Wiggling: (evaluating)

“Evaluation is defined as the making of judgments about the value, for some purpose, of ideas, works, solutions, methods, material, etc. It involves the use of criteria as well as standards for appraising the extent to which particulars are accurate, effective, economical, or satisfying. The judgments may be either quantitative or qualitative, and the criteria may be either those determined by the student or those which are given to him.” Benjamin Bloom

1. Let the evaluating begin!
   
   In an attempt to select sources and determine if they are the best choices for this project I reviewed the Wiggling Stage. Dr. Lamb encourages some steps to review and gather information. These steps include:
   
   Skimming the page and using headings and subheadings as a guide,
   Recording only the information required words, phrases and pieces of information.
   Citing sources as you use them.
   Using related links from good sites
   Book marking pages to return later.
   
   I have used each of these stages and they have helped me stay focused. In my option, these steps are more meaningful than the old style of note taking. It has forced me to continually evaluate, select, review and keep or discard information. I have been far more organized because I have kept detailed lists of possible sites, books, images etc. I created evaluations of top pick sites and keep lists of words, and phrases from sources. Students would be less likely to copy information when using all these steps.
   
   
   As I discussed in the last blog, I planned to look for a. variety of sources.
   The ones I have looked into include:
   
   Internet Sources: Evaluation:
   
   I returned back to my course work from L591 taught by Dr. Lamb. The information I needed to evaluate my selected internet sites. The site is http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm The criteria for evaluating sources are:
   
   Authority. Who says? Know the author.
   Objectivity. Is the information biased? Think about perspective.
   Authenticity. Is the information authentic? Know the source.
   Reliability. Is this information accurate? Consider the origin of the information.
   Timeliness. Is the information current? Consider the currency and timeliness of the information.
   Relevance. Is the information helpful? Think about whether you need this information.
   Efficiency. Is this information worth the effort? Think about the organization and speed of information access.
   
   
   
   The above criteria are helpful for my project. I especially paid close attention to authority, authenticity objectivity and efficiency. All of the sites I have met the criteria. One thing I noted was the ending on the url. I feel that org, edu, and gov, are probably more useful than com. There is less likelihood for bias with more neutral authors. Te list I am providing below has a description and also the URL. You will see that many of the sites are from Museums and Government Agencies.
   
   A list of Informative Sites:
   
   Civilization.ca - The Haida : Children of Eagle and RavenDescription: Ethnographic information about the Haida Nation including history, art, and sacred mythology. URL: www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html
   Evaluation: top site. Created by Dr. George MacDonald a scholar, sponsored and supported by the Canadian Museum of civilization, very well organized, visual and easy to read.
   
   Haida IndiansDescription: The Haida are North American Indians living on the Queen Charlotte Islands of British This site describes these people’s history and life.
   URL: www.alaskan.com/akencinfo/haida.html
   Evaluation: A one page description only. Not too elaborate but contains some key points. A .com site so may not be overly useful.
   
   Haida - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaDescription: The Haida Nation claimed territories comprise an archipelago called the Queen ... Their ancestral language is the Haida language. This site gives a concise description of the people. URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haida
   Evaluation: current, detailed, relevant.
   
   Haida, Spirits of the SeaDescription: HAIDA SPIRITS OF THE SEA. A contribution in recognition of the United Nations International Decade of the World's Indigenous
   URL: www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Haida/java/english/home/Evaluation: Excellent resource sponsored by major museums, artists. Researched by scholars, efficient.
   
   
   Haida Language MainpageDescription: Haida, or Xaat Kíl, is the ancestral language of the Haida people. This is the place to learn about this ancient language. URL: http://www.haidalanguage.org/
   Evaluation: Brought to us by the Sealaska Heritage Institute. Well organized, relivant and easy to navigate.
   
   Haida - The Kids' Site of Canadian Settlement - Library and ...Description: The Haida live in one of the great temperate old-growth rain forests of Canada. This is a site for teachers and students.
   URL: http://www.collectionscanada.ca/settlement/kids/021013-2061-e.html
   Evaluation: An educational site good visuals, reliable, and well researched, good links.
   
