Weekly Report #31

I have been practicing my 20 second "thank you" statement which I will give in front of the entire auditorium, like a religion. I have printed it out and taped it to my restroom mirror, fridge, and car steering wheel so I practice it at least 15 times a day. I really want to nail it. In fact, I might be more nervous about giving that 20 second speech than about giving my 30 minute speech. Actually, who am I kidding? I am just nervous about the whole night. :)

MY PRODUCT IS FINISHED!!!! I met with Thomas on Wednesday night and had him download the app on my iPhone, iPad, and my mom’s iPhone.  Unfortunately, the app will not be ready for the app store in time for FPN. Having the app on three devices will allow the audience to pass them around and view my work, during the presentation.

This whole week has been repetition, upon repetition, upon repetition of my speech. The nerves are starting to settle in and, I hate to admit it, but I already had 3 breakdowns. However, I found the more I workout the less energy I have to stress. I can't believe FPN is in five days. Where did the whole year go?

-Outside of the classroom I spent approximately 10 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #30

April 27th- May 4th

         I went to staples and ordered my printed programs. While I was at staples I put in an order for a cute little thank you present for Lance. I do not want to document what the present is on here because he reads these updates regularly. However, I will add a section after Final Presentation Night explaining what each item means and its significance. Also this week I created my door sign for my FPN room. I made my design quite simple because I think signs and posters should not overwhelm the viewers. 

         This week has been a week full of anticipation. The NFL draft was this past week and, like many others, I was watching. There were a total of 10 out of our 15 MJP athletes that got picked. Some of the athletes include, Ty Montgomery, Ameer Abdullah, Try Flowers, Darius Philon, Jarvis Harris, Kenny Bell, Hauoli Kakaha, Breshad Perriman, and Tevin Mitchel. It was a VERY exciting weekend because this time, I wasn’t just a person watching TV. I was watching and hoping "my" people would be picked. It was a totally different feeling. This upcoming week is that last week for us to plan for FPN. Final presentation night is less that 2 weeks away!

-Outside of the classroom I spent approximately 5 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #30

April 20th- April 27th

This week I finalized my invitations. I put each of them in an envelope and finished handing them out.  I have been very happy with the number of people who have sent me an RSVP.  Once the invitations were taken care of,  I met with Mrs. Lauck (Liberty’s Anatomy and Physiology teacher) before school on Monday morning.  We confirmed me previous email requesting to use her skeleton for display at FPN. Also on Monday morning, I went to Ms. Krug’s classroom and practiced my speech. My Wysong said it would be wise to “practice the speech in the room you will present in because it is much easier to adjust the lights and chairs to fit the room style”, as opposed to adjusting the room style to fit the background of the presentation.

I am happy to announce- I FINALLY finished taking notes from the external manual Lance gave me a few months ago. I re-wrote all my previous notes from the external manual and accumulated them into a nice notebook. I plan to have this notebook on display at my booth at FPN so people can see everything I have learned in my internship experience at MJP.

-Outside of the classroom I spent approximately 10 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #29

April 13th- April 20th

         This week I submitted the last 15 minutes of my Final Presentation Speech. I also worked on my Final Presentation Night printed program. The FPN printed program is something I will hand out to try and promote people to come to my classroom. The program will also be outside of my classroom. The brochure will include my field of study, mentor information, an outline of the presentation, and an acknowledgment page.  

I am not very comfortable with the application Pages, but in order to create a unique brochure I needed a software to allow me to be creative. I played around with the formats in Pages and found it was much simpler than I originally thought.

Also this week, I used some of the MJP athletes as models for the exercises in my app. After the  photo shoot, I now know I do not have any desire to be a professional photographer.  Taking professional photos is difficult.  Too many details, too many variables. However, after several shots I got the pictures I needed.  I uploaded the shots and added them to an email which I then sent to Thomas for him to incorporate into the app.   Unfortunately, the email was 400mg and it failed to send. I tried to send many smaller emails, but that was taking too much time. Thomas suggested I create a dropbox and then upload my large file to and share it with him. Of course, since he is the tech wizard, he was right and it worked!  The app building process continues!

-Outside of the classroom I spent approximately 15 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #28

April 6th- April 13th

First, I created my invitation list. Mr. Wysong told us we needed to invite at least 20 people to ensure at least 10 people sit in our room during our presentation. Second, I sent out my “save the dates.”  Third, I created my invitations and sealed them. I decided to go with a very classic design. I chose to eliminate color and pictures from my invitation unlike many of my classmates. I plan on handing them out next week. 

After weeks of preparation, I finally submitted the first 15 minutes of my FPN speech.The assignment was to record ourselves giving a speech and then upload to youtube so our classmates could give us critiques. I plan to submit the last 15 minutes at the end of this upcoming week. I thought it would be impossible to talk for 30-40 minutes. Instead, I am having a difficulty narrowing down my information.

