Making Not Reporting Your Child Missing a Felony

With all the attention that has been focused on the Casey Anthony trial lately, I decided to write about a new bill being considered that would make it a felony if you did not report your child missing within 24 hours.  The following is a website that discusses the cause: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/07/13/not-reporting-missing-child-would-be-felony-under-bill.html

The basis of the bill is centered around the Casey Anthony trial.  Even though the consensus seems to be that America was convinced that Casey Anthony was going to be convicted of murdering her little girl, Caylee Anthony. With the jury handing down a not-guilty verdict on all of the main charges, the country is outraged. Protests have been seen all over the place as well as vigils and support walks being organized in support of Caylee Anthony, the three year old little girl that was found murdered around the corner from her grandparents’ house. One of the shocking points was that the little girl was missing for 31 days before the police was notified.  Shockingly, her mother was still not the one to report her missing. Her grandmother called the police. Casey Anthony began giving false statements to police about the whereabouts of her daughter.  Interestingly, this is what she was convicted of: four counts of providing false information to police.

The outcries for Caylee have been phenomenal. America wants justice for Caylee Anthony.  One of the avenues that have been chosen for this justice is a bill that would make it a felony for parents not to report their child missing within 24 hours.  I think that a lot of people did not realize not reporting a child missing was not such a serious crime. Now, they have been slapped in the face with it and as I said they want justice for this poor little girl, Caylee Anthony.

Personally, I could never imagine not reporting my child missing immediately after I realized that something was wrong and my child was missing. I would much rather be safe than sorry especially when it comes to my children.  The idea that someone could have a child that was missing and the parent did not report the child missing is unreal for “normal” people.  The fact that the child could be missing for over 30 days is completely senseless for most people. I know I could not even phantom a reason for not reporting my missing child. Fortunately, I have never been placed in a situation where I would have any reason to know that the non-reporting is anything less than a serious charge.  It has certainly opened my eyes to what someone can possibly get away with in our great country.  A defenseless child has been murdered and the idea that it could have been prevented by a report made to the police at an earlier time is devastating.  I think that those that fail to report a child missing should most certainly be charged with a felony and should receive jail time and/or a very strict fine.  Children are our responsibility and we have to take that responsibility seriously.  We must create an avenue for justice for Caylee as well as all of the children that have or will ever suffer if this is not done.

Team Project Issues/Progress Report

Our group is proposing to create a brochure/handout that will help students prepare an adequate cover letter and resume that will assist in acquiring the position that they have been working towards for so many years or to take the next step in the education process. We will outline some ideas of how to make your resume positively noticeable and include a few “what not to dos.”

After getting to know of the team members included in our group, we have such a diverse group that we concluded that a handout/brochure would be the most beneficial from our group. This will allow each of us to pull from his or her knowledge base and be an active part of the team without any of us having to research information for a major that we are not involved in. Every career field will use a cover letter and resume.

Our group project is moving along nicely. We are on schedule and haven't had to readdress our timeline to make sure that we got our work done. We have met on skype and conversed via email in order to make sure that each member knew what he or she was supposed to do and also to help if someone was having a problem with a particular issue.  We have drafted our proposal utilizing googledocs.  This has been a lifesaver in that we didn't have to circulate one email and have different sections put into the document, we each have access to the document on googledocs and can review our work or the work of our team members. As of earlier today, our proposal has been submitted.  The next step is to divide up the sections and begin to actually create our document.  Following the timeline created in our proposal will allow each of us enough time to create our portion yet still allow enough time for each of us to review the other members section and discuss any concerns or ideas that we have.

Overall we are on course and I do not foresee any problems with the timeline we created. We have an exceptional team and by working together will be able to produce an outstanding final project. We have taken the diversity of each of team members and included them all to reflect a part of each of us within the project we are working on. Our final project will be of great benefit to future students and be one that I believe will be referenced often.

