Weaving

    I have learned much about Italy. So much that I needed to organize my knowledge into a format that I could relate to. I created a chart with Word 2008 SmartArt Graphics (see Smart Graphic page) so that I could synthesize the information into manageable junks. I also wanted a method to begin better notetaking on the information I had located on the web. I downloaded Diigo, a social bookmarking, highlighting, and notetaking application. I wish I had started with Diigo because I had already done most of my searching with Delicious but now found myself re-bookmarking into Diigo so that I could add notes and highlights.
    Between Diigo, Delicious, print, and interview resources, I have so much information - probably too much. The project feels very much like the I-Search model as discussed in the Educational Leadership article, The I-Search: Guiding Students Toward Relevant Research. I feel as if my Phase I (posing questions) keeps shifting and my Phase 3 (revise search plans to gather, sort, and integrate information) will never end! The article states that "passage from one phase to another becomes a natural point of assessment" (p. 50). Ongoing assessment "ensures that students do not get lost." I believe this is a good point as I feel the revolving nature of self-directed research can become a vicious cycle of more questions needing more answers!