Monday, September 04, 2006
Just testing out this program to see how it will look attached to a blog!
Ellen
A year later and I am in another grad school class learning about technology. This time I am going to attempt to attach a Writely document to this blog. We'll see how it goes. . .
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wishing. . . And Final Reflection
So, the research process and final product are finished and like Kuhlthau speculates, I do feel a sense of accomplishment (as well as a sense of “Phew! It’s done!), but also a little bit of worry (Did I include everything I need to include? Is my product long enough? Etc.). That is just normal for my over-analytical, perfectionist personality! I did enjoy doing this project—it seems like now that it is October, magazines have more information about Halloween. In my October copy of American Baby, for example, there are “fun facts” about Halloween. The first question, “Ever wondered how trick-or-treating began?” talks about the Celts leaving food on their doorsteps to keep ghosts from entering their homes. I am not upset by this because I feel like I was able to find the information I needed and find it relatively easily. It is “neat,” though, to see what you have just learned being talked about in publications. (I can answer to the question, “Yes! I know!” And run and show everyone in the house, which is what I did!).
Like I said, I always wonder if my products are “good enough” or “what the teacher is looking for”, so I am feeling a little of that right now even though I am happy with my final product, I learned a lot about Halloween and its traditions! Kuhlthau says to “visualize the process [of information search] in time line or flow chart” (Key Words, 29). When I try to do that, I keep getting little arrows that go back to previous steps or a time line of events that is not a linear (?) time line. It also has a lot of notes in the “margins.” In thinking about what I would do differently next time, I maybe would have tried to jump into the project immediately instead of waiting a week or two from when I set up my blog. I didn’t feel rushed or anything, but at the end I was a little “pooped” from the workload. I also noticed that having a small child changes things. During undergrad, I could plan my time and it would be MY time. My schedule revolved around me. Now, I have to take my family into consideration. I can plan to work on the project on Saturday afternoon, but if my son doesn’t go down for a nap or he says to me (like he has before), with his big blue puppy dog eyes, “No more school working, Mommy,” well, that just throws everything off! That has been really frustrating for me, but understandable.
So, to conclude, I feel my project went well, and the product would be something to develop even further and then share with children. Information I found on the web was “adult-level” reading for the most part, so I also feel my product is unique because it caters to a different audience. As for my personal approach to information inquiry – I don’t know that it has changed too much. I think before I covered most of the 8W’s in my head, randomly. I AM seeing the value of exploring a variety of resources, though, and spending more time focusing on information gathering (I often rush through, finding something pertinent, and being satisfied with it). This reflection process is also “new” to me. It is allowing me to see what I did well, where I feel I could improve, as well as providing some wind down time and closure to the project. I like it. This process has also been great because it allowed me to feel and reflect on the research process and apply it to how students may feel, which is very important. As a future school media specialist, it is essential to understand (or try to understand!) the thought processes of my students. Only in that way can I truly assist each of them in developing their thinking processes and truly learning from their school assignments.
This is kind of sad, but this is the end. I think I kind of got attached to all this blogging. . . but, it is time to say, "Goodbye, blog!"
Like I said, I always wonder if my products are “good enough” or “what the teacher is looking for”, so I am feeling a little of that right now even though I am happy with my final product, I learned a lot about Halloween and its traditions! Kuhlthau says to “visualize the process [of information search] in time line or flow chart” (Key Words, 29). When I try to do that, I keep getting little arrows that go back to previous steps or a time line of events that is not a linear (?) time line. It also has a lot of notes in the “margins.” In thinking about what I would do differently next time, I maybe would have tried to jump into the project immediately instead of waiting a week or two from when I set up my blog. I didn’t feel rushed or anything, but at the end I was a little “pooped” from the workload. I also noticed that having a small child changes things. During undergrad, I could plan my time and it would be MY time. My schedule revolved around me. Now, I have to take my family into consideration. I can plan to work on the project on Saturday afternoon, but if my son doesn’t go down for a nap or he says to me (like he has before), with his big blue puppy dog eyes, “No more school working, Mommy,” well, that just throws everything off! That has been really frustrating for me, but understandable.
