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.
My Inquiry Thoughts So Far...
Since I've been working on this project for about three weeks now, I thought I'd take some time and reflect back on all that I have done so far. I'm not one who really likes to think about gathering information in stages nor do I actually think about the inquiry project as I'm working on something. This aspect has been really difficult for me to do. I guess in a way I'm similar to my students at school, because they just want to arrive at answer. I too want to arrive at an answer, but I do take pride in learning the process to get there. Now that I'm older I can see that there is a "process" to acquiring information and that if I learn that process, it will help me in any research I'm conducting. My students don't always make that connection.
INQUIRY PROCESS and BIG6
I really like the inquiry process that Callison mentions in Chapter 1 of the "blue book." I think my thought process and the way I've conducted myself through this process really "fitting" with this idea. I also like what he says on page 44 about the Big6 model. It reads: "Young learners gain confidence [when using this model] because they 'see' the task can be managed." I would argue that it doesn't have to be a "young learner", in terms of age that is. I don't consider myself a young learner, either in experience or age, but I find this statement to fit me. It's short and to the point, which makes it easy to understand and simple to use.
I have taken some time to provide examples and explain several steps I completed in my inquiry by comparing the Inquiry Process and the Big6 model. Here it is below:
Questioning - Task Initiation and Topic Selection: I considered several topics before deciding upon genealogy. I connected to the information through the knowledge of generations still living. I developed questions on what I was curious to know about my family and what I wanted my boys to know about them.
Exploring - Prefocus Exploration and Focus Formulation: I began my investigation by finding sources of information. Most of the genealogy information has come from family members who have gathered information. I narrowed my topic to direct descendants with the idea that this project will continue long after the assignment is finished.
Assimilation - Information Collection: I gathered the information and put it together into a family tree for Jeffrie and Casey. I also organized information into a couple of different formats: 1. the family tree and 2. the questions and answers for the personal side of my inquiry.
Assimilation/Inference - Information Collection and Search Closure: Now I'm at the "constructing" stage of the inquiry process where I'm connecting ideas and information. I have really had a strong personal connection to the responses each of my family members have given me. I love to read about what they did growing up and I like to compare it to my up bringing. One connection I thought was really neat was on Charles' side of the family. My husband mentioned liking to ride his bike and how that was one of his favorite "toys." His mom also said that she enjoyed riding her bicycle. She even tells a short story of how that bike was stolen and never found. Finally, Charles' grandpa (mom's dad) explains how riding his bike was one of his favorite things to do. I really enjoy making these connections. It's really neat to see how even though the generations change and life is different from one generation to the next, there's still something small that keeps us all connected.
While I understand that each stage builds upon the next in this inquiry process, I have also found myself completing many steps at the same time. I think this mostly because I know what I want my end product to be. Therefore, as I move through each step, I connect the information I've gathered and analyzed to the final product. I want to make it fit perfectly. With this topic I chose, I think it would be impossible to completely be able to check off on stage in the inquiry process and never return to it. For example, after gathering information about one generation, I published it to my final product. Then I had to return to the gathering stage and begin working on the next generation. With the questionnaire I sent out, I was able to send it out to living generations at once. However, I didn't receive all the responses back at one time. Therefore, I would analyze them as they came in.
INQUIRY PROCESS and BIG6
I really like the inquiry process that Callison mentions in Chapter 1 of the "blue book." I think my thought process and the way I've conducted myself through this process really "fitting" with this idea. I also like what he says on page 44 about the Big6 model. It reads: "Young learners gain confidence [when using this model] because they 'see' the task can be managed." I would argue that it doesn't have to be a "young learner", in terms of age that is. I don't consider myself a young learner, either in experience or age, but I find this statement to fit me. It's short and to the point, which makes it easy to understand and simple to use.
I have taken some time to provide examples and explain several steps I completed in my inquiry by comparing the Inquiry Process and the Big6 model. Here it is below:
Questioning - Task Initiation and Topic Selection: I considered several topics before deciding upon genealogy. I connected to the information through the knowledge of generations still living. I developed questions on what I was curious to know about my family and what I wanted my boys to know about them.
