Exercise 5.6- Another Dialouge with Dave

In this exercise, Ballenger encourages the reader (me) to have another conversation with Dave who I used in another exercise to see what questions would be asked in my paper. The following are questions that Ballenger provides in the voice of Dave in order for me to assess if I answered all of those questions in my paper and with my research.


Dave:
1.) "Hey you, I think you can't really say that one opinion is better than another one. Don't you agree?"


Me:
1.) I agree with this statement in some instances but in the context of my particular topic, I think that an opinion lies in one's political stance which is involved with a person's morals. I find that the issues that I did my paper on (discrimination and aging out of the foster care Program) are more about right and wrong and advocacy. There may be differing opinions on this topic, but they all tend to be under the common opinion that what I am proposing is morally right.


Dave:
2.) "There's all this stuff in the book about research as a process of discovery. What did you discover?"


Me:
2.) I discovered that there was a lot more work and "digging deeper" that is involved in the research process. I also discovered that it is much easier to assemble a paper when I have evaluated all of my sources and taken sufficient notes on my topic before writing my actual paper


Dave:
3.) "What do you figure was the most challenging problem you had to solve while working on this research project? How did you solve it?"

Me:
3.) The hardest part for me was deciding on a specific issues to focus on in my topic. I had to make sure that I had a decent amount of research on the issues that I chose in order to write about it intelligently. I switched issues about half way through the process because my research was not leading me as deep as I wanted to go on the issues that I chose. So, for me, choosing topics was the hardest thing to do and solidify for my paper because there are so many issues in Foster Care that I could focus my paper on.


Dave:
4.) "After all this work, what do you take away from this experience? What have you learned that you can use?"


4.) I have taken quite a bit of knowledge from this experience that I can take with me into the social work field. This experience had built up awareness in my own perspective as well as the perspective of my readers. It was interesting for me to discover that there is a way for me to fix some of the problems that I discussed in my paper once I become a social worker.

Exercise 5.3

Before completing the exercise, were you a skeptic or believer that disassembling your essay (as described in Ex. 5.3) would be beneficial?

How did you feel about disassembling your essay? Nervous? Excited? Ambivalent? Worried? Determined?

What was the outcome of completing this exercise? Did your essay survive mostly in-tact? Did you discover significant changes are needed? Did you have more paragraphs in your "Keep" or in your "Discard" pile? Did you realize a new way to organize your paragraphs?

Overall, what did you learn from this exercise?

The above questions are refection questions that my professor is having me ask myself in regards to the activity we did in class today. We cut apart out paper into paragraphs and take out the ones that are not directly related to my thesis statement. This helps in narrowing down the paragraphs that are good for my paper and the one's that are wordy or unnecessary.

1.) I have to admit that I was slightly nervous about cutting up my paper because I do not like taking paragraphs out of my paper because it is removing work that I already did. It just made me feel like I was taking apart what I just assembled. However, I realize that this exercise was helpful in making my paper more effective and to the point.


2.) My essay survived mostly in tact except for the occasional sentence structure, long quote and parts of paragraphs. I realized that I need to be more specific in my word choices when it comes to using pronouns. I had more paragraphs in my "keep" pile because my paper took a more direct route as I was writing it. I realized that I do not need a quote in every paragraph to be effective in what I am saying.


3.) Overall, I learned that this exercise can be helpful for any paper and is good to practice with other classes. I also learned that it is important to focus on my thesis statement in order to be effective and impactful in my writing.

Wrestling with the Draft...

In this exercise I will be figuring out what kind of writing dominates my paper thus far. I will do this by highlighting the words/phrases that are facts, quotes and statistics with one color and highlighting the parts in which I am a more active writer with another color. I have copy and posted 3 pages of my paper with these annotations and markups below. (blue represent facts while yellow represents my own thoughts)

    In almost every Foster Care Agency that there is, one can visit and hear the news of a success story from a social worker and how a child found a home and is living in harmony with the family that adopted them. These stories are true and wonderful when they become reality for a foster child. However, not all situations in foster care come out successful. In fact, the ones that you are not privy to are the ones that need the most attention. Foster care is a beneficial program that finds suitable homes for children who are either orphaned, have unsuitable parents by state standards, or have norelatives that are willing to take them in if their parents are out of the picture or struggle with addiction, etc. These are the kids who need the help of the foster care agencies in their area and the help of ordinary community people to help them get back on their feet. When kids age out of the program at age 18, they have nowhere to turn accept for gangs or jobs like drug dealing because there are not many options for a child who was in and out of homes throughout their life and may even have a criminal record due to how they reacted in certain home situations. These kids need an outreach and a way to move up in life. Providing odd jobs in janitor positions, gas station workers, and maintenance jobs can get them out of the streets and into an established job and source of income. These are kids who need a job, don't require training or high pay. They just need a way to survive in society and a job provides the first stepping stone to a comfortable life. In the debate over what issues there are in foster care and how they can be prevented, I am persuaded that most important thing to do is go right to the source. When I say source, I am referring to a foster child's desires and opinions and a social worker's opinions on the topic seeing as both of these parties have experience with the system and know the pros and cons of the Foster Care Program.

