchiladas to be made properly the reader needs to follow the directions very closely. Also the warning sign are very important. These signs remind the reader that they need to take extra percaution when cooking and especially when experimenting with a new recipe.

I expect the insrtictions to be used appropriately in creating enchiladas. They could propably be incorporated in a recipe book or online, but I would rather the recipe be spread through a word of mouth. I would hope that the reader would attemp the recipe and enjoy this dish with their families.

I am not sure what I would change. I do not think I would change mucg of my presentation. I tried to keep the instructions are straight forward as possible and as simple as could be. I might just inform the auidence that you do not have to use the exact same ingredients. You can plan with the brands they might perfer and that you should not make a difference.

My Enchiladas

2008-07-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

180 Abigial Lane
San Benito, Tx. 78586

Janie Santoy
TSTC1902 N. Loop 499
Harlingen, Tx.78550

Dear Ms. Santoy,

I am writing this letter to discuss the next writing assignments. For this project, the task that I have choosen to provide instructions on is how to make enchiladas. One of my hobbies is cooking and my favorite dish to create is enchiladas. I know some people may not like to cook them because they take some time to make, but I have learned that some things are work taking the time to learn and make. There are several steps that need to be taken to be able to make good enchiladas and I am hoping that by providing others my my recipe and the instructions on how the create enchiladas, that others would like to attempt to create some too.

The research that I will be providing will be my cooking experience and the recipe that I have learned from my mother. I like to cook this dish mainly, because my whole family enjoys it. I know that once I make this dish that my whole family will sit down at the dinner table together and have diner together as a family. It is a rare thing now and days that families get to do this. Everyone is so busy and I feel that if we at least make time our each other that in the long wrong we are healping make our lives a little better. It is my hope that the people who learn my recipe will be able to not only learn it, but be able to bring their families together at the dinner table.

I would like to show others how to create enchiladas so that, maybe just maybe, this dish will help bring them closer to their family like it has done for mine. I am hoping to have this assisngment completed by July 6, 2008. Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions feel free to call me at 123-4567 any time after 5:00 or through my email dlg22497@yahoo.com.

Thank you,

Cynthia De La Garza

My List and Analysis

2008-07-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

The elements that are needed to compile in a business letter are:

Heading
Inside Address
Salutation
Reference Line
Body of the letter
Complimentary Close
Signature Block
End Notations

All these elements are essential in being able to create an effective business letter.

The three style correspondence that I find to be most important are:

State the main business, purpose, or subject matter right away
"Compartmentalize" the contents of your letter
Place important information strategically in business letters

I feel that if you state the main business, purpose, or subject matter right away, it helps reduce any confusion that the receipent might have about the letter. This assists with the efficiency of understanding the letter. It helps the reader to know what the topic of the letter is right away. By compartmentalizing the contents of the letter, this assists with helping the reader figure out the most imporatant parts of the letter. If this is done, then the reader should be able to know what the most important issue is regarding the letter. By placing important information strategically in your letter helps keep the reader interested in the letter and it could help by reminding the reader of the important facts of the letter.

Complete Instructions

2008-07-13T15:49:00.000-07:00

There following is the website to my complete instructions:

http://dlg22497.googlepages.com/home

Hope you like it!!!

Some Warnings

2008-07-13T15:48:00.001-07:00

Just Remember

I just want to remind you that it is very important to take extra caution when working with an oven or stove. If not careful you can severly hurt yourself. Burns can be lasting scares that can stand as a life long reminder that you need to be very careful. Hopefully no one will ever have to deal with taking care of a severe burn, but if you take the extra precautions you should have no worries.

Auidence Analysis-Enchiladas

2008-07-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Planning Guide:

Audience AnalysisHere's my description of the audience:
My intended audience is anyone who is willing to learn to make enchiladas. This group of people are probably teenagers to older adults.

Description of the audience in terms of the organization they work for or their position or title: My intended auidence can consists of any person who willing to learn to cook. It can be a teenager in high school to a doctor. There is no specific group of people who are targeted.

Description of the audience in terms of their occupation, profession, or field:
My intended audience can be just about anyone. A student going to college or a mechanical engineer. This project for me is not geared towards any specific group of people.

Description of the audience in terms of their needs for or interest in the information you plan to include in this writing project:
The people who would be interested in my project have to be someone who is interested in cooking or just learning something new.

