I used various types of technology to research my inquiry and to produce my final product. They were:
1. I used a concept map created through bubbl.us to organize my initial inquiries into topics and questions. You can view the map here.
2. I used social bookmarks through Delicious to mark and organize my online sources. You can view my stack here.
3. I used the highlighting and notetaking features at Diigo to organize my research, especially the online sources. You can view my collection here.
4. To create my final product, I used Weebly as a webpage creator. You can view my page here.
And, of course, I used this blog to journal my way through the process.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wishing
Wishing. How did your project go? What were the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of the project? Discuss what could be done differently with a similar investigation.
How are your personal inquiry experiences like and unlike those of the children and young adults who might come into your classroom, lab, or media center?
I am now reflecting on the final stage of Lamb's 8Ws, Wishing. In this stage, the learner reflects on the strengths and weaknesses of the project, what she wishes she could change, and what she might do differently in future inquiries.
This stage can be compared to the final stage of many other information inquiry models. For example:
* The Big 6 - In the final stage of "Evaluation," the learner considers whether the information problem was solved and what she has learned.
* The 5As - The final stage is "Assessing," which includes evaluation of both the end result and the process used to reach it.
* DIALOGUE - The final stage is "Evaluate." The learner evaluates both the project and the process and assesses both teaching and learning.
Overall, I think that this project went well. I had some problems with the time constraints, largely because my primary interview sources (my brother and fiance) are on a 3-hour time difference from me (making phonecalls difficult with work schedules) and have been so busy working out all the details themselves. I found that focusing an inquiry on their particular wedding (rather than Hindu weddings in general) was a little challenging, since I had to rely on them to find out what areas they were cutting before I could focus my research on the parts of the ceremony they were including. But once I got a basic description of the ceremony from them, I was able to determine what areas I should research further.
This project has also afforded me with some really neat opportunities. Since Dr. Lamb so kindly agreed to give me a few extra days to work (thank you!!!), I was able to travel to Chicago this past weekend to do some interviews in person. My brother and his fiance flew in to Chicago for the weekend from Los Angeles to introduce their parents and work through some wedding details in person. I was able to join them to interview Lakshmi and both of her parents in person, which was incredibly helpful in determining what information I had collected was the most valuable and what could be discarded.
My interest in this inquiry has also spurred me to take a more active role in their wedding ceremony. Lakshmi's mother, Nagamani, brought my infant son his very own kurta and beautiful bangle bracelets for my two daughters. Knowing of my interest in the ceremony, she purchased all of these items on her recent trip to India. My kids were thrilled with the gifts, and I loved getting to see some of the artifacts I have studied firsthand. Lakshmi and Nagamani also offered to get handmade saris for my two daughters and me to wear to the ceremony and include the three of us in the henna party the night before the ceremony. My husband, our children, and I will also get to be part of the baraat at the beginning of the ceremony. So this inquiry has opened doors for my children and me to get to participate in some really neat things!
The next time I do a project of this kind, I will make sure that I have easier access to any human sources. I'd also allow myself more time for research on the front end. With this project, I spent so much time deciding what to research that I cut into the research time itself.
I would definitely encourage my students (high school age) to conduct inquiries for themselves. I think this would be a great project to use in place of a traditional "report" or term paper. I am so much more excited about the knowledge that I have gained than I could ever be about an assigned topic! I think students would heartily agree with that statement if given the chance to inquire deeply into a subject that truly interested them.
While writing this blog and using online tools for notetaking took a great deal of time, I found them to be far more helpful than the traditional notecards. I feel like I learned a lot on many different fronts (personal, academic, and technological) through this project. I don't think I'll be able to truly assess my full learning until October 22, when I get to attend and participate in the wedding itself. Until then, I'm early looking forward to the vivaha mahoschavam!
Baker, Katie. Comparison of models. http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/bakermodel.pdf.
Callison, Daniel and Leslie Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
Lamb, Annette. "5-As." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Lamb, Anette. "DIALOGUE." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Lamb, Annette. "Wishing." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Waving
The seventh stage of Lamb's 8Ws is Waving. This is the communication stage, when the learner identifies and audience and shares her final product with them. It can be likened to the "communication" stage of Pappas and Tepe's Pathways to Knowledge, in which the learner shares her new knowledge in an appropriate format. This step can also be compared to part of the "assessing" stage of Ian Jukes' 5As. In this stage, the learner creates a final product and reflects on the process.