   Native Americans - HaidaDescription: They speak the Haida language, which forms a branch of the family of Nadene languages ... of white fur traders, the Haida lived in large cedar-plank houses.
   URL: www.nativeamericans.com/Haida.htm
   Evaluation: Poorly organized, not enough details.
   
   
   Museum of Anthropology B.C.
   Description: A Museum site with stories and artwork from Indian Tribes including the Haida.
   http://www.moa.ubc.ca/
   Evaluation: Top notch. Authority, Relievence, Timelines, accurate details, easy to navigate.
   
   Civilization.ca - The Haida - Haida artDescription: The abstract concept of art for art's sake had little meaning for the Haida, but they had exceptionally high standards of craftsmanship and the desire to.
   http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haaindxe.html
   Evaluation: Government site, detailed and easy to follow, good images, links
   
   Guujaaw, carver on Haida GwaiiDescription: In the following sections you will find a story told with photos of a totem pole being carved at Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. The pole is designed and carved by ... URL: www.spruceroots.org/PoleSite/Haida.html
   Evaluation: Historical, and provides a deeper look at haida
   
   A Haida house at Massett.Description: To my knowledge, this is the only photograph of an occupied Haida house showing both an interior and exterior view. This house was located at the village of .
   URL: www.hallman.org/indian/house.html
   Evaluation: Historical look at homes
   
   Alaska Native Heritage CenterDescription: The Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian share a common and similar Northwest Coast Culture with important differences in language and clan system.
   URL: www.alaskanative.net/38.asp
   
   Haida LegendsDescription: A series of Haida Legends written and illustrated by a grade 4 class at Selkirk Elementary. URL: www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/projects/haida_legends/
   Evaluation: Interesting look at student projects
   
   Native American Resources
   Description: A series of Haida pathfinders and details about hundreds of tribes.
   URL: http://www.kstrom.net/isk/mainmenu.html
   Evaluation: exceptional list
   
   
   Haida Games
   Description: A fun site that shows games and artifacts that Haida People used for enjoyment and gambling.
   URL:http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Inuit_Haida/haida/english/games/stkgame.html Evaluation: good complement for family section, accurate, references, good images, easy to follow, age appropriate.
   
   Native American People/Tribes-Haida PeopleDescription: A Native American/American Indian non commercial website dedicated to educating, including examples/links of: pottery, baskets, arrowheads, beadwork,
   URL: http://www.blogger.com/www.snowwowl.com/peoplehaida.html
   Evaluation: not a government site but useful. artifacts
   
   Bringing Home the BonesDescription: Nonny (grandmother) Ethel's life spans perhaps the most dramatic period of cultural change in the thousands of years since the Haida settled on this rainy.
   URL: www.homelands.org/worlds/haida.html
   Evaluation: Excellent look at history, a fine primary source
   
   Bill Reid FoundationDescription: The Spirit of Haida Gwaii was completed and installed in 1991. ... Here we are at last, a long way from Haida Gwaii, not too sure where we are or where.
   URL: www.billreidfoundation.org/banknote/spirit.htm
   Evaluation: Respected foundation, accurate,realiable, clear.
   
   Vancouver Art GalleryDescription: The exhibition reveals how Haida art is reflective of the mythic realm, with many examples of Raven as the trickster, the transformer and creator.
   URL: www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/exhibitions_raven.cfm
   Evaluation: Amazingly well organized and great resources.
   
   Book Evaluations:
   Here is a list of books that I evaluated.
   
   Anne D’Alleva's Arts and Culture: Native Americans
   topic:Art and Myths evaluation: Has many pages dedicated to haidas,
   Clear and accurate, good visuals.

Richard Huber's Treasure of Fantastic & Mythological Creatures
topic:Art and Myth evaluation: Good visuals, not too many details, not as useful

Gary McLain's Indian American: Traveler’s Companion
topic: Origins, Art,Family, Livelihood
evaluation: Excellent, current, links to websites, and good bibliography.

Ellen Russell Emerson's Indian Myths
topic: Myths
evaluation:Written well, detailed stories, easy to follow.

Reginald and Gladys Laubin's Indian dances of North America
topic: Family
evaluation: Excellent research, authority, great visuals, lots of details.