-Outside of the classroom I spent approximately 4 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #27

March 23rd- April 6th

This week I worked on preparing my ISM portfolio for Lance. I submitted it to him and he plans to return it to me this upcoming Friday. Also this week I began working on my final presentation. I worked on the outline but then realized the majority of what I plan to present on Final Presentation Night is basically a combination of all my previous speeches. I plan to use my information from my Original Work Speech and my Research Speech along with my Introduction Speech to form my final presentation speech.

I checked with Thomas about how the production of my app is going and he said everything is on track. There are only 39 days left until Final Presentation Night and I can already see how the stress is getting to my peers.  Before FPN I need to go in Mrs. Krugs room and practice presenting. I need to check and see how the lights work in the room and make sure everything is bright and clear. I want to rehearse as much as I can so I can really display my knowledge.

-Outside of the classroom I spent approximately 6 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #26

March 16th- March 23rd

    I am finally done with the research for my final product. I met with Thomas and he now has all the information to get the developement moving forward. I am glad I changed my product idea from creating a workout app to creating a tool for physical therapist. I am really looking forward to presenting this product.

    To really display how much research I have done with this product I think I will create another section, either in the app or on a written document. This new section will explain how and why each exercise is important. My biggest fear is to present my product and someone to say “oh.. that's it?” My final product is something that seems incredibly simple, however, has required a lot of research and consulting with therapists.  

    This week I plan to research successful presentation techniques to incorporate in my final presentation speech. Maybe incorporating humor, questions, and stories will be a good way to keep the audience engaged.

-Outside of the classroom, I spend approximately 14 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #25

March 16th- March 23rd

This week I rearranged and updated my portfolio. It was challenging because being the perfectionist I am I had to make sure everything matched up with my previous fonts and formats. I also helped a couple classmates with planning volunteer hours. Many of the ISM students are in National Honor Society with me and our volunteer hours are due in a month. I figured we should all do them together.  On a side note, I think it’s crazy that Final Presentation night is in 2 months! That means our final product is due in only 2 short months. I never thought a year wouldn’t be enough time for a project. It absolutely blows my mind. Where has the time gone?

This weekend was also Liberty High Schools prom. Prom was a lot of fun. Instead of going with my usual volleyball group, I went with a lot of my ISM friends. At the beginning of the year, I honestly wasn't anticipating becoming so close with our class. I am extremely happy the friendships created in ISM are ones that will last.
-I spend approximately 3 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #24

March 2nd- March 16th

        This week I did  a lot of research for my final product. Currently, I am still working on a contract for Thomas and I to sign. We negotiated that it is fair for him to have 25% of the company. I had never done any research into a professional contract before. It is much more complex than what I imagined. Many people have advised me to have it looked over by a lawyer and make it official.
        Although I have had my product idea for a few weeks now, I have finally compiled a professional product proposal. I have included the different body parts and which exercises to add for each specific anatomical piece.
        I  did a lot of research trying to understand the different parts of the body.  However, I need to further my education with the pelvis, wrist, and neck to make the app. Yet, in my 5 months at the MJP center, I have not once seen any of those three injuries- therefore I have not seen any of those rehab exercises. Knee and shoulder injuries are very common.  I see at least two of each of these a day.  Some knee and shoulder injuries are much easier to come up with for exercises than other are. 
-I spend approximately 5 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #23

February 23rd- March 2nd

On Monday and Tuesday of last week Frisco Independent School district canceled school. It was really nice to have a 4 day weekend. I definitely got a bunch of work done. On Thursday, I presented my final product to Lance. He said it was a great idea, however, he thought it seemed very difficult- even after I simplified it. Apparently the complexity of the product will cause a high risk for possible software developmental issues. He said, for apps, “the simpler the better.” We talked about better product ideas and he said he hates how physical therapists have to write out therapeutic exercises for their clients on a piece of paper. Instead of having to find a pen and paper to write the exercises for their clients, there should be a simpler way to do it.  I will create an app for physical therapist to use to remind and force their clients to do their exercises. The PT will use this app to mark the exercises they want their client to do at home. There will also be a section where the PT can record the client for 15 seconds while they are performing their own, unique exercise and add it to their routine. I decided that the cost for the app will be $1.99. I think Thomas will be will be relieved because this app should be much easier to develop.
-I spend approximately 5 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #22

February 16th- February 23rd

          This week I finally figured out what I will be doing for my final product.  I decided to create an app. I have a long term plan to create a really complex application. However, given the amount of time to complete this project, approximately 3 months, it is unrealistic to accomplish. The huge application is composed of 3 parts:  personal training, weights, and nutrition. For my final product, I will create one section of the huge application.  The section I have chosen to create is personal training. I have drawn out how I want the app to look. Unfortunately, I do not have an technology or programming background.  I have asked Thomas Wheeler, a computer science genius who is also a senior at Liberty to help with with the technical part of the app.