As far as recommendations, I am not sure that I have any. We have all communicated effectively and worked together as a team.  When working with others communication is essential to make sure that each of you know what the other is doing.  When working with others virtually over the internet, it makes things that much more difficult; however, I think we have created a system that will allow us to proceed smoothly and effectively.

I look forward to continuing to work with a GREAT team.

Website Evaluation

Dear Webmaster,

I was researching bulletin board ideas for a classroom bulletin board and came across your website http://www.reslife.net/html/bboard.html.  Your website has many different examples of bulletin boards and I was impressed at the amount that was offered.  It appears that a lot of the bulletin boards are submitted by readers and that is a great way to get a good variety of information and make sure that you have a good selection.  As I was surfing your site, I had a few ideas that I wanted to share to you.  I thought perhaps some of the ideas might benefit other readers and bring more traffic to your site.  One of the main reasons behind having a website is to supply information to others.

 One of the first things that I noticed was that it was difficult to search the site for the information that I was looking for. I was trying to find particular bulletin boards.  I had to scroll through several different ideas that did not have anything to do with the topic I was researching. I even had to scroll through some boards that did not have anything to do with elementary schools and would perhaps be found in a more adult forum.  I thought that if you had your bulletin board examples organized by topic that particular boards might be easier for readers to find.  Another idea is to possibly organize the examples by month according to the holiday schedule that is followed by the school year. If you do not want to direct your website to only one particular type of educator then maybe if you had the boards divided into sections, it would be easier to find.  

The next thing that I noticed was that the examples are given in different formats instead of one uniform format therefore causing me to have to open several different programs in order to view the examples.  Possibly if there was more uniformity in the examples provided the reader might spend more time looking around your website.

Speaking of uniformity, the overall effects of the website is very busy.  There is a lot of information on the page and it is somewhat overwhelming. I am a firm believer in less is more.  I certainly do not advocate leaving things off the website; however, if they were more organized I think the overall effect would be more beneficial.  By having consistency across the website and offering a direct link for the reader instead of the reader having to search through a lot of information, the reader is more likely to stay on the site longer.  The color is not consistent from page to page and I had to keep checking to make sure that I was still on your site.


I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination. I spend a lot of time looking for ideas of things that can or might inspire children of all shapes and sizes.  It was while doing this exploring that I noticed that some sites were easier to manage than others. Some people do not have the time to surf the internet and appreciate the suggestions from someone that has looked at several sites.  I hope that my suggestions have not come across as disrespectful to your or the site that you have provided.  There are some very good examples and a lot of information included in your website. I think that with just a little bit of organization would make a huge difference and you would see the traffic increase to your site.  Thanks for providing the information that you have put together.

Defining Your Website's Objectives

I am currently working on a dual degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. I have only found a few schools that offer a dual degree program and researching these was fairly difficult. I began to research the schools that offered the dual degrees a few months so for that part of the assignment; I basically knew where to go to. I had some schools that I looked at their website and immediately said NO!  The following is a link to one such website: http://www.classesandcareers.com/accredited-colleges/online-schools_grand-canyon-university/program_bs-in-elementary-special-education-dual-degree-eligible-for-credential
The best and most informative website was the USM website on the dual degree program that they offer. The link is: http://www.usm.edu/undergraduate/elementary-education-special-education-dual-bs

The website from Grand Canyon University was very plain and uninviting. It was similar to reading a page out of a book. It seemed more like a web page version of a telemarketer. It provided very little information and wanted a lot of my information. I understand that possibly the recruiters can sell the campus better than a website but the website has to convince me to want to talk to the recruiters and it failed miserably.

The website from USM offered a very pleasing website that looked like it belonged to a larger facility and not one that was run out of someone's basement. It offered me a great overview of the program that was offered and provided links to additional pages that answered a lot of the questions I had. The website also provided me with videos of current students and contact information. I called the admissions office because I wanted to not because I felt like I was forced to.

The USM website is a great example of balance and consistency. That consistency is what invited me into the website. It made me feel like I wanted to be a part of this community. I believe that is important when looking for a school. Students are making a big investment not only financial but personally and emotionally.