So, to conclude, I feel my project went well, and the product would be something to develop even further and then share with children. Information I found on the web was “adult-level” reading for the most part, so I also feel my product is unique because it caters to a different audience. As for my personal approach to information inquiry – I don’t know that it has changed too much. I think before I covered most of the 8W’s in my head, randomly. I AM seeing the value of exploring a variety of resources, though, and spending more time focusing on information gathering (I often rush through, finding something pertinent, and being satisfied with it). This reflection process is also “new” to me. It is allowing me to see what I did well, where I feel I could improve, as well as providing some wind down time and closure to the project. I like it. This process has also been great because it allowed me to feel and reflect on the research process and apply it to how students may feel, which is very important. As a future school media specialist, it is essential to understand (or try to understand!) the thought processes of my students. Only in that way can I truly assist each of them in developing their thinking processes and truly learning from their school assignments.
This is kind of sad, but this is the end. I think I kind of got attached to all this blogging. . . but, it is time to say, "Goodbye, blog!"
Completed Concept Map
Here is my completed concept map. If you will notice, my focus of the project did change a little. In the end, I really just focused on Halloween and its traditions. (Caramel apples, though, originated in the British Isles as well. Over there they use toffee and call them toffee apples). This shift in focus can be explained by looking at Callison's Information Skill Portfolio Questions (Key Words. . . 31-32). Under the question "Of what should I make a record?" is the point to "separate a topic into major components according to appropriate criteria" (32). As I gathered information I did place it in either a "Halloween" category of a "Fall" category. When I gathered enough information and started the final product, I realized I had enough to where a focus on Halloween and its traditions could be made. In other words, I "reflect[ed]" on the previous information search and "revise[d]" it. Likewise, I presented my product in a different format from what I was originally thinking (Originally it was going to be a power point -- it ended up being a Word product -- Interview concept.). Under Callison's "How should I present it" question, after connecting the data, a student may "propose a new plan, create a new system," which is what happened in my case!
Implication for our students: Again, we need to let studetns know that it is okay to change their minds about final product formats and even to change their hypothesis a little. If we do not tell them this, they may use information that doesn't quite match their hypothesis (or leave out really good information), get points deducted, become frustrated, and not understand why. Likewise, they may use a format that, in the end, isn't the best way to communicate their findings, and that wouldn't be effective either. The road to discovery can take some turns -- that is normal! Students need to be told this.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Weaving
As I mentioned before, I had already started my final product before Weaving (synthesizing) all the information I had collected and evaluated. But now I had to do some formal organization. Here were my thought processes: I tried to picture Timothy and Dr. Hal talking. I maybe wanted Timothy to ask about three broad topics – origins of Halloween, trick or treating, and Halloween traditions. I then wrote the three topics on a piece of paper and quickly listed some facts I knew about them:
Origins of Halloween: Celts (Ireland and Scotland) in 5 B.C.
Festival of Samhain – end of summer
Brought to the U.S. by Irish immigrants around 1848
Trick or treating: Called “guising” or “souling” in Ireland and Scotland.
Children in Scotland traditionally did “tricks” for their treats.
Very popular in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and British Isles.
Halloween traditions: Dressing up
Carving pumpkins
Bobbing for apples
As I look at it, I realize this list is an outline of sorts. The use of this information is not “set in stone.” Rather this is a way for me to keep my thoughts organized for when I do the final product, as well as trying to estimate the “overall picture” of the final product.
Other than this, while I was reading, I jotted down bits of information I thought to be important. No real organization to the notes. Looking at them, they are on two sheets of paper, scrawlings going down the pages, with some notes in the margins. I said this before, but I really don’t get into graphic organizers. I wonder if it is because I am constantly organizing things in my head. Also, this is a high interest and fun topic for me – a lot of the information I am remembering as I read!
Origins of Halloween: Celts (Ireland and Scotland) in 5 B.C.
Festival of Samhain – end of summer
Brought to the U.S. by Irish immigrants around 1848
Trick or treating: Called “guising” or “souling” in Ireland and Scotland.
Children in Scotland traditionally did “tricks” for their treats.
Very popular in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and British Isles.
