Monday, October 6, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wishing
Sept. 26, 2008
First of all, I wish I hadn't had to redo my project. I also wish that I would have posted my entries in this blog as I wrote them, instead of having to transfer them from paper. I also wish I had been more focused on what I was actually looking for in the beginning. I have so much research and spent so much time on articles, books, and webpages that I didn't really need. I also wish that I would have spent less time in my Wondering phase and more time in Wiggling and Weaving. I'd also spend more time writing about those processes.
However, this was really enjoyable. It was strange, and I'll admit it, a little scary to begin without knowing where I was going to end up. I had no idea what my topic would be, what I would want to know about it, or what I would do with what I found. I understand children's distress with these different inquiry models. Most of your educational career is spent being given specific assignments with specific requirements. It's hard to not have your end project in mind when you begin. I think my project could be more detailed, but overall, I like it.
Before this project, my approach to inquiry was to have an end in mind and skip right to it. I would find information that met what standards I put in place with the end in mind. I like to know what the final product should look like. When writing a paper, I usually copy and paste the requirements into a Word document, then fill in the spaces with information. I do transitions, then I delete the requirements. Before this, I didn't do any concept mapping. I still don't really enjoy concept mapping, but I understand its value and can appreciate how it helped me. I think it is a good idea to introduce students to this process. Perhaps if I had been, I would have been more comfortable with it initially. Also, it helps them think more freely and critically. Now I want to teach this process at my library!
First of all, I wish I hadn't had to redo my project. I also wish that I would have posted my entries in this blog as I wrote them, instead of having to transfer them from paper. I also wish I had been more focused on what I was actually looking for in the beginning. I have so much research and spent so much time on articles, books, and webpages that I didn't really need. I also wish that I would have spent less time in my Wondering phase and more time in Wiggling and Weaving. I'd also spend more time writing about those processes.
However, this was really enjoyable. It was strange, and I'll admit it, a little scary to begin without knowing where I was going to end up. I had no idea what my topic would be, what I would want to know about it, or what I would do with what I found. I understand children's distress with these different inquiry models. Most of your educational career is spent being given specific assignments with specific requirements. It's hard to not have your end project in mind when you begin. I think my project could be more detailed, but overall, I like it.
Before this project, my approach to inquiry was to have an end in mind and skip right to it. I would find information that met what standards I put in place with the end in mind. I like to know what the final product should look like. When writing a paper, I usually copy and paste the requirements into a Word document, then fill in the spaces with information. I do transitions, then I delete the requirements. Before this, I didn't do any concept mapping. I still don't really enjoy concept mapping, but I understand its value and can appreciate how it helped me. I think it is a good idea to introduce students to this process. Perhaps if I had been, I would have been more comfortable with it initially. Also, it helps them think more freely and critically. Now I want to teach this process at my library!
Waving!
Sept. 26, 2008
So the project is done. I did the compare/contrast comic strip using Comic Life. I thought of a couple different ways to share it. The first way is to post it to this blog. The second way is to publish it on GoogleDocs or something similar. After advice from a classmate (Thanks, Gracia!), I am going to attempt to post it here. Wish me luck!
Amish Life
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
My Life
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
So the project is done. I did the compare/contrast comic strip using Comic Life. I thought of a couple different ways to share it. The first way is to post it to this blog. The second way is to publish it on GoogleDocs or something similar. After advice from a classmate (Thanks, Gracia!), I am going to attempt to post it here. Wish me luck!
Amish Life
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
My Life
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Challenges
Sept. 22, 2008
I had a project that I really liked. It was the Comic Life project I explained earlier. However, I had it saved on a flash drive. I was working on it at my computer at the library I work at. Then we had a windstorm that knocked the power out in most of the county. The library was one of the first places that regained power. Consequently, we had tons of people in and out of the place. Every outlet was used to charge cell phones and plug in laptops. I forgot to lock my flash drive in my drawer, and had left it in my computer. The next day, I realized that it was missing - I can only guess that someone tried to use my outlet and saw it there and felt the need to take it home with them. I can only imagine what they thought of my amazing comic strip, my music collection, a lot of my research on this topic, and my photos of a trip to Myrtle Beach. Anyway, I got to start over from scratch. Luckily, I was given an extension, which I am SO grateful for. With a library conference yesterday and today, and my mom's heart surgery on Thursday, I totally needed it.
