Blog 5

I am enjoying my Logics REGS project, model theory is fun and hard. I am debating whether I want to pursue this as a specialty area. The proofs are very elegant in this field. 

Blog 4

The objectivity viewpoint of academic research is to discover and create a new reality for the global community via making new connections of the world. The standpoint perspective perpetuates field specific pursuits. They correlate directly in theory but in practice may deviate more. This is seen in every field of the academy for example in mathematics there exist a central goal but in the specialty areas the aims deviate. 

Blog 3

The significance of cross-disciplinary research is very important in the academy. This type of research has developed new ways of thought. The application of this theoretical innovativeness has strongly influenced the economic, political and social entities of our time. As seen in Mathematics cross-disciplinary research is very important. Mathematics for example has applications to biology thus creating a field of study called Mathematical Biology. This type of crossdisciplinarity is in the field of Applied Mathematics and another popular example is seen in physics. In short, this pursuit solves new types of problems in the world and the application is unbounded. 

Last Reflections

I think my favorite line of all our readings is in Day and Gastel, page 68, in which they talk of the astronomers who "rely on theatrical calculations to give the lifetime of a star on the main sequence."  "Solo performance" was the name of the undergrad class to which I ascribe the greatest influence in my life, despite my majoring in physics on the other side of the art-science divide. So when they say they made theatrical calculations... well, I wish that's how it worked.

At least I got a good laugh.

I'd been thinking about this post. I was going to write something about information theory. Maybe quote the lyrics from a song.

In the darkest part of you that you have ever seen
In the smile of the child staring at the TV screen
In the diary of a priest, in the sheets that lie upon his bed
Out there amongst the waves and inside your lover's head

There is only one thing [x6]
There is only one... thing

(Excerpt from lyrics of "Set Yourself on Fire" by Stars, http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/stars/setyourselfonfire.html)

I suppose this is the ultimate goal of the "theory of everything" in physics, mathematics, philosophy, and across disciplines. There is only one thing.

Free Write/Lionel M.

I like that I have been able to develop a substantial information base in bilingualism; I think that it will come in handy some day. Overall, things have gone well this summer, I have had a chance to read and to think about what I expect out of grad school and what I hope to bring to the table. Now that I have lived in and explore Champaign-Urbana, I think that I have gotten comfortable enough with it that it won't bother me once I get my studies underway. One thing that I would have liked in the SPI program is a little less structure and more personal leeway, by which I mean a more organic workflow less about schedules and deadlines. Granted, working within schedules and deadlines is something I can expect to do in grad school and not everyone is comfortable with a free-form work style. 

Everything is Falling into Place

Thus far, I have been enjoying my summer research experience as an SPI fellow. I have grown to love my research topic (the educational aspects of video games), and I know that it will play a definite role in my future career as a librarian. Because of this feeling that I have, I am curious to see where my research interests will lead me. Many researchers, whose articles and books I have read, have critiqued the education system that is currently in place because traditional teaching methods are "far behind the times" when placed in comparison with popular culture and current technologies. As a result of this finding, I am becoming severely concerned about America's schools, especially for those that are not funded well.

Access to good learning is essential, and if video games could help bridge a gap to improve learning methods, someone has to start a revolution. There's a lot of good research out there about the benefits of video games that is not being given proper attention by the media and the press. I never knew any of it until now. Luckily, I was very fortunate to have an advisor who just let me explore this matter with free rein. Before SPI started, I had no idea what she expected me to study, especially with me being a master's student. So, I went with my gut feeling and had the courage to pursue this topic, which I had been wanting to study for quite some time. It was definitely a good idea, and I think that I will continue on with this work when I pursue my PhD down the road.

In regards to my program, Library and Information Science, I'm finally understanding what "information science" is. (Seriously, I probably should have considered the concept before I went and applied to all of these graduate programs, but I only thought of the library science component at the time.) Having studied information technology as a minor in my undergrad, I thought that I had some sort of clue what it was all about, but there's more to it than that. Information, as will be demonstrated by my Research and Writing Family, is an abstract concept that can only be truly conceptualized through interdisciplinary approaches. Ironically (or perhaps not so), it turns out that video gaming is an interdisciplinary topic in itself; after all, both creative and logical components go into designing a game. Therefore, I consistently found myself reading about subjects from different fields: education, psychology, linguistics, art, literature, computer science, library science, information technology, business, and even physics. Pretty cool, right? The connections seem endless.

