Before I started working on this project, I never really thought about or enjoyed the inquiry process. I love doing things and seeing them through until they are finished. For example, I really would like to try out an e-reader, but I love reading books, holding the physical book itself. To me, it's like a goal to see the bookmark move from one page to the next until I have finally finished the book. Therefore, many times when I'm working on a project or something I don't really think about the inquiry process much. This project has really made me stop and think about each step and what I need to do in order for the project to be successful.
I like to consider myself and "thinker" and a "planner." By this I mean, I think things through and plan out every last detail before I get started. This can be good and bad when actually following through with an inquiry model. It's good that I'm thinking things out, asking questions, and making personal connections. However, planning everything out before I start isn't part of the process. While I need to have an idea of where I'm going, I need to be flexible in how things are accomplished and how the final product is put together. For it's during the inquiry process that I need to continue to ask questions and make adjustments. Otherwise, I may not gain out of it what I had intended. I found this to be true when working on the final product and not being able to do exactly what I wanted. I had planned on having an interactive family tree, in which you could click on each family member's name on the tree and go to their individual page. However, I'm not completely technological savvy when it comes to things like this. Therefore, I had to settle for what it is now. While the same information is presented, it isn't how I had originally planned. This example reassured me that sometimes it isn't always the end that is most important, it's how you get to the end.
Even though I followed the 8W's model for this inquiry project, the I-Search model is also one that could have been used. For me, Phase 3, which is gathering and integrating information, would have been visited several times throughout my inquiry. I would have to plan out how I was going to sort materials, critically evaluate information, and generate new questions before I moved to the final phase.
On a more personal side, my husband has conducted quite a bit of research on his side of the family. His goal was to finish his side of the family and then begin mine. He started this before either one of our boys were born and hasn't done much since then. Now that I have a little more interest in researching our genealogy, he seems to be interested once again. I feel that my inquiry has once again sparked my husband's because of this project! I think it's something we look forward to doing together when we have the time.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wishing
The Overall Project - This project went very well. Even though the product for this inquiry project is one that can never be complete, I think I gathered quite a bit of information in the time I had. At this point, I have finished the inquiry part of my project. I only need to get the website to a "finished" point for the project. I envision this family website to be one that continues to grow over the years, both in the addition of family members by birth or marriage or with documents and information about ancestors.
Strengths and Weaknesses - The strengths and weaknesses for this project go hand-in-hand. I have had several family members on both sides of our family do extensive research on our ancestors. For that reason, I was able to gather a lot of information in a short amount of time. I didn't have to do a lot of the "digging" for information that they had to do. However, I had to take the information they gave me and analyze it and to make sense of all of it. It's not always easy to read information that someone else has done, because the way they organize their information may be different than yours. I also had to make connections between one generation to the next. What I feel was one of my weaknesses for this project also has to do with gathering this information from family members or going to the library to gather other information. Because a lot of information was already done for me and I had a lot of documentation, I didn't have to do a lot of digging myself. I think with more time I could have added to their documentation on various family members, and it is something I envision doing in the future. Another weakness I have is confidence in myself. Many times when I first read through a project, I think to myself "Oh my, how am I ever going to do this." I should know by now that I can do it, and I can do it well. However, those same thoughts ran through my mind several times throughout this project. Looking back, I don't know why I should have had those thoughts, because I think I've put together a rather successful project and learned quite a bit about the inquiry process.
Challenges - The biggest challenge I had for this was on the "personal" side of my project. After sending out the questionnaire to family members, I was then reliant upon them returning it to me in a timely manner. I started early so that I would have plenty of time to sort through the information, ask questions about their responses, and include on the final product. While I envisioned this being a big obstacle to overcome, I'm happy to say that most of them had the information back to me within the next couple of weeks. Another challenge was to make sense of some of their information they gave me. I asked them to tell me who their parents and grandparents were as a starting point for me. While I know who my parents and grandparents are, I don't know many relatives past that. While this was a starting point for me, it was sometimes difficult to tell which side of the family some of them belonged. I had to use the information that my husband or uncle had gathered to determine this.