       For some individuals who age out of the foster care program, it can be an extremely shaky transition. “When a foster youth turns 18, he or she suddenly goes from being part of “the system” to being on his or her own. This transition can be rough” (Getz). When Getz says that this transition can be “rough,” she is referring to the difficulty these youth face in getting a job, not landing themselves in a gang, locating resources and finding a way to get involved in the community in a positive way rather than with a negative approach to society. “The issue [of aging out] needs to be addressed earlier on so that the foster child can start to prepare,” Washington says. “Otherwise, when the child turns 18, they may come home from school and their foster mother might tell them, without the funding, they can’t stay there any longer. They haven’t been prepared for the aging out process and suddenly that security blanket is gone. What do they do? Many might turn to drugs or to the street. What do you do when suddenly you’re lost in the atmosphere feeling like nobody cares about you or your well-being any longer” (Getz)? The question that Washington is raising in her conversation with Getz is one of the many potential road blocks that face today’s foster care youth. With the possibility of not being able to stay in the program and essentially getting to old for it looming over these youth’s heads, there is often premise for fear and worry. If they are not adopted by the time they reach 18 years of age, they need to have the necessary life skills to live on their own and be successful.

            The issue remains of what sort of futures these youth that are aging out of the system have to look forward to. “The need for a smooth transition out of the foster care system was a key point…” (Getz) As Getz suggests in her article, there needs to be a way for kids to smoothly transition from the foster system (if they are not adopted by age 18) to the life that awaits them outside of government care. Most often, these are kids that need a job, a place to live and someone who can direct them to resources like the church and perhaps social services that are willing to help a youth that is on the street to make a better life for themselves. Most of these kids are not even sure how to navigate the Medicaid system (Getz) which is their only option for health insurance at the time they are released from the program. It can be incredibly hard for the youth to locate and use the services that are established for them through the government and private agencies because they are not equipped with the knowledge of these programs upon leaving the system. “We have had a number of students who grew up in the foster care system start to put the pressure on the rest of us to give this issue some much-needed attention” (Getz). If the youth are telling society that this is a problem, why are we not trying to find a solution for it?

            Well, there are a few solutions for the lost feeling youth have upon leaving the foster care system. They have the ability to consult with a social worker on the issue and that social worker can try and equip them with the knowledge of services and outlets that will help them to establish themselves in the world. Also, there are sometimes classes that are offered at Christian agencies which are free and teach the youth who are about to leave the system, some life skills like cooking, financing and where to find help or resources when they are needed. However, even the solutions that are already in place need tweaking and not enough people know about the issue in order to do anything about it yet. Getz addresses the problem by saying: “We need to get this issue to the public. Bring in the youths that have aged out of foster care and let them continue to voice their concerns” (Getz). She makes a valid point here by saying implying that the foster care system is in place for children without homes and that is what it’s focus should be at all times. Rather than creating age stipulations and qualifications, we should be trying to solve he societal issue of orphaned children and poor family situations.

**I definitely see more yellow (my personal thoughts) in the first 3 pages of my paper. I think this is good, but it can also be a detriment to me if I continue to use only my thoughts. I have other sources that I have not even tapped into yet so clearly this paper needs revising. This is a starting place though and now I can see that I should possibly be including more quotations. The introductory paragraph needs sources as well. I noticed that I went all out on that paragraph and did not reference my sources at all. I will need to correct that as well. Other than my introductory paragraph, I see a fairly even balance between my incorporation of quotes and of my own ideas. As I continue to write, I will need to remember that there should only be 20% quotes throughout my paper. I may need to get wiser on how I use them and integrate them into my work. **

Exercise 4.3: How do I start?

In the following exercise, Ballenger outlines directions on how to start a research paper and I have used hie templates and advice to create my own introductions. Each introduction (3) will be appeal to a different audience. I will type up 3 possible introductions, figure out which one I like the best and which audience is the most appropriate for my paper and then I will be asking myself a few questions like, "what is the paper about?" and "What is the central focus of the paper?" These questions will be answered in my head and then I select and perhaps modify the best opening that I wrote.