David Penney's Art of American Indian Frontier
topic:Art an d Myth
evaluation: Well organized, easy to locate information, Historical Accuracy.

Jennifer Frantz's Totem Poles
topic:Art and Family
evaluation:Great for children, fun and easy to read, recommend to add in as a must read for kids.

Christian F. Feest's Native Arts of North America
topic: Art
evaluation: Scholarly, well organized, easy to access information, publisher well known.

Janet C. Berlo and Ruth B. Ohillips' Native North American Art
topic:Art and Family
evaluation: Exceptional book, host of details, images, other references, easy to read, accurate and visual.

I have spent time evaluating these and other books. The standards I used are similar to that of the website evaluations. Questions I asked are:
Is the author an authority on the topic?
Is it a well recognized publisher?
Is there sufficient information to interest the audience?
Does the book have information dealing with the questions I am want to explore?

Most of the above detailed books are written by historians or scholars. Many collections are created by Foundations. The book Native North American Art is published by the Oxford University Press; A real indication of well researched materials.

Evaluating Telephone Calls and Emails:

I have contacted two people about the Haida Project. Both are reputable. The first one is an educator and also a knowledgeable person about First Nation People. As I mentioned earlier, she is able to give me details about the Haida. The other person is not an educator, nor an author but he is well read and works extensively with Native Americans form all types of tribes. He has been a wonderful source in helping select the best websites. He also was able to share stories of Totem building and animal significance in Haida Art and Myths.


As I work to complete the Wiggling- I want to make sure I had enough variety of sources. I currently have images, sources from museums, government sources, encyclopedia sources, books and personal interviews. I hope to look into Grolier and also continue to review Inspire.

Databases are Helpful

Google Searches are fun and easy. I must admit also very convinient. I would contend it is worth going deeper and trying out some databases and online encyclopedias. Here are some that I have serched.

Helpful Databases/Sites for Searching:

Grolier Online Multimedia Encyclopedia - Kid-friendly volumes available online at the Muncie Public Library or at home for library cardholders. Includes sets, America the Beautiful (50 states), Lands and Peoples (cultures, countries) and Encyclopedia Americana.

Multiple Database Search at MPL – This is a search of the library's catalog, Google, and databases like Grolier Online Encyclopedia all at the same time for information on your topic. It is very useful for finding quality sources.

Inspire Kids Search - Indiana's free databases of thousands of full-text magazine and newspaper articles through the Kids Search engine. This site is user friendly and the language is directed to kids. This is an excellent resource.

Multnomah Public Library's Homework Center - A popular site with hundreds of links for special topic searches.

(Note: I am a supervisor at MPL – therefore I have included the links to our site. This way you can directly see where I went to search.)
http://www.bigchalk.com/ - Big Chalk Library Resources is an
Electric Library and Library K-12 are popular in elementary schools

http://www.et.com/thisMarket.php?marketID=5NoveList K-8, Online Reader and Primary Online Package and Searchasaurus are educational options for children. Searchasaurus, a graphical search map for children.
http://www.sirs.com/ SIRS Discovery deluxe contains many popular resources for photos, maps, documents, and activities


http://squid.inspire.net/dblist.html Inspire is an online database resource available to Indiana residences. It has a host of resources.

Webbing and Wiggling

Webbing and Wiggling: Searching and Evaluating

I felt a host of emotions transitioning between Webbing to Wiggling. The collecting of all sorts of sites, and materials has been a lot of fun and has sparked further questions. I was most excited to locate some books with Haida information – right here in Muncie Indiana!

I am genuinely getting excited about this project!
In fact, this Haida Project has even haunted my dreams. I s that a good thing? It has become a real hobby for the time being.

Some questions that have come to mind are:

• How many sources are enough? I think 10 good websites, 5-7 books, a couple of museum sites, a person to talk to if possible and images (lots) would be great. So I think yes- I have too many but that is ok for now!
• Do I have a wide enough variety of sources? Yes- I’d love to find a video.
• Have I selected sources that provide information easily translated for a grade four or five student? So far so good! I plan to simplify some of the language to be more considerate of the audience.
  