I think I actually mostly covered this stage in my previous post on Wrapping. I can definitely see how in an effective search process, the stages all start to blend together, one flowing seamlessly into the next. Since I was so engaged in the process, I moved from one stage to the next without thinking about it, more like a natural progression than any sort of checklist.
To reiterate, for anyone just dropping in on this particular post: My plan has always been to share my final product with my family. We will all be attending my brother's wedding together, and I know they are just as curious as me about what the ceremony will include. I posted my findings to the internet here, so anyone else interested in researching Hindu weddings can access them. However, I also included a disclaimer that this research was done with a specific wedding in mind, and not all findings will be entirely accurate to other ceremonies, due to the personal preferences of the participants. I'll be sending the link to my page to my immediate and extended family members, and they will be able to share it with other friends who are going to be attending the wedding.
Baker, Katie. Comparison of models. http://virutalinquiry.com/inquiry/bakermodel.pdf.
Callison, Daniel and Leslie Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
Lamb, Annette. "5-As." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Lamb, Annette. "Pathways to Knowledge." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Lamb, Annette. "Waving." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Wrapping
The 6th stage of Lamb's 8Ws is Wrapping. In this stage, the learner examines the possible uses for the information. The learner chooses, plans, and develops a final product. The learner also examines how the product will be used and who will use it.
Lamb's Wrapping stage can be compared to the synthesis stage of Eisenberg and Berkowitz's Big 6. In this stage, the learner organizes his information and determines how it would be best presented. This part of the process is also part of Phase 4 (representing knowledge) of Macrorie's I-Search model. Macrorie's Phase 4 encourages learners to convey information about their questions, search process, learning, meaning, and references. I did all of this when developing the website for my final product. This stage could also be related to Stage 6 (search closure) of Carol Kuhlthau's Information Search Process. In this stage, the learner concludes the search for information and prepares for presentation. Kuhlthau predicted that learners will feel a sense of relief in this stage, and I definitely did! I really enjoyed learning about Hindu weddings, but I'm definitely glad to have put together my final product and be done with researching for the time being!.
Since I began my inquiry, my goal has been to share my information with the family and friends that will be attending my brother's wedding. Secondarily, I could share my information with others who will be attending Hindu wedding ceremonies or students who are inquiring into Hindu customs. I'm a little wary of those secondary options, though, simply because my inquiry has been into the specific details of my brother's wedding, and he and his fiance have cut some traditional ceremonies and shortened others for time purposes. Therefore, when sharing information with others outside the context of this particular wedding, I will need to be careful to specify that details vary from ceremony to ceremony, based on the personal choices of the participants.
To package my findings, I created a website, which you can view here. It can easily be accessed by my family and friends who will be attending the wedding, and I explained my purpose on the front page, in case any other researchers run across it.
I developed the site using Weebly. I found this site to be very user-friendly and easy to use. I will definitely use it again in the future! I located pictures to illustrate the various symbols and parts of the ceremony by using a Google image search. Since many of my sources did not include pictures, I found these images to be especially helpful in illustrating the various pieces of the ceremony, and I think my viewers will as well.
I will send a link to my site to my family members (mother, father, stepmother, sister, stepsister, aunts, uncles, and cousins) so they can explore the information I have found. I will also let my brother and his fiance know about the site, so they can direct any friends with questions there.
Baker, Katie. Comparison of models. http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/bakermodel.pdf.
Callison, Daniel and Leslie Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction and Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
Lamb, Annette. "Information Search Process (ISP)." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Lamb, Annette. "Wrapping." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Macrorie, Ken. "The I-Search Paper: Revised Edition of Searching Writing." Heinemann, 2011. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Weaving
In Lamb's
"Weaving" stage, the learner synthesizes what she has learned.
In this stage, I organized my information by subtopics. First, I
looked at what information I had gathered regarding my initial areas of
inquiry:
* Indian vs. Hindu
* language
* participants
* length
* clothing
* entry
* vows
* guest behavior
* symbols
From there, I realized that I
needed to add another category: "elements of the ceremony."
