Searching for Equipment

The second step of I-SEARCH is actually finding information.  I-SEARCH wants me to explore the information and ask questions.  Awesome idea!

After getting a general background about curling and making a mind concept map, I am now ready to hunt for information.  The question is:  where am I going to find good valid information?  What am I going to do with it when I find it?
 
I like Wikipedia as a background source, but not as an authoritative source. 

Reflection Moment:  Learners need to understand the difference between authoritative sources of information and non-authoritative sources.

Sometimes classes dictate which sources are in play and which ones are not allowed.  I want a book and a journal article?  Hmm... I do not think a journal article makes sense for this project.  I will allow authoritative websites, and, yes, I will allow YouTube videos that are conducted from a professional organization or professional interview.

I already know what books are at the library by looking at the online catalog.  I need to find an authoritative website on curling.  So, I need to develop a good search strategy.

Reflection Moment:  Learners will need to understand how to determine if a website is an authoritative source.

The World Curling Federation has rules and regulation about curling, located at
http://www.worldcurling.org/rules-and-regulations which has a PDF file located on the page. 
This is a 60-page document, so I know I will need to summarize the rules. 


WAIT!!  This happens in the next step.

Okay, we have a problem here.  We need to start taking notes and summarizing information.  Or, we need to keep track of where the information is located, so we can go back to it later.  I have worked it through both ways.  I think this will depend on what type of project on which one is working.  I know I will need a rule section in my paper.  I may choose to summarize it now.  I really think this depends on a learner's WRITING STYLE.  Here is where two worlds collide, WRITING and INFORMATION LITERACY.  One could make the argument that information literacy is non-linear; thus, it is okay to do either.  I think that is correct, but a writing teacher may not agree.  They may want a person to gather information and then piece the information together.

Upon examination of a paper on I-SEARCH, these two steps do seem to get blurred together.  Tallman writes:  Pre-notetaking:  After choosing the topic, the students wrote about what they knew, did not know, and wanted to know about the topic. On a worksheet split into three columns, they answered each of these questions. Students who chose a topic without much personal interest commented on how difficult this exercise was. 

For the sake of the argument, I will follow our information model and bookmark the website for later use.

Reflection Moment:  Learners may want to use technology tools such as social bookmarking to aid them in tracking information on the web.

I wanted to see if there were any good YouTube videos on curling.  I was hoping to find something about how to curl.  This was a good interview on scoring and equipment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37PY5qvO_tQ.

I also found this YouTube interview on the mechanics of curling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU_6M9mek74.

Reflection Moment:  Searching YouTube is difficult.  Do you know how many curling videos have been made?  This requires some savvy navigation.  I tried keyword searches such as training and curling, lessons and curling.  All the time produced mixed results.  Maybe there is an information literacy piece as to how to search YouTube Videos.  Yeah, I need to look into this.

Lastly, I am going to take a lesson.  So, I will use this as part of my research.

Reference

Tallman, J. (1995). Connecting writing and research through the I-search paper: a teaching partnership between the library program and classroom. Emergency Librarian, 2320-23. Retrieved on 02/01/2013 from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy2.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=502838088&site=ehost-live.

Finding the Target

The next part of I-SEARCH is using information.  In this part of I-SEARCH the researcher is to take notes and analyze the information.

As stated before, I found information on rules of curling.  I need to summarize that information.  I would take notes such as depicted below:

An official Olympic curling game consists of 10 ends.  An end is much like a a bowling frame.  Just like in bowling, each player on the team shoots the rock twice.  The last rock shot in the end is called the hammer.  After the hammer is thrown, the rocks are scored (see scoring section). 

I am not going to drone on and on about all the rules. 

I already can tell I am going to have a terminology section.
A scoring section will be need be added, as well.

Scoring:

The rock closest to the center is counted as one point.  If the same team has thrown another rock which stops the next closest to the center, then they are awarded another one point.  However, if the opposing team has their rock as next closest the center, then no additional points are rewarded.

