Monday, May 20, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Blog 25: Mentorship
Literal:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArZeKIJ-DYRTdE56S1VKdlp5WHQzVDFrMXpMN1lSbHc#gid=0
Interpretive:
What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
The most important thing that I have gained from volunteering at Pomona Valley Special Olympics is inclusiveness. This is a very important skill to have. To get the athletes to be included in events and activities I would need to talk to them try convince them to participate. To learn the skill of inclusiveness my communications skills have also increased. At Special Olympics coaches and volunteers make sure that all athletes are participating. I have seen how happy athletes are once they decide to join and play the sport. All of their worries go away.
Applied:
My essential question is: "What is the most significant way that Special Olympics can help a person with an intellectual disability gain social competence?"
From volunteering and coaching at Pomona Valley Special Olympics I have seen athletes grow and become independent. For example, I have seen a athlete name Dawn who at the beginning wanted everyone to do and complete tasks for her. She would not pick up her own bowling ball and did not want to participate. It took her a while to finally start to do things on her own. With the help of coaches and volunteers she is now becoming socially competent and independent. We worked with her on why it is important to do things on her own and how to do things on her own. I have witnessed first hand that Special Olympics does help athletes gain social competence. I am very proud to be part of this great organization that helps so many people across the world.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArZeKIJ-DYRTdE56S1VKdlp5WHQzVDFrMXpMN1lSbHc#gid=0
Interpretive:
What is the most important thing you gained from this experience? Why?
The most important thing that I have gained from volunteering at Pomona Valley Special Olympics is inclusiveness. This is a very important skill to have. To get the athletes to be included in events and activities I would need to talk to them try convince them to participate. To learn the skill of inclusiveness my communications skills have also increased. At Special Olympics coaches and volunteers make sure that all athletes are participating. I have seen how happy athletes are once they decide to join and play the sport. All of their worries go away.
Applied:
My essential question is: "What is the most significant way that Special Olympics can help a person with an intellectual disability gain social competence?"
From volunteering and coaching at Pomona Valley Special Olympics I have seen athletes grow and become independent. For example, I have seen a athlete name Dawn who at the beginning wanted everyone to do and complete tasks for her. She would not pick up her own bowling ball and did not want to participate. It took her a while to finally start to do things on her own. With the help of coaches and volunteers she is now becoming socially competent and independent. We worked with her on why it is important to do things on her own and how to do things on her own. I have witnessed first hand that Special Olympics does help athletes gain social competence. I am very proud to be part of this great organization that helps so many people across the world.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Project Update 11
When you buy a product from Pantene, Cascade, Tide, Covergirl or Bounty with an P&G coupon a 2 cents donation goes directly to Special Olympics. The coupons are in the newspaper and commercials are playing constantly on TV. The motto for P&G and Special Olympics is "For seeing the potential in every child".
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Project Update 10
Every year a huge raffle goes on to support Special Olympics. The big raffles is a huge house that you can win. The tickets are $150 dollars each. This is the fourth year this has been going on. All of the profit that is made will go directly to Southern California's Special Olympics. The house is beautiful!
Built in 2008- 6 bedrooms
- 6.5 bathrooms
- 7,500 square foot home
- 33,521 sq ft / 0.77 acres lot
- 3 levels
- Elevator
- Gourmet chef’s kitchen
- 4 car / 1200 sq ft garage
- 2 story living room
- Wine cellar
Office- Wide-planked hardwood walnut & limestone flooring
- Full maid's quarters
- Guest suite
- Wired for smart home with control room
- Full residential security
- Grotto style pool with cascading waterfalls
- Located in Sherman Oaks, south of Ventura Blvd
Project Update 9
I made Special Olympics sugar cookies. I made them to look like actual medals. I made gold, silver, and bronze medals. These look just like the medals the athletes receive at tournaments. I am going to make more and hand them to the athletes for their end of the season party. They should like them.
Exit Interview Questions
(1) What is your essential question? What is the best answer to your question and why?
My essential question is: "What is the most significant way that Special Olympics can help an person with an intellectual disability gain social competence?". My best answer is athletes need a strong support system to become socially competent. Without support and deciation from regional directors, area director, coaches, volunteers, parents, and caregivers athletes would not know how or to improve their social competence. These people work with the athletes in small groups and one on one to insure that their needs are being met and that they are gaining social competence.
(2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
The process that I took to arrive to my best answer was looking for ways that other people influence the athletes. I read a lot of research how sports give self esteem and how sports prepare them for everyday life and how self esteem leads to social competence. I was sold on these two answers. While at mentorship I saw all of the volunteers, coaches, parents,and care givers helping the athletes in so many different ways. Not just in sports but in everyday life skills. This is how I learned what my best answer was. Athletes need a strong support system.
(3) What problems did you face? How did you resolve them?
At the beginning of senior year I was lost on what exactly I should be researching. I was not sure where to start. Special Olympics has so many different branches that I could look into. So, I decided that i needed to narrow down on what I saw search. I did this before I even got my EQ approved. My problem was solved early on. My second problem that I faced was on my science project. I found that conducting an experiment very challenging. Even though Special Olympics is based in sports that was not entirely what I was focusing on. I found that conducting a study with people with intellectual disabilities is very challenging because your data can change quickly. I resolved it by completing my experiment and took that into consideration.
(4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My two most significant sources was the official Special Olympics web page. This provided me a lot of information and it brought me to a bunch of different sites. This web site helped my answer part of my essential question. My second best source is my mentorship. While volunteering and coaching at Pomona Valley Special Olympics I witnessed first hand on all of the positive things Special Olympics does for the athletes. I saw how Special Olympics is a fun, loving, and supporting community.
(5) What is your product and why?
My product is becoming a bowling coach through mentorship. This is my product because I had to take a coach training class and I work with the athletes in a different way than just being a volunteer. I am very proud of the accomplishment.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
2014 Interview
1. Who did you interview and what house are they in?
Christian Demesa, East House
2. What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?
He interested in composing music and pharmacy technician. He was interested in composing music because he plays the piano and he has a real passion for it and would love to learn more. Another interest that he was looking into the medical field. He was interested in learning more about what a pharmacy technician does because one of his parents are in that field.
3. What do you plan to do for your summer 10 hour mentorship experience?
Christian told me that finding at least 10 hours of summer mentorship would not be a problem. he told me if he decided to go with the topic of composing music his girlfriend has some connects to music composers. If he decided to pick a pharmacy technician he could receive hours through his parents. He has a good plan for what ever topic he chooses.
4. What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations?
He told me that he hoped to see the practical parts of the presentations. He wanted to see how the lessons would play out and how they related to the seniors projects.
5. What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project (or what additional information did you tell them about senior year or senior project)?
Questions and Answers:
1. How many hours are due a month?
No each month there is not a set of hours that have to be completes. On the due date you just need to have the correct amount of hours.
2. What contact information do we need to provide from our mentors?
You need to include their names, phones numbers or emails.
3. What evidence do you need to show to prove your hours?
A log to track your hours including days, times, and what you did. I would also recommend taking pictures that is a great way to prove that you were completing hours.
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