What could be done differently? There are many directions a person could go with this type of project. One classmate commented on one of my postings and gave me the idea to include video or audio recordings of older family members. That way future generations would be able to see and hear someone who may have passes before they were born. I think this is a really awesome idea. Unfortunately for the conclusion of this project, I will not have time. However, it is something to think about in the future.
I mentioned in earlier blogs about how I was comparing life from one generation to the next. It might be neat to make a timeline noting when family members were born. You could make another timeline that depicts how the toys and games changed over the generations.
Personal Inquiry Experiences - My personal experiences really aren't much different than those of the students who come into my library everyday. While my ideas and thinking may be a little more advanced because of the life experiences I have had, the actual thought process (or inquiry process) really isn't any different. Each person needs to begin by forming questions and making personal connections. Then at the end of the project a person needs to be reflective.
I really like what Virginia Rankin says about the reflective teacher on page 513 in the "blue book." There are two terms she discusses that I feel fit perfectly for me in this project and could also be adapted for students in their inquiry projects. She writes: "Inquisitiveness - determining the right answer can be as rewarding as finding the right answer." For my project, there were no right or wrong answers to the questionnaire I sent out. I had fun asking these questions and then reading through them to learn more about each person. Next she writes: "Risk Taking - do not be afraid to seek answers that may be difficult or impossible, the process often uncovers new areas of inquiry that will be even more rewarding." How true is this term for my project? I enjoyed asking family members those questions and it only left the feeling of wanting more details about their growing up days!
When students begin working on an inquiry project, the teacher should emphasize the importance of asking valuable questions and the idea of editing them often throughout the process. Finally at the end of the project, the students should be encouraged to think about how they did and what they could do differently the next time. They can also think about how they could expand upon what they just completed.
Strengths and Weaknesses - The strengths and weaknesses for this project go hand-in-hand. I have had several family members on both sides of our family do extensive research on our ancestors. For that reason, I was able to gather a lot of information in a short amount of time. I didn't have to do a lot of the "digging" for information that they had to do. However, I had to take the information they gave me and analyze it and to make sense of all of it. It's not always easy to read information that someone else has done, because the way they organize their information may be different than yours. I also had to make connections between one generation to the next. What I feel was one of my weaknesses for this project also has to do with gathering this information from family members or going to the library to gather other information. Because a lot of information was already done for me and I had a lot of documentation, I didn't have to do a lot of digging myself. I think with more time I could have added to their documentation on various family members, and it is something I envision doing in the future. Another weakness I have is confidence in myself. Many times when I first read through a project, I think to myself "Oh my, how am I ever going to do this." I should know by now that I can do it, and I can do it well. However, those same thoughts ran through my mind several times throughout this project. Looking back, I don't know why I should have had those thoughts, because I think I've put together a rather successful project and learned quite a bit about the inquiry process.
Challenges - The biggest challenge I had for this was on the "personal" side of my project. After sending out the questionnaire to family members, I was then reliant upon them returning it to me in a timely manner. I started early so that I would have plenty of time to sort through the information, ask questions about their responses, and include on the final product. While I envisioned this being a big obstacle to overcome, I'm happy to say that most of them had the information back to me within the next couple of weeks. Another challenge was to make sense of some of their information they gave me. I asked them to tell me who their parents and grandparents were as a starting point for me. While I know who my parents and grandparents are, I don't know many relatives past that. While this was a starting point for me, it was sometimes difficult to tell which side of the family some of them belonged. I had to use the information that my husband or uncle had gathered to determine this.
What could be done differently? There are many directions a person could go with this type of project. One classmate commented on one of my postings and gave me the idea to include video or audio recordings of older family members. That way future generations would be able to see and hear someone who may have passes before they were born. I think this is a really awesome idea. Unfortunately for the conclusion of this project, I will not have time. However, it is something to think about in the future.
I mentioned in earlier blogs about how I was comparing life from one generation to the next. It might be neat to make a timeline noting when family members were born. You could make another timeline that depicts how the toys and games changed over the generations.