Exploring - Prefocus Exploration and Focus Formulation: I began my investigation by finding sources of information. Most of the genealogy information has come from family members who have gathered information. I narrowed my topic to direct descendants with the idea that this project will continue long after the assignment is finished.
Assimilation - Information Collection: I gathered the information and put it together into a family tree for Jeffrie and Casey. I also organized information into a couple of different formats: 1. the family tree and 2. the questions and answers for the personal side of my inquiry.
Assimilation/Inference - Information Collection and Search Closure: Now I'm at the "constructing" stage of the inquiry process where I'm connecting ideas and information. I have really had a strong personal connection to the responses each of my family members have given me. I love to read about what they did growing up and I like to compare it to my up bringing. One connection I thought was really neat was on Charles' side of the family. My husband mentioned liking to ride his bike and how that was one of his favorite "toys." His mom also said that she enjoyed riding her bicycle. She even tells a short story of how that bike was stolen and never found. Finally, Charles' grandpa (mom's dad) explains how riding his bike was one of his favorite things to do. I really enjoy making these connections. It's really neat to see how even though the generations change and life is different from one generation to the next, there's still something small that keeps us all connected.
While I understand that each stage builds upon the next in this inquiry process, I have also found myself completing many steps at the same time. I think this mostly because I know what I want my end product to be. Therefore, as I move through each step, I connect the information I've gathered and analyzed to the final product. I want to make it fit perfectly. With this topic I chose, I think it would be impossible to completely be able to check off on stage in the inquiry process and never return to it. For example, after gathering information about one generation, I published it to my final product. Then I had to return to the gathering stage and begin working on the next generation. With the questionnaire I sent out, I was able to send it out to living generations at once. However, I didn't receive all the responses back at one time. Therefore, I would analyze them as they came in.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Weaving
It has been really interesting in the past week to read responses to the questions I asked from family members. I have received most everyone's responses, and I am sorting through to get a better idea of what it was like for them when they were growing up. I have also found a new appreciation for some of the small things in life when I read their responses. For example, my grandma wrote about getting in their car and knowing that if they headed a certain direction, they would be getting an ice cream treat that evening. I know this didn't happen very often for their family back then, and today, it's nothing for families to go get ice cream once or even twice a week.
As I sort through the information and dates of family members, I like to compare the ages of my family to Charles' family. I'm the youngest in my family and he is the oldest. Therefore, when I'm looking at ages, it's neat to see how his family is younger than mine. I also keep adding to our family tree as more information is gathered.
As far as organizing my materials, I have done a variety of different things. I am making lists of items gathered/need to gather, things to do, etc. As I mentioned in another post, I'm creating a pedigree by hand, since I'm a visual person. I have a constant dialogue with Charles, my husband. There is hardly a night that goes by without me asking him something about his family, or how to use one of the library's databases, as he is more familiar with them. (Yesterday, I even caught him researching more information about his family, as I've seemed to get him back into gathering data since I've been working on this project.) While working on projects for my classes, I also print out the assignment for the project, so I can make notes to myself on it. You should see this project's papers! I have notes to myself written all over the pages. Most of them have to do with something I've done that I want to mention on my postings. Some of them are reminders to email someone with a question or about a response.
The two components of information for this inquiry that I wanted to gather was: a family tree for Jeffrie and Casey listing direct descendants and personal remembrances/thoughts on growing up to inform Jeffrie and Casey of who there family was and what life was like for them. After receiving my responses, I've only had a couple of questions that I needed clarification on or more information about. I have emailed my grandma with a couple of other questions. She is supposed to be getting more information to me at some point.
As far as connecting ideas....I have so many ideas it's hard to keep track! I want to connect their information and who they are with a picture of them. I'm currently gathering pictures of family members when they were young as well as a current picture. I want my boys to have a visual remembrance of family members, especially great-grandparents. Because I want my boys to feel a connection to their family members and to understand how times were different for their grandparents and such growing up, I asked several questions that my boys will be able to connect experiences to. For example, I asked family members what favorite toys they had, what they did for fun, etc. When my boys get a little older and have an understanding of this, they will be able to know who their family was and hopefully have an appreciation of their family heritage. To go along with this idea, I was reading in our "blue book" the other day the chapter by Callison on constructivism. In one section he writes about David Jonassen from Penn State University and his take on constructivism. He says: "Therefore, there are multiple perspectives on the world. ...since no two people can possibly have the same set of experiences and perceptions of those experiences, each of us constructs our own knowledge, which in turn affects the perceptions of the experiences that we have and those we share." (p. 335) I really loved this definition of constructivism. As soon as I read this, I thought about my inquiry and how I am connecting my experiences growing up with those of my family. I can see how my "growing up" days were much different than those of my parents, and even more different than those of my grandparents. And then in turn, I'm helping my boys to connect their experiences to mine and past generations in the same way. To me, this is just a process that will continue to build over the years.