Every source that I examined described various pieces of the ceremony,
and it was initially very confusing to try to sort through what order these
parts went in and, more specifically, which parts would actually be included in
Brian and Lakshmi's ceremony. To get organized, I decided to base my
subtopics on a list provided in one of my print sources (Kanitkar), which had
proved to be the most reliable. Brian and Lakshmi's abbreviated ceremony
will not include every element mentioned by Kanitkar. It completely
eliminates some elements, combines others, and even expands some. Therefore,
the subtopics I considered under "elements of the ceremony" were:
* Seemant Pujan
* Madhuparka
* Kanya-dana
* Mangalsutra
* Laaja Homan
* Mangal Pheras
* Asmaarohana
* Saptapadi
* Aashirvaad
To put all of this together, I
made lists, talked to my brother and Lakshmi, and reviewed my sources over and
over again. While I'm usually a big "list-maker," I actually
found this part of the project to be the hardest. This was largely
because different parts of the ceremony are have many alternate spellings, or are
even called by different names. Since I don't speak Sanskrit or any
dialect of Hindu, and many pieces of the ceremony seem a bit repetitive to me,
I had a hard time determining what was what at first.
For example, the Kanya-dana can
alternately be spelled "Kanyadaan" or "Kanya Danam" or
translated as "Giving Away of the Daughter." My brother had
initially told me that Hindu ceremonies do not include a "giving away of
the bride," so I was confused by finding all this information.
Follow-up on this question enabled me to learn that the translation is
misleading, and it is more a "giving of the hand," in which the
parents bless the marriage.
Lamb's "Weaving" stage
can be likened to The Big 6's "synthesis" stage. Here, the
learner organizes her information. This stage could also be included in
Pathways to Knowledge's "interpretation" phase. This includes
integrating concepts; determining patterns; and synthesizing, organizing, and
classifying information. In Jamie McKenzie's "Research Cycle,"
this stage could be compared to "synthesizing," where the learner
looks for patterns and rearranges information accordingly.
Baker, Katie. Comparison of
models. http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/bakermodel.pdf
Callison, Daniel and Leslie
Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction, and
Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
Lamb, Annette.
"Pathways to Knowledge." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Lamb, Annette.
"Weaving." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Wiggling
In Lamb's
"Wiggling" stage, enquirers contemplate what they have done with the
information they've found. They think about what criteria they have used
for evaluation of their sources. If content is judged to be reliable and
useful, the learner assimilates the information with their existing knowledge
and considers how to use the information in their final product.
In Eisenberg and Berkowitz's
"The Big 6" model, this stage can falls in the "information
use" stage. Learners are engaging with their information to
determine its usefulness and accuracy. In Marjorie Pappas and Ann Tepe's "Pathways
to Knowledge" model, this stage would be considered
"interpretation." Here, learners assess the usefulness of their
information, develop personal meaning from what they heave learned, and begin
to synthesize. In Ken Macrorie's "I-Search" model, this step
falls into Phase 3, which focuses on gathering and integrating information.
Here, the learner can should both analyze and synthesize the quality of
their information in order to create meaning. (Callison, Baker)
My collection of information for
this inquiry moved in stages. First, I looked for books on India in
general. Once I realized that those books did not include much
information about marriage customs, I started to look for books specifically
about Indian weddings. My local library had nothing on this subject, so I
used the Purdue library for further research.
After reading through some of
those sources, I realized that although my brother refers to his upcoming
ceremony as an "Indian wedding," that term could mean a ceremony of
many different religions (Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Jain, Sikh, etc.).
What he will actually be having is a Hindu wedding. Once I realized
this, I had to go back and look for print sources that specifically discuss
Hindu rituals.
While this produced a more
successful search, I still found that print sources were too broad. All
of the print sources that I discovered contained a comprehensive discussion of
Hinduism, including its roots, core beliefs, and all major ceremonies.
While that information was interesting, most of it was not applicable to
my inquiry, as Brian and Lakshmi have decided to cut many of the purely
religious parts of the ceremony to drastically reduce the time.
Still, the print sources gave me
a basic overview of Hindu wedding ceremonies. I was then able to search online
for more specific information, using what I learned from the print sources as a
scaffold. Interestingly, the majority of useful websites that I located
were developed as "wedding planners" for prospective brides,
containing many links to places to shop for wedding apparel. While these
sources were not in any way "academic," they still contained much
useful information.
At that point, I had to step back
and re-evaluate my purpose in this inquiry. Was I really conducting an
academic inquiry, and did I need accredited sources? Or because my
inquiry was more personal in nature, would these "wedding planning"
sites carry weight? I landed somewhere in the middle of those two ends of
the spectrum. My inquiry IS personal in nature, and because it involves
planning the details of a personalized wedding (by my brother and his fiance),
I thought that the personalized planning sites could be very helpful, as they
offered many of the same choices that Brian and Lakshmi are facing. If
nothing else, reading about these options allowed me to refine the questions I
asked them in my interview. More strictly "academic" sites
tended to focus on formalized rituals, many of which were not going to be
included in this specific ceremony. Still, I wanted to have reliable
sources so that I could modify my personal inquiry into a teaching tool.