Personal Inquiry Experiences - My personal experiences really aren't much different than those of the students who come into my library everyday. While my ideas and thinking may be a little more advanced because of the life experiences I have had, the actual thought process (or inquiry process) really isn't any different. Each person needs to begin by forming questions and making personal connections. Then at the end of the project a person needs to be reflective.
I really like what Virginia Rankin says about the reflective teacher on page 513 in the "blue book." There are two terms she discusses that I feel fit perfectly for me in this project and could also be adapted for students in their inquiry projects. She writes: "Inquisitiveness - determining the right answer can be as rewarding as finding the right answer." For my project, there were no right or wrong answers to the questionnaire I sent out. I had fun asking these questions and then reading through them to learn more about each person. Next she writes: "Risk Taking - do not be afraid to seek answers that may be difficult or impossible, the process often uncovers new areas of inquiry that will be even more rewarding." How true is this term for my project? I enjoyed asking family members those questions and it only left the feeling of wanting more details about their growing up days!
When students begin working on an inquiry project, the teacher should emphasize the importance of asking valuable questions and the idea of editing them often throughout the process. Finally at the end of the project, the students should be encouraged to think about how they did and what they could do differently the next time. They can also think about how they could expand upon what they just completed.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Technology Requirements
I used several technology tools throughout the use of my creation of my final product. Here's what I used and how:
- Concept Map: I used two different programs to make a concept map. For the family tree that is on the home page used the chart wizard in Microsoft Word. This allowed me to complete the tree in a simplistic and neatly organized way. For the family trees that extend beyond the fourth generation, I used my husband's Family Tree Maker software program. I added the information to each branch of the tree. Then I had to save them into PDF format in order to display them properly.
- Web-Based Tool: I used Google Docs to upload several example documents, as well as fourth-generation family trees.
- Social Bookmarks: I used Delicious and tagged several websites that were useful in doing genealogy research. I used some of the sites more than others, but all were helpful in some small way. They are tagged either "inquiry" or "S574."
- Electronic Communication Tool: I used email to correspond back and forth between various family members. Those who have email addresses were first contacted about completing the questionnaire through email. I also used this as a form of communication when asking family members to expand upon a given response.
- Productivity Tool: I used a digital camera to take pictures of family members. I also used a scanner to scan in older pictures. Google Sites was also the main tool used for the completion of the project as my final project is a website.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Curriculum Connection
Grade 1
Indiana Academic Standards for Social Studies
Grade 7
AASL Standards
High School
Indiana Academic Standards and AASL Standards
Indiana Academic Standards for Social Studies
- 1.1.1 Compare the way individuals in the community lived in the past with the way they live in the present.
- 1.1.2 Compare past and present similarities and differences in daily life by using biographies, oral histories, and folklore.
Grade 7
AASL Standards
- 1.1.1 Follow an inquiry based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real world connection for using this process in own life.
- 1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.
High School
Indiana Academic Standards and AASL Standards
- WH.9.5 Use technology in the process of conducting historical research and in the presentation of the products of historical research and current events.
- 1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Waving
As I think about what I want to say in this blog entry, I look at the title of this entry and envision myself waving my arms in the air trying to get someone's attention, much like someone at a ballgame who's trying to get the attention of someone three sections over! I think about that and relate that to how I plan on communication my ideas to others. I think what I have created out of this inquiry is important for my family to see and I'm proud that I was able to accomplish it. Therefore, I will be eager to "wave" at them and say, "Hey, look what I've done!"
When I have finished this project and have a sound start on the website (which I feel I do), I am going to send an email out to family members which provides them the link. I hope that they visit the site and enjoy seeing what I have created, thanks to their help. I also hope that they will want to add more to it and allow the site to continue to grow.
I have also shared this site with a couple of my colleagues here at school. I showed them what the project was about and then I showed them the site I created. They both had big smiles on their faces and enjoyed looking at the different pictures on there. Even though they aren't a part of my family, they were able to connect to the project in a small way by looking at the pictures and seeing who in my family they knew.
