Amputation Summative Reflection
- 1. Bethany Roper Susan Lester 10th Honors World Literature and Composition 2, May 2012 1. Discuss what you learned in terms of content about your research topic. What were your key insights and understandings (be specific)? What questions might you still have? My specific research pertained to the increasing technology of prosthetic design. While researching I came across an article informing me about Scott Summit personal prosthetic limbs. The article came from Los Angeles Times. During my presearch process I found several articles referring to his designs. I became highly fascinated with his work. Scott Summit is an industrial designer who is able to design prosthetic limbs that are personal to each and every amputee. Each prosthetic limb is costumed with particular fabrics, designs, and even if asked for tattoo; he is able to give to the demand. A question I might still have would be is there a rubric or anything that we need to use to determine if our group has all the right information? 2. What challenges did you encounter in this research project in terms of finding information, collaborating with your group or if solo, managing yourself, use of technology, and or time management? How did you feel with these challenges? In terms of finding information, I was able to easily guide my way through the research databases that Mrs. Hamilton gave us to use. The websites I found the most useful were Google News that directed me to several News websites. Another database that was the second most useful was SIRS, I was able to find articles that were useful but not the most up to date. I
- 2. enjoyed collaborating with my group; I feel like we work well together. When we are determined to get things done there is nothing we can’t finish together. When working in a group you most likely have to find a way to separate the information. Sarena, Olivia, and I parted the information throughout the three most important questions. I felt that Mrs. Hamilton did a good job showing us how to use each website and use it well. Time management has always been an issue of mine. Time management is something that I have had to work on through this year more than any other years before, because if you don’t spend your time wisely on this project you can be in over your head before you know it. 3. What did you find most difficult about the research project and why? What did you find most rewarding or positive about your research project and why? The most difficult process in this research project was outlaying my time wisely. My group and I had to work quickly and efficiently to get this project finished and on time. This did mean that I had to finish part of the project on my own time, but if that means that my group and I will acquire a practical grade then the process is worth it. The most rewarding part of this research project was seeing it all come into view. Watching a simple research proposal turn into a finished project, is truly the most rewarding procedure. It is nice to see all your group’s hard work turn into something that other people can take information from. The second most rewarding process was interviewing my expert, the expert I chose was Scott Summit. Scott Summit is the most important person in the information research project for me. It was a rewarding experience for me to interview a person that was so high up in the prosthetic limb world. It really is amazing to see that important people are still willing to take time out of their busy schedule to interview a high school student like myself. The
- 3. job I want to do later in life is Fashion Journalist and just interviewing this person was a sample of what I plan to do later in life. This was my first interview and hopefully not my last. This project did take a lot of my time, but it was worth getting these rewarding experiences. 4. How did the study of your books (both All Quiet on the Western Front and the war book you chose) and your cohort Fishbowl discussions influence (or not influence) your choice of an issue/topic to research for the digital research paper? Reading All Quiet on the Western Front did not have a very large influence on working on this certain research project. Reading that book had very little to do with the project I am working on now. However, Reading Purple Heart which is the war book I chose had much more influence. Since it was closer to the time of the study I am doing now I was able to take more information from it. Even though I chose not to do my study for this research paper over the topic in Purple Heart, each member of our group chose different war books so we chose a topic that kind of went to all three books. The most recent cohort Fishbowl discussion helped a lot, since my group and I was able to listen to how the other groups chose topics, were working on either Symbaloo or Netvibes, and if they had any of the same questions I had. The recent discussions and books did have an influence on my project for the better. 5. Which learning experiences will cause this issue to have a lasting impact of you-reading your two books, reading nonfiction articles, the cohurt discussions, creating the final project, or some combination of the learning activities? If studying has not had an impact on you, why? Reading the nonfiction articles had the most impact on me, because I was able to find information on Scott Summit. Scott Summit is the person I interviewed, which I truly enjoyed.