Therefore, I decided that the "wedding planner" sites could be
used to help me direct my interviews, and the information on them could be used
if it was confirmed by at least two other sources, one of which I wanted to be
an interview with Brian and Lakshmi. Even if I was able to say to them,
"Are you doing this?" and they affirmed, then I could go back to the
site for more information.
My primary sources for this
project were personal interviews. For specific details about the upcoming
wedding, I interviewed my brother, his fiance, and her parents. Due to
their time constraints, I also interviewed one of my co-workers and her
stepmother, who was born and raised the same region of India that Lakshmi comes
from, to get more information on the significance and background of various
parts of the wedding.
An example of all of this would
be the mangalsutra, which is a wedding necklace made of black beads, given to
the bride by the groom on the day of the ceremony. I first read about the
mangalsutra in one of my print sources (Kanitkar), which contained only a a few
sentences about it. I was then able to look up additional information on
various websites ("Indian Wedding Traditions," "The Hindu
Wedding Ceremony," and "A Short Hindu Wedding Ceremony").
My interview with my brother confirmed that they would be including this
piece in their ceremony, and my interview with Harveen Bhatla gave me more in-depth
about its significance.
Baker, Katie. Comparison of
models. http://virtualinquiry.com/inquiry/bakermodel.pdf
Callison, Daniel and Leslie
Preddy. The Blue Book on Information Age Inquiry, Instruction and
Literacy. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
"Indian Wedding
Traditions." Beautyhill. http://culture-customs.beautyhill.com/indian-wedding-traditions.html
Kanitkar, V.P. (Hemant) and W.
Owen Cole. Hinduism--An Introduction. New York: The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 1995.
Lamb, Annette.
"Wiggling." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409
Seal, Manisha. "The
Hindu Wedding Ceremony." Culture. http://www.redhotcurry.com/culture/hindu_wedding.htm
"A Short Hindu Wedding
Ceremony." http://www.scribd.com/doc/36069092/A-Short-Hindu-Wedding-Ceremony
Friday, September 23, 2011
An Abundance of Standards
When looking at how my inquiry applies to academic and inquiry standards, I've been pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed. I know that Dr. Lamb said, "You'll be surprised to find that EVERYTHING can be connected [to the standards] in some way," but I was shocked at just how many standards I've already hit and how many more I will encounter before the project is complete. I found that during the course of this project, I'm using almost every AASL standard (for information inquiry). Below, I'm listing the standards that I feel I've used (and am going to use) the most:
1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
My original goal was to make a real-world connection, i.e. understanding my brother's wedding ceremony. Through working on this project, I have seen how easily information inquiry can be adapted to any real-world situation, as well as curricular subjects (here, primarily history, sociology, and geography).
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
I had a limited amount of background knowledge on Hindu weddings before starting this project. Several years ago, I attended an Indian wedding (reworked to take out most of the religious implications) between my friends Matt and Anita. I also had a limited amount of knowledge about this upcoming ceremony from talking to my brother Brian and his fiance Lakshmi.
1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.
I developed many initial questions during my "Wondering" phase, then added to them as my inquiry process continued.
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
Evaluating has definitely been interesting. I can find very little information in the books available in nearby libraries, but online sources abound. However, many of the online sources have very few credentials, so I'm dubious as to their accuracy.
1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
As I said above, I've evaluated many sites for accuracy. I'm also focusing especially on "appropriateness for needs." While I can find many sources with information about Indian culture or the Hindu religion, there are far fewer that focus on just the marriage ceremony. Also, Brian and Lakshmi have decided to shorten the traditional ceremony and take many parts out, so as I evaluate information, I've had to discard much of what I've found, limiting my investigation on just the parts that they have chosen to use.
1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
As per the requirements of our project, I have used online search tools, a concept map created at bubbl.us, and notetaking tools. I look forward to exploring other technological tools to finish up my project.
1.2.6 Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite challenges.
As I mentioned in my last post, I'm feeling some serious frustration with sorting through which pieces of information actually apply to the ceremony that I will be witnessing.
1.2.7 Display persistence by continuing to pursue information to gain a broad perspective.
I'm really excited to report that I'll be traveling to Chicago this weekend to talk with my brother and Lakshmi face-to-face. They're flying in from Los Angeles for the weekend to introduce their parents, so I'm driving up to join them and (hopefully) get a chance to ask both Lakshmi and her parents some helpful questions and corroborate what I've learned from other sources.
