My Personal Inquiry Blog

The watching phase of information inquiry has begun! I did this previously when I was deciding on a topic and really observed and discussed within my own mind-- and my different personalities!-- what I wanted to learn more about.

Since I've picked a topic and am ready to springboard forward, I'm going to concentrate on the contemplating phase of "Watching."

So far I haven't taken any real action on this project besides thinking a lot about it and having ideas for where I want to look first for information. I want to get to know these authors better and also understand this way of thinking much better-- transcendentalism. When I am finished with this project, I want to be able to effectively communicate to my students what it is and thus teach them more fully so that they can communicate to someone else these ideas. I also want to get to know some authors more fully so that I can bring these authors to life for students. Literature can be so much more interesting if the teacher is excited about it and knows a lot about what he/she is talking about.

I'm excited about the project and am ready to dive in to research!

First, thought, let's do some of the "Wondering" stage!

What questions do I want to have answered?

What is transcendentalism?
Who started this way of thinking?
Why are Ralph Waldo and Henry David the most well known thinkers?
Am I missing some great essayist?
What great literature writers subscribe to these ideas?


Brain overload for now!

I'll work on more later! Yep, webbing is next!

I am so excited! I knew that eventually a topic would come to me and I was not disappointed. As I was lying in bed last night, not able to sleep, I started thinking about authors that I enjoy and their works. I went through my list of favorite books The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, Pride and Prejudice, Leaves of Grass, Walden and it hit me. I love discussing Emerson and Thoreau and their Transcendentalist ideas. Why not start very broad with the topic of Transcendentalism and those two authors and see where it takes me? Someday I would like to apply for the Lilly grant and this could be my preliminary research for a grant proposal! We'll see what happens, but I can't wait to get started!

I am excited to start some research as soon as I decide on a topic! There are too many options and right now not a one sounds incredibly interesting. I am hoping in the next few days that something is going to jump out at me.

Currently, I am thinking that a great topic to explore will be a travel destination. The only problem is where do I want to visit?

I also think it would be fun to research an author and the area in which he/she has lived, worked and enjoyed. Now, what author do I choose?

I am confident it will come to me in the next few days in a way that I least expect it. : )