Findings of merit...with my inquiry it's difficult to label something as having merit or not. I personally feel that all the "personal stuff" I'm gathering from family members has merit. To me, that's the juicy details that I love to read and learn about. However, within those responses, I'm finding some questions to mean more to me than others. For example, the last two questions I have asked family members are: What have you learned over your lifetime that you’d like to share with Jeffrie and Casey, as well as other future generations? and What would you like for your family to remember about you? Those two questions have meant more to me than all the other questions combined. I don't think there has been a single person's paper I have read without crying while reading their responses. It has really opened my eyes to how special each one of them truly is to me, and how much I love each and every one of them. That to me, is finding merit!
On the other side of things, the genealogy aspect of the project requires another form of merit in which I confirm dates, ancestors and so forth. I have to say at this point I haven't had any conflicting dates or questionable items. I'm continuing to organize information into a chart and then finally publish to a web page.
As I sort through the information and dates of family members, I like to compare the ages of my family to Charles' family. I'm the youngest in my family and he is the oldest. Therefore, when I'm looking at ages, it's neat to see how his family is younger than mine. I also keep adding to our family tree as more information is gathered.
As far as organizing my materials, I have done a variety of different things. I am making lists of items gathered/need to gather, things to do, etc. As I mentioned in another post, I'm creating a pedigree by hand, since I'm a visual person. I have a constant dialogue with Charles, my husband. There is hardly a night that goes by without me asking him something about his family, or how to use one of the library's databases, as he is more familiar with them. (Yesterday, I even caught him researching more information about his family, as I've seemed to get him back into gathering data since I've been working on this project.) While working on projects for my classes, I also print out the assignment for the project, so I can make notes to myself on it. You should see this project's papers! I have notes to myself written all over the pages. Most of them have to do with something I've done that I want to mention on my postings. Some of them are reminders to email someone with a question or about a response.
The two components of information for this inquiry that I wanted to gather was: a family tree for Jeffrie and Casey listing direct descendants and personal remembrances/thoughts on growing up to inform Jeffrie and Casey of who there family was and what life was like for them. After receiving my responses, I've only had a couple of questions that I needed clarification on or more information about. I have emailed my grandma with a couple of other questions. She is supposed to be getting more information to me at some point.
As far as connecting ideas....I have so many ideas it's hard to keep track! I want to connect their information and who they are with a picture of them. I'm currently gathering pictures of family members when they were young as well as a current picture. I want my boys to have a visual remembrance of family members, especially great-grandparents. Because I want my boys to feel a connection to their family members and to understand how times were different for their grandparents and such growing up, I asked several questions that my boys will be able to connect experiences to. For example, I asked family members what favorite toys they had, what they did for fun, etc. When my boys get a little older and have an understanding of this, they will be able to know who their family was and hopefully have an appreciation of their family heritage. To go along with this idea, I was reading in our "blue book" the other day the chapter by Callison on constructivism. In one section he writes about David Jonassen from Penn State University and his take on constructivism. He says: "Therefore, there are multiple perspectives on the world. ...since no two people can possibly have the same set of experiences and perceptions of those experiences, each of us constructs our own knowledge, which in turn affects the perceptions of the experiences that we have and those we share." (p. 335) I really loved this definition of constructivism. As soon as I read this, I thought about my inquiry and how I am connecting my experiences growing up with those of my family. I can see how my "growing up" days were much different than those of my parents, and even more different than those of my grandparents. And then in turn, I'm helping my boys to connect their experiences to mine and past generations in the same way. To me, this is just a process that will continue to build over the years.