Reflection Moment:  An important point to take home here is that learners need to condense the material found and properly cite the information.

The Lesson:

I want to point out that at the lesson a lot of things about the mechanics of the game were not covered in any of the information.  For this assignment, the lesson is where a great deal of information was experienced and obtained.  I want to emphasize no matter of books and videos can possibly do curling justice.  I was so sore after that one two-hour lesson, and we only played 2 ends and practiced a little before.  The instructor said we had slid around for about a mile.  My upper thighs got a serious workout from launching off the starting position.  My arms ached from the sweeping of the broom.  I was not the only one coming out of that lesson saying "I did not realize how much curling could wear you out."  Yes, I am out of shape, but I still use my elliptical bike for 45 minutes, three times a week.  This lesson of curling was tougher than that.

Notes on the lesson will be good, but an interview with the instructor would have been more powerful.  Unfortunately, I did not get an interview.  However, I did get a few pictures.  Pictures will work, I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was so busy trying to learn that I did not get many.

Reflection Moment:  Besides taking notes, learners will need to understand how to conduct interviews, take pictures, and record videos.  While some of these skills fall under media literacy, they would be appreciated in the realm of information literacy.  The following picture, from Enders' article on Mapping Disability-Relevant Resources, suggests the relationship of media literacy and information literacy.

The following diagram from the article "Information Reserve to Media Literacy Learning Commons: Revisiting the 21st Century Library as the Home for Media Literacy Education" demonstrates media literacy skills which are closely related to I-SEARCH. 

References

Mihailidis, P., & Diggs, V. (2010). From Information Reserve to Media Literacy Learning Commons: Revisiting the 21st Century Library as the Home for Media Literacy Education. Public Library Quarterly, 29(4), 279-292. Retrieved on 02/01/2013 from
http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy2.ulib.iupui.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=llf&AN=503000156&site=ehost-live.


Enders, A., & Brandt, Z. Mapping disability-relevant resources. Map. Journal of Disability Policy Studies [serial online]. Spring 2007;17(4):227. Available from: Academic Search Premier, Ipswich, MA. Accessed December 14, 2007.

Let's Play

The last step of the I-SEARCH is developing a final product.  This process entails sharing the research and having the ability to communicate the findings of the research.

In my mind, I try to start to visualize the different possibilities of presentation.  I guess, in essence, I am choosing a format.  Should I make a PowerPoint?  Should I make a video?  Should I just write a paper? Should I make a play?  Should I make a slide show with my voice?  Is there any other possible way to deliver and communicate what I experienced?  Should I make a website?  Should I make a Wiki?  I will be asking the questions as follows:

What will be engaging to my audience?
How much time do I have for the presentation?
How detailed should I explain each aspect of curling in consideration of my audience's attention spans?
What is my audience expecting me to deliver?
What is my instructor expecting me to deliver?
What are my capabilities?
What has past experiences taught me about utilizing each of these mediums?
Do I feel like experimenting with something new?
Can I make the experience appealing to all types of learners: visual, kinesthetic, etc.

Reflection Moment:  Learners will need have skill sets to be able to produce the products.  Many of these formats fall under media.  Parts of media literacy should be a part of information literacy.  If I get a job as a media literacy librarian, I will try to make this connection to information literacy.

If I were to make a final product for this research assignment, I would choose a PowerPoint presentation and talk about curling.  At some point in the presentation, I would try to get a curling starter block.  I would bring in a curling stone and demonstrate how to shoot a rock.  I would have the audience get off their seats if they want and follow along as we go through the motions.  The presentation would appeal to various learning styles:

"Regardless of the disadvantages, a PowerPoint can present opportunities to accomplish multiple instructional goals at the classroom or individual learning level, and slides can offer the potential of meeting the needs of students with different learning styles."  (Yu & Smith, 2008).