Essential Question

What is the most important thing to know in the diagnosis of infectious disease?
Victoria M.
North House
Senior Topic: Infectious Diseases

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Senior Project Reflection

(1) Positive Statement.
 
What I am most proud of is, that I learned so much from a subject that I knew nothing of. I had a slight interesting in microbiology, but I learned so much about things that are common sense in the science community. The fact that I could carry a conversation with Dr. Collisson, understand a lecture meant for 4 graduate students, and read a lab report from her students, is something that has made me so proud; I've learned so much.
(2) Questions to Consider

I think I deserve a P+  because I met my speaking time, and I provided information, and the class seemed to understand it, in the activities. When I walked around to look for understanding, everyone seemed to understand what I had just explained
b
In my overall senior project I think I deserve a P/AE, I managed to turn in all my components, I researched on a very difficult topic, and had extended research, that I just never managed to margin note. I managed to see connections in my Independent Component, that I think is not possible with that extensive research that I did. I interviewed extra people about infectious outbreaks they had experienced but I never turned them in. I managed to know numerous infectious diseases, their symptoms and their treatment.
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
 
I think what really worked for me, was doing all the research. If I had enough time to work on more research I would have done so. I don't think there ever was an ending to the knowledge I could have acquired to learn about Infectious Diseases. 
(4) What didn’t work for you in your senior project?
 
What didn't work for me was the 2nd Independent Component, I barely made my hours, and I couldn't find another way to do another independent component. I think what could have worked for me better is doing an art based project, defining your topic artistically.
(5) Finding Value
I have learned that I do need a lot to learn about Microbiology, and that the Infectious Disease area is hard to get into. Searching for my service learning and for a Microbiology class early in the game proved that. 

Monday, May 14, 2012

Service Learning

1) 50 hours- Presentations on Avian Influenza, working in BSL1, organizing presentations, looking over lab reports.
2) Ellen Collisson: 909-469-5291
3) The most important thing I gained from my service learning is talking to my service learner, she provided a lot of insight and a lot information that helped my senior project and answer my EQ. Working for a while in the BSL1 helped me understand what equipment I would be using in the future when I start working in labs. I also experienced to see viral pathogens under an electron microscope.
4) This helped me answer my EQ, because I was able to come up with identifying the pathogen. I identified FIV, using an antigen and antibody test. This helped me understand that identification helps provide a very clear diagnosis.
5)

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Independent Component 2

  1. “I, Victoria Montoya, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
  2. I am reviewing a case study "Gastroenteritis at a University in Texas"
  3. This is a matter of 30 hours of work because this case study contains 63 pages of information. From there I was also able to find other scholarly articles that are 30-130 pages, I plan on reading over them, and understanding furthermore about infectious diseases and how organizations work with them.
  4. Being able to review a case study of an infectious disease, I get to see how the process of the diagnosis of a food borne illness in a population. Since my EQ, what is the most important thing to know in the diagnosis of an infectious disease, is addressing diagnosing infectious diseases then reading study cases will offer input on my answers and essential question.
  5. Evidence- I have been reading this case study and answering questions in the case study for the past 15 days, two hours a day. 
    • Case Study Questions- 
      • https://docs.google.com/document/d/16KzqMmixgo5rW7vYD7Zf5QhCGAQPlGLYhfGLTtCrmF4/edit
    • May Calendar-
      • https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am3uyi9mG9ckdGVZNGxqS0J5VFNjRTJXTDJONWs3UFE#gid=0
    • April Calendar-
      • https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am3uyi9mG9ckdGtlLUo5QkFyaEpVSnZBNnM3bTdiZEE#gid=0                 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Helping 2013

(1) What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?
        Saul A.-Well my senior project is Firefighters.
        Me -Oh that's cool, I don't think we have that one this year, so where do you plan on doing on your senior project?
        Saul A.- Well actually I don't know, I don't really know about senior project/
        Me -Oh ok so do you want me to tell you about Senior Project?
        Saul A.- Yea
        Me -Ok so basically Senior Project is a nine month project, where you work on it from September to around October, then you go into Model Assembly and you return to Senior Project around December/January. During those nine months you are mainly researching, presenting and creating your Essential Question and three answers. For me my essential question is knowing about the most important thing in the diagnosis of a disease, so one of my answers is symptoms. You do a few presentations on your answers and your foundation. You have research checks and those depend on the teacher. If you are on top of everything, then you should be fine.