Speaking of video games, here's a link to my blog, which I am doing for my independent study project: http://librariesandvideogames.wordpress.com/. I know that some of you were interesting in hearing about the positives of video gaming, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy! Thanks for reading!

Presentations & Publications: Know the Audience!

If a person gets nothing else out of a summer program like SPI, I would say understand suggestions on knowing to the audience you are presenting/submitting materials.

This week’s reading focused on presentation preparation. Between the suggestions of Day and Gastel, as well as the combined workshops, the key towards a successful presentation rests largely on preparation for the audience.

For instance, in one of my Master’s level seminars, presentations were given almost every week, but to an audience that was in the same major field as agricultural engineering. There was still a disconnect between myself and perhaps others whose presentations contained a lot of complex biochemistry which was difficult to understand. However, the purpose of this exercise was to hone presentation skills and for attending faculty and students to give constructive feedback. These presentations were open to the public.

It is difficult to argue Day and Gastel’s suggestions, but I do not think they are always universally applied. The idea that someone will never read your poster if you have a lot of text is rather absurd. As I understood the last conference I presented at, having a defined abstract on the poster was required. I would think that even less people read a conference booklet of abstracts than a poster any day.

Furthermore, being a STEM field, if you want to attract the academic attention, an appropriate title can be long, especially if you are trying to match research that you have published. One thing I think that was missed in both the reading and the combined workshop was that there is no magical formula for succeeding. It’s done in different ways all the time.

It would be unfair to ask Day and Gastel or anyone else to provide one. What was lost was that first and foremost, one must follow directions. The last presenter at the brown bag session hammered this point with fellowship applications, but it is also true of scholarship, graduate school and pretty much any other application. Admittedly, these directions can conflict with the some of the suggestions we’ve gotten from presentations or the reading. As Day and Gastel noted with their example of the researcher who thought his work did not need revision, he not only refused a revision but told the journal he was in the right; he was subsequently rejected.

A professor I knew made a joke at a conference once because someone in the audience fell asleep during his presentation (the joke was at the sleeper’s expense). He got a good reaction from the audience, but I’m not entirely sure if he was aware at the time that the person who was napping was one of the key conference organizers. Suffice to say, the professor wasn’t expecting another invite in the mail soon.

So know the audience before and during your submission or presentation!

                                                                                                                                       

Last Personal Thoughts....

In talking about my overall experiences with SPI, Writing Group, and Individual Project process, I have to say that I embrace this whole experience and life changing moment. I had the opportunity to not only come to another state and university, but I also had the privilege of interacting with many knowledgeable individuals, create a group project, and learn some new things about my self as an individual, mother, and life partner. Plus, not to mention all the conversation I have had with people and the opportunities to get to know some individuals on a personal level. Regardless however I feel this experience was helpful or not academically helpful, I am grateful for the experiences and challenges that I have faced in the last month or so. I will carry all the information, resources, and insight with me as I move forward in seeking my doctoral degree. I also hope that many of you could at least take one positive aspect or experience with you as you move on to your graduate degree.

Peace out,

Lisa

Objectivity & Standpoint

In the science field there is a stronger emphasis on objectivity rather than on standpoint. These different approaches to research can definitely cause tension between fields and even within disciplines themselves. It seems that researchers who use the objectivity approach feel that their research is doing more than the research being done with a standpoint approach. However, it depends on what type of research is being done because an objectivity approach might be more adequate for certain types of research and standpoint for others. For the most part animal sciences follows the objectivity approach, which is what science does in general.

Objectivity v. Subjectivity in Education

In the field of education the words objective and subjective normally center on the issue of assessment. Most student’s educational experience heavily incorporated and likely over used the objective approach that focused one correct answer in the form of true/false, matching, and/or multiple choice questions. Objective assessment is most common and probably most appropriate in Math & Science (although still over used in those fields), and the introduction of computer based assignment & study programs have only further popularized the objective approach of assessment in education. I, however, as a K-12 Social Studies teacher, was trained to use and prefer the subjective approach on assignments and assessments (especially in English & Social Studies) because I feel it allows the students to demonstrate what they’ve learned, instead of dictating a prescriptive answer. This is done through short answer questioning that may have multiple correct answers, or written response questions about a specific topics or event. The subjective approach is better at developing and encouraging critical thinking skills, fostering student creativity, and at allowing content/curricular flexibility.