1.) First Audience: Executive of a large Company in the Suburbs: In almost every Foster Care Agency that there is, one can visit and hear the news of a success story from a social worker and how a child found a home and is living in harmony with the family that adopted them. These stories are true and wonderful when they become reality for a foster child. However, not all situations in foster care come out successful. In fact, the ones that you are not privy to are the ones that need the most attention. Foster care is a beneficial program that finds suitable homes for children who are either orphaned, have unsuitable parents by state standards, or have no relatives that are willing to take them in if their parents are out of the picture or struggle with addiction,etc. These are the kids who need the help of the foster care agencies in their area and the help of ordinary community people to help them get back on their feet. When kids age out of the program at age 18, they have no where to turn accept for gangs or jobs like drug dealing because there are not many options for a child who was in and out of homes throughout their life and may even have a criminal record due to how they reacted in certain home situations. These kids need an outreach and a way to move up in life. Providing odd jobs in janitor positions, gas station workers, maintenance jobs can get them out of the streets and into an established job and source of income. These are kids who need a job, don't require training or high pay. They just need a way to survive in society and a job provides the first stepping stone to a comfortable life.

2.) Second Audience: Local Church Family: Throughout this community, there are people who need to be reached by Christ's love. There are thousands of children who are looking for a home, getting too old to find a home and being separated from their siblings who deserve the same love that we get through Christ. All these children need, is a way to find hope and joy in a situation and the news of Christ can open up that door for them. There are teenagers who are aging out of the foster care program that face a future of potential gang affiliation, drug dealing and homelessness if they are not looked after and provided for. As a church, you can start a program or fund that helps 18 year old teenagers that aged out of foster care to find a job, find a home and find resources that will benefit them in the long run. You could offer cooking classes and financing classes that are free to these kids so that they know what to do next in the new life that they have. There is also an opportunity to start and after school program for kids in foster care so that they can meet up with their biological siblings and learn about God at the same time. This is a great way to interact with the children in this community who are not  involved in anything fun to get involved in fun activities.

3.) Third Audience: High School Youth Group: As high school students, it can be so easy to focus on yourself and preparing for future education or a job that you are interested on after high school. However, some high school students are not able to even think about that because their main concerns involve finding a home, a place to find food and not being kicked out of a gang. There are also younger kids who have been to so many different foster homes that they no longer want a family because they feel like they are inadequate or are not lovable. This is a common thought process of a kid in foster care in their younger years and that eventually grown once they reach their teens. These children need a haven. They deserve a place where they can find love, friends, acceptance, and help. As a youth group, you could start an after school program for these kids that provides tutoring service that are free, a snack, games and a time to get to know other kids in the system as well as a local church that they could hook into. There are endless opportunities for these kids if they are provided with the right resources. You can be that resource.These kids need help and support. What better way to provide them with it, than by you offering it to them?

The opening that I liked the best was my first one because I want to focus my paper on an audience of business people that might be willing to make a difference in the lives of troubled teens who deserve a chance. For my actual essay, I may tweak my opening so that it incorporates my thesis statement more, but this exercise provided me with a great place to start with my essay.

Exercise 4.2- Sharpening my Point

This exercise is used as an effort to understand and write down what exactly I know as of right now about my topic and how I will form that into a thesis statement. In Ballenger's book, there are templates that are available for me to use in constructing my thesis statement. Below is a representation of what kind of thesis I have so far and what I have gotten from my research:


I have opted to form my thesis around a question of policy---


In the debate over what issues there are in foster care and how they can be prevented, I am persuaded that most important thing to do is go right to the source. When I say source, I am referring to a foster child's desires and opinions and a social worker's opinions on the topic seeing as both of these parties have experience with the system and know the pros and cons of the Foster Care Program.


This is an attempt at representing what I know so far about my topic and the question/argument that I tend to answer and be a part of. Obviously it is not as specific as my previous posts about my topic, but it is not meant to be. The purpose of this statement is to show that I have a direction for my paper and intend on addressing the issues that I found in my research on Foster Care.

Exercise 4.1 Dialogue With Dave

In this exercise, I was instructed to carry on a conversation with Dave, who poses as a fictional character that is asking questions about my paper and why it is important. This is supposed to help me answer the questions that people may have after hearing my topic and looking at my research.


