Internet Research and Personal Reflection on the 15th of June '12

On the 15th of June, I continued researching on the Internet about how to journal. I found out that a good research journal should be neat, organized, can be read, critical, summarize the lesson learned, integrates examples with explanations and analysis, includes objective and subjective dimensions, personal thoughts/opinion/impression/response, and not bias. I also found out that I only have a few of the skills that are needed to create a good research journal and they are: critical thinking, good English skill (understandable grammar, sentence structure, spelling, vocab, etc.), deep reflective skill, and good research skill. I am missing out two things and they are the skills on being organized, and neat. Another thing I found out is that the most compatible software for me to use for this project is MacJournal. The things that I am still not really sure about are if all of the things that should be included in a research journal should be included in each journal entry and when to write a journal entry. I have checked a sample of research journal in which its entry is written daily but doesn't include all of the things that should be included in a research journal in each journal entry and it seems that not in every entry the author did a research. From this sample of research journal I can conclude that in a research journal, you don’t have to research everyday and write with the same guidelines everyday but your thoughts about your research have to develop and be written everyday. Even so, I have to verify this conclusion to another source and I think I'm going to go ask an English teacher for help with this one. One thing that I am really confused about is where to keep my research notes.

Internet Research on the 14th of June '12

On the 14th of June, I continued researching on the Internet about how to journal. I found out that a research journal is not a place to write down notes when researching however it can briefly summarize the research in the beginning of the entry. I also found out that in a research journal entry, these things should be included: (1) thoughts, ideas, impressions, feelings, comments towards the lesson learned, (2) summary of the lesson learned, (3) date, (4) time taken, (5) references (including keywords used, libraries visited, call number of books, etc.), (6) research aims/question, (7) questions/critical analysis, (8) connections (reflect on lesson, answer the questions of how the research applies to you, why is it important to you, making connections between what you know or hope to gain with what you just learned), and (9) difficulties experienced. Another thing I learned is that a research journal should be written in a paragraph format. There are some things that I'm not sure of from this research though. I am not really sure if the summary of source consulted (e.g. discussions/conference with supervisor), topic/subject headings, evaluation if the lesson is helpful on answering my research question, and plan on how to research should be included in the journal entry. It's because some resources say it should be included but some others say a different thing. Also, I am not really sure whether an entry should be written everyday including the day I don't research with the same guidelines (includes thoughts, ideas, impressions, feelings and comments towards the lesson, summary of the lesson, etc.) or just when I do my research which might not be everyday but in a routine. One thing that I am confused about is where to put my research notes. Every website says different things about where to put this.

Internet and Dictionary Research on the 13th of June '12

On the 13th of June '12, I did a research on my first guiding question: How to journal? I started by researching about what a journal is. What I found out is that a journal can be a periodical (e.g. magazines, newspapers) of a specific topic, daily newspaper, a daily record of transactions, a daybook or a personal daily record of experiences, occurrences, ideas, observations, or reflection. I also found out that a journal is different from a diary because it includes a reflection and that the writer should be aware of the differences between the objective and subjective dimensions. Another thing I found out during the research is that a journal for research is called a research journal. I am not quite sure about the purpose of a research journal though. Some sources say that it is a record of notes from research and a discussion of them but some others say that it is only a discussion of the information obtained and the research notes should be put in a research log. Another thing I'm not really sure about is what specific elements should be included in a research journal. Some sources say that there should be a section on where the sources are reflected on and a plan on how to do the research but some other say different things. One thing that I need to research more about is on the arrangement/format of a research journal.

Journal on Appendix 9 - 1st of June 2012

Today the 9th graders practiced on doing appendix 9. The things I am sure about when doing this practice are first, on filling out the first step of the worksheet, second, on using the tables for step 4, and third, on using the outline for step 4. The things that I am not sure about are on the kinds of information I am looking for and if my goal is fixed for the real thing. The only thing I have no clue about is on deciding what research topics I am going to use for my personal Appendix 9.

Journal on Appendix 8 - 5th of May '12

On the 5th of May, the 9th graders practiced on filling out the appendix 8 worksheet. What I am sure about are that my topic will be about the sixth sense, that it will be looked from the biblical and scientific point of views, and that my inquiry question is going to be like the way it is now. The things that I am not sure about are my guiding questions, and if my project fits the inquiry cycle of the chosen AOI or not. The one thing that I have no clue about is if my goal is measurable or not.

Appendix 8. Define the Goal

Criterion B: Define the goal

Students must:

o  identify and explain a topic based on personal interest

o  justify one focus area of interaction as a context for the project

o  outline a clear, achievable, challenging goal

o  create specifications that will be used to evaluate the project’s outcome/product.

Look for these in the:

·     Intro

Criterion B: Define the goal

Students should:

·          identify and explain a topic based on personal interest

·          justify one focus area of interaction as a context for the project

·          outline a clear, achievable, challenging goal

·          create specifications that will be used to evaluate the project’s outcome/product.

The specifications for the product/outcome created by the student, in consultation with the project supervisor, are used to evaluate the success of the project.

These student-created specifications for their product/outcome link to criterion E, in which the student evaluates his or her outcome/product.

 Glossary

1.      Students should:     1)identify and explain a topic based on personal interest, 2)justify one focus area of interaction as a context for the project, 3)outline a clear, achievable, challenging goal

·       Outline                       Give a brief account.

·       Describe                    Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.

·       Justify                        Give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion.