          Also this week I went to a career fair at the American Airlines Center. I met a lot of professional sports team representatives including the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. This event reminded me of our business symposium, however, at our business symposium I was competing with all the ISM high school students and at this event I was the youngest person in the pool of candidates. Everyone was a professional at interviews, which was intimidating, but once I introduced myself to the first candidate my nerves were gone and I was much more confident. I learned a lot while watching the other people talk to sport team representatives such as how to come across confident, laugh and smile appropriately, and how to keep the conversation going even when someone wants to move onto the next person. Overall, the event was success and a huge opportunity for me to attend. 
-I spend approximately 6 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #21

February 9th- February 16th
         I spent this past week practicing and perfecting my speech. I am currently in the process of uploading it to youtube. Some of the things I thought I improved on from my last speech are listed below.

Personal Critiques for speech--

          1. I feel like I could have done a better job with my flow. There were a couple of times when I  spoke too fast and there were times when I spoke too slow.
         2.  I thought my movement throughout the presentation was good. One critique, I caught myself standing in front of the slides. It was difficult to find a balance between stopping and moving. Unfortunately, when I was moving back and forth I found myself pacing too much.
         3. I feel like I did a much better job in preparing for my speech. In my previous speeches, I did not rehearse enough, but in this speech I practiced at least 20 times.

          Outside of the speech, I worked on planning for my final product. Lance has been out of town for a few weeks, and I was unable to plan my product with him. I have compiled a list of 25 product ideas. Lance and I will discuss which product is the best and I'll get his advice on how to write it up.  

-I spend approximately 20 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #20

February 1st- February 8th

This past week Mr. Wysong uploaded the link for the available time slots for our speeches. I plan to give my 20 minute speech on Wednesday, February 11th. Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time practicing my speech. There are over 20 slides and a total of 8 different subjects. The subject I spend the most time on is my original work. The percentages for our speech should be 50% about original work, 25% about experiences, and the last 25% should be a composition of the introduction, conclusion, and my smart goals. At first when Mr. Wysong told us we had to share with the class our smart goals, I was really uncomfortable with the idea because they are personal. I decided to change my goals a little bit to fit in the presentation scheme.  

            This past weekend I also brainstormed Final Product ideas. I want to do something that could better my field of study. Maybe an organized day teaching elementary school children about physical therapy. Maybe I could create a cool piece of equipment. Or maybe I could use the Nike research lab located in the Michael Johnson Performance Center to analyze professional athletes while they run and jump. I am still in the brainstorming phase, but I know I need to kick it into gear.

-I spent approximately 12 Hours on ISM work this week

Weekly Report #19

January 26th- February 2nd


           On Friday our original work was due. After writing 18 pages including text and graphics, I am happy to report my time working on the original work has concluded.
           This week I spent a lot of time learning how to properly execute manual therapy techniques. I am beginning to learn how to use the tools and materials to successfully help an injured athlete return to his/ her normal routines.
             Since the original work is turned in, I am now required to present a 20 minute speech explaining my process and outcome. With that being said, the students have not signed up for a specific time slot to present. I plan to have a outline ready by Monday morning so I am prepared if Mr. Wysong calls me up to present. In the upcoming speech, I plan to engage the audience by asking them questions. In my last speech, which were only 10 minutes long, I felt as if the audience was losing interest as I spoke. In order the do a great job at Final Presentation Night, I need to focus on the entertaining and engaging aspect of my speeches.

- I spent approximately 7 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #18

January 19th- January 26th


           This weekend I finished compiling all the data for my original work. On Saturday, I spent the day analyzing my information and concluded the surface on which athletes trained. Instead, I found a correlation between the repetitive movement required of the sport and the injury that occurred the most.  For example, baseball athletes have shoulder and elbow injuries because those are the two parts of the body they use the most. Baseball athletes use their shoulders to pitch and swing at the ball.  The overuse in this area causes a higher probability for injury in the shoulder and elbow joint.  I collected my data by asking Mrs. McDowell, one of the athletic supervisors for the Frisco Independent School District, to send out my original work survey to all the FISD coaches. Prior to  sending out my survey, I was worried I would not receive enough responses. With the help of Mrs. McDowell, I got 59 replies within the first 24 hours!  In total I received 98 responses with 51 responses being from coaches of male sports and 49 from female sport coaches.
            Every Thursday, Lance has a meeting with the interns and explains a topic of the week. These topics include speed, maximum velocity, and change of direction.  For my future evidence of learnings I will write about what I learned at each meeting.


