Feedback Process for the Context

I found feedback extremely useful in the previous subject that I completed, in Learning Hubs and was pleased to learn that we would be using the same process in this subject. Receiving feedback from colleagues working on the same piece of assessment is definitely a worthwhile task. Working exclusively online can be a little isolating and having the chance to discuss the process you are going through allows a connection with other students.  Just discussing the feelings of frustration also allows you to realise you aren’t the only one going through these emotions. 

I do feel a little under qualified to be able to give feedback but doing so not only helps the student I’m giving feedback too but myself as well.  Seeing a piece of work with fresh eyes does help, as it allows you to notice faults that may have been missed.  The advice I was given was useful as I was given confirmation that I was on the right track but I still wasn’t happy with my draft.  I decided to read through feedback given to other students which helped me to realise that I needed to shift the focus of my essay to ensure that the context was explicit.  The theme that was coming through the feedback given, to others, was to ensure that the context related to the ILA.  Once I had the “ah, hah” moment, I viewed my essay in a new way and was able to confidently make changes.  If it wasn't for the feedback process I think I would have remained frustrated and isolated and may have given up altogether.

Questionnaire No. 2

Questionnaire 2

1. Take some time to think about your topic. Now write down what you know about it. 

Inquiry Based Learning IBL is about freedom.  The more freedom a student has to be able research and engage in their own learning, the more indepth the IBL will be.  If students are given the freedom to choose their own topics, questions or problems to solve and are given the freedom to choose how they go about researching or answering these questions then they will have a deeper understanding of what they discover.  The Generic, Situated and Transformative (GeST) windows as an information literacy model explains the different levels of IBL beautifully. (Bruce, Lupton 2010).

Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) or Geography are Key Learning Areas (KLAs) that allow for IBL to occurr easily.  They do this due the nature of the KLAs as they focus on how people relate to their world.  Students can form opinions on their chosen topics as they delve more deeply into their research.  This can then form more questions which may encourage students to discover more about their subject and themselves.  I think what I have learnt so far is that SOSE or Geography are well suited to this pedogogical approach but all KLAs can use IBL in some way.  The Question Quadrant model (Cam, 2006 as cited in Scholl, 2010) gives a great example of how it can be used in literature lessons.  The use of explicitly teaching questioning opens up so many possiblities for all areas. 

2. How interested are you in this topic?  Check () one box that best matches your interest.

Not at all ☐ not much ☐    quite a bit ☐    a great deal ✓ 

3. How much do you know about this topic?  Check () one box that best matches how much you know.

Nothing ☐   not much ☐    quite a bit ✓    a great deal ☐ 

4. Thinking of your research so far - what did you find easy to do? Please list as many things as you like.

Finding information on Inquiry based learning.  Using the data bases with the advanced search option is a great way of narrowing down the search. 

5.  Thinking of your research so far - what did you find difficult to do? Please list as many things as you like.

I’m finding it extremely difficult writing up the information found in the correct format.    Writing up the research is always the area I struggle with.  I find it difficult to express myself succinctly.  I also spend a great deal of time thinking through what I am learning and trying to internalise what I have learnt so that it has some meaning for me.  Trying to link it to my own knowledge or how I can apply it to how I teach always helps. Time management is an area I’m having difficulties with as well.  I’m not sure if that is part of the researching component.

I’m also finding it difficult locating models related exclusively to the SOSE topic.  I’ve found quite a bit of information related to curriculum documents but the models I’ve found can be used in other KLAs which I’m hoping is okay to use. 

References

Scholl, R. (2010). The Question Quadrant: A stimulus for a negotiated curriculum.  Primary & Middle Years Education,  8(2).  Retrieved from http://www.acsa.edu.au/pages/images/Rosie%20Scholl%20-%20example%20article.pdf

Bruce, C. & Lupton, M. (2010) Chapter 1 : Windows on Information Literacy Worlds: Generic, Situated and Transformative Perspectives in Lloyd, Annemaree and Talja, Sanna. Practising information literacy : bringing theories of learning, practice and information literacy together.  Wagga Wagga: Centre for Information Studies. pp. 3 - 27

Video Search of Proquest

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”  Elbert Hubbard

I attempted videoing my searches using Proquest.   I decided to keep the mistakes I’ve made instead of uploading a polished piece as I wanted to demonstrate the journey I am on while using these data bases.  I am ashamed to admit that I am an avid user of Google.  As I progress through this course I can now see why relying solely on Google will not produce the most authoritative and valid information.  

A+ Education

My task is to search for information using the context as my term of reference.  For this project I will be investigating information for an upper primary context with a Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) focus with guided inquiry as the over arching thread.  While I was conducting this search many thoughts were going through my mind.  Mostly I was unsure what exactly I was looking for what I need to include in my Blog.  Reading Kuhlthau’s model of the Information Search Process (ISP) I understand that this is quite a normal response to have when working on inquiry based projects.  

http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm

I am using the "Criteria for Choices in the Information Search Process" (Kuhlthau) as a way to determine what I am focussing on while completing my research.  I concluded that the Task, Time and Interest were the areas of importance to me. I haven't found the answers to these questions yet and I am still finding out what information will be available to me.  I think I am still in the early stages of the ISP.