Dave: What's the big deal; why should I care?
Me: In today's society, people go about their lives doing what they want and are generally looking out for themselves. A topic like Foster Care shifts their focus from only being concerned about themselves to looking at the need around then and potentially doing something about it. There are children without families who suffer from emotional and physical damage. These children deserve a future just as much as any other kid does. Raising an awareness to their plight can bring attention to the issues within the system and perhaps motivate people to do something about it.


Dave: What kinds of problems are they facing specifically?
Me: As I researched the topic, I found many problems within the system and within the lives of the kids who went through (or are still in) the foster care program. One problem was the splitting up of sibling groups into different foster homes. Kids tend to become hostile and afraid if they are separated from the only thing that they have known for most of their lives. Siblings provide a sense of protection, belonging and comfort to one another. These foster kids are also facing the issue of aging out of the program because once they reach 18 years old and were not placed with a family or didn't stay with a family, they are considered adults and sent out of the agency with a small amount of money from the government and left to fend for themselves. This can lead to the kids joining gangs and getting involved in criminal activity because they find a sense of belonging/family in a gang. Theses are only two of the many problems that the foster care system had right now.


Dave: What kind of solutions are you posing for these issues?
Me: I hoped to come across solutions in my research and sometimes I did find information and sources on certain issues, but I came to my own conclusion after thinking about the problems. As far as keeping siblings together in foster care, I think that it is a matter of telling foster parents that they can either take all of the children in the sibling group or none. (This will depend on the child's preference and what their case worker knows is the best set up for the family) All parents looking to adopt out of foster care already know that there is a potential for them to get more than one child in their home if there are siblings involved, so this transition would hopefully be a smooth one. This type of change could reduce separation anxiety and help kids adapt to their new homes more efficiently. When it comes to aging out, I think that the 18 yearn olds who are aging out of the program should be given assistance to find a job, a suitable living area (shelter, cheap apartment, etc.) and are referred to the proper agencies that are around for kids like them that need financial assistance and spiritual guidance. These kids leave with nothing but about $200 from the government to live off of. If they are provided with a source of income (job), a place to live, access to food (food stamps and local soup kitchens or food pantries) and a church family or local counseling group, they would have a better chance at avoiding crime and gang affiliation because they have what they need and don't need to seek it a group of people that will land them in trouble.


Dave: What's your point?
Me: The foster care system that we use here in the Unites States is helpful in finding homes for children and establishes families and safety for children who are in a threatening situation. We need programs like this in order for society to survive. However, as many organizations that include government and tax dollars, it can be more about the money involved and is a flawed system. My point is that we need o fix the foster care system so that children have a better chance in life regardless of where they came from. By building awareness on this topic, people may try and help fix the issues that we face with the foster care program and hence, better the lives of many needy children.

Annotated Bibliography...

Blog Post #5: Writing in the Middle
In this exercise, I am going to locate 5 credible sources (3 of which are biblical sources) that pertain to the conversation on Foster Care problems in society. The three steps that are included in this post are required for a part of my annotates bibliography. A CRAAP analysis helps me to decide whether or not the source that I chose is truly reliable and scholarly. This exercise will show whether or not I have picked good sources and am ready to continue with my paper.




1.) The sources that I chose are listed below. I sorted through about 13 sources in order to figure out which ones I really wanted to include in my essay. The ones listed below were the ones that I decided were the most reliable and included the most information that pertains to my topic.




2.) the following citations are the 5 sources that I picked to do a CRAAP analysis on for my research paper.

Works Cited

Brachear, Manya A. Editorial. Chicago Tribune [Chicago] 2 Mar. 2011: n. pag. State Probes Religious Foster Care Agencies over Discrimination. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-03-02/news/ct-met-gay-foster-care-20110301_1_care-and-adoption-catholic-charities-parents>.

Fong, Rowena, and Cynthia Franklin. The Church Leader's Counseling Resource Book : A Guide to Mental Health and Social Problems. New York: Oxford University, 2011. Print. ebook from EBSCO

Getz, Lindsay. "Aging out of Foster Care." Social Work Today 2 Nov. 2011: 12. Print.

Johnson, Fern L. "Transracial Foster Care and Adoption: Issues and Realities." New England Journal of Public Policy 25.1 (2013): 1-14. Print.

Tilak, Pradeep. "Adoption and Foster Care: Biblical Guidance." Editorial. Examiner. Worcester Biblical Study Examiner, 5 Oct. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. <http://www.examiner.com/article/adoption-and-foster-care-biblical-guidance>.

3.) Below are the CRAAP analyses that I wrote up for each of my sources in order to be sure that they are reliable.