Findings of merit...with my inquiry it's difficult to label something as having merit or not. I personally feel that all the "personal stuff" I'm gathering from family members has merit. To me, that's the juicy details that I love to read and learn about. However, within those responses, I'm finding some questions to mean more to me than others. For example, the last two questions I have asked family members are: What have you learned over your lifetime that you’d like to share with Jeffrie and Casey, as well as other future generations? and What would you like for your family to remember about you? Those two questions have meant more to me than all the other questions combined. I don't think there has been a single person's paper I have read without crying while reading their responses. It has really opened my eyes to how special each one of them truly is to me, and how much I love each and every one of them. That to me, is finding merit!
On the other side of things, the genealogy aspect of the project requires another form of merit in which I confirm dates, ancestors and so forth. I have to say at this point I haven't had any conflicting dates or questionable items. I'm continuing to organize information into a chart and then finally publish to a web page.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Wiggling
This has been a wonderful weekend for a number of reasons, as my inquiry into this project has really seemed to take off! Over the past week, my sister-in-law (husband's sister, Jennifer) and I celebrated birthdays. This meant that a family dinner would take place at my parent's house, and then another at my in-law's house. Because most of my family has already received my questionnaire, I used these dinners as opportunities to gather more personal information and to share favorite memories. (As of today I have received responses from my mom, my grandma, and Delores.) I love to hear stories from my grandma or my husband's grandparents just to compare the days of old to today!
This morning as soon as Charles' grandma (Mamaw Granny Delores) walked in the door, she handed me her questionnaire and said, "I only did this because you're Charlie Bill's wife." She said she went to several different cemeteries to gather dates of different family members. That sparked an entire conversation for the breakfast table! I continued to ask her questions and she continued to give me information. She also discussed the uncertainty of her grandpa's death date. Her older sister has always said that the marker on his grave is wrong. She also checked the funeral book and there is a different date in there. While I never meant for my questionnaire to be a lot of work for family members, she said she enjoyed going to the different cemeteries to get the dates for her own knowledge! I thought it was neat that I sparked her investigation because of my inquiry!
Currently I am evaluating the information his grandmother gave me using the data that my husband has collected on his side of the family. I have also contacted my uncle to get copies of the information he has on our two sides of the family. Both my husband and uncle have spent a great deal of time finding historical documents and identifying family members. I am comparing the information I have gathered from family members with the information my husband and uncle have collected. If there are discrepancies in any of the data, I will have to investigate it further. So far, I haven't found anything that needs to be looked into further. Since my project is two-fold, I have two different types of information to evaluate. The data (dates/ancestors/etc.) and the personal "stuff." The personal stuff doesn't really need evaluated, but it does need to be looked at for understanding. For example, my grandmother wrote about playing Old Mill and Heaven & Purgatory. I have never heard of either one of those games. At first I thought she wrote Old Maid, but she mentions that later on in her answer. Therefore, in cases like this, I will contact (or have contacted) her or whomever it is to get more details.
Read the letter my uncle accompanied with his information he gave me! It is very interesting!
I also have a notebook that I'm using to check off things to do and information to gather. Once I have gathered all the "data" (family members with birth/death dates) I plan to organize my information into the Family Tree Maker software that my husband has. This will allow my project to have a visual aspect, as I am a huge visual learner and enjoy presenting ideas visually. I really like what Annette Lamb has on her web page about visual literacy (http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/visual.htm). She writes: "Visual literacy is the ability to understand and use images. This includes to think, learn, and express oneself in terms of images." This is me in a nut shell!
I have also started to work on my product for this inquiry, which will be the family web page. I know I want to include this family tree I am creating on the web page. Another visual aspect I am currently doing is creating a family tree by hand. I do better when I write something out first before putting it into the computer. Therefore, I have drawn several family trees out by hand on notebook paper. I finally have one that I am happy with, so I plan to use it and add to it as I continue to gather ancestors and dates.
As I mentioned in a prior blog about literacy, I feel that this family tree I'm creating is addressing the "visual aspect" of my inquiry and proves that I possess visual literacy. I can also argue that I possess other aspects of literacy. For example, I am identifying sources of information and evaluating what I have received, which is information literacy. I also possess media and technology literacy, because my final product will produce a website that incorporates technology and media into the information gathered.