Overall Purpose:
1.  What are you writing?
     I am writing a website that will hopefully influence students, who are undecided in
their major, that a career in the special education and elementary education environment is the right choice for them. 

2.  What prompts you to write?
     Writing for this project is prompted by my desire to share the passion I have for my career choice.  I want to share the reasons that I made the choice I made and convince others that they can make a difference as well.

3. What outcome do you desire?
    The outcome that I desire is to have more recruits enroll in the dual degree program for elementary education and special education.


4.  What outcome does your reader desire?
     The reader wants to be excited and drawn to learn more about the field. He or she wants to feel like they are entering into something that will fulfill them in every possible way: academically, personally and emotionally.

Reader Profile:
1.  Who is your primary reader?
     My primary reader is anyone looking for a career choice. This can be a high school student, a college student that is undecided about a major, a college student that is unhappy about the path they chose, an unhappy man or woman looking for enrichment in their lives.

2.  What is your reader's relationship to you?
    The reader does not have to have a current relationship with me. I am hoping to establish one by drawing them in to the same career field as myself, possibly having the same classes or even working together.

3.  What are your reader's job title responsibilities?
    My reader's job title can be everyone from unemployed high school student, high school drop-outs,  graduated college students unhappy in their fields or just about anyone else out there. That is the beauty of the website or it should be it should be inviting to everyone. I don't want someone to look at my website and say I can't do that because I'm too old, or not educated enough, or not smart enough. I want everyone to feel welcome to join.

4.  Who else might read your communication?
    Everyone that has access to a computer is a potential visitor to my website and it is my job to make my website appealing enough for them to want to move forward.

5.  How familiar is your reader with your subject?
    My readers should be very familiar with elementary education; however, a lot of people are not so familiar with special education and what all it involves.

6.  How familiar is your reader to your specialty?
     The specialty of working with special education children is not a new concept; however, when growing up if a child wants to teach most just say I want to be a teacher. There are many specific areas of teaching that can be explored. I do not believe the area of special education is one that is familiar enough to the public.

7.  Does your reader have any communication preferences you should take into account?
    Considering that I want my website to be inviting to everyone, I want to make sure that the writing is not too technical. Also, you do not want it to be so simplistic that the reader feels like you are talking down to them. The ideal situation is to find a happy median that will appeal to all types.


8.  Should you take into account any other things about your reader when writing?
     You should take into account everything when determining your audience. You can never have too much information about your audience. Make sure that you are familiar enough about the subject area that everyone feels welcomed.

Situational Analysis
1.  What events and circumstances influence the way you should write?
     The events and circumstances that influence the way that I write are my experiences.  I did not go to college right out of high school, chose a position and grew in that position but hated going to work everyday. It took me 18 years to figure out that I needed to do something about it. My determination and the ability to put my fears aside and go for it as what keeps me motivated. I think that if you can relate to someone personally and share life experiences with them it is a way to connect.

Usability Objectives (Reader's Tasks)
1.   What are the key questions your reader will ask while reading?
      Can I see myself doing this?  Is this something I would enjoy?  What benefit would I get from it?  What is the economic benefit of this? How hard will it be to achieve?

2.   How will your reader search for the answer? (The reader may use more than one strategy.)
     __X__ Sequential reading from beginning to end
     _____ Selective reading, as when using a reference book (what key terms will your reader look for?)
     _____ Other (explain)

3.  How will your reader use the information you provide?
    _____ Compare point by point (what will be the points of comparison?)
    __X__ Attempt to determine how the information you provide will affect him or her
    _____ Attempt to determine how the information you provide will affect his or her organization
    _____ Follow instruction step by step
    _____ Other (explain)

Persuasive Objectives (Reader's Attitudes)
1.  What is your reader's attitude toward your subject? Why? What do you want it to be?
     The attitude of anyone exploring the idea of expanding their education should be open minded, particularly those that do not have a career choice in mind.

