Before I go to the library, I want to consider what types of books and other resources I will be looking for to do my inquiry. My chart I made in my last entry will guide me a lot in this webbing step. Clearly, I need information on farming, so I will focus my search on the three main branches of farming that I need to learn about: buying land, getting equipment and choosing a crop. For these topics, I think I'll get the best information from books because farming has been around for such a long time and living in Indiana, I think my library is likely to have a lot of information on farming--whether it be for farmers or casual browsers. However, I plan to find out any information books don't give me by calling the 4-H extension office or talking to family and friends who farm. I really don't anticipate using internet information unless I am not able to find it somewhere else. I think I would be able to find a lot of the same information online, but I feel like since I am doing something so close to my heart, I want it to be more hands-on and personal than clicking through search results.
When I am searching at the library, I plan to start with basic search terms like farms, farming, farm machines, and crops. Depending on the number of results I find, I might then try more specific search terms like Indiana farms, Hoosier farms, corn farming, tractors, combines, and buying land in Indiana. (I think this narrowing down of ideas is again very much like what McKenzie is talking about in the Research Cycle (Callison 56) when he says that researchers are continually narrowing down their topic-or in this instance search results.) Primarily, I will be looking for books on aspects of farming, but if I happen to run across some type of multimedia resource, like a video or something, I could use, I would definitely take at look at it. I also anticipate that all of my information will be nonfiction, since I am only looking for factual material on how to actually start a farm.
I normally don't plan out how I am going to search for things before I go and do it, so I am interested to see if this will improve my findings, or at least make the search easier and more effective. Oftentimes I run into the problem that I end up finding a lot of information that isn't very relevant other than a chapter or section of the book. I hope that by webbing and putting forethought into my search that it will yield better results. I will come back and write a part two of my webbing experience after I get back from the library and tell how my search strategies panned out and if/how I had to modify them. As for right now, thinking through all of this before I go to the library feels a lot like the presearching that Follett's Pathways to Knowledge Information Skills Model talks about (Callison 57). Unlike most people (including me in the past), I just jump right into the research. However, I am thinking about good key words, considering my prior knowledge or farming and defining a clear outline of what I need to look for when I start my search. I hope that it ends up paying off for me in the coming stages!
January 30, 2010
January 25, 2010
S574: Wondering
I am kind of relieved to be doing the wondering step because finally getting all of the questions that have been bopping around in my head down on paper (or the net as it were) will help me focus on what I need to learn more about. I know how important forming questions is from reading about McKenzie's Research Cycle model (Callison 56), where the thrust of the model is on continually refining your questions and the research that answers them, so you end with with a well thought out, thorough product. In the relation to the wondering step of the 8Ws, the Research Cycle would put me in a the questioning step. Lucky for me, I found the ideal tool for getting all of my questions out of my head and organized: http://mywebspiration.com/. It was really easy to use; just click to add a bubble and type in the text. Here is my chart I came up with.
Once I had decided that I wanted to do my project on what it would take to farm, I wondered what I actually meant by that. I decided that I would focus my research on what it would take to get started farming. Thus, the three big topics that I think I'll need to research are: buying land, getting equipment and choosing a crop. I'm not actually sure yet if that's all I'll need to research, if I'm forgetting a major component (which I probably am), but I figure that will surface once I start researching. Like our readings stress, inquiry is not a linear process (Callison 51)!
In case you're not able to read my document for some reason I'll list the questions I came up with for each subtopic.
For choosing a crop:
What equipment will I need depending on what crop I pick?
How much will I get per acre?
How much would I need to buy?
What grows here best?
What would I like to grow?
Where should I buy from?
What seed is the cheapest now?
For buying land:
Where has the best soil?
How much land should I get?
How much land will sustain my family?
Who would be a reliable resource to help me choose?
What soil is best for my crops?
How much does land cost per acre?
How much land earns a profit?
For getting equipment:
How much will it cost?
How many machines will I need?
Do I have to buy all of them?
Will I need to store my crop?
Where could I borrow some things from?
Where would I buy from?
Where will get me the best prices?
Is a certain brand better?
When I was brainstorming about my topic, I didn't try to go in a logical order, I just wrote down whatever questions came to mind. As I get further in the inquiry process, I'll be able to see what questions I need to elaborate on or what ones I can eliminate. I really just tried to write down everything I could think of that farmers might need to do or consider when they are farming their land. After writing down all these questions, I can see that my emerging focus for my project is going to be about starting and establishing a farm, rather than just farming in general. I want to make sure the scope of my project is manageable, so I can do a thorough job in my research.
Since I am about to go to the library, I think this I have done the wondering step at exactly the right time. With these questions to guide me, I will have a good idea of what I need to look for at the library. Wish me luck!
Once I had decided that I wanted to do my project on what it would take to farm, I wondered what I actually meant by that. I decided that I would focus my research on what it would take to get started farming. Thus, the three big topics that I think I'll need to research are: buying land, getting equipment and choosing a crop. I'm not actually sure yet if that's all I'll need to research, if I'm forgetting a major component (which I probably am), but I figure that will surface once I start researching. Like our readings stress, inquiry is not a linear process (Callison 51)!
In case you're not able to read my document for some reason I'll list the questions I came up with for each subtopic.