I had a project that I really liked. It was the Comic Life project I explained earlier. However, I had it saved on a flash drive. I was working on it at my computer at the library I work at. Then we had a windstorm that knocked the power out in most of the county. The library was one of the first places that regained power. Consequently, we had tons of people in and out of the place. Every outlet was used to charge cell phones and plug in laptops. I forgot to lock my flash drive in my drawer, and had left it in my computer. The next day, I realized that it was missing - I can only guess that someone tried to use my outlet and saw it there and felt the need to take it home with them. I can only imagine what they thought of my amazing comic strip, my music collection, a lot of my research on this topic, and my photos of a trip to Myrtle Beach. Anyway, I got to start over from scratch. Luckily, I was given an extension, which I am SO grateful for. With a library conference yesterday and today, and my mom's heart surgery on Thursday, I totally needed it.
Wrapping
Sept. 15, 2008
What do I want to do with what I've found? Well, at first I thought that I'd like to do a PowerPoint so that I can use all of those great visuals I've seen. That way, I could show them to a class to compare and contrast the Amish lifestyle with theirs. Then maybe they could make their own - researching the Amish and taking a closer look at how they live.
However, I like PowerPoints, but I do them all the time. I'm pretty good at them, if I do say so myself. It's a very quick process for me. I thought that maybe I should try a process, or a software that I'd never tried using before. Comic Life had looked interesting. I thought that I would like to try it. Also, I think that students would really like it - it would be different for them, too. I downloaded a free trial. This will be a great way to present visuals and facts as well.
What do I want to do with what I've found? Well, at first I thought that I'd like to do a PowerPoint so that I can use all of those great visuals I've seen. That way, I could show them to a class to compare and contrast the Amish lifestyle with theirs. Then maybe they could make their own - researching the Amish and taking a closer look at how they live.
However, I like PowerPoints, but I do them all the time. I'm pretty good at them, if I do say so myself. It's a very quick process for me. I thought that maybe I should try a process, or a software that I'd never tried using before. Comic Life had looked interesting. I thought that I would like to try it. Also, I think that students would really like it - it would be different for them, too. I downloaded a free trial. This will be a great way to present visuals and facts as well.
Wiggling & Weaving
Sept. 13, 2008
Some great webpages I found:
(I tried to link them, but it didn't work. That's how it goes.)
Amish Heartland
http://www.amish-heartland.com
Pathfinder from the Cuyahoga Public Library
http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/stdbackpage.aspx?id=12971
"Learning About the Amish" Pathfinder
http://www.ilile.org/instructionalRes/Pathfinders/Amish.htm
The Amish & the Plain People
http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml
Amish.net
http://www.amish.net/
Paper about Amish Courtship Practices
http://web.missouri.edu/~hartmanj/rs150/papers/ws993-1.html
BBC on the Amish
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/amish_1.shtml
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia
http://www.gameo.org/
Religious Movements Homepage
http://web.archive.org/web/20060907005952/http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/relmove/
Amish Acres
http://www.amishacres.com/
Like InfoZone's "Choosing" and "Connecting", I have to sort through the information I've found to determine what is good and will really help me with my topic. Some of the webpages I found were interesting. There were a lot of "Frequently Asked Questions" webpages. However, a lot of them were repetitive and hard to tell where the information came from. I had to weed those out. These are the winners, basically. Other sources: the books mentioned before, and an amazing video: The Amish: A People of Preservation from PBS 1992.
Some great webpages I found:
(I tried to link them, but it didn't work. That's how it goes.)