Chicago Tribune Article on Foster Care CRAAP analysis: This article is a credible source because it has an author, a reliable publisher and it relates to my topic. The author's credentials include the fact that she writes for the Chicago Tribune and has written other articles that were published by them on significant social issues. Date-wise, this publication is important to include because it is recent and was published in 2011. The author's main goal in this article is to inform the reader on the problem of gay marriage and foster care. The author explains how certain religious foster care agencies are not allowing gay couple to adopt through their services because it contradicts the mission and rules of the agency and of the Bible. The publishing source for this article generally targets an audience of political news paper readers. Most people looking to read this article are looking at political issues in the religious realm of social problems. The audience would be interested in this probably id they are looking to see how the government is playing a role in private agencies that deal with foster care. The audience would probably agree with the author seeing as the author tends to argue in favor of the private agencies not being allowed to service straight couples only. A politically liberal crowd would most likely agree with the information being presented because that is where the argument lies on the political spectrum. There is evidence in the fact that the author addresses other sources, uses statistics and explains their point of view with the support of other experts. However, it is limited because the experts are mostly in favor of the argument so I will have to be careful when reading this so that I realize it may be biased. Based on my research and experiences, I find that allowing a gay couple to do foster care and adoption should not be forced at a private agency because there are rules that the agency sets foe itself in order to avoid situations like this that contradict the Bible. The government agencies can open up foster care and adoption to gay couples but I do not agree with the private agencies being forced to do so. I think it is important to include this article in my essay because it outlines a problem in the foster care system and makes my paper more neutral on the political spectrum when it comes to the issues that I am addressing. It is okay to not agree with every source that I use.




The Church Leader's Counseling Resource Book : A Guide to Mental Health and Social Problems CRAAP analysis: This book is a credible source because it is directly related to social problems and foster care issues and addresses them with a Christian perspective. The author's credentials include that fact that there are two of them and they were published at Oxford University. They are also authors of other works on this topic and are professors and experts on social problems and counseling. Date-wise this article is important to include because it was published in 2011 as well and that is relatively recent and within the last presidency. The authors' main reason or writing this is to make an awareness of social issues in counseling and foster care. The audience could be students, experts or simply an interested individual. The publishers generally target students because it was published at Oxford University. This audience would be interested most likely because they are studying these problems in their major and are looking to understand the field in which they may be working someday. Depending on the individual's political and religious standing, they may or may not agree with the text. However, there are some indisputable facts included in the text that are not biased to religion or politics. There are facts and other sources included which provides a significant amount of evidence. Based on my opinion and experiences, I found that I agreed with this book because they took a Christian view on the topic and presented problems in Foster Care and other social issues with truth and facts. I think this is important to include in my essay because it is a Christian sources that provides a biblical view of social problems and relates to my topic.




Aging out of Foster Care CRAAP Analysis: This article is a credible source for my research because I found it in a relevant source (Social Work Today Magazine) where the facts are checked and the research true. This is considered a primary source because it addresses the issue that I am writing about. Aging out of Foster Care is also written in 2011 and is not a biblical source but still focuses on a specific issue in foster care as of recent years. The author's main purpose was to inform the reader of the complications that go along with aging out of Foster Care. The publishing source targets an audience of mostly social workers and counselors who work closely with social workers. Social Workers would be interested in this article because it is a huge aspect of their job that they cannot control and wish would change. The readers would most likely agree with the author's stance based on the experience involved and the facts/statistics that are used throughout the text. However, this information is limited because it comes from a social worker stand point and could seem biased to an outsider. Based on my opinion, experiences and research, I found that I agreed with this author because their viewpoint on social justice issues are similar to mine and they see things from a social work perspective which I am learning to do as well. This article is important to include in my essay because even thought it may not be a biblical sources, it exhibits a specific issue that is prevalent in social work which is what I am trying to write my paper around.