First Search:  A+ Education

I have used the QUT library link to find information in previous assignments but actually watching Mandy give us tips in her Expert Searching Videos makes everything so much more accessible.  I like her step by step approach which I used, to get to the A+ Education database.  The first search I typed in was 

(Inquiry based learning) AND (Upper primary) AND (Studies of society and environment) OR (SOSE)  Resulting in 296 articles.

Browsing over the first page I was quite pleased with the first article.   

Title: The Question Quadrant : a stimulus for a negotiated curriculum (Scholl, Rosie.  2010 ) From the abstract the article, is about questioning and how this can support a transdisciplinary approach to learning.  It is refers to the importance of teaching students to use questions when conducting research.  The article appears to explain how to give students the tools to start the process of questioning by using “The Question Quadrant.  “The Question Quadrant” is used as an integrating device to develop philosophical questions with students.    Unfortunately the Full text PDF is not available.  I will need to do more searching to find the actual article so I can delve deeper into this model of pedagogy.  

Search 2

I decided to change the date range to see if this would narrow the result.  I chose the year 2000 as the starting point for this range.

Results reduced to 240.

I attempted to narrow the search even more  by making the subject more specific to the context.

Search 3

Query term: (inquiry based learning) AND (studies of society and environment) AND (upper primary) OR (SOSE) AND Sustainability

Results found: 3

Article 2 Title: Education and Social Change.  After having a quick browse of the article I decided it was worth searching for the full text article as again it wasn't available.

At this stage I was getting quite frustrated as not only was I finding articles which only had exerts but the data base would time out, while I was taking notes or reading articles and I would have to begin my search again.  So I decided to give up searching on this data base for now.  

Search 4

However, I became intrigued by the term transdisciplinary learning and decided to find out exactly what the term meant.  I started with a simple dictionary search on my Mac, with no results.  I decided to just try a general Google search and discovered over 1,000,000 results so I will definitely need to narrow the search somewhat.  I will delve further into the search of this term next time.  

My frustration had won over as I hadn’t really achieved anything concrete from this search.  I will continue on my learning journey and hopefully will have better results in succeeding searches.  

References

Kuhlthau ,C.C. Information Search Process http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~

kuhlthau/information_search_process.htm Accessed on the 21/08/11

First Questionnaire

Image: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I wrote the responses to these questions while waiting for my daughter, while she attended dance class on the 1st of August.  I am only posting it now, I haven't changed my responses since then.  

Questionnaire 1

1.  Take some time to think about your topic. Now write down what you know about it. 

My topic is SOSE guided inquiry with upper primary students.  I feel I don’t know a great deal about this topic.  I researched learning theories while completing my Pedagogical Licence back in 2007 and discovered the Connectivism Theory by Siemens, 2004.  Guided inquiry nicely complements this theory of learning.  

Information literacy I think encompasses the Connectivism Theory of learning which I understand is to make connections with new knowledge attained.  Knowing what knowledge to acquire and then knowing how to use it or apply it.  (Siemens, 2004)

2. How interested are you in this topic?  Check () one box that best matches your interest.

Not at all ☐ not much ☐    quite a bit ☐    a great deal ✓ 

3. How much do you know about this topic?  Check () one box that best matches how much you know.

Nothing ☐   not much ✓   quite a bit ☐    a great deal ☐ 

4. When you do research, what do you generally find easy to do? Please list as many things as you like.

• I’m not sure I find research easy, I find it interesting.  Probably the easiest part I find when researching is using the internet to find information.

• I find using the QUT library database useful. 

5. When you do research, what do you generally find difficult to do? Please list as many things as you like. 

• The hardest part I find when researching is defining the topic and ensuring the information found is relevant.  

• Sometimes I find it difficult to find exactly what I need and get bogged down with irrelevant information.

• Or I find too much information and trying to weed out exactly what I need. 

• Once having found the information I find it difficult to write up the research, demonstrating my understanding of what I have discovered.  

I think I said the same thing, just 3 different ways.

Siemens, G. (2004)  Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, Retrieved 2nd August, 2007 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

Out of My Comfort Zone

Image: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here goes!! I have to just stop worrying and actually start. This is my first ever blog posting.  I am feeling a little daunted at this stage as this type of activity is completely out of my comfort zone.  I am a fairly private person and having to share my thoughts with the whole world is quite disconcerting.  Working on the portfolio was a little worrying as it is also about reflection, but only to a small audience. This is going to be a huge learning experience for me which I hope to find worthwhile and enlightening.  Please bear with me as I struggle with being out of my comfort zone.