How will my audience use the information in my report:
I hope that the audience will use the information that they learned to make the recipe for their families and to make it a family dinner dish that will bring the whole famly together.

Here are my thoughts on the audience's technical background in relation to my report:
I would hope that my audience know about cooking and maybe know their own recipe of enchiladas, but maybe not be satisfied with it. The only requirements are that you have access to a stove, oven, and the ingredinents.

Evaluation on Design

2008-07-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Brochure:

Page Design:
The page design is very straight forward and clear for the readers to understand. I think it would attract peoples attention.

Rules for Heading:
I did think the headings that the brochure used did follow some the rules that the text book wrote about. Some of the headings felt like they were lead -ins into the topics that were being presented in the brochure. They were presented nicely and neatly and they did follow the rules accodring to being bolded and and being specific.

Lists:
The brochure only used one list. It did follow the rules. The dates are in order and they are presented very neatly and nicely.

Graphics and Tables:
The brochure did not use any graphics or tables.

Highlighting:
The brochure used some hightlighting of some important information which was good. The only thing that I noticed was the color they used for the hightlighting of the information was the same as the lettering they were using for some of the decorative science questions. To me that did not catch my attention because I first thought it might be one of those science questions and not important information. The hightlighting they did was good and not over done.

Texas Tech TCR PhD Program Brochure:

Page Design:
The page desgin was very nice. The only thing that I can complain about is on the black background. I did not like the black background on the side that had some of the overview of the program and it's benefits. The color made my eyes strain to concentrate on the white lettering. I personally felt it was a bad choice for that. Other than that, the rest of the brochure was very nice and straight forward.

Rules for Headings:
The headings that the brochure used did mark off the areas of topics. They are very straight forward so you know what the area of information will be covering. They were bolded to show the reader that this is a new area of topic and they did follow the rules that all the headings were alike so there was no confussion.

Lists:
The lists that the brochure used were very good examples. They showed how you should use bullets and had an introduction of the list and not a lead-in. I liked how it was very organized and neat.

Graphics and Tables:
This brochure did not have any graphics or tables.

Highlighting:
The highlighting that I noticed in this brochure was the bolding of the headings and how they were colored as well. Other than that there was no other highlighting that I saw.

My Instructions-Draft

2008-07-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

I will teach you a step by step of how I create my delicious enchiladas. I will also include pictures of how each step will look. I am expecting to have about six pictures that willing be showing some of the steps of the process.

Ingredients & Supplies:

2 large packs of fresh toritllas (can get at your local tortilla factory)
2 cans of Amour chili with beans
2 blocks of American chesse ( 1 lb. each)
4 cans of Hunt's tomateo sauce
1/2 onion diced
2 glass trays
1 roll of foil wrap
oven
stove
1 8 inch pan
1 flat plate
1 bowl
1 spoon
microwave

Step by Step Instuctions

Gather all ingredints and supplies
Shredd your two blocks of chesse
Dice up your half onion
Heat you pan on the stove and open up your cans of chili with beans and tomateo sauce
Pour your 1 can of tomateo sauce in your pan
Heat up your chili and beans in a bowl in the microwave
Once your tomateo sauce is warmed up in the pan dip your tortilla in the sauce (make sure that both sides get dipped in the sauce for about 1 minute total)
Take out your tortilla from the sauce and lay in on the flat plate
Add in your fillings to one side of the tortilla: 1 scoop of your chili and beans, a grasp of shredd chesse, and a pinch of onions
Roll-up the tortilla
Lay your enchilada in one of your glass tray
Add extra tomateo sauce on top of the enchilada (this so the enchilada will not get dry)
Once your tray is full of enchiladas then all extra chesse on top of the enchiladas until it is fully covered
Add more sauce into pan when needed
Once fully complete with making your enchiladas insert trays into the oven
Enchiladas should be cooked at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes
Once enchiladas are done cooking let stand for about 10 minutes and then enjoy : )

Test Plan

2008-07-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Cynthia & Jared

What do we want out of this test, how will we conduct the test, and what will we ask users during the test?

From this test we want to know how efficient our instructions were. We want to know if the instructions are easy to comprehend or difficult to follow. How the reader felt after reading the instructions. Did they feel that they need more experience with cooking certain dishes that are similar to enchiladas? We will be conducting this test by asking our participants to read our instructions on how to make enchiladas, ask them question about how they felt after reading them, if they are clear and straight forward or difficult to understand. We will ask them to fill out a questionnaire. We will ask them about how difficult they thought the instructions were, the clarity of the instructions, if they would attempt to follow our instructions, how often do they cook a week, and we will ask them their overall impression of following the instructions.

