Final Reflection

My PowerPoint presentation is available for viewing at https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal/site/~emdmarsh/page/9080f3c3-9a04-419e-002e-7d5905b98d47. It includes voice narration so please make sure the sound is on and volume up on your computer. The two elaborations used in the project are web links and technology tools for product creation (digital camera, Microsoft PowerPoint, and picture from Google).

In many ways the inquiry process for me during this project was quite similar as it would be for a child or young adult. The basic experiences and steps are the same. I'm sure the kinds of frustrations encountered would be similar: what to research, how to determine what information is most importatn, how to present the information, etc. I think for me, as an adult, the process was more reflective and intentional than it would be for a child or young adult. A child may move through the process with guidance from a teacher, but not have as great of an understanding of the steps and purposes of the process.

This particular project fits into the Indiana standards in a couple of major ways. First, the fourth grade social studies curriculum focuses on the state of Indiana: history, geography, etc. The direction I took this project fits the fourth grade standards perfectly. This project also fits into the language arts curriculum at nearly any level. The creation of the text in the PowerPoint presentation would fit into the standards of writing process, writing applications, and writing English language conventions. The creation of the voice narration fits the lanague arts standrd of
listening and speaking.

Overall, I found this to be a positive experience. I had never before reflected so much on the inquiry process, rather than just the final product. I felt as though I could relate to and understand what Stripling meant in Curriculum Connections through the Library when she said inquiry "is not a collections of process skills and strategies; it is a relationship between thinking skills and content." (2003) Inquiry is more than just knowing how to find information in the library or on the computer. It is interacting with the information and exploring until answers to questions are found. During the course of this project I had more freedom to explore the topic of my choice than in any previous assignment I have ever undertaken.