Amish Heartland
http://www.amish-heartland.com
Pathfinder from the Cuyahoga Public Library
http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/stdbackpage.aspx?id=12971
"Learning About the Amish" Pathfinder
http://www.ilile.org/instructionalRes/Pathfinders/Amish.htm
The Amish & the Plain People
http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml
Amish.net
http://www.amish.net/
Paper about Amish Courtship Practices
http://web.missouri.edu/~hartmanj/rs150/papers/ws993-1.html
BBC on the Amish
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/amish_1.shtml
Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia
http://www.gameo.org/
Religious Movements Homepage
http://web.archive.org/web/20060907005952/http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/relmove/
Amish Acres
http://www.amishacres.com/
Like InfoZone's "Choosing" and "Connecting", I have to sort through the information I've found to determine what is good and will really help me with my topic. Some of the webpages I found were interesting. There were a lot of "Frequently Asked Questions" webpages. However, a lot of them were repetitive and hard to tell where the information came from. I had to weed those out. These are the winners, basically. Other sources: the books mentioned before, and an amazing video: The Amish: A People of Preservation from PBS 1992.
Webbing
Sept. 11, 2008
First of all, I realized that my last entry was "Curriculum Connections." More appropriately, it should have been "Connections with Standards" or something like that, but I'll leave it so this process and my bewilderment are represented. I did some webbing earlier, with my concept map. However, looking at that made me pretty overwhelmed - and I'm not in 4th grade! Consequently, I've narrowed down some of the questions I'd like to find the answers to. Most of them really just focus on the differences between my lifestyle (or perhaps the lifestyles of students) and the lifestyles of the amish. Of course, as I gather research, I find that not all amish people are alike, which is good, since not all of the "English" are alike.
What are the differences between my religion/church and Amish religion/church?
What are the differences between my (and those close to me) relationships and Amish relationships?
What are the differences between my everyday life and the everyday life of the Amish?
Are the Amish forced to follow certain rules?
InfoZone's "Seeking" phase is very close to what I'm doing now. I'm thinking of keywords, types of sources, and search engines to use in this quest. I expect that most of my information will be found online or in books. One keyword I expect to use is "ordnung." Some websites I can look for may be from amish supporters, websites about religions, television news channels, or even tourist sites. I'm going to also use some of the subject pathfinders finders on the Information Inquiry website. I'm excited about what I'll find!
First of all, I realized that my last entry was "Curriculum Connections." More appropriately, it should have been "Connections with Standards" or something like that, but I'll leave it so this process and my bewilderment are represented. I did some webbing earlier, with my concept map. However, looking at that made me pretty overwhelmed - and I'm not in 4th grade! Consequently, I've narrowed down some of the questions I'd like to find the answers to. Most of them really just focus on the differences between my lifestyle (or perhaps the lifestyles of students) and the lifestyles of the amish. Of course, as I gather research, I find that not all amish people are alike, which is good, since not all of the "English" are alike.
What are the differences between my religion/church and Amish religion/church?
What are the differences between my (and those close to me) relationships and Amish relationships?
What are the differences between my everyday life and the everyday life of the Amish?
Are the Amish forced to follow certain rules?
InfoZone's "Seeking" phase is very close to what I'm doing now. I'm thinking of keywords, types of sources, and search engines to use in this quest. I expect that most of my information will be found online or in books. One keyword I expect to use is "ordnung." Some websites I can look for may be from amish supporters, websites about religions, television news channels, or even tourist sites. I'm going to also use some of the subject pathfinders finders on the Information Inquiry website. I'm excited about what I'll find!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Curriculum Connection Time!
Sept. 8, 2008
My topic connects with a few of the Indiana Academic Standards for third grade social studies. I remember back when I was in college for social studies education and looked at elementary education as something I would never have to deal with. Things change, and it's a good thing, because these are some fun standards to take a closer look at, actually. Of course, this topic won't completely cover these standards - some other regions, societies, and cultural groups will need to be examined, too. I don't think that these are meant to be covered just once. However, doing an information inquiry process with kids this age about a topic of interest like this (some probably saw news reports about the Nickel Mines school shooting and wondered about the social/religious group) may foster an interest in social studies - something I wish would have been instilled in the middle school students I had.