  So far- I have many pages of sources. Not all will work. I think about 10-15 quality websites are fine. I feel that some of these sites are useful to compare research finds for accuracy. For example I found maps showing the Haida Lands. I compared several to check for commonness. This helped assure me that the clearest map – which I selected, was consistent with researchers of Haida Lands.
  
  I began my search by book marking lots of sites. Now I have been working at sorting them into categories- books, websites, pathfinders, web quests, and images. Within each are I also have a chart in Word that shows the source and what them or question it might best address. From this I can see that I have lots about the Art and Myths of the Haida’s but need to find more on the topic of the family structure. I would like to find more about the female roles of the Haida family.
  
  During the wiggling stage Dr. Lamb states that the student will be “looking for clues, ideas and perspectives.” Pappas and Tepe creators of the Pathways to Knowledge emphasize “Though out this stage searchers reflect on the information they have gathered and construct personal meaning.” My personal meaning is that I can communicate in a general sense to my students the Haida People’s lifestyle. I hope to find authentic sources that are easy to comprehend and convertible to an interesting format. On a more personal base- I really want to understand more about them too. It has always been a topic that interests me. I’d love to know more to better understand the Haida art that has been adorning my walls for some 21 years.
  
  I’d also like to review how to evaluate websites. I have always liked Kathy Schrock’s Guide. She accurately reports, “With the advent of the World Wide Web and the huge amount of information that is contained there, students need to be able to critically evaluate a Web page for authenticity, applicability, authorship, bias, and usability. The ability to critically evaluate information is an important skill in this information age.” I personally have been critically looking at website for years. It is my belief that too many people think if it is in print than it is a reliable source. We as educators need to teach our students to discern what good quality information include. Kathy Schrock has created tools to assist students in evaluating their found information. I like the following sources. http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/evalelem.html This is an example of her information page for elementary children.
  Tomorrow I will share a sample of the charts I am creating on sources. Additionally, I will create a rubric that helps me evaluate sources of information.
  
  
  
  
  
  

Webbing- Sometimes you get a snag!

Today I got a response back from one of the museums that I contacted. Unfortunately, they are not displaying Haida Work anymore. On the positive side, I found the Museum of Anthopology in Vancouver, B.C. Canada and it has art work etc. to review.

Here is the email correspondance with Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver, Canada.



From: Lorraine Marshall-Sinclair [mailto:lmarshall-sinclair@munpl.org]
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2006 10:39 AM
To: Leilani Taylor
Cc: Leilani Taylor
Subject: Haida Information
Dear Sir/Madam,
I write to inquire about your museum at Grouse Mountain. I used to be a teacher in North Vancouver in the 90's. We came and watched a program display of Haida Life and Art work etc. Does that still exist? Is there anything virtually that I could connect to. I am alos looking to talk to a Haida Elder about life and art.
Currently, I am working on a project about Haida Indians here in Indiana. Any information you could give me will be helpful.
Thank you for your time and concern,
Lorraine Marshall-Sinclair
765-741-5157

Reply:


Dear Lorraine,
Thank you for your email. Grouse Mountain does not currently have information regarding the Haida; our Feasthouse and presenters are from the Coast Salish Nation.
If you have further questions or comments please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Leilani


Leilani Taylor, B.Ed
Education Sales Coordinator
Grouse Mountain Resorts Ltd.
P: 604.998.4434
F: 604.984.6360
E: ltaylor@grousemountain.com


As I am finding webbing is meaningful but not always fruitful. I am determined to find more information. I believe that Museums are important to this project. They have research that is reliable and images that are accurate. Additionally, they have been involved with education for many years.

Have a good day, Lorraine

More Webbing

A Recap: Where am I now?

Topic: The Haida Way: research about the Haida Indians of the Pacific West Coast.

Focus of Research:
The five main areas that I am focusing on are the origins of the tribe, the family unit, the livelihood of the people, the art work, and also the myths.

Focus Questions as stated in the Wondering stage.

I am looking to create a short brochure type page with links for more information.