Test Plan

Project Goals

The goals of our instructions were to provide an easier way for people to cook enchiladas. To help bring families together at dinner time by helping others learn to cook a new dish. To teach people that it is easy to learn how to cook a new dish. These instructions could be beneficial to the readers by teaching them something new and to help bring their family together. The user just needs to want to learn to cook something new. The reader just needs a basic background of how to cook. They do not need to be a professional cook to follow our instructions they just need to know how to use their stove and oven. The context that the user will be using is basic knowledge of how to cook. Basically the user will be doing most of the work. The oven and stove will heat the food or cook the food, but the user will complete all other steps.

Testing Goals

We will be focusing on learn ability. We want our readers to not only use our instructions but to learn them as well. We think that we would learn something new and how to be able to bring my family closer together. We would hope that the reader will learn to maybe appreciate the effort and work that goes into creating something new. As well, we want the reader to appreciate all the excitement that they can experience in completing the instructions. I hope that providing all this information to the reader will help them in carrying out our instructions.

User Profile

We believe that our users are probably going to be adults who are interested in cooking. People who are open to trying new recipes and new dishes of food are probably the readers that will be attracted. They will learn how to make enchiladas differently and probably try to incorporate their own likings into the recipe. The users probably want to learn to cook and do not really need to know much about cooking. They really just really need to know the basics of knowing their way around their kitchen. The general background of the user is probably adults who are open to trying new things. They could be someone who is trying to perfect their recipe so they might incorporate some things from our recipe. I do believe that the user can work at their own pace to accomplish the usage of our instructions. If the user makes mistakes it’s ok. Nobody is perfect and they will not damage the whole recipe if they make a mistake. They just got to clean up the mess and continue making the reset of the batch.

Scenarios and Tasks

Think about if one day you get home and you walk into your kitchen. See all these ingredients on our counter top with a recipe sitting to the side of them. You look at the instructions and think, “you know what I can do this”, so you give it a try. You set everything up and go at accomplishing your goal of creating your very first attempt at enchiladas. You follow the instructions step by step. You first set up all your equipment and put your ingredients in order. You then start on step two of heating up your stove, while you are opening up our cans of chili and beans, tomato sauce, and shred your cheese. Third you start warming up the sauce in the pan, and then you dip your tortilla in the sauce, put it on your tortilla on the plate or glass tray, add your fillings, roll up your tortilla, add extra sauce, once your tray is full of enchiladas add more cheese on top. Lastly cover your tray with foil paper and then put them in the oven at about 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. I will be asking the reader to go home and try to accomplish using the instructions.

Testing Materials

We will be using a questionnaire and verbal questioning. So we will be using regular word documents or maybe excel. We will be taking short hand notes while interviewing people. During the test after we have interviewed the user we will give them a paper copy of the questionnaire. We do not think we will need any other material.

Testing Protocol

We will be conducting the test on May 11 and we will be testing at least 10 people. We will break the interview into two parts 20 minutes in the verbal interview and the other 10 minutes so that the user can fill out the questionnaire. We allow the user a few minutes if they get stuck at any point during the testing but we will try to guide them to finishing the interview or questionnaire. We allow them to ask us questions but we will try to guide them to finishing the testing. We will also try to answering their question with a question to help get the thinking so they can answer all out questions. We will be asking several questions during the test but I do not think we will ask anything after the test. We will be giving a test report after the test to show our results but other than that we do not think we will be needing to provide anything else.

Introduction-Enchiladas

2008-07-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ever wanted to learn how to make homemade enchiladas. Well, some people think it is hard to accomplish but I do not think so. I have decided to share my way of making enchiladas, so that others will have a chance to enjoy them as well. I believe that if making a meal like enchiladas can bring the family together at the dinner table. Not very many families get to do this often and I feel that it is very important that as a family make time for each other. Without your family who else can you count on. There are a few ingredients and tools that are required to make my homemade enchiladas.

To name a few:

tortillas

tomato sauce

American cheese

chili with beans

onions

oven

stove

8 inch pan

turning thongs

spoon

Whenever you are cooking, you should always be careful of the heat from the stove or oven. If not taking the proper precautions you can seriously hurt and/or burn yourself. Some technical cooking words or phrases may be use, so a prior knowledge is beneficial but not required.

