As I pause to look back over my journey thus far, I also look to the road ahead.  This comprehensive review of five years’ work in academia has highlighted for me new areas worthy of my attention, and I wish to note those as goals for the next stage of the trip.

teaching effectiveness

1.  Course Design:  I am intrigued by new methods that engage students in preparation before class (listening to lectures, doing homework)  so that class time can be spent in active learning.  The “flipped classroom” requires significant planning to successfully carry out, and also demands investigation.  One of my short-term goals is to flip 5-6 classes in my undergraduate class this fall, and more in the spring, to determine if that model increases student engagement.  If successful, I may work toward using that model as my primary method of course delivery.

2.  Online Teaching:  I want to study and discuss in my department the pros and cons of online instruction for our discipline. I am already using some hybrid teaching approaches in some classes but am not certain that the online model is the most effective overall.  I know I need to delve into literature and other resources on this topic.

3.  Teaching/Mentoring:  Incorporating other languages into the BEP:  This goal may be accomplished sooner rather than later, as I currently have Hindi- and Mandarin-speaking students expressing interest in exploring bilingual practice.  The specialized course that I teach for the BEP is specific to Spanish; can I locate resources to make this available in other languages as well?  What about clinical practicum opportunities?

4.  Teaching/Mentoring:  Study Abroad as a Clinical Practicum Site: With a return to Montevideo planned for next summer, the possibility exists for developing this trip as a clinical externship. To enable this to occur I will need to work in tandem with Brenda Bender, as a co-supervisor, and resume contact with Uruguayan SLPs.  This will need to occur before the Christmas break so that we can market the program adequately.

Scholarship

1.  Complete the current Spanish verb morphology project:  My primary research goal at present is to finish this work in progress, as detailed in the Scholarship section, and submit to Communication Disorders Quarterly.

2. Complete the Dynamic Assessment of Academic Language Skills (DAALS) app for Pearson Assessment, and have a timeline for release.

3.  Initiate a new study on improving the reliability of the Narrative Scoring Scheme (Spanish).   At one point I had investigated, with students, the reliability of the Spanish Narrative Scoring Scheme within the SALT software, and had identified some problems.  I have some thoughts about modifications to the assessment that I believe would increase reliability, and would like to investigate those, inviting as participants Spanish-speaking children in the Abilene schools.

service

1. Increase outreach to missionary families whose children have speech/language disorders:  I would like to expand my/the department’s outreach to missionary families whose children are experiencing challenges or disabilities.  My contact at Missionary Resource Network has retired and so I need to initiate a relationship with the appropriate person there to facilitate this program.  This area of service touches my heart and I would like to see services made available to more families, perhaps via videoconferencing.

collegiality

1. Increase collaboration to expand the BEP:   work with colleagues to expand implementation of the Bilingual Emphasis Program by discovering how I can incorporate more content from the disorder-area classes they teach.

Finally, a prayer . . .

Father, you know my heart.  May this body of work, with its strengths and weaknesses, serve to glorify you.  May I learn from this review and be taught, strengthened, and encouraged  by it so that I can serve you better in this place.

Amen