"Transracial Foster Care and Adoption: Issues and Realities" CRAAP Analysis: This article is a credible source because it is in a Journal of Public Policy that addresses the government influence in the foster care system and the issues that are involved in the field of social work. The author's credentials are that she (Fern Johnson) is on faculty as a professor of English and community and culture at Clark University. The author's main goal is to outline the issues that are prevalent in Foster Care and adoption today. Date-wise, this article was written in 2013, so it is very recent and is current on the policies and issues that are ingrained in our culture. The publishing source targets students and social workers who are looking at issues that exist in the foster care system. Theses students and social workers would be interested in this article because it expresses what issues there are in the social system and how they can hopefully be solved. Students and social workers alike are always pining for answers like this because they are not often available. There is not much to agree or disagree with because the article is straight-forward in that it simply outlines the problems and shows what the reality looks like in transracial foster care and adoption. It targets one specific issue (transracial foster care) which is helpful for my essay so that I have another issue to address. The evidence that the author provides includes the statistics and experts referenced in the article. The information is limited because of the fact that is focuses solely on the transracial aspect of foster care and adoption so all of the facts and statistics are based off of that topic meaning that there is not a whole lot of variety involved in the research. Based on my experiences, opinions and research, I agree with this article and find it interesting because it involves research on one problem in foster care. This is good for my paper because it will give me focus and another issue to focus solely on in the content of my essay.


Adoption and Foster Care: Biblical Guidance CRAAP Analysis: This article is a credible source because it is biblical, has a listed author and a publication company that is reliable. Pradeep Tilak's credentials  include the fact that he is a Bible student and a doctoral candidate. He has written articles before and is aware of social issues. This article was written in 2011 as many of the other articles are that I am using for this essay. The main goal of this article is to promote foster care as a positive thing that aligns with scripture and biblical teaching. This will be good to include in my paper because I need a positive voice to counter some of my negative choices. The publishing source generally targets people who are deciding whether or not to be foster parents and any social workers who are looking to delve deeper into how foster care is perceived on a lighter note than usual. This would be interesting to potential foster parents and social workers because it promotes the positive aspects of foster care and involves truth as well as optimism. The audiences would most likely agree with the article because it is not showing any false information and is explaining that though there are flaws in the system, there is also good that can come of social systems like foster care. Tilak incorporates evidence from the state laws to biblical truths. It my be limited however, because Tilak is very biblical in his approach to the subject and does not support his argument with many other sources than the Bible. Based on my opinion, I agree with this article because my family has done foster care 3 times now and are trying to do it again this year. I find that foster care can be extremely rewarding both for a child and for potential parents. This article will enhance my paper because of the positive content that it holds and the fact that is so biblically inclined.


Above are my CRAAP Analyses for the 5 sources that I selected for my research paper on foster care. The CRAAP Analysis for each one outlines specific guidelines and standards that the article must live up to in order to pass as a good source for my paper. All of my sources passed the CRAAP analysis in my opinion and are ready to be incorporated into an essay.

Exercise 2.2: Academic Research on the Internet

In this exercise, I was instructed to follow 4 steps that would lead me to make a bibliography for my research paper and a few sources to start with.

1.) Keywords: Foster Care, Current Issues, Governmental problems, Aging out of the Program


2.) The next step to finding good academic sources in the internet was to use search engines that were listed in the book on page 83 (The Curious Researcher) and entering key words into the search engine in order to fins specific and general sources to help me with my research.  Here are the websites/sources that I came up with using Dogpile search engine after using the keywords "Issues in Foster Care:"
http://www.childrensrights.org/issues-resources/foster-care/facts-about-foster-care/ 
(Children's Rights)
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/siblingissues/index.cfm
(Child Welfare)


Here are the websites/sources that I came up with using "Current Problems in the Foster Care Program" as my keywords using the search.com web search.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/info/v1t00/foster-care-problems?Msid=|sgpYHhpXU_dc|&gclid=CNCtqfbKtr0CFafm7Aodu0UAwQ&xid=g_dlp-v1t00 (everyday health.com)
http://socialworktoday.com/archive/031912p12.shtml (Social Work Today)


3.) I added my findings to a citation bibliography in noodle tools where I was able to compile my sources and properly cite them.


4.) I then was instructed to print copies of other sources that I found interesting in order to do note taking. I was able to do this on other sources that I found through EBSCO Host and search engines that were on the LBC library website.


This exercise was intended to get me started on my citations and source accumulation.

Research Proposal...It all comes together

The following exercise focuses on my research proposal and what questions I will be answering in my research paper. I chose my topic after going through the steps of the last exercise that I posted to this blog and as I continue in the research process, I am aware that I am forming a thesis and a specific topic for my paper. The exercise that I am doing today will require 3 steps: An inquiry question, my primary purpose, and any prior beliefs or assumptions that I have about the topic.
Let's see where it takes me!


1.) Inquiry Question: What are the primary issues within the Foster Care Program today and how can we fix them?


