December 12th, 2005
A15.1: Final Learning Reflection/Record
Confidence and independence:
Preparing for information literacy: This unit was at the very beginning of the year, and my first year in the CD program. I had some technical difficulties, interpret “technical” in the context of your choice. For example, the very first assignment in this unit involved reading about information literacy. Then we devised a writing prompt –oh sorry, a “deep” writing prompt on our reading, answered the writing prompt, and e-mailed this profound and scholarly masterpiece to an entire list of strangers. . .(“unknown people”, not “weird people. . . )At this point in time, I didn’t even know my Marshall ID number to use my school e-mail account. Actually, I had never used my school e-mail account.
Maybe change is difficult for me to adjust to because of my lack of “confidence and independence.” But, in my opinion, life forces us to choose. . . we either adjust and adapt, or we give up and get left behind. So I accepted this unit as one establishing routine, structure, and organization. . . and I adapted. I became comfortable with NiceNet:
(and my journal would be. . . ):
http://www.nicenet.org/ICA/class/conf_topic_show.cfm?Topic_id=291566
Isn’t it a nice little on-line community? We get to share information exclusively amongst our “circle of trust.” I even memorized my Marshall ID number, believe it or not.
Information Discovery, Retrieval, and Management: After the “Don’t Spread that Hoax!” website in the preceding unit, it was refreshing to have a chance to redeem ourselves. After being given tips in which to critique internet websites, we had to critique our own.
Unfortunately, I was almost tricked again, just because the site “appeared” professional. It was interesting when I considered the questions for evaluating, because one of them was, “What is the purpose of this website?” The site’s name was something like, “betterdogfood,” but the site had very, very little about dog food. I was under the impression that something “just isn’t right”, but I thought I was being paranoid. However, I’m learning to take my instincts into serious consideration. There are logical and reasonable ways to investigate the legitmacy of a site, and some of these are elaborated upon through the websites we were provided.
Processing information: We created several of our writing genres in this unit, and I gained confidence thanks to my wonderful peer-revisers. They were very encouraging and actually got me to believe that (with certain adjustments and considerations, of course), my website wouldn’t be half-bad. My rough drafts and my peer-reviser’s comments can be found at www.tabulas.com/~MeganLeigh, and these are just my rough drafts, my website it much better. J
Transferring information: We read (and discussed in class) certain copyright information, and I think this was important because generally, “knowledge is power” (thank you, School House Rock.) We became much more knowledgebable about the responsibilities that came with publishing our work. Because we did make our webpage open to the public, we applied this information. But independence is a gradual process; our first “adventures in copyright” were somewhat informal. We had the opportunity to receive and ask for help and to revise and have others revise our work. Also, we are working under that “grey area” of “educational, non-profit purposes” and I still really, really hope I did everything “legally.” But because I am not profiting off of someone else’s work, and I referenced everything I used. . . if I made any minor errors, I (probably) won’t be taken to court.
Knowledge and understanding:Preparing for information literacy: Sites filled with “common sense”, like those about e-mail, usually provided important information that I had not (recently) considered. For example, e-mails are free-game to public inspection. This was interesting to me, because I’m becoming so accustomed to the ‘e-mail’ format that I’m very careless about the kind of information that I send via e-mail. The email goes on a complex and complicated journey before arriving to its destination:
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/75email.htm
I learned there are different kinds of search engines and the search engine you choose should depend on the search you are conducting. Metasearch engines simultaneously scour several search engines. (How I love alliteration.) Metasearch engines will only give you ten percent of the results of any one of these search engines. Sometimes they are able to organize your results into themes.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/MetaSearch.html
Basic search engines provide the most results and provide full-text documents. The results are not evaluated or censored. (So be careful what you click.)
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/ThingsToKnow.html
Subject directories do not contain full-text documents but may be more efficiently organized and are definitely more censored because they are built by human selection.
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/ToolsTables.html
Information Discovery, Retrieval, and Management: Many articles assigned to us in the “Information Discovery, Retrieval, and Management” unit gave us a variety of tips and / or warnings on how to utilize (what I refer to as) the infinite abyss if the world wide web. I'll begin by stating that the web is not an encyclopedia, which means anyone can publish anything.
