Hi everyone! I just put the finishing touches on my portion of the 510 group IB project, and holy crap am I glad the past two weeks are over. Now that I've turned in my IB paper and our IB project is done (collectively worth 50% of my total grade in the class), I feel like I can finally breathe again.
I'd planned on writing a longer post about everything, but I think I'll wait and let my brain recover a bit first. But hallelujah to the ever lubbin jeebus I survived that gauntlet. :)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Pessimistic-affective break time!
I'm currently smack in the middle of watching Everything is Illuminated from a perspective based on Dervin's info-gaps, and since I'm drowning a little in IB theory, figured I could use a quick blog break before heading back to it.
Writing papers for this program, even though I've only completed one so far (not counting the midterm), is unlike any kind of writing I've done before in a really interesting way. I was an English Lit major in college with a smattering of History, Religion, and European Studies thrown in, so most of the papers I've written deal with relatively concrete ideas, concepts, and events. I took a grand total of one literary criticism class, which was both my least favorite lit class at Linfield and my only exposure to stand-alone literary theory. Studying information behavior theory independent from context, which is mostly what we've been doing this quarter, has been a definite learning experience for me. I'm much more used to applying theory to example situations or works, so figuring out how to discuss IB theory from a broader perspective has been challenging.
As things stand, I feel much more comfortable than I did a month ago with the multitude of IB theories out there. I'm really starting to be able to quickly identify the key elements of the work of certain theorists, and some of what I've read is absolutely fascinating. Favorites so far include Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory, Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP), Salvolainen's Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS), Erdelez's Information Encountering, and Dervin's Sense-Making. We've done so much reading for this course that sometimes it feels like I can't stuff any more theory into my brain, but of what we've read, these theories and models have stuck more than most. I've decided to focus primarily on Dervin and Kuhthau for my IB paper, mostly because Dervin's discussion of the affective factors of information seeking fits in well with the emotional tone of the search in the film and because I think Kuhlthau's model thoroughly represents the typical information search by including those affective factors instead of glossing over them as some of the other models we've examined tend to do.
All that being said, I'm having a hard time not letting myself sink into a bit of a panic. The IB paper is due in a week, but even more dauntingly, our IB group presentation is due in two weeks, and although some good work has been done on it all so far, consolidating the vast amount of information and research we've gathered in into a coherent, focused thirty minute presentation is going to be a pretty enormous challenge. I think my strategy is to get the paper written as quickly as I can (ideally over the next two or three evenings) so that all my energy can be focused on putting the presentation together.
I seriously can't wait for the end of this quarter. For better or worse, shit will get done, but it'll be so nice to have a break.
On the plus side of things, I ordered myself a Droid 2 on Friday, so I should have a shiny new toy to play with come tomorrow evening. :)
Writing papers for this program, even though I've only completed one so far (not counting the midterm), is unlike any kind of writing I've done before in a really interesting way. I was an English Lit major in college with a smattering of History, Religion, and European Studies thrown in, so most of the papers I've written deal with relatively concrete ideas, concepts, and events. I took a grand total of one literary criticism class, which was both my least favorite lit class at Linfield and my only exposure to stand-alone literary theory. Studying information behavior theory independent from context, which is mostly what we've been doing this quarter, has been a definite learning experience for me. I'm much more used to applying theory to example situations or works, so figuring out how to discuss IB theory from a broader perspective has been challenging.
As things stand, I feel much more comfortable than I did a month ago with the multitude of IB theories out there. I'm really starting to be able to quickly identify the key elements of the work of certain theorists, and some of what I've read is absolutely fascinating. Favorites so far include Csikszentmihalyi's Flow Theory, Kuhlthau's Information Search Process (ISP), Salvolainen's Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS), Erdelez's Information Encountering, and Dervin's Sense-Making. We've done so much reading for this course that sometimes it feels like I can't stuff any more theory into my brain, but of what we've read, these theories and models have stuck more than most. I've decided to focus primarily on Dervin and Kuhthau for my IB paper, mostly because Dervin's discussion of the affective factors of information seeking fits in well with the emotional tone of the search in the film and because I think Kuhlthau's model thoroughly represents the typical information search by including those affective factors instead of glossing over them as some of the other models we've examined tend to do.
All that being said, I'm having a hard time not letting myself sink into a bit of a panic. The IB paper is due in a week, but even more dauntingly, our IB group presentation is due in two weeks, and although some good work has been done on it all so far, consolidating the vast amount of information and research we've gathered in into a coherent, focused thirty minute presentation is going to be a pretty enormous challenge. I think my strategy is to get the paper written as quickly as I can (ideally over the next two or three evenings) so that all my energy can be focused on putting the presentation together.
I seriously can't wait for the end of this quarter. For better or worse, shit will get done, but it'll be so nice to have a break.
On the plus side of things, I ordered myself a Droid 2 on Friday, so I should have a shiny new toy to play with come tomorrow evening. :)
Monday, November 8, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Theraflu is a close second to Vick's for grossest medicine ever created.
Because I should probably stay as far as possible from the discussion boards while I'm in the state I'm in, and because the fuzziness in my head is refusing to let me focus on any one task for more than thirty seconds at a time, BLOG POST! Hopefully I won't regret this later when I regain consciousness!