2.) Primary Purposes: Explore: These are few more questions that I want to answer in my research because I find them important and relevant to my topic.  I realize that there are good things about it, but what can and maybe should be changed about how the system is run in order to boost the success rate of children ending up with "good" families rather than aging out of the program? How effective is it to tell a child they are too old for a family by setting n age limit and giving them $200 dollars to live off of? What are some ways that these problems can be solved within our society? What are people doing already to fix these issues?
Argue: What theory or hypothesis about my topic is being tested? What s my tentative main claim or thesis? The theory that the Foster Care System is not flawed and is placing a successful number of children into safe homes is the theory that is being tested. My tentative thesis or main claim is that there is a better way to run the Foster Care Program and in order to fix the problems within, we have to find the flaws and issues that surround it so that children have a better chance at life regardless of where they came from and who their biological parents are.


3.) What are my prior beliefs, assumptions, preoccupations, ideas or prejudices about this topic? What personal experiences of mine will shape my feelings on this subject? Did I have knowledge about this topic before choosing it? What are my thoughts on it now?


I must admit, I feel strongly about this topic because I am studying social work as my major here at LBC. Knowing that I may work in this environment someday prompted me to find out as much about it as I can. I also have personal experience with this topic because my 3 youngest siblings were adopted through foster care into our family. In that time, I thought there was nothing wrong with the Foster Care Program because we had a successful adoption and our case did not take as long as many others do. I certainly had knowledge about this topic upon choosing it because I as I said before, I am studying Social Work as my major and I personally have been through the process 3 times as my family was in the process of adopting my siblings. My feelings about Foster Care are conflicted because I know that if we did not have it, there would be so many lost children and people would get away with anything. I know that Foster Care is necessary and can do wonderful things. It is a good program that has saved many lives and rescued many broken children. However, I know that there are issues with it on the political spectrum and the laws that are surrounding it can be impossible at times for families who are looking to adopt children. I know there are ways of improving the system and I feel that this study will help me see what the issues are and how we can improve them for the greater good of the children, the adopting families and the birth parents that know their child deserves a better life than they can provide for them.

Choosing a Topic!

Building an Interest Inventory...

Exercise 1.1- Steps 1-3 Choosing a topic!

The following exercise is used you to help me brainstorm ideas and draw conclusions for my research paper writing process. Below, a list of general words are listed with ideas that came to my mind that relate to the general words. Bruce Ballenger (The Curious Researcher), states that this will help with generating information that will eventually encourage my choice of topic for my paper. Some of the ideas listed are ideas that only make sense to me, but they show relevance and thought that will work their way into my paper.


PLACES:                                  CONTROVERSIES:


Alaska                                         Gay marriage                                    
Maine                                          Abortion
Europe                                         Legalization of Marijuana
Russia                                         The President
Costa Rica                                   North Korea
Montana                                      Welfare
Colorado                                      Unemployment
Virginia                                        Religion/ Religious influence in government
Lake Placid                                   The Death Penalty
Cape May                                     The Middle East
 North Korea                                 Global Warming
                                                     Cuba
                                                     Monsanto
                                                     Obesity in America
                                                     Gender Roles
                                                     White eggs vs. Brown eggs
                                                     Substance abuse in national sports
                                                     War
                                                     Reasons for Poverty in the United States
                                                     Is poverty a choice?
                                                     Should the United States be the "World's Police man?"
                                                     Population growth
                                                     National Debt
                                                     Foster Care


HISTORY:                                 JOBS:                                                     HOBBIES:


The Holocaust                            Social Worker                                            Riding Bike
The Civil War                            Police Officers                                            Rock Climbing
The Revolutionary War             Retail Store Cashier                                    Jogging
Elizabethan Poor Laws              Realtors                                                       fishing
COS Movement                         Farmers                                                       Hiking
Settlement House Movement     Military                                                       Hinting
The Constitution                        Architects                                                   Camping
Civil Rights Movement             Accountants                                                Cooking
CCC Workers                            Garbage Man                                              Knitting
Kennedy Assassination              Teachers                                                     farming
911                                              Fire Men                                                    Sports
Desert Storm                               Pastors                                                        Singing
Cold War                                     Electrician                                                 Playing an instrument
Vietnam War                               Restaurant Waiter                                     Watching movies
Korean War                                 Baker                                                          Baking
WWII                                                                                                             Shopping
WWI
Roaring twenties
Pearl Harbor
Crusades
Protestant Reformation
The Inquisition
French and Indian War
Crusades
Trail of Tears
Industrial Revolution
The Great Depression
Battle of Bunker Hill
French Revolution
The Reign of Terror
Genocide

Step 2:What items on the above list are things that I might be able to write about or that would spark an idea for a topic for my paper?

