Focus for my investigation so I can begin Webbing!

I will search through scrapbooking how-to-books, magazines, websites/companies, TV shows, and computer software to find new techniques, tools, and journaling pieces in order to make creative scrapbook pages. Although there are other ways in which I could search for the answers to my questions, I think these resource formats will do the job. I will also search through Indiana State Academic Standards in order to find scrapbooking activities that could be done in the classroom.

I as an adult know that the possibilities for finding information are far from limited. Students however, tend to look for information in one or two formats-books and the Internet. Since students usually work this way, I feel it is important to give students a list of possibilities of where they can go to get information such as the examples listed at http://eduscapes.com/info/topic71c.htm.

Brainstormed Possibilities for Usage in Schools:
1. Journaling could include poetry, adjectives, synonyms, antonyms, quotes, definitions, and vocabulary-Language arts.
2. Creating pages could teach measurement-how to use ruler, compass, and protractor-math.
3. Using the color wheel will make pages better - art.
4. Definitions/vocabulary, family trees-foreign languages
5. Ways to display projects-science, geography, history, biography, artwork

The above list is just a start. I have created a 2 column chart that I will use as I go through the standards. Column 1 is the Activity and column 2 is the Standard. I will start with the above list and search for standards. I know that when I read the standards that other ideas will arise. Creating charts like this one will minimize the amount of time needed to search through lots of data. I can simply skim the standards and when I find one that works, I can control c it and control v it into my chart. I then simply add the activity in the other column. Making the process simplier for me is one of my main goals. I want to be efficient throughout the process. Finding ways for students to be efficient is crucial to their wanting to be life-long learners as well.

I am also going to create charts for when I search through the list of resource formats. I will have a chart for techniques and one for tools. The charts will include some of the following categories-name of technique/tool; source, reliable source; cost; easy to use? This type of chart will allow me (I think) to evaluate and synthesize information at the same time. If the technique/tool does not look easy to use or takes a great deal of time to do, it will be eliminated. If the tool/technique seems costly (in my opinion), it will be eliminated. I am not going to use costly, time-consuming techniques in my scrapbook pages. Techniques/tools that seem easy, quick and are not expensive will be ones I will try in my pages.

I do not know if there are books/sources that address journaling ideas; therefore I am not sure of my search strategy for this area. At this point, I know to search OPACS, websites and eBay/HSN/QVC and I know I want only journaling ideas that will relate to children.

Callison's book talks about Bloom's committee (pgs 105-111) when analyzing materials and how it is important to distinguish relevant from extraneous materials. For this type of project anything can be considered relevant but I will eliminate materials that will not be quick or easy to use. The charts I have created should help guide me through this. The charts I created are called 'advance organizers' (Callison 139-142) since I created them prior to searching through materials.

Since students and even adults often get bogged down by the plethora of information in front of them, I highly recommend avenues to minimize frustration. Some examples include pathfinders http://eduscapes.com/info/topic71c.htm, charts and ‘advance organizers’ etc. The amount of information sometimes bogs me down as well. So being able to relate to students having this same difficulty will be easier if I am prepared!