Halloween traditions: Dressing up
Carving pumpkins
Bobbing for apples
As I look at it, I realize this list is an outline of sorts. The use of this information is not “set in stone.” Rather this is a way for me to keep my thoughts organized for when I do the final product, as well as trying to estimate the “overall picture” of the final product.
Other than this, while I was reading, I jotted down bits of information I thought to be important. No real organization to the notes. Looking at them, they are on two sheets of paper, scrawlings going down the pages, with some notes in the margins. I said this before, but I really don’t get into graphic organizers. I wonder if it is because I am constantly organizing things in my head. Also, this is a high interest and fun topic for me – a lot of the information I am remembering as I read!
List of Favorite Websites
Here is an annotated list (in no particular order) of the top 6 websites I found helpful:
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Halloween&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=Halloween Answers.com -- Definitions of Halloween compiled from various sources. Many links in the Wikipedia write-up, which led to other pertinent information.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/index.jsp History Channel – I like this one mainly because I “trusted” the information completely.
http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html Jeremiah Project -- Chalk full of easy-to-read information, but Vic Bilson then goes into a “Halloween is pure evil” speech. Nevertheless, many good facts about Halloween and its traditions.
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Trick-or-treat&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=trick%20or%20treating Answers.com – Information from a few sources on trick or treating. But again, the most useful write-up was from Wikipedia. So, I guess it is Wikipedia that I find extremely useful!
http://www.mainstreetpublishing.com/ancient_origins_of_halloween.htm Part of Main Street Publishing – first website I looked at. Nice overview.
http://www.houstonculture.org/cr/pumpkin.html Houston Institute for Culture – Story behind the Jack O’ Lantern. Also links to the Day of the Dead and the Origins of Halloween.
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Halloween&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=Halloween Answers.com -- Definitions of Halloween compiled from various sources. Many links in the Wikipedia write-up, which led to other pertinent information.
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/halloween/index.jsp History Channel – I like this one mainly because I “trusted” the information completely.
http://www.jeremiahproject.com/culture/halloween.html Jeremiah Project -- Chalk full of easy-to-read information, but Vic Bilson then goes into a “Halloween is pure evil” speech. Nevertheless, many good facts about Halloween and its traditions.
http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Trick-or-treat&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=trick%20or%20treating Answers.com – Information from a few sources on trick or treating. But again, the most useful write-up was from Wikipedia. So, I guess it is Wikipedia that I find extremely useful!
http://www.mainstreetpublishing.com/ancient_origins_of_halloween.htm Part of Main Street Publishing – first website I looked at. Nice overview.
http://www.houstonculture.org/cr/pumpkin.html Houston Institute for Culture – Story behind the Jack O’ Lantern. Also links to the Day of the Dead and the Origins of Halloween.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Wiggling
I had all kinds of things bopping around my head while reading through the websites in particular. I almost started panicking because I knew I was going to gear my product toward children, and I had forgotten about the big Halloween debate, and some of the stuff I was reading was really on the dark side. Like the Druids sacrificing animals and humans and creating bonfires (originally “bone fires”) – yikes! Or Stingy Jack and his deals with the Devil. Even the whole explanation of Christians coming and trying to offset Halloween with holidays of their own (hence, All Souls Day and All Saints Day). These were complicated and somewhat inappropriate things to discuss with children. But, then I calmed down and realized I could filter the information, I didn’t have to include all of my findings in the final product, and everything would be okay. So, how did I do this?
It was plain to see that anyone could post a website with information on Halloween. I found some that looked like student generated work. Others were from organizations like Atheists.org or NeoPagans.org. I guessed they would be biased. Some I found to be excellent sources of information, but then very biased, so I wondered about the information. An example was the Jeremiah Project, which I thought gave a great overview of the origins of Halloween, but then went into “What is wrong with Halloween” and started quoting Scriptures and how it is a “night of evil” and “those who love the Lord Jesus Christ should have nothing to do with it.” I didn’t see that coming, but it made be question the validity of the information I had read! Other sites I felt I could rely on, like the History Channel’s “History of Halloween.”