I shared my link in a previous blog. However, I want to mention that in no way is this site "complete." Nor do I ever envision this site being complete. While I have several pictures of family members on there, I want to continuing digging through old photo books and boxes to find other relatives. I also want family members to continuing adding to their personal information and allow Jeffrie and Casey to truly see what their lives were like.
At this point in the project I also wanted to point out the importance of creating something "exciting" with the information I have gathered. I could have simply taken a picture of family members and stuck it in a book or write a research paper including information about each person. Instead, I chose to focus on something that would keep me excited about the project and interested in finding out more about each family member. This is what Callison explains in the "blue book" when he is discussing Kuhlthau's Information Search Process when it is paired with an inquiry based project. He says "The end result is not only increased student learning, but an excitement about learning and teaching." (pg. 41) Previous to this statement he discusses how she came up with this process as a way not only to get an end result but to teach the students the process of getting to the end result. I feel this is very important because most of the time it's not the end result that will help us in the future it is the process of getting there that will be helpful. My brother must also agree with this because I just received his questionnaire back over the weekend. His response to the question about what he has learned over the years was: "Don't try to learn what to think - learn how to think." I thought that was a really cool statement for him to say since this project is for our inquiry into a topic!
When I have finished this project and have a sound start on the website (which I feel I do), I am going to send an email out to family members which provides them the link. I hope that they visit the site and enjoy seeing what I have created, thanks to their help. I also hope that they will want to add more to it and allow the site to continue to grow.
I have also shared this site with a couple of my colleagues here at school. I showed them what the project was about and then I showed them the site I created. They both had big smiles on their faces and enjoyed looking at the different pictures on there. Even though they aren't a part of my family, they were able to connect to the project in a small way by looking at the pictures and seeing who in my family they knew.
I shared my link in a previous blog. However, I want to mention that in no way is this site "complete." Nor do I ever envision this site being complete. While I have several pictures of family members on there, I want to continuing digging through old photo books and boxes to find other relatives. I also want family members to continuing adding to their personal information and allow Jeffrie and Casey to truly see what their lives were like.
At this point in the project I also wanted to point out the importance of creating something "exciting" with the information I have gathered. I could have simply taken a picture of family members and stuck it in a book or write a research paper including information about each person. Instead, I chose to focus on something that would keep me excited about the project and interested in finding out more about each family member. This is what Callison explains in the "blue book" when he is discussing Kuhlthau's Information Search Process when it is paired with an inquiry based project. He says "The end result is not only increased student learning, but an excitement about learning and teaching." (pg. 41) Previous to this statement he discusses how she came up with this process as a way not only to get an end result but to teach the students the process of getting to the end result. I feel this is very important because most of the time it's not the end result that will help us in the future it is the process of getting there that will be helpful. My brother must also agree with this because I just received his questionnaire back over the weekend. His response to the question about what he has learned over the years was: "Don't try to learn what to think - learn how to think." I thought that was a really cool statement for him to say since this project is for our inquiry into a topic!
Wrapping
I really like the title of this stage in Annette Lamb's version of inquiry! "Wrapping" deals with creating the final package. It reminds me of wrapping a present before giving it to someone. On page 54 in the "blue book" she writes: "Many packages get wrapped and rewrapped before they are given away." While I don't usually wrap a present more than once before giving it to someone, I do take care in making sure that it looks perfect! The same too is with this project in the way that I am taking care in creating this project and making sure that it is looks perfect before I invite my family to view it!
Ways to use this information: I have thought about several different ways to use this information. First and foremost is a visual representation of our family for Jeffrie and Casey. I can also pass along this information to our Social Studies teachers here in my building as an example for them to show their students when they do a project similar to this. They can also compare the generations to see how families have changed over the years.
What I created: For this inquiry, I have created a website using Google Sites. The site showcases our family tree and contains the responses to the questionnaire I sent out to family members. Visit Who's My Family to learn about Jeffrie and Casey's family.