There are multiple issues/topic above that I find interesting and could easily research and write a decent paper on. I could write about social work and the many aspects of it's history and current situation that are listed on the list (I am a social work major). I could also write about some of the places I have listed above because there is controversy in some of those locations and others hold memories of mine because I have visited them before. As far as the jobs that I listed go, I could write about how they are effected by our current economy or how they have progressed over time. (Police Officers, Social Workers, Pastors, Electricians, etc.) However, if I have to choose one item it would be Foster Care and the controversies that surround it in society today.

Step 3: Now generate a list of questions based off of the item from your list that you chose in order to explore the subject.

Foster Care: What generates the controversy?, How can this controversy be avoided? What are the good things about foster care? What are the bad aspects of foster care? How does it affect the lives of the children who are put through it? Is the ending result better than the process itself?, Is there a problem with the government agencies? Is there a problem with the private agencies? Which type of agency generates more success stories?, Is it okay for foster kids to be placed with gay parents if the couple qualifies as suitable care givers?, Should a child get a say in what type of family they get to live with?, Should the age of release form the Foster Care program be higher, lowered or left where it is at?, Is there a way to give a better chance at life to the kids who age out of the system then by giving them a meager $200 and sending them onto the street?, Who should control the foster care system? The state of the Federal government?

Wrap-up:

Wow! This exercise actually made my options very clear and obvious when it came to narrowing down a topic. In fact, I got a bit carried away with my lists because I kept on thinking of ideas or topics to add to them. I actually quite enjoyed this exercise because it gave me a chance to be free with my ideas and let my mind wander to wherever my thoughts took it. This was  refreshing approach to choosing a topic and I am happy with my choice. Foster care is something I am very passionate about because my family did it 3 times and I now have 3 adopted siblings (along with my 3 biological siblings). This issue is near and dear to me and I hope that by researching it, I will find myself able to have an intelligent conversation about it and be able to understand it better. I recommend this technique if you ever find yourself having to chose a topic to write about. It worker for me, so there is not saying that it won't work for you!

Getting Started: First Step in the 5 Week Plan to write a Research Paper

Rachel Weaver

3/18/2014

I am a student at Lancaster Bible College and am currently enrolled in Professor Byxbe’s English class. This blog is a resource that I will be using for a future research paper. On my blog, readers will find exercises taken from The Curious Researcher and other classroom activities that are intended to help me produce a well written research paper that is due in a few weeks. This process is part of a “5 week plan” that focuses on writing a structured and well researched paper. I hope this helps you as much as it is going to assist me. Happy Reading!

Exercise #1:

Step 1: “You’re writing mostly for the instructor.”

I find this statement to be true but I wish that it was false. In most classes, I find myself writing a paper for the sole purpose of trying to impress the professor and to meet their demands on the assignment sheet. It can be a very odd task at times because it requires me to know what exactly they expect and what kind of writing style they are looking for. This varies greatly from professor to professor. I have found that when I write it is rarely because I am interested or care about what I am writing about. It is solely because I have to turn in an assignment and the professor expects certain things to be included. So, this statement is true when it comes to writing papers for instructors, but as I said before, I wish it wasn't.

Step 2: “There’s a big difference between a fact in science and a fact in humanities.”

This statement rings very true for me because I am a Christian. The Fact that Jesus dies on the cross for my sins is indisputable in my mind but as many scientists argue, there is not concrete science to back up this fact. I find that humanities are more universal than facts because people can relate and experience things together in order to form fact and opinion. Humanities focus on society and truths that have become truths over time and with human influence. For example, a scientific fact looks like statistics and numbers. A humanities fact may be something more like “there are many people suffering from hunger around the world and we have the power to change that.” This is true because as Americans, we do have money and resources we just need to adjust our priorities and realize that a fact does not need to be science. It can be a global or societal truth.

This exercise was used to give me a chance to simply write what came to my mind on a provided topic. I set a timer for 3 minutes and wrote out my ideas based on the statement provided by the book. I was instructed to agree, disagree or see both sides on the statement. I allowed thoughts to come to my head and let my ideas guide my writing. This exercise gave me insight into how valuable it can be to write the thoughts that come to my mind in a way that does not require a format or layout when being instructed to respond to a topic. This exercise was just an attempt at getting ideas on paper and it proved to be effective because I found that my opinions and values were evident in my 3 minute writings. This exercise can be used to encourage my creativity in future writing and including personal value in my responses. I encourage others to do this because it is a great place to start when brainstorming ideas for a topic.