Main Sources For Information:

I plan to use a health blend of text- print fiction and non fiction, internet and databases, live conversations, and more…

Books: I have ordered some books on Haida myths and also totems from our area libraries. The books are limited around Muncie. But, I will be in Canada next week and plan to hunt out a few more.

Electronic Encyclopedias: Grolier Online and Inspire Kids are great sources to use in order to access sources that are readable for the target school age.

Databases: MegaCrawler will be my main search since it is a multi source search engine. The quality is there!

Images: I will use Google Image, PicSearch, AltraVista,and Xanga. Additionally, there are images located in other source sites.

Email and Personal Interviews: I have spoken to a friend and First Nations leader. He provided some context about the mother of the Haida family. He also talked about the myths and the significance of the Raven.

Maps and Charts: For this area, I hope to find the sources I need using MSNSearchBuilding, Topozone and trying to locate primary sources of old maps. Government sites are also useful.

Webbing (Searching)
How I am searching: past and present strategies

My personal style for researching a topic is doing the “casting a net” approach. I would know the general topic- find a few sources and start reading. From there, I’d create something. It served me fairly well but in retrospect generated a fair amount of anxiety. I hadn’t defined the main themes, determined questions of importance and then proceeded. I would think students of all ages would be better served by a more meaningful search approach.

Reading on the topic of searching for information, I came across a powerful expression ‘Purpose Determines Strategy’ coined by Daniel Callison. Essentially, Callison suggests “the intended goal or purpose of instruction will determine the strategy most suited to accomplish that goal.” An inquiry model challenges me to come up with my own research agenda. As I continue, I see how critical the defining of the questions and theme are to my search.

Some search strategies that I am currently employing are the following:

1. Browsing: My initial searching began with simply browsing. Just as I would when I go shopping, I search through our library IPAC, did a MegaCrawler Search, a Google searched, looked at images and pathfinders and bookmarked all that I found. Marcia Bates from the University of Washington, calls this type of search tactic as wandering. It is a stage that stirs the imagination and ignites thinking. I felt it was exciting but I quickly wanted to get more control and becoming further organized.

2. Consulting: I also called the IUPUI library to ask for assistance in getting journals etc. from the main branch. Further, I emailed a museum in Vancouver, Canada to locate information about Haida Indians.

3. Refining My Focus: As I continue, I have refined my timeline and also my focus. I feel that only a few points on each area are necessary to create a simple brochure about the Haida Way. In order to see if I am able to communicate this effectively to the audience, I asked a fellow librarian for feedback as to the breadth of the topic. The librarian- frankly said, Keep it direct and simple. She recommended searching for answers to each of the questions. She liked the clarity of the main themes- the origins, family, livelihood, art and myths. Her thought was to create a chart that shows the themes, questions and sources for answers. She felt that would help to provide for a more diverse source search. I would agree- I could also then assure that my resources are varied- from books, to images, to videos, to journals, and internet sources etc. I will need to return to this.

4. Listing of Interesting Facts and Location: As Kuhlthau’s ISP Exploration Information stage encourages the action of listing interesting facts, ideas, names and events. She also promotes keeping bibliographic citations of useful sources and potential leads. I began this process by book marking in a folder called Haida on my laptop. This grew to be very large. I have since sub divided the sources into several folders: These include bibliographic sources, the origins, family, etc (themes as previously stated). I find that this approach will be more user friendly when I begin synthesizing information.

5. Bibliographic Hunting: Ok, I have done this for a long time. So have you right? Marcia Bates calls this Bibble. I find reliable sources and then check out their sources. I also look for key phrases within good sources to use for other searches.
An example of this is the use of terms from Haida people. I found a source called http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haindexe.html. From there I came up with other terms and also sites to link to.


More webbing to come…

I wonder, wonder,wonder...

WONDERING: QUESTIONING

I can’t help but hear the song “The book of love” by the Monotones. Yikes I am getting old!
“I wonder wonder who, oouu who
Who wrote the book of love?”

Wondering?
Dr. Lamb's website, Wondering concentrates on brainstorming options, discussing ideas, identifying problems, and developing questions.

My opinion is that, wondering is a time of exploring infinite possibilities. When I wonder I begin to look at ideas and how they fit together. Sometimes I get very visual. I close my eyes and imagine… I explore what am I looking for? Where can I find it? What will I do with it?