Elements for Instructions

2008-07-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

The elements that I thought were important for good instructions are:

Introduction: it should specify the tasks and its procedure, the auidence's needs, and give an over view of the contents
Auidence analysis: explain who you want the instruction to reach
Equipment and supplies: list the equipment and tools that are needed to be gathered prior to beginning the procedure
Graphics: their illustration are very important because they give a visual of what to expect the procedure to turn out to be
Headings: help distinguish between important parts of the instructions
Lists: help make instruction clearly by providing step by step processes
Special notices: in this section you can provide the readers important information of any possibilities of damanges to themselves or their equipment and if any possible injuries can occur.

Some important rules to follow as well:

Clear, simple writing
A thorough understanding the procedure in all its technical detail
Your ability to put yourself in the place of the reader, the person trying to use your instructions
Your ability to visualize the procedure in great detail and to capture that awareness on paper
Finally, your willingness to go that extra distance and test your instructions on the kind of person you wrote them for

Project 1 Activity 4

2008-07-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Helpful Links!!!

As I searched to find useful blogs and websites that will help in team work I though that these few were interesting:

http://strongerteams.wordpress.com/category/teamwork/

This blog is titled "How to identify what makes your team happy, and what doesnt". I feel that this blog helps the members of teams to realize how that they need to work together to accomplish their goal. It helps with understanding that if everyone is working together then the team will be happy but if one person swaggers then they bring down the whole morale of the team.

http://blog.webreakstuff.com/2007/02/working-with-remote-teams

This blog is titled "Tips on working with remote teams". This blog expressed the main points that will help a group or team of people work effectively and efficiently.

http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/teamhint.htm

This website it titled "Manual for Working in Teams". This website is a guide to helping teams work together. It offers helpful hits to creating a productive team work.

http://derekstockley.com.au/news-07/090-importance-teamwork.html

This website has an article that is titled "The importance of Teamwork". It helps its viewer to better understand the importance of teamwork. It also helps explain how to achieve good teamwork.

Elements for my Proposal

2008-07-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

The elements that are and should be included in your proposal are:

introduction
background of problem, opportunity, or situation
benefits and feasibility of the proposed project
description of proposed work (results of the project)
method, procedure, and theory
schedule
qualifications
costs, resourses required
special project-specific sections

My intended audience will Jose Luis Gonzalez and Evalinga Perez, who both work for Communities In Schools. Communities In Schools is a non-profit organization that work in the school settings. This organization works with children to make sure that their basic needs are being met, that every child has a chance to build a one on one relationship with an adult, help provide a safe place to learn and grow, and a chance to give back to their peers and community. Mr. Gonzalez is Communities In Schools Executive Director and Mrs.Perez is the Program Coorindator. With working with this organization it entails a person to work mainly with social service needs. Mainy of the case managers that work for this organization are social workers or people who have training in a similar professional field. My audience would benefit from learning about the actually organization. The broucher that I would be creating for them could be used to present to the community, so that others can learn about the organization. By presenting them with more information this will help the organization to grow. This will provide them access to more clients and the awareness that organizations like this exist to help children. My audience from Communities In Schools already know all the information about their organization, but for the people that they can hand out their brouchers to may not know to much about them. They may not know what the organization stands for and how they can assist the students in their school settings. The limitations that I can forsee is that maybe the Executive Director might not be interested in changing some of the advertisement that they might already have. Maybe the public might not be interested in the brouchers because they are not coming from school officals, but from someone else.

My Proposal

2008-07-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

To: Jose Luis Gonzalez

From Cynthia De La Garza

Date: June 12, 2008

Re: Proposal on writing and constructing a brochure for Communities In Schools

The following letter is a proposal on creating a brochure for Communities In Schools and the benefits of having such a brochure. I feel that this brochure will help provide more information to the parents and families of the perspective or current students of your organization. Many parents are not fully informed of what your organization entails. Either they have been missed informed or they do not have the proper information to agree to allow their child to participate in Communities In Schools. By providing more detailed information about your organization, it would greatly help in the decision making process for the parents of your perspective students.

I believe that this brochure will greatly benefit your organization and your perspective student’s parents. It will provide all the basic information that parents will be looking at to help make their decision to allow their child to participate in your organization.