(2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting?
         Saul A.- I already have somewhere to do my hours, I plan on doing them at Explorer.
         Me - Oh so where are you going to do that?
         Saul A- Oh, I still need to call some places and figure that out.

(3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?
       Saul- Well, now nothing much, I guess how much talking you have to do, and what there is in a 2 hour presentation.
       Me- Ok, so in your two hour, it consists of you talking for at least 30 minutes, the rest of the 2 hours, you fill in with your answers, activities foundations, conclusions and your introduction. Actually you don't even need to speak for 2 hours I think the minimum is an hours and thirty minutes.

(4) What questions do they have about senior project?  What additional recommendations would you give the 2013 student about senior project?  Be specific and note what you told them.
    Saul actually didn't have anymore questions after that, and I told him to keep on top of things and everything should be fine. If he needed anything or had any questions that popped up, he could message me anytime.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Answer 3

  • What is the most important thing to know in the diagnosis of an infectious disease?
  • Physical appearance, and a physical provides evidence which allows for the doctor to see what physical problems are a major risk at the moment. The doctor can come across what systems or what physical problems are being effected by the disease, and can narrow down what disease is being the culprit.  
  1. If you look at a patient and see that he has ashen skin, and labored breathe a doctor would automatically think that the patient just had a heart attack. 
  2. If you take a physical you can see if there is anything abnormal about the body, and can pinpoint the system at risk by seeing what is wrong with the body.
  3. A physical is also includes testings of different kinds, depending on the symptoms a certain test is administered. A high white blood count can shed evidence that there is an infection raging in the body. 
  • Chase/Kaiser, Gregory. "Interview 2." Personal interview. 26 Oct. 2011. Web.
  • Collisson, Ellen. "Interview 3." Personal interview. 4 Jan. 2012.
  • Richardson, Scott W., Mark Wilson, and Gordon Guyatt. THE PROCESS OF DIAGNOSIS. American Medical Association, 2002. PDF.
  • Lee, Anthony. "The Process of Clinical Diagnosis." Suite101.com. General Medicine 101, 18 Jan. 2009. Web. 29 Mar. 2012. <http://anthony-lee.suite101.com/the-process-of-clinical-diagnosis-a90627>.
  • "Why and How to Record Medical Histories - for Supporters - DDS SafetyNet." Health and Safety Resources for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities. Web. 13 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ddssafety.net/content/understanding-importance-medical-history>.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Room Creativity

(1) How do you plan to address the room creativity expectation?
  •  Since me and Lucy are having presentations on topics that have to do with the medical field, we planned on covering the walls with black tarp, so the room can be darker, and can create a single background. With the black tarp we can also direct the audience's attention to our presentation. I also plan on having maybe a poster or two on the CDC/WHO, or my art interpretation of infectious diseases, the one we did in Ogden's class.
(2) What activity ideas do you have for answer 1 or 2?
  • I know a sponge isn't needed for the blog post, but for my sponge, I would like to recreate the infection spread throughout the room, using the water and plastic cups, the activity I did for my 20 minute presentation.
  •  My activity for answer 1 will be that I give each group of tables a set of common symptoms and a list of disease that may be the cause of those symptoms, the students must then figure out which disease is wreaking havoc, on their patient, and what type of precautions should be taken.
  • My second activity for answer 2 is unknown as of now, because I am rethinking my second answer.