For choosing a crop:
What equipment will I need depending on what crop I pick?
How much will I get per acre?
How much would I need to buy?
What grows here best?
What would I like to grow?
Where should I buy from?
What seed is the cheapest now?
For buying land:
Where has the best soil?
How much land should I get?
How much land will sustain my family?
Who would be a reliable resource to help me choose?
What soil is best for my crops?
How much does land cost per acre?
How much land earns a profit?
For getting equipment:
How much will it cost?
How many machines will I need?
Do I have to buy all of them?
Will I need to store my crop?
Where could I borrow some things from?
Where would I buy from?
Where will get me the best prices?
Is a certain brand better?
When I was brainstorming about my topic, I didn't try to go in a logical order, I just wrote down whatever questions came to mind. As I get further in the inquiry process, I'll be able to see what questions I need to elaborate on or what ones I can eliminate. I really just tried to write down everything I could think of that farmers might need to do or consider when they are farming their land. After writing down all these questions, I can see that my emerging focus for my project is going to be about starting and establishing a farm, rather than just farming in general. I want to make sure the scope of my project is manageable, so I can do a thorough job in my research.
Since I am about to go to the library, I think this I have done the wondering step at exactly the right time. With these questions to guide me, I will have a good idea of what I need to look for at the library. Wish me luck!
January 18, 2010
S574: Watching/Topic Exploration
First of all, this is SO exciting that we have completely free reign to choose our inquiry project topic!
Honestly, I knew pretty well what I wanted to write about right away. Since I've grown up in Indiana, it is all I know. Luckily for me, I am not one of those people who despises our flat land and snowy winters; I in fact love everything about my state. Thus, the first narrowing of my topic ideas came to me in that I knew I wanted to write something that revolved around Indiana life.
The true Hoosier topics: corn, trucks, euchre (clearly I'm from rural Indiana) all bounced around in my head. I have in fact checked out books from the library before to learn more about corn. Don't laugh! It was informative! My dad and brother both drive trucks, and I feel like I would rather leave that domain to them. As for euchre, I prefer to leave that just for a game to play with friends; I would rather not evaluate and investigate a fun hobby that I use to unwind. Even though I quickly shot down all of the ideas that first came to mind, the next idea is what I am deciding to stick with: farms.
I did not grow up on a farm. I have lived in a subdivision my whole life. I work in the city. BUT-I love farms, farming and farmers. My grandpa has a huge farm in northern Indiana, and that is where my extended family lives. I go up there probably ten times a year, and every time I go, I love that farm even more. What better to inspire a topic than love?
When my grandpa passed away this summer, the question came up as to who was going to take up the farming. Of course living three hours away, this was an impossibility for me, not to mention my complete lack of knowledge and experience. However, a tiny and persistent voice in my mind kept wishing that I could farm that land. I would love to be able to work the land that has been in my family for generations, to produce something out of nothing, and feel the accomplishment of harvest time. Even though I know I can't take on the farm in real life, I would love to know what it takes to farm.
I am thrilled that I have the opportunity and motivation to do this research thanks to this class. I know a lot of the knowledge might be things that are tricks of the trade, secrets passed down through the years, and I won't be able to get my hands on those. Quite frankly, if I were able to learn them, I would opt not to share them online-sorry! There are some lines I will not cross. Nevertheless, I look forward to learning about a trade and lifestyle that is so close to my heart.
Honestly, I knew pretty well what I wanted to write about right away. Since I've grown up in Indiana, it is all I know. Luckily for me, I am not one of those people who despises our flat land and snowy winters; I in fact love everything about my state. Thus, the first narrowing of my topic ideas came to me in that I knew I wanted to write something that revolved around Indiana life.
The true Hoosier topics: corn, trucks, euchre (clearly I'm from rural Indiana) all bounced around in my head. I have in fact checked out books from the library before to learn more about corn. Don't laugh! It was informative! My dad and brother both drive trucks, and I feel like I would rather leave that domain to them. As for euchre, I prefer to leave that just for a game to play with friends; I would rather not evaluate and investigate a fun hobby that I use to unwind. Even though I quickly shot down all of the ideas that first came to mind, the next idea is what I am deciding to stick with: farms.
I did not grow up on a farm. I have lived in a subdivision my whole life. I work in the city. BUT-I love farms, farming and farmers. My grandpa has a huge farm in northern Indiana, and that is where my extended family lives. I go up there probably ten times a year, and every time I go, I love that farm even more. What better to inspire a topic than love?
When my grandpa passed away this summer, the question came up as to who was going to take up the farming. Of course living three hours away, this was an impossibility for me, not to mention my complete lack of knowledge and experience. However, a tiny and persistent voice in my mind kept wishing that I could farm that land. I would love to be able to work the land that has been in my family for generations, to produce something out of nothing, and feel the accomplishment of harvest time. Even though I know I can't take on the farm in real life, I would love to know what it takes to farm.
I am thrilled that I have the opportunity and motivation to do this research thanks to this class. I know a lot of the knowledge might be things that are tricks of the trade, secrets passed down through the years, and I won't be able to get my hands on those. Quite frankly, if I were able to learn them, I would opt not to share them online-sorry! There are some lines I will not cross. Nevertheless, I look forward to learning about a trade and lifestyle that is so close to my heart.
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