This morning as soon as Charles' grandma (Mamaw Granny Delores) walked in the door, she handed me her questionnaire and said, "I only did this because you're Charlie Bill's wife." She said she went to several different cemeteries to gather dates of different family members. That sparked an entire conversation for the breakfast table! I continued to ask her questions and she continued to give me information. She also discussed the uncertainty of her grandpa's death date. Her older sister has always said that the marker on his grave is wrong. She also checked the funeral book and there is a different date in there. While I never meant for my questionnaire to be a lot of work for family members, she said she enjoyed going to the different cemeteries to get the dates for her own knowledge! I thought it was neat that I sparked her investigation because of my inquiry!
Currently I am evaluating the information his grandmother gave me using the data that my husband has collected on his side of the family. I have also contacted my uncle to get copies of the information he has on our two sides of the family. Both my husband and uncle have spent a great deal of time finding historical documents and identifying family members. I am comparing the information I have gathered from family members with the information my husband and uncle have collected. If there are discrepancies in any of the data, I will have to investigate it further. So far, I haven't found anything that needs to be looked into further. Since my project is two-fold, I have two different types of information to evaluate. The data (dates/ancestors/etc.) and the personal "stuff." The personal stuff doesn't really need evaluated, but it does need to be looked at for understanding. For example, my grandmother wrote about playing Old Mill and Heaven & Purgatory. I have never heard of either one of those games. At first I thought she wrote Old Maid, but she mentions that later on in her answer. Therefore, in cases like this, I will contact (or have contacted) her or whomever it is to get more details.
Read the letter my uncle accompanied with his information he gave me! It is very interesting!
I also have a notebook that I'm using to check off things to do and information to gather. Once I have gathered all the "data" (family members with birth/death dates) I plan to organize my information into the Family Tree Maker software that my husband has. This will allow my project to have a visual aspect, as I am a huge visual learner and enjoy presenting ideas visually. I really like what Annette Lamb has on her web page about visual literacy (http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/visual.htm). She writes: "Visual literacy is the ability to understand and use images. This includes to think, learn, and express oneself in terms of images." This is me in a nut shell!
I have also started to work on my product for this inquiry, which will be the family web page. I know I want to include this family tree I am creating on the web page. Another visual aspect I am currently doing is creating a family tree by hand. I do better when I write something out first before putting it into the computer. Therefore, I have drawn several family trees out by hand on notebook paper. I finally have one that I am happy with, so I plan to use it and add to it as I continue to gather ancestors and dates.
As I mentioned in a prior blog about literacy, I feel that this family tree I'm creating is addressing the "visual aspect" of my inquiry and proves that I possess visual literacy. I can also argue that I possess other aspects of literacy. For example, I am identifying sources of information and evaluating what I have received, which is information literacy. I also possess media and technology literacy, because my final product will produce a website that incorporates technology and media into the information gathered.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Webbing
I was able to locate most of my information from family members. When I was in high school, I had to put together a family tree. I still have that family tree that I drew (by hand), so I used it to gather the information for my family. My husband has also done a lot of research on his side of the family. Since I began this project, we have had ongoing conversations about his side of the family. Slowly, I am beginning to connect the pieces for his side.
I have used a variety of search tools to gather information. The main source of my investigation is coming from the interviews I am conducting with family members. I also conducted a basic Google search to find some reliable sites on creating genealogy or researching your genealogy. Our library also offers access to a couple of databases free of charge with our library card. Another awesome source that our library offers is an online index to the location of records at our county courthouse. You can see all of my sites I have visited so far by following this link to my Delicious social bookmarking site: http://www.delicious.com/krporter2005. (The sites I used for this project are tagged "Inquiry".
A family tree or genealogical research on a particular family can be as simple or as extensive as a person wants it to be. When I first began my research, I wasn't sure how in depth I wanted to go into my family's history. Since I am creating this for my two boys, I decided to narrow the research and keep it somewhat simple for now. I'm going to include our immediate family (moms/dads, brothers/sisters, grandparents, and parents of grandparents). When I create the e-scrapbook, I plan on creating it with the idea that it can be expanded in the future once further research is conducted into our ancestry.