This brochure will include:

• Communities In Schools mission statement

• “Five Basics” of Communities In Schools

• Explanation of how this organization works

• Why Communities In Schools was chosen to assist children in your school district

• Communities In Schools philosophy

I feel that once this information is presented to perspective parents that it will help in convincing them to allow their child to participate in your organization. This brochure will assist your case managers in being able to meet their monthly numbers of all the new cases that they must bring into the organization. A big reason why some parents do not allow their child to participate in Communities In Schools is because they are misinformed about the organization. But if you can re-inform the parents with a better presentation of the information, it may make it easier for them to be able to understand what your organization is all about. Most importantly, if this brochure helps in persuading parents to allow their child to participate in Communities In Schools, the student will be receiving the benefits of your program. Ultimately the student benefiting from Communities In Schools which is what the organization ultimately wants to do, make a difference in a child’s life.

I have been conducting research about Communities In Schools through your website, which has provided me with excellent information. I have also spoken to one of your case managers who as well provided me with information. If you have any extra sources that would be beneficial to this project please notify me.

I have taken several writing courses that have helped me in the preparation of completing this project. I am currently taking a Technical Business Writing course that has helped me so much in completing this project. I am also a Social Worker that has a great emphasize on what you organization stands for. I believe that if we can make a difference in a child life we are not only making a difference for them, but for our society as well.

There will be know cost for completing this brochure. I only ask that you allow me the time to finish my research and to be able to fully complete this project. The brochure will be completed by June 19, 2008. If you have any questions or concerns with the outline of the brochure please do not hesitate to notify me.

I would like to thank you for taking your time to reviewing my proposal and your consideration of my project. Again, if you have any concerns or questions please feel free to contact me at 123-4567 any time after 5:30 p.m. or you can reach me through email at dlg22497@yahoo.com.

Sincerely,

Cynthia De La Garza

Conclusion-Enchiladas

2008-07-13T13:43:00.001-07:00

Now that you have finished following all the steps, all you have to do it wait for the enchiladas to come out of the oven. I hope learning my receipe was easy and fun for you. You can also add some very easy side dishes to your enchiladas. You can make some rice, some vegetables, or even a salad. Do not get upset if the first time you make your enchiladas they do not come out perfect, it is like the old phrase, practice makes perfect. Now set the table and hopefully this dish will bring you and your family together. Remember without our famlies we have no one to demand on or to be there for us. As well, do not forget to give yourself a pat on the back for accomplishing a new goal. Now just clean up and most importantly enjoy your meal.

My Page Design

2008-07-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

My Headings:

"Our Mission"

Communities In Schools Mission Statement

"The Five"

The "Five Basics" pf Communities In Schools

"The Works"

The explanation of how this organization works

"Why???"

Why was Communities In Schools was chosen to assist children in your school district

"Our Philosophy"

Communities In Schools Philosophy

Lists:

The list that I will have is:

the "Five Basics" of Communities In Schools

this list will consists of the five basics that Communities In Schools believes in.

Graphics and Tables:
I do not believe that I will be having any graphics or tables in my brochure.

Highlighting Areas:
The areas that I might be highlights will be important information like who to contact if you want more information or the person in charge of the organization. The information on the cost of the organization for your child to particpate in Communities In Schools.

Text Areas:
I will be including lots of extra information about the organization chain of command, where the case managers are hosted at, who funds the organization, how many chapters of Communities there are, and so much more.

My Audience

2008-07-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

Cover Page

2008-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Cynthia De La Garza
180 Abigail Lane
San Benito, Tx. 78586

June 12, 2008

Jose Luis Gonzalez, Executive Director
Communities In Schools
700 E. Levee St.
Brownsville, Tx. 78520

SUBJ: Proposal to create a brochure for Communities In Schools

Dear Mr. Gonzalez:The following proposal outlines the details in creating a brochure for Communities In Schools. The proposal contains information regarding the brochure, the cost, the completion date, my qualifications, and any other information regarding the brochure. If you have any concerns or questions feel free to contact me at 956-123-4567 any time after 5:30 or through my email dlg22497@yahoo.com. Thank you for your time and consideration in this project.

