Wishing

My project went well, I would like to go back and include more of the writings into my reflections. I feel the biggest strength of my project is the practicality of it. I will continue this inquiry even after the project. . . . motherhood, working, and grad school may make the inquiry a slower process than I would like, but it was nice to get started. I feel overwhelmed with all the class reading and like my focus is divided into a lot of different directions. I am thankful for the push to get started on my book . . .

Reading

I never thought of this blog as creative until I read,"whenever you are investing your own personal ideas or putting on your own personal stamp, you are being creative." Cullison. I also thought about this blog and relating this assignment to students, Cullison says that, "critical thinkers seek the best or most reasonable solution from available options to solving a problem. Creative thinkers raise alternatives that lead to new or unique solutions." Do I give my students creative options? How exciting would it be to have students complete a mini publishing investigation, maybe listen to a guest speaker, and send out work of their own. Tilley and Callison talk about gender issues and reading. How could I make the reading and writing of this publishing project appeal to boys. I was very discouraged to read how far boys were behind in regards to literacy.

Callion listed some strategies to aid in metacognition and the "thinking journal" would be a wonderful tool for my students to record thier ideas during the publishing investigation--just like I am during this blog.

Frustration

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/wdechert/Book%20Little%20Miracles.doc

Let's give this a try--all of this was supposed to be in my last post--but I lost it all.

Wrapping/Waving
The above link is my first draft of my book. I have found the more people I talk to, the more research I do etc. etc. Write--send is always the message. It seems like an oxymoron that my final project is a draft--but there it is. I first will have friends and family look at it and give me their criticism etc. I have already started sending it to the list of publishers I am accumulating. You never know . . .

Weaving--I have created a bubble chart to organize my ideas in one place--all my lists, charts etc. in one place--maybe this will help me keep organized and focused.

Click below (or copy and paste into your browser's address box):
» http://bubbl.us/view.php?sid=42207&pw=yaVWC.w6Lr12UMjhhbi95LlRtMHVCWQ

Reflection

I am overwhelmed today. How do I put in all the elements of the rubric into my blog. How many blogs have I responded too? I can't even remember. Oh boy--I think I have a lot of work to do today. I wish I would have really read the Project 1 description before I completed any of the trail blazers then I could have incorporated more of the reading into my regular blogs.

Scary--evaluation

O.K. I am ready for the evaluation stage in The Blue Book Bloom's Taxonomy is mentioned in the levels of learning. My inquiry on publishing has been very circular and I believe it will be a lifetime pursuit. I have been in all the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and now I am ready for evaluation. So that just means--write--send--write--send--write--send!

I have always been held accountable to Indiana Academic Standards and now I have learned a lot about Information Literacy Standards. I am filling a lot of the ILS standards and can see how a similar assignments for my students could do the same. This blog has focused on information literacy, sparked independent learning, and could lead to social responsibility.

Tomorrow--plan--organize info. into a chart form. As I send out my book--I need to keep track of everything in one place. Look for local writing groups . . .

Weaving

After spending time researching all the web sites Annette recommends I have a lot more information. Her website http://www.annettegriessman.com/Writer.html has specific instructions for new writers that was very helpful. Her website cautions against using a vanity press. I am really thankful to get this caution--because several publishers have suggested this route. I am including almost EVERYTHING from Annette's Writer's Resources page--she has done a great job with it. Books she recommends on how to write that I plan to pick up--"Dynamic Characters" by Nancy Kress, "Beginnings, Middles, and Ends," by Nancy Kress, "Fast Fiction: Creating Fiction in Five Minutes," by Roberta Allen, "The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile," by Noah Lukeman, "Characters and Viewpoint," by Orson Scott Card. Annette recommends The Predators and Editors Website and says it is a very, very good site to use to check out the legitimacy of publishing houses and agents. They not only list those people who are out to take advantage of uninformed writers, but they also have some excellent information topics of interest for writers. http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Besides The Predators and Editors website I will investigate http://www.verlakay.com a author Annette recommends.