Dr. Lamb suggests several phases in the wondering process. I believe they are not linear but one could select some and not others. I personally found that I went from phase to phase and back through again.

1. Finding Purpose:
Dr. Lamb suggests, “Your project may begin with simply wondering about a topic. Why are you working on this project? Is it for pleasure?”

My initial purpose is to define the focus of my topic for this Coursequest 1.

On further reflection, I believe it is more than just completing the requirement for this class assignment. On a professional level I look to develop skills that I can directly apply to my current work environment. I would like to “get into the head” so to speak, of students as they engage in the inquiry process. There is no better way than to “walk a mile in their shoes”. I also want to have gone through the process so that I am more comfortable teaching them to others.

Personally, I want to wonder about my selected topic because I love learning about Native American (First Nation) people.

The topic is selected! Haida Indians of the Pacific Northwest. This topic could be immense. As I wonder, I hope to narrow the focus to a manageable size. I also look to come up with a catchy title- to give further clarity to the purpose of the project.
Dr. Lamb encourages the student in the wondering stage to ask lots of questions. ”Do you have a particular problem to solve or question to answer? What is the question I want to ask?” She also suggests using promotes like “I wonder” to focus on the purpose of the project.
The questions that come to mind are easiest filled by a wonder list.

I wonder when the Haida migrated to the Pacific Northwest.
I wonder what the family structure was like.
I wonder what the male’s role was in the family.
I wonder what the female’s role was in the family.
I wonder what children did with their days.
I wonder what the major means of food was for the Haida.
I wonder what their homes were like.
I wonder why they became such artists and craftsmen.
I like reading about myths and legends.
I want to better understand the importance of the totem.
I wonder why the animals were so scared in the totem.
Time will tell if these develop into concrete ideas.


2. Questioning:
There are many types of questions. I chose to focus on specific areas and tried to incorporate questions using the what, where, when, why, who and how.

The Haida Way:
When did they come to the area?
What is a Haida Indian?
What does Haida mean?
What is the Haida way? Are they gentle, cooperative, combative, etc?

The Origins:
Where did they come from?
When did they arrive? How long have they been there?
What other tribes do they work with?
Do they have enemies?
What are their main values, purpose, and direction?

Family Life:
Who is the head of the family?
Is there a sense of democracy in the family unit? If so examples.
What are the roles of each family member?
What is the average age of life?
What is the role of the elder in the family?

Livelihood:
What do they do to survive?
What is the principle source of food?
Who does the hunting, fishing etc?
How do they collect their food?
What is the family diet?
Do they trade with other tribes? If so what?


Art:
Why did the art work become so prominent?
What do the animal symbols mean?
When did the tradition of craving begin?
How is the art taught?
What are the processes in creating the totem pole?
What is the symbolism in totems?

Myths/ Legends:
Here do the legends and myths come from?
Who told them?
What was their purpose?
Did the Haida believe them?
Was it a basis for their religion?

How do I feel? At this stage of the inquiry- I feel a sense of anxiety and excitement. I keep going back to the objectives and confirm that I am doing it right. This is classic for a student of my age. It becomes apparent that there is not one way to do this. The outcome is to the process! Dr. Carol Kuhlthau truly has done us a service in addressing the affective. She suggests during this phase “Feelings of uncertainty often give way to a brief sense of optimism after the selection has been made and there is a readiness to begin the search.”

3. Connection to Prior Knowledge:
This is an interesting area to examine. Generally speaking, I have chosen topics I know very little to nothing about. I tend to want to dive into foreign waters- I find it exciting and somewhat dangerous. I love the challenge of having a clear slate and creating something. I feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
With this project, I come into the experience with some knowledge.
I have lived in Vancouver and have traveled further west into the USA. I spend years teaching Haida children. During that time I found them to be very family oriented and caring. I also, bought some jewelry, art and crafts from Haida Art Shops. Otherwise, I never went into the history of Haida or learned more about the culture.

Dr. Lamb has posed some questions to focus on in her Wondering Chart.