School update time! Everything's been going pretty well, surprisingly enough. I'm sure I'll crack up reading that sentence in a couple weeks when everything starts coming due, but for now, I feel relatively on top of things. Well, at least not behind to the point of panic, anyway. I've got a lot to catch up on with the lit review for my Information Behaviors group presentation, but there's a good chance I'll actually have two interviews and a set or two of observations under my belt by the end of next week. I'm hoping to interview one of the librarians at the central branch of SPL about her experiences helping senior citizens in their info seeking needs, and if I can pin him down, my grandfather (who builds computers in his spare time). I think both of them would give some pretty awesome and unique perspectives on the info behaviors of senior citizens, and that combined with our lit review and observations should make for a pretty great presentation. I hope. O_o
Another looming project coming up is a paper that analyzes information behavior in a social setting. Sounds redundant when placed next to the IB project, non? The thing that distinguishes this paper from that project (and makes me pretty freaking stoked to write it, actually) is that this social setting can be real or imagined, meaning I can pick a favorite book or movie in lieu of a real life scenario if I so choose. I'm thinking of dibsing one of my absolute favorite films, based on one of my absolute favorite books: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. The book itself is one big information seeking quest, but since the scope of the novel is much more grand than what's appropriate for a 7-10 page paper, I'm thinking focusing on the film will be more realistic given the time constraints.
Other than the IB project and the paper, 510's going pretty well! I'm actually enjoying posting in the discussion boards a lot, and it's been fun picking everyone's brains about the intricacies of information behaviors. I've probably said this in a blog post before, but it bears repeating that I feel we're finally being given the vocabulary to describe processes that we've all engaged in our entire lives. Learning in this way always makes me think of a phenomena that until recently I'd thought was just a me thing - whenever I learn something new, it feels like it's being learned for the first time. Period. Because it didn't exist to me before I learned it, it didn't exist period. Very Descartes of me, I know. :3 At least I think it was Descartes...I checked out of my freshman philosophy class about a week in, so I may be misquoting.
Life in general is also proceeding pretty well. My orientation meeting for the MLIS Admissions Committee is coming up next Monday morning, and I'm really REALLY excited for it. Work is shmurk. Hopefully soon, when I've recovered from this cold, I'll be able to rejoin the social world. But for now? More Dr. Who and *sigh* more Theraflu. Cheers!
School update time! Everything's been going pretty well, surprisingly enough. I'm sure I'll crack up reading that sentence in a couple weeks when everything starts coming due, but for now, I feel relatively on top of things. Well, at least not behind to the point of panic, anyway. I've got a lot to catch up on with the lit review for my Information Behaviors group presentation, but there's a good chance I'll actually have two interviews and a set or two of observations under my belt by the end of next week. I'm hoping to interview one of the librarians at the central branch of SPL about her experiences helping senior citizens in their info seeking needs, and if I can pin him down, my grandfather (who builds computers in his spare time). I think both of them would give some pretty awesome and unique perspectives on the info behaviors of senior citizens, and that combined with our lit review and observations should make for a pretty great presentation. I hope. O_o
Another looming project coming up is a paper that analyzes information behavior in a social setting. Sounds redundant when placed next to the IB project, non? The thing that distinguishes this paper from that project (and makes me pretty freaking stoked to write it, actually) is that this social setting can be real or imagined, meaning I can pick a favorite book or movie in lieu of a real life scenario if I so choose. I'm thinking of dibsing one of my absolute favorite films, based on one of my absolute favorite books: Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer. The book itself is one big information seeking quest, but since the scope of the novel is much more grand than what's appropriate for a 7-10 page paper, I'm thinking focusing on the film will be more realistic given the time constraints.
Other than the IB project and the paper, 510's going pretty well! I'm actually enjoying posting in the discussion boards a lot, and it's been fun picking everyone's brains about the intricacies of information behaviors. I've probably said this in a blog post before, but it bears repeating that I feel we're finally being given the vocabulary to describe processes that we've all engaged in our entire lives. Learning in this way always makes me think of a phenomena that until recently I'd thought was just a me thing - whenever I learn something new, it feels like it's being learned for the first time. Period. Because it didn't exist to me before I learned it, it didn't exist period. Very Descartes of me, I know. :3 At least I think it was Descartes...I checked out of my freshman philosophy class about a week in, so I may be misquoting.
Life in general is also proceeding pretty well. My orientation meeting for the MLIS Admissions Committee is coming up next Monday morning, and I'm really REALLY excited for it. Work is shmurk. Hopefully soon, when I've recovered from this cold, I'll be able to rejoin the social world. But for now? More Dr. Who and *sigh* more Theraflu. Cheers!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Seriously EXCITING news :D
I just got word tonight that my application for the MLIS Admissions Committee for next year was accepted! Meaning I will be serving as one of four student representatives on the committee that selects next year's group of residential and online MLISers!
I could not be more excited, honestly. I'll be reading close to 50 applications, and fully participating in the work and deliberation carried out by the other members of the committee (i.e. iSchool faculty, staff, and administration). It's going to be a metric fuckton of work on top of the pile I already have for school, but to be in a position to help give a new group of students the chance to begin what I've started with the iSchool is such an amazing thing to be involved with, and I'm very honored.
Maybe eventually I'll have the time to sit down and write a proper entry, but for now, I like the brief entries. Keeps me from procrastinating if I don't have to write an essay every time. :)
I could not be more excited, honestly. I'll be reading close to 50 applications, and fully participating in the work and deliberation carried out by the other members of the committee (i.e. iSchool faculty, staff, and administration). It's going to be a metric fuckton of work on top of the pile I already have for school, but to be in a position to help give a new group of students the chance to begin what I've started with the iSchool is such an amazing thing to be involved with, and I'm very honored.
Maybe eventually I'll have the time to sit down and write a proper entry, but for now, I like the brief entries. Keeps me from procrastinating if I don't have to write an essay every time. :)
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