I thought back to my L401 course and how we talked about ways to evaluate websites. Looking at the author (expertise, any affiliations, etc.) was one criterion. I went to Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators to tap my memory on how to further evaluate websites. Her site always has resources that I find helpful. Right there in her introduction to evaluation was what I was looking for. She says, “students need to be able to critically evaluate a Web page for authenticity, applicability, authorship, bias, and usability. The ability to critically evaluate information is an important skill in this information age.” She also has several “evaluation surveys” for educators (or anyone) to use.
I had the authorship, usability and applicability down fairly well. As for the bias and authenticity, that was more difficult, because I just didn’t know (especially since the origins of Halloween are so ancient and so debatable) what was true and what wasn’t. So, I used a test called “if at least 3 different sources state the information, I’ll take it as true.” For the most part, this worked. Halloween going back to 5 B.C. and the Celtic holiday of Samhain was standard. But, some stories (like Stingy Jack and the story of Jack O’ Lanterns) varied from one source to the next – I figured it had to be because there were many reputable variations on the story.
And I still had all kinds of things bopping around my head.
It was plain to see that anyone could post a website with information on Halloween. I found some that looked like student generated work. Others were from organizations like Atheists.org or NeoPagans.org. I guessed they would be biased. Some I found to be excellent sources of information, but then very biased, so I wondered about the information. An example was the Jeremiah Project, which I thought gave a great overview of the origins of Halloween, but then went into “What is wrong with Halloween” and started quoting Scriptures and how it is a “night of evil” and “those who love the Lord Jesus Christ should have nothing to do with it.” I didn’t see that coming, but it made be question the validity of the information I had read! Other sites I felt I could rely on, like the History Channel’s “History of Halloween.”
I thought back to my L401 course and how we talked about ways to evaluate websites. Looking at the author (expertise, any affiliations, etc.) was one criterion. I went to Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators to tap my memory on how to further evaluate websites. Her site always has resources that I find helpful. Right there in her introduction to evaluation was what I was looking for. She says, “students need to be able to critically evaluate a Web page for authenticity, applicability, authorship, bias, and usability. The ability to critically evaluate information is an important skill in this information age.” She also has several “evaluation surveys” for educators (or anyone) to use.
I had the authorship, usability and applicability down fairly well. As for the bias and authenticity, that was more difficult, because I just didn’t know (especially since the origins of Halloween are so ancient and so debatable) what was true and what wasn’t. So, I used a test called “if at least 3 different sources state the information, I’ll take it as true.” For the most part, this worked. Halloween going back to 5 B.C. and the Celtic holiday of Samhain was standard. But, some stories (like Stingy Jack and the story of Jack O’ Lanterns) varied from one source to the next – I figured it had to be because there were many reputable variations on the story.
And I still had all kinds of things bopping around my head.
Jumping Ahead -- Wrapping and Waving
So, I kind of want to jump ahead and talk about the Wrapping and Waving stages. Mainly because I have already started the final product. I originally thought a PowerPoint presentation would be nice, but after gathering and somewhat processing all the information – what I want to communicate is too much for the PowerPoint medium. So, I was back to square one. I didn’t know what I was going do. Webpage? (Not much experience, and again maybe not enough room). Plain old report in Word? (I want something a little different!) Newspaper or magazine article? Hmm… Sleeping on it (seems to be my best method for brainstorming!), I then had an idea. I originally decided to do this inquiry, in part, because my son would be getting older and maybe asking me questions about Halloween. Why not do an “interview” write-up between a little boy (Timothy) and a Halloween expert (Dr. Hal O. Ween). This would keep it informal, I could give more elaborate explanations that PowerPoint would not allow, and by having a child as the interviewer/listener, it would make sense (and I would remember) to have Dr. Hal explain things in a simple way. By thinking of my intended audience and the original purpose, I found what I hope is an effective “channel” to communicate my findings.
So far I have done an introduction, found some funny clip art to represent Timothy and Dr. Hal and have written a little of the dialogue. I am interested to see how it turns out! :)
So far I have done an introduction, found some funny clip art to represent Timothy and Dr. Hal and have written a little of the dialogue. I am interested to see how it turns out! :)
Strictly Webbing
It is important to remind students to search through a variety of resources. Today’s student may just look for information on the Internet and be done with the search process. But, print-based materials as well as talks with experts/others, videos, newspapers etc. are also great sources.