- 4. Reading the articles did not have nearly as much impact as finding who to interview. Through my interview I was able to learn a lot about Scott Summit and what Bespoke Innovations is all about. This issue has had an impact on me. I was able to learn more about amputations through this project than I have my whole life. Amputees truly are inspiring and what Scott summit is doing to help these amputees is also inspiring. 6. Reflecting on your work of the last eight weeks, what do you think you did well? What are you most proud of that you did in this project? Reflecting on my work of the last eight weeks I feel like I have worked very hard. I have worked much harder on this project than I did on my project last semester. I believe that it will show in my finished project that my group and I have worked hard. The assignment I think I did the best was getting all the information from my presearch to the final project. Putting it all together took time, but when it is finished I think it will make sense and help students and teachers listening to this project learn more about Scott Summit. The thing I am most proud of is the interview. Like I said earlier I want to be a Fashion Journalist and that means doing a lot of interviews. Having my first interview be in this class was really interesting. It was an experience I will never forget. I was proud and enjoyed it very well. I hope to do more interviews like this one in the future. 7. What was most challenging for you in this project? How did you handle these challenges?
- 5. I feel like time management was the most challenging process throughout this project, learning how to cope with my time and not procrastinating. I tend to procrastinate, but with this project I had work with my group members to spend time wisely. My group and I separated the questions so that each of us would have equal amount of work to do. This is a way to help me with my time management. 8. What research or information literacy skills do you think improved this semester? Mrs. Hamilton will provide you a menu of skills; choose at least 5 skills you demonstrated growth and or mastery and explain how/why you did so. Please cite specific research skills by number (example 1.1.13 Develop and refine a range of questions to frame the search for new understanding). The skills I think I have gained the most this semester was example 1.1.2 which is use prior background knowledge as context for new learning. I used some of the information I acquired last semester to help me create this project. Another skill was 1.1.4 which is find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources to answer questions. Thanks to Mrs. Hamilton I was able to guide smoothly through the research databases. The third example is 1.2.4 which is maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all the information. Last semester we learned about the CRAAP test which guided me through this example also. The fourth example is 3.1.3 which is use writing and speaking skills to communicate new understandings effectively. Using voice thread for the first time ever has made use my former skills of speaking as I would to an audience performing a speech. The last skill is 3.1.2 Participate and collaborates as members of a social and intellectual network of learners. This was useful when working with my group members and spending time wisely.
- 6. 9. How if at all did the process of composing a digital text (voice thread or Prezi) a traditional research paper or a multi genre composition enhance your learning in this unit of learning and inquiry? My group and I chose to do a Voice Thread presentation and it helped me through this process of learning how to use computers and technology to gain experience for when I go into other Lit Comp classes. I have never used the presentation styles before and I really enjoy using them to gain more information. 10. Describe your information Dashboard (Symbaloo or Netvibes). How did you use it? How might you use it differently in the future? Would you use either of these tools for other classes next year? What does your netvibes or symbaloo say about you as a learner? The information dashboard I chose was Symbaloo; at first my group and I chose Netvibes as our information dashboard. At first Netvibes seemed confusing and not as clear at organizing my links. So, we chose to go with Symbaloo and it has changed our whole perception of information dashboards. Symbaloo makes it easy to see your links and get to information smoothly and quickly. I used symbaloo to go through all my links to articles, the daily agenda, and research databases. In the future I would still choose Symbaloo as my information dashboard. I plan on using one of these information dashboards next year, they make going to other websites and research databases easy and less stressful than just going to Google and typing it in. Symbaloo says to me that I like to see things clearly and as easily as possible, and that I prefer having everything in the same place.
- 7. 11. What specific skills in digital literacy, analytical reading and writing, and research do you believe you are best prepared to use in American Literature and Composition next year? In American Literature and Composition I plan to use my digital and technological skills that I have learned this year. Throughout this year I have learned everything from how to use a Voice Thread or Prezi, what is best to type in to get the best articles, and working with group members. Lit is not the only class I plan on using this information in like history even in college. I have learned more computer and technological this year than I did all the years as a freshman and in middle school.