With the research I have conducted thus far, I have used websites, some visuals, real people, interviews, and email conversations. I have sent a questionnaire out to family members asking for information about themselves. Once I receive their responses, I plan to analyze that information to see if any further interviews need to be conducted. I know I also want to try out the message board at www.genealogy.com to see what type of responses I get from it. However, I haven't decided exactly what I want to post on there. (I will make note of what I post on the message board later.)
This week while also working on the reading assignments, I have found a new meaning for what it means to be "literate." All the readings discuss how being literate no longer means just having the ability to read and write. In the "big blue book" we're reading, Callison writes: "...the term implies an interaction between social demands and individual competence." (p. 422) I have a greater understanding for this definition based upon the research I have conducted thus far. I understand that just gathering the information and reading it is not enough. After reading it, I need to interpret a rather large amount of data, such as the birth/death dates of family members and such. It is rather an interesting process to read and sort through data!
My project relies heavily on obtaining primary sources. It is important for me to verify information (such as birth/death dates, children, etc.) through historical documents, such as birth/death certificates, military records, etc. I can also obtain information from the census records by accessing the Heritage Quest database through my local library.
My thoughts on the process so far: I'm not really frustrated, and I don't anticipate being frustrated. I would say I'm more concerned about putting together the final product once my investigation is complete. I have an idea in my mind what I want it to look like, and I'm afraid it won't be as perfect as I plan on it being.
I have used a variety of search tools to gather information. The main source of my investigation is coming from the interviews I am conducting with family members. I also conducted a basic Google search to find some reliable sites on creating genealogy or researching your genealogy. Our library also offers access to a couple of databases free of charge with our library card. Another awesome source that our library offers is an online index to the location of records at our county courthouse. You can see all of my sites I have visited so far by following this link to my Delicious social bookmarking site: http://www.delicious.com/krporter2005. (The sites I used for this project are tagged "Inquiry".
A family tree or genealogical research on a particular family can be as simple or as extensive as a person wants it to be. When I first began my research, I wasn't sure how in depth I wanted to go into my family's history. Since I am creating this for my two boys, I decided to narrow the research and keep it somewhat simple for now. I'm going to include our immediate family (moms/dads, brothers/sisters, grandparents, and parents of grandparents). When I create the e-scrapbook, I plan on creating it with the idea that it can be expanded in the future once further research is conducted into our ancestry.
With the research I have conducted thus far, I have used websites, some visuals, real people, interviews, and email conversations. I have sent a questionnaire out to family members asking for information about themselves. Once I receive their responses, I plan to analyze that information to see if any further interviews need to be conducted. I know I also want to try out the message board at www.genealogy.com to see what type of responses I get from it. However, I haven't decided exactly what I want to post on there. (I will make note of what I post on the message board later.)
This week while also working on the reading assignments, I have found a new meaning for what it means to be "literate." All the readings discuss how being literate no longer means just having the ability to read and write. In the "big blue book" we're reading, Callison writes: "...the term implies an interaction between social demands and individual competence." (p. 422) I have a greater understanding for this definition based upon the research I have conducted thus far. I understand that just gathering the information and reading it is not enough. After reading it, I need to interpret a rather large amount of data, such as the birth/death dates of family members and such. It is rather an interesting process to read and sort through data!
My project relies heavily on obtaining primary sources. It is important for me to verify information (such as birth/death dates, children, etc.) through historical documents, such as birth/death certificates, military records, etc. I can also obtain information from the census records by accessing the Heritage Quest database through my local library.
My thoughts on the process so far: I'm not really frustrated, and I don't anticipate being frustrated. I would say I'm more concerned about putting together the final product once my investigation is complete. I have an idea in my mind what I want it to look like, and I'm afraid it won't be as perfect as I plan on it being.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Wondering
Throughout this project I hope to create a family tree that lists as many family members from previous generations as possible. I am intrigued by who my ancestors were and how they helped shape the family that we are today. I have always been amazed at how blessed I am to have a wonderful, loving family. Often I look back and think about how different this family would be if just one thing had turned out differently. For example, I sometimes wonder where I would be and if I would be married to Charles if my friend/boss had not set us up on a blind date! While I have no doubt that God was using her to bring us together and that we are supposed to be together, I wonder how we would have met if not through her. I also wonder about other family members and how they met their spouse. I wonder what it was like for them growing up. I remember my mom always talking about how little money they had and how she thought it was a treat when her grandma would give her a nickel to buy a coke. Just the little things like that makes me crave for more stories. I have also heard stories told by my grandma that I'm afraid I'll forget. Those are the main reasons I want to create this site, so that they will be preserved for future generations.