History: Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Analysis and Interpretation, Research
3.1.6Use a variety of community resources to gather information about the regional communities. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
3.1.8Write and illustrate descriptions of local communities and regions in Indiana past and present.
Geography: Human Systems
3.3.9Identify factors that make the region unique, including cultural diversity, industry, the arts and architecture. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
I like these a lot more than middle & high school standards. This will be fun.
My topic connects with a few of the Indiana Academic Standards for third grade social studies. I remember back when I was in college for social studies education and looked at elementary education as something I would never have to deal with. Things change, and it's a good thing, because these are some fun standards to take a closer look at, actually. Of course, this topic won't completely cover these standards - some other regions, societies, and cultural groups will need to be examined, too. I don't think that these are meant to be covered just once. However, doing an information inquiry process with kids this age about a topic of interest like this (some probably saw news reports about the Nickel Mines school shooting and wondered about the social/religious group) may foster an interest in social studies - something I wish would have been instilled in the middle school students I had.
History: Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Analysis and Interpretation, Research
3.1.6Use a variety of community resources to gather information about the regional communities. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
3.1.8Write and illustrate descriptions of local communities and regions in Indiana past and present.
Geography: Human Systems
3.3.9Identify factors that make the region unique, including cultural diversity, industry, the arts and architecture. (Individuals, Society and Culture)
I like these a lot more than middle & high school standards. This will be fun.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Still Wondering
Sept. 7, 2008
I'm still wondering, but I'm breaking it all down now. First I wanted to take a look at some of the topics and subtopics about the Amish. Then I can develop more specific questions from there. I thought it might be neat to use one of those online graphic tools, so I think I'll try that.
Visually, I liked bubbl.us the best out of those that I looked at. Also, it's kind of fun to move the bubbles around, stretch those lines...simple pleasures, I know.
Let me see if this link will work:
http://bubbl.us/view.php?sid=157783&pw=yatnqF1mYvyscODlPTnJ2VGs2M1ZPZw
No, but just copy and paste it into your internet browser, and it should come up. It's so pretty.
I'm still wondering, but I'm breaking it all down now. First I wanted to take a look at some of the topics and subtopics about the Amish. Then I can develop more specific questions from there. I thought it might be neat to use one of those online graphic tools, so I think I'll try that.
Visually, I liked bubbl.us the best out of those that I looked at. Also, it's kind of fun to move the bubbles around, stretch those lines...simple pleasures, I know.
Let me see if this link will work:
http://bubbl.us/view.php?sid=157783&pw=yatnqF1mYvyscODlPTnJ2VGs2M1ZPZw
No, but just copy and paste it into your internet browser, and it should come up. It's so pretty.
Wondering
Sept. 6, 2008
After paging through those books, I have decided on choosing the Amish for my topic. As my brother told me "They're just so picturesque and recognizable. It would be nice to know more about them, wouldn't it?" I had to agree. So now it's time to begin developing my questions. First I need to take a closer look at questioning.
Jamie McKenzie's "Question Mark" website: http://questioning.org/ describes why good questions are so important:
"The Question is the Answer.
Students should spend their time researching important questions, questions which require original thought. No more simple "Go Find Out About" research which requires information gathering but little thought.
If we ask students to "Go find out about Connecticut," they (and we) may drown in thousands of pages of text. Instead we ask, "Which of these cities would you move to?"
We require fresh thought. Students make answers. No simple finding and gathering.
New research is more like shopping and cooking. We expect students to select and gather the choicest raw ingredients with great care and then cook their own meal. No microwave research reports! No fast food! No simple cut-and-paste.
The secret to great research is Great Questions . . ."