1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary.
I felt like I was just "spinning my wheels" a lot at the beginning of my investigation, but the further that I get into my inquiry, the better I understand specifically what information to search for.
2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
I really enjoyed using bubbl.us to organize my original questions. Since then, I've been sorting my "answers" into sub-topics by the rituals or symbols they relate to.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
I'm definitely going to be applying all my new information to a "real-world situation" when I attend Brian and Lakshmi's wedding in October. I also think that learning all of this will help me to better understand Lakshmi, her parents, and their culture when I meet them this weekend. Learning about Hindu weddings has also opened me up to the possibility of further investigations in the future--like understanding how Lakshmi's family celebrates holidays, or later, understanding potential parenting choices that Lakshmi might make (assuming that they have kids).
2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
Again, I used bubbl.us to organize my original questions. I'm also exploring various online notetaking tools.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.
I haven't entirely decided what my "final product" is going to look like, but per the guidelines for our project, I know that it will involve all of these skills. Again, I kind of wish that I could create my final product AFTER the wedding, because I'd love to combine a video of the event with an explanation of what is happening in each step. Since that won't work timing-wise, I'll have to explore other options for a final product.
2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.
This whole inquiry definitely relates to my "real world" and makes me even more excited about my brother's upcoming wedding!
3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning.
I will be using my "final product" to inform the rest of my family (my husband, parents, and sisters) about the traditions and symbolism included in my brother's upcoming wedding. I hope to then reflect on the information and be able to better understand the significance of the event, not just to the bride and groom, but to myself as a participant.
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
Again, this standard ties back to my use of bubbl.us and online notetaking tools.
3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world contexts.
I'm not sure what my final product will look like, but it will definitely be used by me and the rest of my family to understand the ceremony.
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
My interest is understanding my brother's wedding. To do this, I have called upon my previous knowledge from attending my friends' Matt and Anita's Indian wedding several years ago.
4.1.6 Organize personal knowledge in a way that can be called upon easily.
I've written down as much as I can remember about Matt and Anita's ceremony, then developed some of my inquiries from those notes.
4.2.1. Display curiosity by pursuing interests through multiple resources.
I've used both print and online resources, as well as interviews with my brother and Lakshmi. I've also interviewed some other "human resources": my friends Matt and Anita, my friend Pam (who lived in India for six months), and my co-worker Meg (who traveled to India to participate in her father's wedding to an Indian woman).
4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest.
My primary areas of interest are in 1) understanding the significance of the various parts of the wedding and 2) coming to understand my (future) sister-in-law's culture.
4.4.2 Recognize the limits of own personal knowledge.
Attending one Indian wedding several years ago gave me a basis of understanding, but it certainly didn't make me an expert.
4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
My personal criteria will be tested at the wedding itself, when I can gauge how well I understand the ceremony (which will show how effective my research was) and how well my family understands the ceremony (which will show how effectively I communicated my information to them).
In addition to the standards for information inquiry developed by the AASL, my investigation has also hit upon many of Indiana's academic standards. Below, I have described the standards that I feel are most in line with my inquiry:
World History
WH.3.2 Examine, interpret and compare the main ideas of Hinduism and Buddhism and explain their influence on civilization in India.
While my inquiry does not focus on Buddhism, I have run across references to it in many of my sources. My investigation focuses on Hinduism and its influence on the wedding rituals in India, then how those rituals have been adapted to fit my brother's ceremony.
WH.9.1 Identify patterns of historical change and duration and construct a representation that illustrates continuity and change.
It's fascinating to see how religious ceremonies, particularly weddings, have changed as Indian society has changed. Continuity is shown through the ceremonies and rituals that are still practiced today, whereas change is shown in the elements that have been removed from ceremonies in modern times.
WH.9.2 Locate and analyze primary sources and secondary sources related to an event or issue of the past.
While my brother's wedding is very much an event of the present, the development of the rituals that make it up is based in the past. I have used my brother, his fiance, and various others with first-hand experience of these rituals as primary sources (and I hope to add Lakshmi's parents to this list this upcoming weekend). I have used various books and online documents as secondary sources.
WH.9.5 Use technology in the process of conducting historical research and in the presentation of the products of historical research and current events.
I've done online research, using both Google and academic search engines, as well as taking notes and mapping ideas using online tools.