For my search process I used the following:
NEWSPAPERS: I went through the South Bend Tribune and Michigan City News-Dispatch periodically. No real findings there. Articles on Halloween would be on recipes or about events that would be taking place (ex. The Niles Haunted House). I didn’t have any expectations with newspapers, so no disappointments there!
VIDEO: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I watched this more for fun, but thought there might be something I could use. I just saw a bunch of Halloween symbols and the gang doing Halloween customs like trick or treating, pumpkin carving, and apple bobbing. This would have been good to see in the beginning, when I was brainstorming ideas.
DISCUSSIONS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS: I wouldn’t have thought to do this one if Dr. Lamb didn’t suggest it. It is actually a great idea, because most everyone has Halloween experiences to talk about. I remembered a roommate carving something other than a pumpkin for Halloween one year. I e-mailed her, and she said it was a turnip she carved, and that she thought they did that in Ireland. Sure enough, as I was researching, I found that to be true. My grandmother talked about trick or treating in her 20s. I thought that was kind of strange, but a website I read talked about how common it was for folks of all ages to don masks and trick or treat – this was in the 1940s, which is when my grandmother was in her 20s! My boyfriend remembers Halloween as “Devil’s Night” and some not-so-nice pranks people pulled. An article I read called Halloween “Hell Night” due to vandalism and violence that goes on in Detroit. It was funny because bits and pieces my family and friends told me were randomly “filled in” and supported as I did my research.
BOOKS: I went through IUCAT, clicked on South Bend, and proceeded to search “All South Bend Libraries catalogs.” Here’s my search process and results:
For “keyword anywhere” --
Origins of Halloween: 2 results, same book
Halloween: 21 results
Celtic Mythology: 9 titles
I also visited the St. Joseph County Library. In the Children’s section, books on fall and Halloween were displayed, but weren’t quite what I was looking for. It was more basic informational books on things like “Autumn” or “Pumpkins.”
I was surprised that I did not find more books on the origins of Halloween. Even Halloween in general only had 21 results. I used the “keyword anywhere” option because it seemed like the most broad and likely to turn up results. Honestly, I am not the biggest expert on the best searching techniques within library catalogs (I’m working on it, though!). Students would definitely need instruction on the best searching techniques.
WEBSITES: This is where I found much of my information. Like I mentioned before, I used Dogpile. Here are the results:
Origins of Halloween: I think I said around 74(?) results
Origins of the candy apple: 89 results
Halloween: 120 results
This was more than enough, and I read through at least 2 dozen websites. Look for a list of the most helpful later in the blog!
So this was my search process. My anxiety calmed about this project when I saw how much (quality) information was on the Web. And there were surprises for me – the lack of books (in South Bend libraries, at least.) was one. Good tidbits I got from talking with people was the other.
For my search process I used the following:
NEWSPAPERS: I went through the South Bend Tribune and Michigan City News-Dispatch periodically. No real findings there. Articles on Halloween would be on recipes or about events that would be taking place (ex. The Niles Haunted House). I didn’t have any expectations with newspapers, so no disappointments there!
VIDEO: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I watched this more for fun, but thought there might be something I could use. I just saw a bunch of Halloween symbols and the gang doing Halloween customs like trick or treating, pumpkin carving, and apple bobbing. This would have been good to see in the beginning, when I was brainstorming ideas.
DISCUSSIONS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS: I wouldn’t have thought to do this one if Dr. Lamb didn’t suggest it. It is actually a great idea, because most everyone has Halloween experiences to talk about. I remembered a roommate carving something other than a pumpkin for Halloween one year. I e-mailed her, and she said it was a turnip she carved, and that she thought they did that in Ireland. Sure enough, as I was researching, I found that to be true. My grandmother talked about trick or treating in her 20s. I thought that was kind of strange, but a website I read talked about how common it was for folks of all ages to don masks and trick or treat – this was in the 1940s, which is when my grandmother was in her 20s! My boyfriend remembers Halloween as “Devil’s Night” and some not-so-nice pranks people pulled. An article I read called Halloween “Hell Night” due to vandalism and violence that goes on in Detroit. It was funny because bits and pieces my family and friends told me were randomly “filled in” and supported as I did my research.