I'm the type of person who just goes and finds out about something. Even in research papers, I've been guilty of gathering resources and then seeing what questions they might answer before I ask MY question and form my hypothesis. I've done it the correct way, too, and it was very satisfying, but I usually go back to my old ways. I do like that one question: "Which of these cities would you move to?" If a student tries to find the answer to that, they're still be finding out about Connecticut and conducting research, but it will have a purpose behind it and it's allowing them to think. It's giving them the opportunity to have more ownership of their assignment.
Perhaps one of the questions I pose should be something like "What order would I be if I were Amish and could choose?" or "What Amish-concentrated geographic region would I most prefer to live in?" Actually, thinking of geography, "Why are there three main regions where they've settled?" (Going to my prior knowledge, I know that the big three regions are Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.) "Why don't they live anywhere and everywhere?"
I think now that I've begun asking questions, that they will begin to multiply. Since I was at a loss earlier to think of ANY, this won't be a bad thing at all!
After paging through those books, I have decided on choosing the Amish for my topic. As my brother told me "They're just so picturesque and recognizable. It would be nice to know more about them, wouldn't it?" I had to agree. So now it's time to begin developing my questions. First I need to take a closer look at questioning.
Jamie McKenzie's "Question Mark" website: http://questioning.org/ describes why good questions are so important:
"The Question is the Answer.
Students should spend their time researching important questions, questions which require original thought. No more simple "Go Find Out About" research which requires information gathering but little thought.
If we ask students to "Go find out about Connecticut," they (and we) may drown in thousands of pages of text. Instead we ask, "Which of these cities would you move to?"
We require fresh thought. Students make answers. No simple finding and gathering.
New research is more like shopping and cooking. We expect students to select and gather the choicest raw ingredients with great care and then cook their own meal. No microwave research reports! No fast food! No simple cut-and-paste.
The secret to great research is Great Questions . . ."
I'm the type of person who just goes and finds out about something. Even in research papers, I've been guilty of gathering resources and then seeing what questions they might answer before I ask MY question and form my hypothesis. I've done it the correct way, too, and it was very satisfying, but I usually go back to my old ways. I do like that one question: "Which of these cities would you move to?" If a student tries to find the answer to that, they're still be finding out about Connecticut and conducting research, but it will have a purpose behind it and it's allowing them to think. It's giving them the opportunity to have more ownership of their assignment.
Perhaps one of the questions I pose should be something like "What order would I be if I were Amish and could choose?" or "What Amish-concentrated geographic region would I most prefer to live in?" Actually, thinking of geography, "Why are there three main regions where they've settled?" (Going to my prior knowledge, I know that the big three regions are Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.) "Why don't they live anywhere and everywhere?"
I think now that I've begun asking questions, that they will begin to multiply. Since I was at a loss earlier to think of ANY, this won't be a bad thing at all!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Trying to Transition From Watching to Wondering
Note: I don't have internet access at my house (odd for an online class, I know), so I've been doing some journaling on paper, so I'll be dating this differently from when it was posted. It was just so simple to throw a load of laundry in, work on my assignment. Babysit my cousin's kids, work on my assignment.
A History of the Amish by Steven Nolt
Sept. 5, 2008
So far, I have done some cursory reading on some of the topics I was interested in. Some books I perused:
A History of the Amish by Steven Nolt
A Quiet and Peaceable Life by John L. Ruth (Not recommended, lumped all "simple peoples" together and was not descriptive)
Amish Life: Living Plainly and Serving God by Darryl D. Jones
Rumpspringa: To Be or Not to Be Amish by Tom Shachtman
Quaker Spirituality: Selected Writings edited by Douglas V. Steere
Quiet Rebels: The Story of the Quakers in America by Margaret Bacon (Older copyright, but still interesting)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Still Watching
Some topics I'm interested in:
My brother and I enjoy learning about other religions and denominations. We've looked at some Chistian denominations different from ours and I studied several Eastern religions while getting my history degree at college. At the moment, I think one Christian denomination that I'm interested in is Quakerism. Having grown up in Jennings County, the birthplace of Jessamyn West, author of "The Friendly Persuasion," (a book describing a Quaker family's reactions to the Civil War) which was later made into a movie starring Gary Cooper, I've wondered for some time what Quaker beliefs consist of and how they worship. I've heard people say that there were a lot of Quakers living in the area at that time, but where did they go? I rarely see a meetinghouse. The only one I've seen is in the next county.
