Fall 2024 Reflection: In preparing the first section of the newsfeed, my content was reviewed by a peer and the instructors. This process was interesting because one piece of feedback I received said that the work could utilize more expansion and the other piece said that the work could benefit from condensing the information. This created conflict in me as I looked to revise my work before publishing it to this site because I appreciate and respect both perspectives. In the end, I made minor adjustments to the content to add clarity, but I didn't add or condense the information. In looking at the guidelines for the newsfeed portion of the website, I felt that my piece, while a bit long, met the criteria necessary. Because it is such an important issue currently in the field, I felt that it was important to describe it using examples. By providing statistics about state requirements and information relating to the capabilities of interpreters at each EIPA score level, the issue is better understood by other members of the education team. The issue could have been written with fewer examples and less explanation if the intended audience were just interpreters. However, since we needed to relate the issue to other members of the education team, further explanation seems valuable and justified. 

​

Through the process of creating this article for my newsfeed, I was stretched in my ability to not only attempt to present the information concisely but to make the decision about how to implement the feedback provided to me. Usually, I do my best to implement all feedback provided, but with the two pieces conflicting, I had to think about how I wanted to move forward. This made me rely on what I wanted to achieve with this post and I ultimately went with my gut for the final product. In writing about this topic, I was reminded of how important the issue is and was reinspired to do what I can to not only become a qualified interpreter myself, but also spread awareness about the issue to others in the field. I look forward to continuing to keep up with this issue through furthering my research. For the next newsfeed post, I am going to focus on pushing myself even further to provide quality information concisely. 

​

Spring 2025 Reflection: It is interesting to look back at my reflection from the fall semester because I had the same challenges in creating the two artifacts that were added this semester. Being concise in my work, both in written and spoken English, has always been difficult for me. In writing the second newsfeed about the potential dismantling of the Department of Education, I was particularly worried about leaving my bias out of my writing. This is a topic that I feel very strongly about, and I felt like I really had to almost overexplain the examples that I used. In posting the newsfeed on this page, I tried to cut it down in length, but I struggled because it all felt important. Eventually, I decided to post it even though it was longer than the rubric called for. Because it is such an important topic, I wanted to provide a piece that felt complete. Overall, this topic allowed me to face some of my fears around the proposed changes by the current administration by looking for the facts. It reminded me of the importance of looking at the facts, forming opinions for myself, and approaching my life as an informed practitioner and citizen. In writing this newsfeed, I found myself feeling really passionate about policy and how future changes could impact the Deaf community and the interpreting profession. I'm not sure how this will manifest in the future, but in the meantime, I will look for opportunities to be a strong ally to the Deaf community, especially when it comes to policy and legislation.  

​

In creating the spoken English newsfeed, I had a little bit of an easier time keeping my information condensed. My main difficulty with creating the spoken English newsfeed was trying to make sure that everything I was saying made sense. When I do things like present or speak in front of people, I've never been one to write out a full script. I usually make a few notes for myself, but then I give my presentation, and based on the audience's reaction, I adjust to make sure that it is understood. I look for nods or looks of confusion to let me know how the information is landing. When I was filming the newsfeed, there was no one to interact with to see if what I was saying made sense. In the end, I just had to do my best to communicate clearly and accept that if it made sense to me but not others, I would get that feedback after turning the assignment in. Overall, it seemed to go over well, but it reminded me that sometimes in interpreting, I won't have visual cues from consumers to see if they understand me. In the classroom, I may be interpreting while the student is choosing to look away or do something else, or they might not be someone who gives a lot of visual feedback. This means that I will need to work on putting my trust in myself to present information as clearly as possible and know that if I am not being clear, I have the skills and tools to work with others to adjust or clarify the way I am presenting information. I think that the underlying feeling when I experienced making this spoken English newsfeed was rooted in my perfectionism. I wanted to say everything as perfectly as possible the first time so people wouldn't see me make mistakes or I wouldn't embarrass myself. Miscommunications happen and are part of being human, so I will have to work on being alright with making mistakes and repairing them as I need to.