I feel as if I’m beginning to reach the metacognition phase, “thinking about thinking”.(Stripling, 2003) Taking a brief few moments to reflect on those questions that you have created, and determine if they are doing the job that they need to do for you is imperative, and simply, a smart-working timesaver. If you're not on the right track, don't continue, readjust your journey.
Upon re-reviewing the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner, I was amazed at how many of these standards that I am addressing within this project. Using these models seems to pull the entire process together making it seem so much more user friendly and not so intimidating. Each level of the Skills Standards seemed as if they were written precisely for this project. (vice versa?) The Dispositions in Action Standards (The 2.2s) made contact with the thinking process that I’ve had to go through to get to this point in my inquiry.
Just this morning my 19-year-old son who is in his freshman year in college, spoke with me about an assignment in his English class. They are required to draw up a plan for a research project of their own choice. They were given no guidelines, but were expected to come up with a list of keywords to include in their search and an outline of a “plan”. He had never been given this sort of an open inquiry project in high school and didn’t even know where to start. I assured him that he had come to the right place. I introduced him a few of the many models that we’ve been looking at in this course. You could see the relief on his face. Just goes to prove, a guy will always need his mother!
I’ve graduated from the Webbing and Wiggling phase and have found that the internet, and a great book that I found at the local library have been a great help. I’ve also enlisted the help of my sister whom I have mentioned in an earlier blog. The internet offers so much in the way of general tips, to personal coaching via the telephone or web. Most of the coaching options are for a fee, but many of the question and answer sites with online experts are free and ongoing. A trip to Home Depot also offered lots of insight in the organization area. Employees there were very helpful. Overall, I’m taking a sampling of what fits my needs at this time. If I were to re-visit this in a year (and I will) I would probably focus on different areas or some of the same areas in more depth. For example, the financials for our home and family could be better organized, and that is do-able. Our 3,000 acre farm business is a different story. My husband controls most of that and I feel that I need to become better versed in that area. It bothers me that I don’t know that much about the farming operation, especially since my parents farmed and my dad died unexpectedly when I was 8 years old. My mother knew NOTHING about the farm finances and her name wasn't attached to that first document or bank account. Talk about a painful crash course. I really need to know these things. (One of my procrastinations that I need to prioritize!)
I am beginning to synthesize my newly found knowledge into the Weaving phase. I’ll be going back to my Inspiration 8 web and adding to its content. Keeping the information in these categories has helped tremendously. This tool is a great deal of help to me as I’m a visual person and need to see things laid out before me. I went to the Think Tank site, which is a tool that intends to help you to organize topics and subtopics. Not really that impressed, but I’ll go back to it to look further, maybe I’m just not using it to its fullest.
Just so I’m not running too close to my deadline for Project 1, I will begin to create my product. I’ve decided on a PowerPoint, simply because I have had comments from class peers and my own friends that they would like to see the final, so this sort of product would be one that would be accessible and allow me to provide explanations, tips, website links, etc. Household organization, I’ve found, is a need for many. (I thought I was the only one!)
Online Coach (Free and for Fee)
http://cherylmillerville.com
ThinkTank (Organize Topics and Subtopics, etc.)
http://thinktank.4teachers.org
Home Management, Organization
http://home-organization.suite101.com
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2 comments:
Tami, your project is so "meta," in a way: you are organizing your thinking about organizing. How neat. I can't wait to see your project!
Shellie
Tami,
If I were doing you project or taking the information that you find, I would have to add the all important "Get the kids to take their stuff." We have actually moved their stuff from Western NY to South Carolina. When we moved Anne was in Medical School, Luke was at the Naval Academy and Karen was just starting college. Now, 5 1/2 years later, we still have most of their stuff! Good luck with the project but most of all getting it done in your house.
Mary
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