BOOKS: I went through IUCAT, clicked on South Bend, and proceeded to search “All South Bend Libraries catalogs.” Here’s my search process and results:
For “keyword anywhere” --
Origins of Halloween: 2 results, same book
Halloween: 21 results
Celtic Mythology: 9 titles
I also visited the St. Joseph County Library. In the Children’s section, books on fall and Halloween were displayed, but weren’t quite what I was looking for. It was more basic informational books on things like “Autumn” or “Pumpkins.”
I was surprised that I did not find more books on the origins of Halloween. Even Halloween in general only had 21 results. I used the “keyword anywhere” option because it seemed like the most broad and likely to turn up results. Honestly, I am not the biggest expert on the best searching techniques within library catalogs (I’m working on it, though!). Students would definitely need instruction on the best searching techniques.
WEBSITES: This is where I found much of my information. Like I mentioned before, I used Dogpile. Here are the results:
Origins of Halloween: I think I said around 74(?) results
Origins of the candy apple: 89 results
Halloween: 120 results
This was more than enough, and I read through at least 2 dozen websites. Look for a list of the most helpful later in the blog!
So this was my search process. My anxiety calmed about this project when I saw how much (quality) information was on the Web. And there were surprises for me – the lack of books (in South Bend libraries, at least.) was one. Good tidbits I got from talking with people was the other.
More on Bouncing Back and Forth
The bouncing back and forth that I am talking about is similar to the recursive process that is in research models of Kuhlthau (Information Search Process), Pappas and Tepe (Pathways to Knowledge), and Stripling (REACTS). Sandy Guild, in Curriculum Connections, defines recursion as the “repeated application of a research procedure to the results of a prior procedure” (141). Questioning, and then researching to find the answers, then going on to a new question to research. . . forming relationships among all the information and continuing to “refine” toward a final product. . . that is my understanding of recursion.
I think, like Guild states, many of us in this class already do this automatically. . . but I can see why this process would be frustrating for students, whose mindsets are often “do the step and move on to the next one.”
The implication for our students is that we need to make sure they understand that the research process is not linear (Stripling, 142). One way to do that, as stated in Curriculum Connections is to “model the thinking processes involved in the research process” (143). After explanation and modeling, student practice in thinking might be a good idea. In the ASSURE instructional model, the 5th step is “Required Learner Participation,” which means to involve students in “active mental engagement. . .so that performance can be observed, evaluated, modified, or praised through feedback” (Callison, 34).
I think, like Guild states, many of us in this class already do this automatically. . . but I can see why this process would be frustrating for students, whose mindsets are often “do the step and move on to the next one.”
The implication for our students is that we need to make sure they understand that the research process is not linear (Stripling, 142). One way to do that, as stated in Curriculum Connections is to “model the thinking processes involved in the research process” (143). After explanation and modeling, student practice in thinking might be a good idea. In the ASSURE instructional model, the 5th step is “Required Learner Participation,” which means to involve students in “active mental engagement. . .so that performance can be observed, evaluated, modified, or praised through feedback” (Callison, 34).
Monday, September 26, 2005
Webbing and Wiggling
I have begun to find information on the Internet. Consequently, I am feeling a lot better about the project. I’m finding that my Webbing (Searching) and Wiggling (Evaluating) are bouncing off each other. I’ll find an article and read it (Webbing), then take what I can from it (Wiggle). Each article I read is giving me new ideas on topics, so then I go back to the searching stage! For example, I now know that Halloween was originally a Celtic holiday, going back to 5 B.C. But my prior knowledge is that Halloween is also called All Souls Day and November 1st is called All Saints Day. So, where did this religious/Christian influence come from? The Celtics were not Christian!
Also, as I am sorting through the information, the Weaving (Synthesizing) and Wrapping (Creating) stages are taking shape in the back of my mind. I am not doing anything formal with these stages yet, but I am cognizant of them.
