One of the reasons that I wanted a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) position during my Ph.D. program is because I wanted to learn the art of research. Throughout my Masters degree I never really engaged in full fledge research. I had a couple of projects where I needed to collect data and develop a literature review. But, I never had to analyze the data and present the information in a research based format. The research skills learned in the Masters program were more for collecting data in the classroom in order to help a teacher make decisions.

In the classroom I often collect data for Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBA), for Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP), or for Individual Education Plans (IEP). The data from these findings were always used to modify or change the plans listed above for that individual student. The data was never used to make generalizations about a population or to influence a strategy or program. Therefore, I felt the GRA position would help me learn the skills needed to conduct authentic research.

My current research experience is limited to what I have learned over the course of the past year in the Ph.D. program. I elaborate more about my experience in the Research Competencies section of my portfolio. I anticipate having a list of active research endeavors under this section during my second portfolio meeting.