Sociology
S.1.8 Identify, evaluate and use appropriate reference materials and technology to interpret information about cultural life in the United States and other world cultures, both in the past and today.
This standard is perfect for what I'm researching! I am using various reference sources to understand Lakshmi's Indian heritage and her family's adaptions to American culture.
S.2.1 Define the key components of a culture, such as language and communication, customs, values, norms, and physical objects.
I'm particularly interested in the customs and physical objects associated with Hindu weddings, as well as the values and norms that they represent.
S.2.3 Recognize the influences of genetic inheritance and culture on human behavior.
Lakshmi's desire for a Hindu wedding ceremony (in spite of having been raised almost completely in the United States) is clearly indicative of her identification with her genetic inheritance (coming from a fully Indian family) and her family's culture.
S.2.4 Give examples of subcultures and what makes them unique.
An unexpected part of my study has emerged from examining Lakshmi's family's subcultures: as American immigrants, as natives of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and as members of the Reddy caste.
S.2.7 Explain how various practices of the culture create differences within group behavior.
Obviously, Lakshmi's family's culture is different from our family culture, thus causing different reactions to and understandings of the details of the wedding. It's especially interesting to see how everyone interacts in a group!
Geography and History of the World
GHW.2.2 Differentiate among selected countries in terms of how their identities, cultural and physical environments, and functions and forms of government are affected by world religions.
This wedding provides a meeting of Indian and American cultures. Every step of the planning has taken Lakshmi's family's culture into consideration, and they selected their venue based on its physical environment and its ties to her culture. All of this has been heavily impacted by her parents' Hindu religion.
High School Composition
CMP.1.8 Review, evaluate, and revise by writing for meaning, clarity, achievement of purpose, and mechanics.
I have already engaged in these steps, through every blog post I have written. I will continue these standards as I work to put together my final product.
CMP.1.12 Use technology for all aspects of creating, revising, editing, and publishing.
Writing on a blog is a great way to address this standard!
CMP.1.13 Develop presentations using clear research questions and creative and critical research strategies, such as conducting field studies, interviews, and experiments; researching oral histories; and using Internet sources.
My final product will address this standard. I have established clear research questions. My research consists primarily of interviews, Internet sources, and print sources.
CMP.3.1 Demonstrate control of grammar, diction, paragraph and sentence structure, as well as an understanding of English usage.
Hopefully this standard is evident in my writing on this blog!
CMP.3.2 Produce writing that shows accurate spelling and correct punctuation and capitalization.
Again, hopefully this standard is evident in what I have produced so far and will continue to be evident in my final product.
American Association of School Librarians. "Standards for the 21st Century Learner." 2007. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "English/Language Arts: High School Composition." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-english/2006-06-ela-hs-comp.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "Social Studies: Geography and History of the World." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-socialstudies/2007-ss-geoghist.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "Social Studies: Sociology." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-socialstudies/2007-ss-sociology.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "Social Studies: World History and Civilization." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-socialstudies/2007-ss-worldhistcivilization.pdf
Lamb, Annette. "Project 1: Personal Inquiry." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409/page/e14389df-1344-4d0e-9fdc-30137f34b763
1.1.1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.
My original goal was to make a real-world connection, i.e. understanding my brother's wedding ceremony. Through working on this project, I have seen how easily information inquiry can be adapted to any real-world situation, as well as curricular subjects (here, primarily history, sociology, and geography).
1.1.2 Use prior and background knowledge as context for new learning.
I had a limited amount of background knowledge on Hindu weddings before starting this project. Several years ago, I attended an Indian wedding (reworked to take out most of the religious implications) between my friends Matt and Anita. I also had a limited amount of knowledge about this upcoming ceremony from talking to my brother Brian and his fiance Lakshmi.
1.1.3 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding.
I developed many initial questions during my "Wondering" phase, then added to them as my inquiry process continued.
1.1.4 Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions.
Evaluating has definitely been interesting. I can find very little information in the books available in nearby libraries, but online sources abound. However, many of the online sources have very few credentials, so I'm dubious as to their accuracy.
1.1.5 Evaluate information found in selected sources on the basis of accuracy, validity, appropriateness for needs, importance, and social and cultural context.
As I said above, I've evaluated many sites for accuracy. I'm also focusing especially on "appropriateness for needs." While I can find many sources with information about Indian culture or the Hindu religion, there are far fewer that focus on just the marriage ceremony. Also, Brian and Lakshmi have decided to shorten the traditional ceremony and take many parts out, so as I evaluate information, I've had to discard much of what I've found, limiting my investigation on just the parts that they have chosen to use.