-I spent approximately 12 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #17

January 12th- January 19th 

         It is crazy how fast time is flying by my senior year!  This week, Mr. Wysong had a meeting with each of the ISM students. We discussed our progress in the class and established a plan to ensure our success for the spring semester. 

I am extremely happy to report I completed my Original Work survey, which will be sent out to all the coaches in FISD on Tuesday, January 20th. I hope to have the results from the survey by Tuesday, January 27 because the entire Original Work is due on the 30th.   January 30th will be here in no time at all. 

The deadline to find a mentor has passed.  Now that everyone has a mentor, Mr. Wysong has asked everyone to get his or her mentors background information. This is just to ensure the safety of the students. This week I also began brainstorming for my Final Product. I want to create something to be remembered and I am having a hard time coming up with something intriguing enough to capture the attention of the attendees. 

-I spend approximately 4 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #16

January 5th- January 12th

             After a very refreshing winter break, it is so good to be back in the classroom at work. With the beginning of the new year, Michael Johnson is now hosting NFL Combine Athletes. It is interesting to working with these elite athletes because the way they perform in their training sessions is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. Their passion, determination, and drive to perform at their absolute highest potential is evident in all aspects of their workout.

             This week, I created a list of SMART goals. “SMART” is an abbreviation for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. I made a list of three for short terms goals, three middle term goals, and three long term goals. The short term goals are for the last semester in high school, the middle goals are for college life, and the long term goals are for post college.

             Beyond creating my SMART goals I also began my original work. My original work is going to consist of a survey I send out to all the coaches in the FISD school district. The purpose of the survey is to compare different injuries that happen in different sports. I want to see if the surface an athlete trains and competes is directly related to the injuries they can endure in their sport.
-I spent approximately 6 Hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #15

 December 15th- December 22nd

           This past Tuesday all students in the FISD Independent Study Mentorship program participated in the annual Business Symposium at Heritage High School.  Mr. Wysong was pleased to announce on Thursday how proud he was of the Liberty program as a whole. He said he received numerous compliments commending the students on their outstanding progress.
          I had a blast at symposium. My table included two skeletons, exercise equipment, dry needling needles, protein bars, flyers, an ipad with a slide show of information and, of course, my display board with lights. Luckily, I had help from many of my fellow classmates to help me set up and take down everything. Prior the the start of the event, I started to get very nervous and I started to doubt my knowledge. However, once the event got going and people started to come by to talk with me, I was in love with the atmosphere. I found I loved communicating with everyone and explaining my field of study. In a way, I felt like a sales person.   Maybe sales is another profession worth looking into!  With the conclusion of the Business Symposium the ISM students are finally able to relax for two weeks. 
-I spend approximately 7 Hours on ISM work this week.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!

Weekly Report #14

December 8th- December 15th

              This past weekend I had an incredible opportunity at the MJP center to observe a trigger point dry needling certification program. I spent a total of 22 hours this weekend learning about the art of dry needling the body parts most in need of this type of therapy.  Unfortunately, I was unable to practice penetrating the skin with needles as the professional therapist around me.  I was, however, able to volunteer as to be demonstrated on.
              Throughout the weekend, we were exposed to many different areas to dry needle. There are “no no” areas, as the instructor called it, which consisted of the thoracic cavity and the front of the neck. The reason the thoracic cavity is dangerous is because the thoracic cavity contains the most vital organs of the body, including the heart, lungs, and kidneys.  In order for dry needling to be effective it is unnecessary insert a mass of needles. For example, the face area only requires four needles. The two needles are inserted into the frontalis muscles and the temporalis muscles.
             I learned so much this weekend and am eager to present my knowledge at the Research Showcase.
- I spent approximately 25 hours on ISM work this week.

Weekly Report #13

December 1st- December 8th

           Thanksgiving was a much needed break. I caught up on all my work and was able to work ahead to minimize future stress. This week I worked on my Research Showcase display board. Usually, the board for Research Showcase is the board for Final Presentation Night. I came to the realization that I will need to create a new board for Final Presentation Night because I want to incorporate a collage of the NFL combine athletes along with an explanation of my Final Product. Due to the fact the NFL athletes will not be at MJP until January 1st, and Research Showcase is on December 16th it makes it impossible to take those pictures before Research Showcase.

           Before I glued down all the parts for my board, I took a picture of it and brought it to class for peer edits.  I am thankful we did this exercise because, foolishly, I forgot to center my title. Mr. Wysong suggested I add a visual to my poster board. I am hesitant on this idea because I plan to bring a full scale skeleton and do not want my display to be overwhelming.  

- I spent approximately 7 hours on ISM work this week.