SEARCH STRATEGY
I usually use Dogpile when doing an initial Internet search – I like Dogpile because it searches a number of search engines at once (Meta-engine?). I simply typed in “origins of Halloween” and 74 results popped up. Now I do notice that I will have to be careful about the authenticity and quality of what I am reading. . . I will write more about that later. For now, I am going to continue with the Webbing and Wiggling stages.
Also, as I am sorting through the information, the Weaving (Synthesizing) and Wrapping (Creating) stages are taking shape in the back of my mind. I am not doing anything formal with these stages yet, but I am cognizant of them.
SEARCH STRATEGY
I usually use Dogpile when doing an initial Internet search – I like Dogpile because it searches a number of search engines at once (Meta-engine?). I simply typed in “origins of Halloween” and 74 results popped up. Now I do notice that I will have to be careful about the authenticity and quality of what I am reading. . . I will write more about that later. For now, I am going to continue with the Webbing and Wiggling stages.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Concept Map
I did this "Research Strategy" map on Inspiration. It is very similar to the K-W-L chart, but includes a column for your research strategy (This is a nice addition). This was fairly painless to complete :) . I can see how this would be very helpful for visual learners or students who need help with organizational skills.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Wondering
Dr. Lamb describes the Wondering stage as one where you find purpose, question, connect to prior knowledge, find focus and narrow the topic. I’m feeling pretty good about this stage because I have already done a lot of it in my head. I know my purpose is to inquire about things related to Halloween and the fall. Questions I have so far:
When and where did Halloween originate? Or, what’s the story behind Halloween?
Why do we carve pumpkins?
How did the “scary factor” enter in? (witches, ghosts, haunted houses, etc.)
Why do kids dress up and go trick-or-treating?
What’s the story on caramel apples? S’mores?
These are some questions I have formulated. Most deal with Halloween, I feel like I need more “Fall things”. . . but things like scarecrows, apple picking, leaves changing colors, etc. seem obvious as to why they exist/happen – there’s no real intrigue there. . . but who knows? I’ll have to think about this more. I also feel like my questions are too basic, not good enough, or not “right.” But, I am also experienced enough in researching to know that these questions will more than likely change/evolve. Things will fall into place. I can see, though, how a novice researcher would not know this—if they felt like I do now, it might overwhelm them and cause them to give up. . . As for helping these students, I guess I would talk to them about how their questions are just a starting point. They are not set in stone, they will probably change a little, and that is okay.
That being said, I can already see how Jamie McKenzie’s Research Cycle is going to come into play. . . I have “determined” some questions, but I know as I do the research, I will probably find more interesting points to look into. And as I begin “synthesizing and evaluating” my findings, some ideas may hit a dead end, and new ones will form. Thus, McKenzie’s “Revise questions” will come into play and start the research cycle!
Oh – part of Wondering is also connecting to prior knowledge. So, I thought a K-W-L chart would be good for that. Honestly, I’m not big into graphic organizers. The information I have in my head during an inquiry project, I usually scrawl on a piece of paper. My handwriting is terrible and I usually randomly jot things down, but to me it’s all organized. For example, I would write down “All Soul’s Day/All Saint’s Day—some religious affiliation.” I would know that it should go with what I know about Halloween already.
Organization Helps
Okay, I read through all the requirements for the project a few times. . . I checked off paragraphs I have already done (like setting up the blog, posting the address in my POD, etc.). I also circled the 2 elaborations I am thinking about including (Inspiration concept map and the 5-10 websites). I know to focus on the 8 Ws. And for now, I am planning to do the product as a PowerPoint. My organizational skills are starting to kick in. I feel better. Breaking down projects into steps and writing out a to-do list always keeps me focused and helps me to stay calm. I do feel better just writing out this paragraph and seeing what needs to be/will be done.
I think I have already written enough about the Watching, or exploring, phase of the 8Ws. Onto the Wondering, or questioning, phases. . .
I think I have already written enough about the Watching, or exploring, phase of the 8Ws. Onto the Wondering, or questioning, phases. . .