2.  What is your reader's attitude toward you? Why? What do you want it to be?
      The reader's attitude toward me should be that I want to share that same passion towards something. If you are not happy and passionate about the career field that you choose, more than likely he or she will not be happy about going to work. I want them to be passionate and excited about their career choice.


Stakeholders
1. Who, besides your readers, are stakeholders in your communication?
    Anyone interested in learning more about special education: parents, educators, volunteers, etc.

2.  How will they be affected by it?
     Whether they decide to follow in my major or they make a different choice, they will have learned a little something after they visit my website.

Constraints:
1.  What expectations, regulations, or other factors limit the way you can write?
     The expectations are that I design a website that is informative, shares legitimate information, is inviting to everyone and has a clear concise design. The regulations are that it must be true and accurate, not be plagiarized, and must be designed with the possibility that it could really be a published web page. The limits are simply time constraints. Web pages can continually be updated and changed and information added to them. With the time constraints incorporated within the class, there is only so much information that can be included.

Rhetorical Analysis

In the course of my education, I have had to read many articles and do a lot of research in the field of elementary education and special education. When I graduate, I plan to focus on Autism. I have chosen Autism for most of the research and writing I have done. The one I chose to analyze here was an article on Autism and the benefits of additional funding grants. The article can be read here http://www.bmedreport.com/archives/11503 

The writer of the article, Autism Speaks Awards 16 New Research Grants For More Than $5 Million Over 3 years; Christopher Fisher has a PhD in Clinical Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine and is the managing editor of for The Behavioral Report. The article is an informative article written by Dr. Fisher explaining the award of 16 new grants in the field of Autism and how those grants will be used in the autism arena.  The article is geared more toward the medical community and uses much medical language throughout.  Dr. Fisher is attempting to inform us of the importance of autism research and positive benefits that are being seen in the research that has already been funded. He does this by addressing many studies in the field of autism by experts across the country.

Autism is rising across the country and the article attempts to put into perspective the need for continued research and the hopes of what the medical community might be able to accomplish with this research.  Most of the language throughout the article is in a medical professional genre and one that might confuse the average reader.  I can see how an average reader would get lost with all the studies and drug reports that are accentuated throughout.  The writer is definitely focusing on a professional audience with that audience having some degree of a medical background.  The information that is being related is important to the medical community; however, the general public, specifically those with autistic children and relatives, would probably benefit from knowledge of what could come from these tests. If the article was written a little less formal it might be able to reach those individuals.

My evaluation of the article is that it is overall a good piece on the subject of autism if you are in the medical community. The general reader would grasp some of the points but a lot of the article is written over the head of the general public because of all the references to medical studies, the drugs that are being produced to combat the disease and the overall tone of the article. Having said that, I think the medical community benefited from the article; however, the general public did not.  By addressing the article in a more general tone a broader audience could have been reached.  The article was not a medical report, it was to inform about the benefits of grants that are being given to continue the research of a disease that is effecting more and more of the general public.

Introduction - Sandy Culver

My name is Sandy Culver.  I live in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Although I grew up in a small town in Virginia, this is where I consider home. I have lived here for 13 years.   I have two beautiful daughters, Ashley (12), and Cailey (9). I work as a special education assistant on an elementary level with autistic children.  I love children and can’t wait to apply the knowledge I am learning.  I graduated high school in 1991, so getting back into the classroom is going to be a huge adjustment for me.  I graduated from University of Phoenix in April with an Associates Degree in Elementary Education. As I began to see that my dream to teach was becoming a reality and that I really could do this after all these years, I enrolled in the dual degree program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

In my spare time when I am not involved with the girls’ extra curricular activities, I enjoy boating, camping, swimming, and just hanging out with the family.  I love the outdoors and spend as much time as I can outside.

My educational goals are to achieve a minimum of a dual Bachelor's degree in elementary education and special education. After that, I want to continue my special education training with a Master’s degree in Child Psycology focusing on behavior of children with autism. The children that I work with are absolutely terrific. I can not imagine doing anything else. It may have taken me a while to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up but I have finally found my passion.