1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.
As per the requirements of our project, I have used online search tools, a concept map created at bubbl.us, and notetaking tools. I look forward to exploring other technological tools to finish up my project.
1.2.6 Display emotional resilience by persisting in information searching despite challenges.
As I mentioned in my last post, I'm feeling some serious frustration with sorting through which pieces of information actually apply to the ceremony that I will be witnessing.
1.2.7 Display persistence by continuing to pursue information to gain a broad perspective.
I'm really excited to report that I'll be traveling to Chicago this weekend to talk with my brother and Lakshmi face-to-face. They're flying in from Los Angeles for the weekend to introduce their parents, so I'm driving up to join them and (hopefully) get a chance to ask both Lakshmi and her parents some helpful questions and corroborate what I've learned from other sources.
1.4.1 Monitor own information-seeking processes for effectiveness and progress, and adapt as necessary.
I felt like I was just "spinning my wheels" a lot at the beginning of my investigation, but the further that I get into my inquiry, the better I understand specifically what information to search for.
2.1.2 Organize knowledge so that it is useful.
I really enjoyed using bubbl.us to organize my original questions. Since then, I've been sorting my "answers" into sub-topics by the rituals or symbols they relate to.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
I'm definitely going to be applying all my new information to a "real-world situation" when I attend Brian and Lakshmi's wedding in October. I also think that learning all of this will help me to better understand Lakshmi, her parents, and their culture when I meet them this weekend. Learning about Hindu weddings has also opened me up to the possibility of further investigations in the future--like understanding how Lakshmi's family celebrates holidays, or later, understanding potential parenting choices that Lakshmi might make (assuming that they have kids).
2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.
Again, I used bubbl.us to organize my original questions. I'm also exploring various online notetaking tools.
2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.
I haven't entirely decided what my "final product" is going to look like, but per the guidelines for our project, I know that it will involve all of these skills. Again, I kind of wish that I could create my final product AFTER the wedding, because I'd love to combine a video of the event with an explanation of what is happening in each step. Since that won't work timing-wise, I'll have to explore other options for a final product.
2.3.1 Connect understanding to the real world.
This whole inquiry definitely relates to my "real world" and makes me even more excited about my brother's upcoming wedding!
3.1.1 Conclude an inquiry-based research process by sharing new understandings and reflecting on the learning.
I will be using my "final product" to inform the rest of my family (my husband, parents, and sisters) about the traditions and symbolism included in my brother's upcoming wedding. I hope to then reflect on the information and be able to better understand the significance of the event, not just to the bride and groom, but to myself as a participant.
3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.
Again, this standard ties back to my use of bubbl.us and online notetaking tools.
3.3.4 Create products that apply to authentic, real-world contexts.
I'm not sure what my final product will look like, but it will definitely be used by me and the rest of my family to understand the ceremony.
4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.
My interest is understanding my brother's wedding. To do this, I have called upon my previous knowledge from attending my friends' Matt and Anita's Indian wedding several years ago.
4.1.6 Organize personal knowledge in a way that can be called upon easily.
I've written down as much as I can remember about Matt and Anita's ceremony, then developed some of my inquiries from those notes.
4.2.1. Display curiosity by pursuing interests through multiple resources.
I've used both print and online resources, as well as interviews with my brother and Lakshmi. I've also interviewed some other "human resources": my friends Matt and Anita, my friend Pam (who lived in India for six months), and my co-worker Meg (who traveled to India to participate in her father's wedding to an Indian woman).
4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest.
My primary areas of interest are in 1) understanding the significance of the various parts of the wedding and 2) coming to understand my (future) sister-in-law's culture.
4.4.2 Recognize the limits of own personal knowledge.
Attending one Indian wedding several years ago gave me a basis of understanding, but it certainly didn't make me an expert.
4.4.5 Develop personal criteria for gauging how effectively own ideas are expressed.
My personal criteria will be tested at the wedding itself, when I can gauge how well I understand the ceremony (which will show how effective my research was) and how well my family understands the ceremony (which will show how effectively I communicated my information to them).
In addition to the standards for information inquiry developed by the AASL, my investigation has also hit upon many of Indiana's academic standards. Below, I have described the standards that I feel are most in line with my inquiry:
World History
WH.3.2 Examine, interpret and compare the main ideas of Hinduism and Buddhism and explain their influence on civilization in India.
