The list of artifacts that demonstrate my analytical and integrative thinking are a combination of papers and projects from several different courses and one independent project.  All the products incorporate different element from several different courses of the Ph.D. program. 

    Before EDSE 844: Current Issues in Special Education, I did not understand the purpose of synthesizing research until I completed the second synthesis paper for the class.  The entire course, but especially this paper, helped me understand the purpose of how to analyze, integrate, and synthesize research data into a concise focused paper.

    In EDSE 843: Leadership in Special Education Administration, the reframing case study helped me to analyze and assess positive and negative traits of leadership models in education and business.  Through this process I was able to integrate Bolman and Deal’s Four Frames and Fullan’s leadership principals into real-life situations to produce better out comes.

     I believe both of these classes helped me develop stronger manuscripts that demonstrate the ability to analyze and integrate my thinking. 

     In my manuscript titled, Prove Them Wrong: Be There for Secondary Students with Emotional or Behavioral Disabilities, I analyze how students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD) act in school, and I integrate different communication and teaching concepts that may help teachers develop trusting relationships with students and parents to help the student be successful in school.  This manuscript has been accepted by TEACHING Exceptional Children for publication.  Content from this manuscript was also presented at the 32nd International Conference on Learning Disabilities in October 2010.

     In EDUC 802, I was tasked to write a book review as an assignment and consider submitting the review for publication.  I completed the book review on Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People’s Minds by Howard Garner.  Throughout the book Garner provides evidence and strategies on how to influence individuals and groups of people to change their minds.  He incorporates his findings on multiple intelligences and how these theories help influence a person to change their mind.  In the manuscript I submitted for publication, I analyze how special education teachers can use the concepts from Garner’s book to better communicate with students, co-workers, and parents.  I also integrate many of Gardner’s multiple intelligences concepts in everyday practices teachers could use in the classroom.  This manuscript has been submitted to the American Secondary Education Journal and is still in the review process.

     The leadership case study manuscript, Teacher to Administrator: Is it a Good Idea?, analyzes a real-life scenario of a special education teacher in a therapeutic school being prompted to a leadership position and the effect it had on the staff.  The manuscript integrates many leadership theories that could be used as a teaching tool for future leadership classes.  The manuscript was submitted to the Journal of Cases in Education Leadership (JCEL) and rejected with a revise and resubmit.  Overall, the comments from JCEL were positive.  They believe that the case study lacked theoretical and conceptual depth, and needed to include a stronger literature connection.  I asked Dr. Baker to join me in revising the manuscript based on her expertise in educational leadership.  She has agreed to join me as co-author when the manuscript is resubmitted for a second review.