Another Christian denomination that I really don't know anything about are the Amish. I've been to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and many live in Indiana, too. My car once broke down in Rush County in front of a boot shop. It was snowing and the lady who was inside allowed me to wait inside for someone to pick me up. It was cozy there by the fire, watching her nailing boots. I don't know if she was Amish or Mennonite. She had a couple bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, so I could assume she wasn't Amish, even though her dress looked it. However, maybe she used a generator. I've heard that that is allowed. So I suppose that's something I could explore. Also, after watching one of those television crime-solving dramas that mentioned Rumspringa, I've developed a curiousity about that rite of passage.
I'm also interested in food preservation, especially drying or dehydrating food. However, I don't think I would find much information about that. I know that's it's been difficult to replace soiled and damaged books about it at the library where I work.
Also, I just finished reading City of Ember and People of Sparks, children's books written by Jeanne Deprau. City of Ember has been made into a movie that is coming out in October. I decided to read it so if it was good, I could recommend it to kids who may see the movie trailers. It was very good. I really enjoyed it. For those of you who haven't read it yet, but intend to, here's a spoiler, so don't read on . . . It sparked an interest in bomb or fallout shelters. Actually, during the 50s and 60s, my grandfather wanted to make a fallout shelter, but my grandmother wouldn't let him because she thought that people would think that he was crazy. I know that the early ones probably weren't very effective, but what about ones today? How many people really built them? There's still a threat of nuclear war, so are there people still designing them? It's all very fascinating.
My brother and I enjoy learning about other religions and denominations. We've looked at some Chistian denominations different from ours and I studied several Eastern religions while getting my history degree at college. At the moment, I think one Christian denomination that I'm interested in is Quakerism. Having grown up in Jennings County, the birthplace of Jessamyn West, author of "The Friendly Persuasion," (a book describing a Quaker family's reactions to the Civil War) which was later made into a movie starring Gary Cooper, I've wondered for some time what Quaker beliefs consist of and how they worship. I've heard people say that there were a lot of Quakers living in the area at that time, but where did they go? I rarely see a meetinghouse. The only one I've seen is in the next county.
Another Christian denomination that I really don't know anything about are the Amish. I've been to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and many live in Indiana, too. My car once broke down in Rush County in front of a boot shop. It was snowing and the lady who was inside allowed me to wait inside for someone to pick me up. It was cozy there by the fire, watching her nailing boots. I don't know if she was Amish or Mennonite. She had a couple bare lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling, so I could assume she wasn't Amish, even though her dress looked it. However, maybe she used a generator. I've heard that that is allowed. So I suppose that's something I could explore. Also, after watching one of those television crime-solving dramas that mentioned Rumspringa, I've developed a curiousity about that rite of passage.
I'm also interested in food preservation, especially drying or dehydrating food. However, I don't think I would find much information about that. I know that's it's been difficult to replace soiled and damaged books about it at the library where I work.
Also, I just finished reading City of Ember and People of Sparks, children's books written by Jeanne Deprau. City of Ember has been made into a movie that is coming out in October. I decided to read it so if it was good, I could recommend it to kids who may see the movie trailers. It was very good. I really enjoyed it. For those of you who haven't read it yet, but intend to, here's a spoiler, so don't read on . . . It sparked an interest in bomb or fallout shelters. Actually, during the 50s and 60s, my grandfather wanted to make a fallout shelter, but my grandmother wouldn't let him because she thought that people would think that he was crazy. I know that the early ones probably weren't very effective, but what about ones today? How many people really built them? There's still a threat of nuclear war, so are there people still designing them? It's all very fascinating.
Monday, August 25, 2008
First Post
I'm still trying to decide on my topic for my inquiry project. With endless options, it seems like my decision-making could become endless as well. Check back soon to find out what I decide on.
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