When evaluating internet information, it is extremely important to understand the “why” behind the site. We were given these basic guidelines in which to critique the internet resources we will use for our MRP. We have to consider ulterior motives behind publication, what the author’s credentials are (or are not), when it was written, has it been judged and / or evaluated, is it organized, are their references – the list goes on.
http://www.oit.umd.edu/units/web/literacy/
Processing information: I learned a lot regarding autism and techiniques to facilitate language in a child with autism. Of course this can be found on my lovely website: http://mupfc.marshall.edu/~thacker46
What is being discovered about the disorder and the treatment of the disorder is absolutely fascinating. May our knowledge continue to grow.
Transferring information: Copyrights protect written work, such as plays and poetry, sheet music and recorded music, art, software codes, and even the extremely abstract—choreography, for example. At some point the copyrighted work should have existed in a physical form.Copyrights do not protect factual information – though you should make sure the factual information is in your own words. It doesn’t really matter who “discovers” factual information because no one can own a fact.
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter0/0-a.html#1
If you're using another's material in your own work, it's highly recommended that you get the author's permission.
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter0/0-b.htmlIf you only want to use a small section of someone else's work for educational and non-profit purposes, you may not have to get permission from the author. Our class should fall into this category. We are referencing our research information, using facts to support educational (but fictional) writings of our own creation, and we certainly aren’t receiving any monetary gain for our endeavors. In my opinion, the “copyright clause” was created to ensure no one else is receiving money from someone else’s work.
http://www.k-state.edu/academicservices/intprop/CBasics.htm
Use of prior and emerging experience:
Preparing for information literacy: This unit primarily revolved around introspection. “How do you learn?” “Describe your history as a learner.” “Why do you want to be an SLP?” “What’s your learning style?” I’ve always told people that I wanted to have someone follow me around and narrate my inner-thoughts and feelings, like on The Wonder Years. Whatever question I am asked, I have probably thought about the answer before in some form or the other; therefore I am using prior patterns-of-thought to answer current questions.
Information Discovery, Retrieval, and Management: This was definitely not my first research experience; I’d even used EBSCO host before to find “peer-revised” articles relating to a CD topic. We have a very, very valuable resource at our fingertips. J I’ve also used search engines before, and this was helpful because I’ve already picked my favorites. Especially when I wanted to find PECs pictures, I knew to use Google’s “images” feature.
Processing information: I’ve also put “research” type information into my own writing before (though never fictional writing, actually.) This is always problematic for me, particulary because I have the desire to quote everything. It’s HARD to put information that you’ve only recently been exposed to into your own words. The only thing new for me was referencing paraphrased information, but having that option actually made writing the paper easier. Before I was always on pins and needles on just re-wording information straight out of the textbook because it still wasn’t technically “mine.” Citing the author and the year is basically like putting a disclaimer on your paper: “These are my words but the information isn’t mine!” Besides, since our writings are educationally-based, having references increases our credibility.Transferring information: I had never used the SCAR method prior to this class, but I am an avid reviser. Actually, I usually focus on mechanics, grammar, etc.—which would make me more of an “editor,” but whatever it is that I do made the SCAR revision very natural and almost automatic. When I was a sophomore in high school, our teacher gave us a re-occurring lecture on “word economy” and “pack every word with power.” I can best explain this by example. Instead of writing: “The girl is running. The girl is fast. Her dog has her book bag. She is wanting her book bag.” You could say, “The girl runs frantically after her dog in a desperate attempt to reclaim her book bag.” In those three sentences I substituted, cut, added, and rearranged. I’ve been manipulating the English language in such a manner for five years, and though I’m not really good at it, I do understand the concept. It helped me with all of the writing we did in this class.
Skills and strategies:
Preparing for information literacy: This unit actually provided us with a significant amount of procedural knowledge. Even “Don’t spread that hoax!” :
http://www.nonprofit.net/hoax/hoax_big.html
contained an underlying theme pertinent for my research experience, which was “Just because something’s published on the internet doesn’t make it true.” I think these kind of sites provided an indirect explanation as to why we were requested to use peer-revised and scholarly books and journals in creating our MRPs.