Wondering
Topic: The Haida Way

What I know: I know the Haida are from the Pacific West Coast. I know they are a fishing community. I know they are amazing artists.

What I need to know: I need to know what specific area they are from. Where their homes where located. I need to know sources to locate information about the history of the Haida.

I want to know: I want to know more about the culture, history, family structure and art of the Haida People.

I want to learn about the meaning behind totems and animal symbols in their art work.

What I learned:
I learned about the simplicity of the sculptures.


What I still wonder about:
I still wonder what inspired the Haida People to put such care into their canoes, totems and artwork.


4. Finding Your Focus:
g Your In an attempt to find my focus I have spent days doing internet searches, and also library searches. There are many articles, websites, and museum sources online. I have found only a few books at our local library- these are on myths. In addition, I noted databases and encyclopedias (electronic and in print). Furthermore, I was able to find a friend to interview who has is a Native American.
Some sources I plan to continue searching are:

Dictionaries
Encyclopedias
Databases
Image Finders on Line
Museum Sources
Educational Units and Web quests
Videos and Movies
Books – Fiction and Non-Fiction



5. Narrowing Your Topic:
This simple concept chart serves to give clarity to the main topics that will be presented.
The main topic is THE HAIDA WAY.

I will add more subtitles to this chart- as the project proceeds. I also hope to use this for a conceptual model during the Weaving Stage. I think a student could come back to this chart and know what concepts the creation of the final project need.

6. Contemplating:
Contemplating? Meaning – to mull over, ponder or weigh….

Author Jamie MacKenzie states,
“If young ones can maintain a sense of wonder as they pass through early childhood into adolescence and early adulthood, that inclination may inspire much of their questioning. As they yearn to understand and make the best of life, a sense of wonder tilts their thinking forward. They grow bolder and stronger in their questioning, testing the edges and boundaries of conventional reasoning, pushing into new territory, demanding fresh truths and answers. They will not see school as a time to memorize time honored answers to multiple choice questions. They will refuse to participate in the “one more brick in the wall” rituals.”

As I complete this process, I want my journey to be more than just the completion of a project for the graduate class. In the same manor, I want to think deeply. Is the topic good for the audience? Will it be appealing to me? Yes!
Do I have any real concerns in proceeding with the topic? One concern that comes to mind is that it will be a challenge to find books. They simply are not in the location in which I live.

And so it goes….
Until the next time… I continue to wonder and that is good!


Sources:

Kuhlthau,Carol. Information Search Process: A Search for Meaning Rather Than Answers. http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/%7Ekuhlthau/Search%20Process.htm

Lamb, Annette. Information Inquiry: Wondering. http://eduscapes.com/info/topic71b.htm

MacKenize, Jamie Why Wonder? http://questioning.org/jan05/whywonder.html

Watching...

Watching: Selecting a Topic.

It's time to begin thinking about Playing with the Porpoises! This sounds like such fun yet it is frustrating. I have struggled all this week to decide on a topic for the CourseQuest 1. It is as if I have never been given such liberty to chose. Generally speaking professors, teachers and my supervisors have provided a structure. I then ,within that structure, have some latitude. It might be a choice between three or four research question but then I select.

I must be honest, I have got a wee bit of a headache from this process. In order to learn to relax into the process, I began to journal about my interests. I simply spent yesterday observing what interested me. It was wild! Here is what I wrote.

9am: A patron came into the library today. She asked for some books on interior design. She continued on to share that she wanted it to be about Craftman House design and interiors. I began to watch my feelings and thoughts. I was attracted to the concept of houses that Frank Loyld Wright built. What inspired Wright to create this type of home? Where were they built? Who were the clients? I continue to think about his influences on architecture and lifestyles.

11am: A short break. I walk down by the river. There I saw some lovely bird and then I heard a sudden splash. Right before me was this huge turtle. He or she was adorable. I wondered about reptiles. I thought about my soon to be step son who just got a snake. His new pet lead me to inquiry about the life of reptiles and also what they might be like as pets.