As soon as I had settled on this topic for my project, I kept a list of questions I wanted to ask family members running in my head. I knew several questions that I wanted to ask. I also asked my husband what he would like to know about our parents and grandparents. One night we sat down and brainstormed a list of about twenty questions. From there, I consulted some online help. I went through a couple of suggestion lists for inspiration and to double check to make sure I had not left something out that I thought was important. I wanted basic information that allowed for some personalization among each family member.
The two sites I consulted include:
The list of questions is organized into three different parts. (Once I create my final product you will be able to see the exact questions I asked.) The three parts consist of: "Just the Facts" - includes basic questions such as name, date/place of birth, parents, spouse, children, etc., "Growing Up" - includes questions such as where did you go to school, what did you do for fun, what was your favorite toy, how did you celebrate holidays, etc., and "Adulthood" - includes questions such as profession, memories of your children, etc. I plan on taking this information and analyzing it. From there, I want to expand upon their answers or focus on one response they gave me. This idea is similar to McKenzie's questioning research cycle where as students will move through the research cycle several times before determining what to report.
Finally my focus for the project right now includes creating a family e-scrapbook. I envision one page with a family tree. I envision the other pages including the "nitty-gritty" (responses to family member's questions and some photos)!
As soon as I had settled on this topic for my project, I kept a list of questions I wanted to ask family members running in my head. I knew several questions that I wanted to ask. I also asked my husband what he would like to know about our parents and grandparents. One night we sat down and brainstormed a list of about twenty questions. From there, I consulted some online help. I went through a couple of suggestion lists for inspiration and to double check to make sure I had not left something out that I thought was important. I wanted basic information that allowed for some personalization among each family member.
The two sites I consulted include:
- http://genealogy.about.com/cs/oralhistory/a/interview.htm
- http://ezinearticles.com/?Write-Your-Family-History---50-Questions-You-Must-Ask-Parents-Or-Grandparents-Before-They-Die&id=800937
The list of questions is organized into three different parts. (Once I create my final product you will be able to see the exact questions I asked.) The three parts consist of: "Just the Facts" - includes basic questions such as name, date/place of birth, parents, spouse, children, etc., "Growing Up" - includes questions such as where did you go to school, what did you do for fun, what was your favorite toy, how did you celebrate holidays, etc., and "Adulthood" - includes questions such as profession, memories of your children, etc. I plan on taking this information and analyzing it. From there, I want to expand upon their answers or focus on one response they gave me. This idea is similar to McKenzie's questioning research cycle where as students will move through the research cycle several times before determining what to report.
Finally my focus for the project right now includes creating a family e-scrapbook. I envision one page with a family tree. I envision the other pages including the "nitty-gritty" (responses to family member's questions and some photos)!
Friday, August 27, 2010
Watching
As I began reading the requirements for this assignment, the gears in my brain began to turn and grind over numerous topics and directions in which I could take for this project. By the time I had finished reading the assignment and browsed through several previous students' projects, I had a list a mile long of what I could do. Here are just a few of the ideas I came up with:
- "How to Be an Olympic Gymnast" - I participated in competitive gymnastics, as well as tumbling and trampoline, for over 18 years while I was growing up. As many athletes do, I too dreamed of competing in the Olympic games. Therefore, I thought about finding out what it took to become an Olympic athlete.
- "Best Strategies for Playing Softball" - (As you can see I have a love for sports.) My husband plays on our church softball team. The league requires for each team to field three women. A couple of times this season I have had to play (instead of being the official score keeper) in order to field three women. Not having played softball since the age of 5, I thought it would be neat to investigate various strategies and tips to best play softball.
- "Who's My Family" - My two boys (ages 2 and 6 months) are blessed to still have four great-grandparents still living. Therefore I thought it would be a great idea to create an online scrapbook showcasing their family tree and preserve the memories that our family holds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)