While my inquiry does not focus on Buddhism, I have run across references to it in many of my sources. My investigation focuses on Hinduism and its influence on the wedding rituals in India, then how those rituals have been adapted to fit my brother's ceremony.
WH.9.1 Identify patterns of historical change and duration and construct a representation that illustrates continuity and change.
It's fascinating to see how religious ceremonies, particularly weddings, have changed as Indian society has changed. Continuity is shown through the ceremonies and rituals that are still practiced today, whereas change is shown in the elements that have been removed from ceremonies in modern times.
WH.9.2 Locate and analyze primary sources and secondary sources related to an event or issue of the past.
While my brother's wedding is very much an event of the present, the development of the rituals that make it up is based in the past. I have used my brother, his fiance, and various others with first-hand experience of these rituals as primary sources (and I hope to add Lakshmi's parents to this list this upcoming weekend). I have used various books and online documents as secondary sources.
WH.9.5 Use technology in the process of conducting historical research and in the presentation of the products of historical research and current events.
I've done online research, using both Google and academic search engines, as well as taking notes and mapping ideas using online tools.
Sociology
S.1.8 Identify, evaluate and use appropriate reference materials and technology to interpret information about cultural life in the United States and other world cultures, both in the past and today.
This standard is perfect for what I'm researching! I am using various reference sources to understand Lakshmi's Indian heritage and her family's adaptions to American culture.
S.2.1 Define the key components of a culture, such as language and communication, customs, values, norms, and physical objects.
I'm particularly interested in the customs and physical objects associated with Hindu weddings, as well as the values and norms that they represent.
S.2.3 Recognize the influences of genetic inheritance and culture on human behavior.
Lakshmi's desire for a Hindu wedding ceremony (in spite of having been raised almost completely in the United States) is clearly indicative of her identification with her genetic inheritance (coming from a fully Indian family) and her family's culture.
S.2.4 Give examples of subcultures and what makes them unique.
An unexpected part of my study has emerged from examining Lakshmi's family's subcultures: as American immigrants, as natives of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and as members of the Reddy caste.
S.2.7 Explain how various practices of the culture create differences within group behavior.
Obviously, Lakshmi's family's culture is different from our family culture, thus causing different reactions to and understandings of the details of the wedding. It's especially interesting to see how everyone interacts in a group!
Geography and History of the World
GHW.2.2 Differentiate among selected countries in terms of how their identities, cultural and physical environments, and functions and forms of government are affected by world religions.
This wedding provides a meeting of Indian and American cultures. Every step of the planning has taken Lakshmi's family's culture into consideration, and they selected their venue based on its physical environment and its ties to her culture. All of this has been heavily impacted by her parents' Hindu religion.
High School Composition
CMP.1.8 Review, evaluate, and revise by writing for meaning, clarity, achievement of purpose, and mechanics.
I have already engaged in these steps, through every blog post I have written. I will continue these standards as I work to put together my final product.
CMP.1.12 Use technology for all aspects of creating, revising, editing, and publishing.
Writing on a blog is a great way to address this standard!
CMP.1.13 Develop presentations using clear research questions and creative and critical research strategies, such as conducting field studies, interviews, and experiments; researching oral histories; and using Internet sources.
My final product will address this standard. I have established clear research questions. My research consists primarily of interviews, Internet sources, and print sources.
CMP.3.1 Demonstrate control of grammar, diction, paragraph and sentence structure, as well as an understanding of English usage.
Hopefully this standard is evident in my writing on this blog!
CMP.3.2 Produce writing that shows accurate spelling and correct punctuation and capitalization.
Again, hopefully this standard is evident in what I have produced so far and will continue to be evident in my final product.
American Association of School Librarians. "Standards for the 21st Century Learner." 2007. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "English/Language Arts: High School Composition." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-english/2006-06-ela-hs-comp.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "Social Studies: Geography and History of the World." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-socialstudies/2007-ss-geoghist.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "Social Studies: Sociology." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-socialstudies/2007-ss-sociology.pdf
Indiana Department of Education. "Social Studies: World History and Civilization." Indiana Standards and Resources. http://dc.doe.in.gov/Standards/AcademicStandards/PrintLibrary/docs-socialstudies/2007-ss-worldhistcivilization.pdf
Lamb, Annette. "Project 1: Personal Inquiry." Information Age Inquiry. https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/FA11-IN-SLIS-S574-16409/page/e14389df-1344-4d0e-9fdc-30137f34b763
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