Why is this information important to me and how will it be used? It is such a blessing for Jeffrie and Casey to have four living great-grandparents. I never knew any of my great-grandparents except through stories that were told about them. (My favorite story: One of my great grandmother's passed away one month before I was born. My mom used to tell me that she always told my mom she was praying for her to have a red-headed little girl, because my grandmother was red-headed. Then my mom would tell me that she was praying that she would have a little girl without red hair!) Since Jeffrie and Casey are fortunate to have so many still living, I wanted them to have an opportunity to share with Jeffrie and Casey (and future generations). I wanted them to share what it was like for them growing up, what they enjoyed doing as a child, what some of their favorite memories were, and what they wanted their family to remember about them. With this information, I want Jeffrie and Casey to have an appreciation for where their family came from, and hopefully continue this gathering of information so it can be passed on to their children and so forth.
Who needs to know about this? (1) The two people that really need to know about this are Jeffrie and Casey. They are the reason I chose this topic and created the final product. While I plan on sharing with other family members, they are the main reason for doing this topic for my project. (2) I also plan on sharing this site with one of the Social Studies teachers here in my building. Our students just completed an activity similar to this. (I will show some student examples in my standards blog in the days to come!) They had to decide on a creative way to showcase their family tree. To my knowledge, none of them used a website to publish to. This could be an option for them to consider in the future.
The link for my final product is posted in this blog. It will also be posted in OnCourse. It is also a publicly searchable site; so hopefully, people will find it and enjoy browsing though it.
Ways to use this information: I have thought about several different ways to use this information. First and foremost is a visual representation of our family for Jeffrie and Casey. I can also pass along this information to our Social Studies teachers here in my building as an example for them to show their students when they do a project similar to this. They can also compare the generations to see how families have changed over the years.
What I created: For this inquiry, I have created a website using Google Sites. The site showcases our family tree and contains the responses to the questionnaire I sent out to family members. Visit Who's My Family to learn about Jeffrie and Casey's family.
Why is this information important to me and how will it be used? It is such a blessing for Jeffrie and Casey to have four living great-grandparents. I never knew any of my great-grandparents except through stories that were told about them. (My favorite story: One of my great grandmother's passed away one month before I was born. My mom used to tell me that she always told my mom she was praying for her to have a red-headed little girl, because my grandmother was red-headed. Then my mom would tell me that she was praying that she would have a little girl without red hair!) Since Jeffrie and Casey are fortunate to have so many still living, I wanted them to have an opportunity to share with Jeffrie and Casey (and future generations). I wanted them to share what it was like for them growing up, what they enjoyed doing as a child, what some of their favorite memories were, and what they wanted their family to remember about them. With this information, I want Jeffrie and Casey to have an appreciation for where their family came from, and hopefully continue this gathering of information so it can be passed on to their children and so forth.
Who needs to know about this? (1) The two people that really need to know about this are Jeffrie and Casey. They are the reason I chose this topic and created the final product. While I plan on sharing with other family members, they are the main reason for doing this topic for my project. (2) I also plan on sharing this site with one of the Social Studies teachers here in my building. Our students just completed an activity similar to this. (I will show some student examples in my standards blog in the days to come!) They had to decide on a creative way to showcase their family tree. To my knowledge, none of them used a website to publish to. This could be an option for them to consider in the future.
The link for my final product is posted in this blog. It will also be posted in OnCourse. It is also a publicly searchable site; so hopefully, people will find it and enjoy browsing though it.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Message Board Links
I posted a question to both the community board at www.ancestry.com and www.genealogy.com.
Here are the links:
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.porter/6765/mb.ashx
http://genforum.genealogy.com/porter/messages/9651.html
So far I haven't received any follow-ups. I will continue to check over the next few weeks to see if anyone has any information!
Check out this document which has conflicting information. The son was born four years after the father's death. This is a gap in my research.
Here are the links:
http://boards.ancestry.com/surnames.porter/6765/mb.ashx
http://genforum.genealogy.com/porter/messages/9651.html
So far I haven't received any follow-ups. I will continue to check over the next few weeks to see if anyone has any information!
Check out this document which has conflicting information. The son was born four years after the father's death. This is a gap in my research.
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