We also learned some basic information on “the email”:
http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/20how.htm
which was interesting skill-provoking information for several reasons. It is true that as children of the ‘80’s, most of us are well-acquainted with the e-mail process. However, by having access to even the most basic of information, we’re ensured to begin the year on a “steady foundation.” Our educational experience is based on scaffolding and sequencing, and we can’t jump into a technology class designing a website.
Information Discovery, Retrieval, and Management: Probably the most important skill I learned regarding this chapter had to do with APA and APA citation and documentation. Most of my references were journal articles, and they should be recorded as such: Author, initial, & Author, initial. (year). Article title. Journal Title, volume no(issue no), page no-page no.
Processing information: In this unit, we learned about Powerpoint presentations and how to effectively create a Powerpoint presentation. It’s a visual format and should be treated as one. Oftentimes people use Powerpoint to list bulleted information, and if that is your intention, you should distribute a handout. A presentation should tell a story, and it should have pictures with words backing up the pictures, and not vice versa. I ATTEMPTED to do this with my powerpoint. I can’t really say that I was particularly “inspiring” or “motivating” (and I DID start out and end my presentation with some bulleted points). This is my powerpoint presentation: http://mupfc.marshall.edu/~thacker46/PECS.ppt
Transferring information: Revision is ultimately a process, and it's important to understand the process of revision versus the process of editing. Revising has to do with your content and the meaning (and the clarity of meaning) in your writing. Editing deals with mechanics and general fluency.
http://www.muwp.org/cd315/stories/storyReader$893
Reflection:Preparing for information literacy: In retrospect, information literacy -- understanding, evaluating, examining and analyzing information from a variety of different perspectives and viewpoints -- is the first step, and a crucial step, in becoming competent in our field and the more generalized realm of academia.
http://www.ericdigests.org/1995-1/information.htm
We not only had a reading about this, but we had an assignment on it as well. The assignment made me a little dizzy, because we were asked to think critically about thinking critically (in regards to information literacy.)
http://www.muwp.org/cd315/stories/storyReader$866
I could go even further with this, because we had MOO discussions where we thought critically about our critical thinking about critical thinking (in regards to information literacy.)
All such assignments helped me to recognize the preliminary steps necessary in research.
Information Discovery, Retrieval, and Management: Hopefully I will be able to utilize all of my skills regarding “information discovery, retrieval, and management” in the future. I have honestly never had a project of this magnitude before (I thought this was even more time-consuming than our case study) and it was an “adventure” to say the least. I was really forced to analyze my writing, my style of writing, the effectiveness of my writing. . . my research, my style of research, the effectiveness of my research . . . we were given pretty stringent time limits and if I was running short on time, I thought, “What? What have I wasted time on?” For instance, I’ll spend a lot of time reading an article I end up not using, half-way into my e-mail exchange I’ll decide to do a pamphlet. . . I’ll write an interview transcript, and then I’ll think, “Whoa, WHAT was this about????” So that’s why we’re supposed to very carefully design our essential quesitons, foundational questions, and our outline before we start our writings.
Processing information: As for “processing” this information, we utilized the information we had and made certain our information was perfect and had an impact. We added research and citation, and we used various different “voices” to tell our story, and this helped our project to be interesting, well-rounded, and informative.Transferring information: By understanding our rights as the audience, and the author's rights as the creator, we can more comfortably use and publish information.
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/chapter0/0-b.htmlI believe that the SCAR method and practicing revision helps us to become better writers and self-evaluators. When revising, we are forced to look at our piece from a different perspective. This is the point where we may consider,” What am I trying to say, and am I saying it? What will the audience take away from this piece of writing, and is it what I wished for?” The author's intentions and the author's words don't always coincide. The SCAR method focuses on simple adjustments you can make to enhance the clarity of and strengthen the theme of your writing. Here is what I substituted, cut, added, and rearranged in my journal writing for me MRP.