Sincerely,

Cynthia De La Garza

Attached: Proposal

Elements for Usability Test

2008-07-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

The important elements that need to be included in a Usability Test:

Planning your test: you need to test with a reasonable numbers of participants, know how long it will take, and get a location to administor the test.
Figure out what you are going to test: meet with a team of design and development and choose features that are new, frequently used, or considered troublesome or especially important.
Who is going to evaluate the site: Who you choose to evaluate the site will have a massive effect on the outcome of the research. It’s very important to develop a thoughtful screener for recruiting your participants.
Where are you going to test: Conduct formal tests in an environment that simulates normal use as much as possible.
Legalities: Every test should be accompanied by a legal form that addresses three important issues: a nondisclousre, which is a confidentiality agreement; a waiver to use their results in your report; and legal form should clearly state the participant’s rights, which informs participants about their right to withdraw, take a break, have privacy and understand the purpose of the test.
Questionnaires: requires three short questionnaires: the pre-test, post-task and post-test questionnaire. Pre-test is a introduction to verify the qualifications of the participant and gather additional background information to help you analyze and interpret test data. Post-task: purpose is to capture the participant’s perception of the task’s difficulty and to gather relevant comments where applicable. Post-test questionnaire: should capture the participant’s overall perception of the system’s usability and specific perception related to usability concerns.
Test Script: is a guide for you to follow so that the sessions are conducted consistently and correctly.
Pre-test Checklist: you should always run down a pre-test checklist, to make sure you have everything you need.
Running test: you will moderating the test and advanve test moderation. Moderating test: your should keep participants on task, take shourthand notes, let participant make mistakes, answer questions with questions, don't tell participant what to do but suggest it, and don't explain the interface. Advance test moderation: probe expectations, investigate mistakes, and ask why? a lot.
Analyzing the results: Depending on how you collected your observations, this can be a formal quantitative analysis or more qualitative in nature.
Learning from your mistakes: Once you’ve completed your first round of usability tests, you’ll have some ideas about how to improve your methodology next time around. The most important lesson is to learn from your mistakes and feed those ideas back into the next round.

This is Me : )

2008-06-03T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hello my name is Cynthia De La Garza. I have recently graduated from the University of Texas -Pan American in Fall of 2007. I received my bachelor's degree in Social Work. I am currently working for a non-profit organization called Communities In Schools. I work at Riverside Middle School in San Benito and needless to say, the students there keep me on my toes.

I am currently working towards my Master's in Social Work with a concentration in family focus practice in Latinos. I am taking this course to fulfill a requirement to continue my studies. I am hoping to complete my Master's by next spring. I would like to continue my education by becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. To accomplish that goal it would require me to continue my studies for another two to three years. I would like to continue to work with children. I feel that these individuals are our future, so if we can make a difference now while they are young who knows what wonderful things they will accomplish when they are older. They are our future and without them who knows where our society will be. I would also like to eventually oversee or be an administrator for a mental health hospital or clinic, or open up my own practice.

I do feel that my previous English courses have prepared me for this course. It has been some time though since I have last taken an English course. I know it will take some extra effort to remember all that was taught to me, but I know that I was taught well so I should be able to do good. The previous English courses that I have taken have prepared me to accomplish all my educational and career goals. We use basic writing and reading in our everyday life, so to say that all the English courses that we have to take throughout our lives have not prepared us is a little silly. With the skills that we have learned throughout our lives, these classes have helped us learn to communicate our thoughts and words orally and written.

Communication is essential for my profession. It not only helps me provide my clients with the words of advice that they are seeking, but it is a way for them to know that someone is there for them. We talk about their problems and we try to work through them. We analyze what they can do better or how they can change to be better. At times, when I know that a client is having a hard time with communicating their thoughts verbally, I have them work on a personal journal. I have found that this tool sometimes is the ice breaker to help them in expressing themselves. I, on the other hand, have to be able to have good oral and written communication methods, since I have to be there for my clients and have to document their progress for not only myself, but for the client as well.

I hope that by completing this course I will be able to improve my writing skills. I know that this course will help me in achieving my goal of completing my education. In a way this course is not only to achieve my educational goal but as well my personal goal. I would like to be a better communicator for myself and others. I know that it is important for one self to be able to get your point of view across to others, so I hope that this course will help me improve my communication skills, both written and orally.

The only other thing that I would like to share with everyone is my daughter Kaitlyn. She is three and a half and is the love of my life. She keeps me busy and there is never a dull moment being her mother. I know the greatest thing I have in my life is having her as my daughter.