1 pm: Today is 9-11. The horrors of that day five years ago has come back in full force. The sorrow of uncertain times is real. I also know that 6 years ago my mother passes away. That day forever changed my world. What could I do in this Coursequest to honor her? I began to think about her roots. The years she lived in France. My name Lorraine. I was named for her province in her homeland. Perhaps a study into her homeland would be a fine topic. Could this fit with the Indiana standards? Mmm.

Late afternoon: The idea of porpoises came to mind. I used to live a long the ocean in Vancouver, Canada. I always dreamed about the under the sea world. I wanted to study about whales, or take scuba. Maybe.

3 pm: Vancouver and Alaska are beautiful parts of the world. The Pacific Northwest is just so unique. Let's see- what do I remember about living there? The ocean, fish, nature, environmentally balanced lifestyle. Mmm. Looking at my artwork I see colorful pierces reflecting the fishing community. Haida Indians live in this area. They are master artists, and fishermen. I'd love to learn more about them!

8pm: Stress!!!! I feel it. Heck we all feel it. Decisions are the tough thing for me. What about learning about Stress- what is it? How do we move to a healthier life?

9:45 pm - Last thing today: No closer to a decision. I love nature, history, family and cars! Ah yes, I saw an old Pierce Arrow at the Auburn Car show two weeks ago. I'd love to study about the history of that car. The history of the clothes, the homes and times around the Pierce Arrow from 1930-1935.

The journal day was fun. It began to feel a bit like playing. Montessori believed education cannot be effective unless it helps a child to open up himself to life. This process helped me come to more of a focus about what excites me, concerns me, motivates me. I sincerely wish I had time to invest in studying all of the topics.

After completing my journal process, I went on to survey a few people. I simply gave them some of the above topics and asked which would be most interesting for a grade four or five class. The responses varied. In many cases it lead to talks about what they knew about the topics. I found many knew little about Lorraine or Haida's.

I decided to really focus on what would exicte me and would give me a feeling of passion. Author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990) discusses this passion as Flow; "Flow is a mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing, characterized by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity." When I flow- I get fully involved in the process. What topic would bring about such enthusiasm?

Right now I am leaning toward The Haida Indians because the connection to my time in Vancouver. I also believe it is an excellent topic for student's from Indiana. Learning about other worlds is an amazing discovery. My next question is can I connect it to the Indiana Standards?

At this current time I am engaging in Pappas & Tepe stage of appreciation and enjoyment. I have moved from that frustrating stage of watching towards wondering. This is a fun and exciting place to be!


Source:

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New York: Harper and Row.

Lamb, Annette. http://eduscapes.com/info/pathways.html


Montessori, Maria. (1995)The Absorbent Mind. (reprint)Henry Holt & Co. New York, N.Y

Visual Literacy- Inquiry into it's effects in the classroom

As I continue with this class, I find I am drawn into the process of inquiry learning. I am currently working on Skyhopper 2 which looks at different types of inquiry. I was drawn to the visual literacy question. It immediately sent me on a search on line-- I noted classes on how to greater understand images- to visual laguage development , to different types of ways to use visual literacy to develop learners skills.

I became introspective - somewhat melocoly - why? well when I was a young student- I was very much a visual learner. I drew images to re-tell things I had read, I had almost perfect visual memory. This was not fostered nor encouraged. My seemingly random doddles were considered meaningless and I was forced into a more traditional approach. I truly wonder what might have grown-- if I was left to learn in that fashion. further if it was fostered through activities that helped me dive deeper into learning.

Inquire O'Canada

I am a Canadian living in the USA. I love to continue to look up things about Canada. Her is a webquest I enjoy. http://www.doversherborn.org/doverelementary/Library/CANADA/
Do you like it eh?

Lorraine

Lorraine's first inquiry post

Hello everyone!

I have just begun! My blog is out there and I am going to use this to grow in the inquiry approach to learning. Todays world is changing. Learning is coming at us for many directions. In this moment alone - I am using my finger to type, while listening to a lecture on NPR and watching images on my tv. Ugh-- and yes I am taking it all in.

This is a picture of my family out for Mexican Food. We love to eat different types of cultural dishes. Learning can even happen in the restaurant.

Knowledge is no longer limited to the text. I hope to learn tons this term... and further.

Lorraine