Busy, busy, busy- that's me. I haven't blogged as much as I'd hoped, but I have been working on my project. I have a brand new modem as of today too since mine crashed. The cable guy said it was one of the oldest modems he's seen, but I digress... I was pretty confused last time. Since then I've made some lists and diagrams, and now I am feeling a bit more confident in my project. I stepped back a bit and investigated some other models to see if that clarified things for me at all.
I do feel like I am moving through the 8Ws, I like how it is an open model that allows flexibility as Callison states in The Blue Book, but I also like Michael B. Eisenberg and Robert E. Berkowitz's Big 6 Model. I thought with my confusion it might be good to look at a model aimed at younger learners. I've been working on defining my task and locating and using information.
As I said in my title I did a bit of backtracking. I had decided on alphabet books as my topic, but I went back and realized I could combine two of my original ideas. I started making a simple web with alphabet books in the center. I divided it into primary grade books and books for all ages. Then it got a little crazy. I decided to focus on the all ages side and then something clicked and I added holidays. I turned over the paper and just started listing ideas that came into my head(see diagram-Sorry it's so messy, but that seems to be how I work best!). I am going to create an electronic holiday alphabet book.
I decided my best sources for this project would be found online and at the library. First I did an Ask.com search for holidays. I found that there were just too many hits so I narrowed my topic down to holiday list children. I found several websites. I looked at them to make sure the information was appropriate for all ages; most of my hits were educational websites of some kind. I also searched for alphabet books. I wasn't sure how to narrow that one down, but I was able to find a website that has information about online alphabet books. This is similar to my idea so I saved it. At the library, I found several books in the juvenile nonfiction section about holidays. I think I solved my problem with the "tricky letters" by looking at multicultural books. I also looked at lots of different types of alphabet books. I'm just starting wrapping. I'm thinking of ways to use all this information I have gathered. I started another list too. I listed a-z down the side of my paper and started filling it up with holidays. I talked with the librarian at my school and my husband and decided to focus on well-known holidays, but I will have some multicultural ones as well- Z for instance was nearly impossible to find.
Well, that's where I am now. I am feeling a lot better about things.
2 comments:
Thanks Terri! I love my products. I have another major paper due Monday for another class, so I had to bust my behind. I am definitely looking forward to your final product! I love picture books and am enjoying reading about your process. Good luck!
Christine
Terri,
Alphabet books are really big now. There are some really cool ones out there now but I haven't seen on of all holidays. I would love to do a book, but then I can't draw my way out of a paper bag! Sad because my mother is an artist and I spent my youth trying to draw like her.
Don't give up on Cake Decorating. I taught myself for about 10 years before I ever took a class. A quick way to get a really cool cake is to get a simple picture off of the internet or trace one out of a coloring book and make a stencil. After the main frosting is set up a bit, press the edges of the stencil into the top and carefully frost over the stencil. Lift off carefully and pipe the details on. For really complicated things (like a school logo or mascot), I cheat and print it onto plastic or window cling made for the printer, cut it out, put it on the top of the cake and edge it. I also recently made a shower cake for one of our male teachers. All I did was trim it and decorate it with toy power tools. It was a major hit and so easy.
If you need a good frosting receipe, let me know.
Can't wait to see the book!
Mary
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