Wishing

I started at the beginning and read through my blog and everyone's comments today. I am happy with the quilt and the blog. I appreciate this method of teaching us about Information Inquiry. We could chose our subject and learn about it. This makes it more exciting and fun.

What did I learn?

1. I learned how important visual props can be. Example: Most of my contact and information was either phone calls or emails. There was no hands on with my "instructor." Because of this experience, I began making videos for my online students to access from the web page.
2. I learned that I can learn from my mistakes. I didn't think to ask about the size of the quilting machine. That was an assumption on my part.
3. I learned to set limits for myself. It was okay to start with precut fabric pieces. The product wasn't as important as the process. But I love my quilt!
4. I learned that Inquiry is definitely not linear, as indicated in my Concept Map. I was all over the place going back to Wondering and Webbing many times.
5. I learned that students don't have to be robots; they can have their own ideas.
6. I learned that there are many ways to teach a concept. We just participated in a great one!

I also reviewed what technology-based elaborations I used. They are:

1. Concept Map - included in the blog. It indicates my Inquiry Process.
2. Web-based Tool - OneNote was used to keep track of my notes. OneNote can be viewed through Microsoft Live or I also will put a link on the blog.
3. Bibliography - included in OneNote. I will attach it to my paper.
4. Electronic Communication Tool - I used email to correspond with my friend. Some of the emails are included in the blog.
5. Productivity Tool - I used a digital camera to document the steps in the creation of the quilt. I also created a mobile blog to access my Quilting Quest blog.
6. Notetaking Tool - Microsoft OneNote - The note book has several folders, quotes, resources, emails, Paper outline and ideas, my Wondering questions and shopping list.

My overall impression of this project is that it is a very good assignment. I was allowed to take ownership of my education. I was doing something. As John Dewey (1916) said, "The type of activities that stimulate real involvement give pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking, or the intentional noting of connections; learning naturally results" (Democracy and Education, p. 181).