2.      Students should create specifications that will be used to evaluate the project’s outcome/product.

·       Lack of definition:  Complete specifications without definition

·       Satisfactory               :  Complete Specifications with definition

·       Appropriately rigorous             :  Complete specifications which has quality, with definition supported by research

Level of Achievement	Descriptor Evidence	Task Specific Clarifications
0	The student has not reached a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.
1	The student: •          identifies the topic of interest, a focus area of interaction and a limited goal •          creates minimal specifications to evaluate the project’s outcome/product or none at all.	·       Identify              Provide an answer from a number of possibilities. Recognize and state briefly a              distinguishing fact or feature ·       Minimal             :  No specifications/incomplete, not related to the goal
2	The student: •          outlines superficially the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable goal •          creates specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product, however they lack definition.	·       Outline                       Give a brief account. ·       Lack of definition:  Complete specifications without definition
3	The student: •          describes clearly the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable and appropriately challenging goal •          creates satisfactory specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product.	·       Describe                    Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process. ·       Satisfactory               :  Complete Specifications with definition
4	The student: •          justifies effectively the topic of interest, the focus area of interaction and an achievable and appropriately challenging goal •          creates appropriately rigorous specifications for evaluating the project’s outcome/product.	·       Justify                Give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion ·       Appropriately rigorous             :  Complete specifications which has quality, with definition supported by research

Area of interaction focus  The AOI provides the context of the personal project process Which area of interaction will be my focus? How does the inquiry cycle work within my project?		MY TOPIC and THE MOTIVATION/INSPIRATION OF THE PROJECT
Health and Social Education		The sixth sense from the Christian point of view These past few days my family has been talking about one of my cousins who can see spirits. When I think about it again, I actually know a lot of people around me who can see spirits. Knowing that, it got into my mind a question that I can't even answer for myself. How should I, as a Christian, think about this ability? This question came up to my mind because there are a lot of disagreements between what my religion teaches and what the ability proves (e.g. according to my religion once someone's dead, their soul should go up to heaven, while this ability proves that there are souls living between us and sometimes those souls look like the dead people we know). Having this controversial question in mind, I decided to make it as my Personal Project topic, as knowing the answer to this is of great importance for my spiritual life too.
I am going to explore about the definition and categories of the social issue of 6th sense. I am then going to discuss about the social issue in the point of view of Christianity, and finally present the behavior and ethics I as a Christian should have given towards the social issue of 6th sense.

MY GOAL (*) What will you do? Who will be your targeted people/community? How will you accomplish your goal?

My goal is to increase my understanding about the behaviour and ethics Christianity Bethel has towards a specific ability of 6th sense, and to compile all the information I get through the media of digital journal. I am going to research and journal about what 6th sense is, what are the categories of it, the controversies of it, how it relates to the Christian religion, and how Christians should think towards the ability. To be able to measure the achievement of my goal, I have to answer a pre-post test in a given time that is made and checked using a rubric by (an) expert(s) in the fields of Christianity and psychology.

(Taken from MYP Unit Planner)

1.         1. INQUIRY QUESTION, simply change your goal statement into a question form which sounds provoking, challenging, yet authentic (*)

How can I increase my understanding about the behavior and ethics Christianity Bethel has towards a specific ability of 6^th sense and compile the information into a digital journal?

2. GUIDING QUESTIONS OF MY RESEARCH:

1.     How am I going to present the data I got from the research through the media of journal?

a.     What is a journal?

b.    What are the specifications of a good journal?

c.     How do you arrange your journal?

d.    What skills are needed to be able to make a good journal?

e.    What skills do I have?

f.      What compatible software is there for me to journal digitally?

2.     What is 6^th sense?

a.     What is the definition of 6^th sense?

b.     What are the categories of 6^th sense?

c.      What is the uniqueness of each category?

d.     How do the abilities affect the lives of the people having it?

e.     How are the people having the abilities different from the ones that don’t?

f.      How some people get it?

3.     How should Christians view and act towards the ability of 6^th sense? Why?

a.     What is 6^th sense in the perspective of Christianity?

b.     Why hasn’t 6^th sense been talked about?

c.      What are the controversies of 6^th sense in the view of religion?

d.     How does these controversies affect the faith of the people having the ability?

e.     How are these controversies affecting believers?

f.      What is Christianity’s responds towards these controversies?

g.     Does the Bible say anything about the ability of 6^th sense? If yes, where?

h.     What are the appropriate responds/thoughts and actions that Christians should have towards the ability of 6^th sense (as an outsider)?

i.       What basic knowledge should believers (both the outsiders and the people who have the ability) have so that their faith won’t be affected (in a negative way) by these controversies?

          

         3. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:  My product will be/look like/involve

My product will be a research journal. The journal is going to be digitally written. The journal will include all the things that I learned from the research.

         4. PROJECT’s OUTCOME SPECIFICATIONS.    The specifications of my project’s outcome are:

 - Clear and concise explanation

 - Neat arrangement of journal

 - Readable handwritings

 - Should all be covered in just one book

 - Contains pictures/drawings when necessary

         5. TIMELINE TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL.  The planning must be adjusted to School Personal Project Timeline

Date	Tasks	Explanation	Tools and Materials
Wed, April , 2012	Phase I.  Personal Project Introduction to Students	Read through the IB MYP and school guides to the Personal Project.       Establish clear lines of communication for future meetings.       Discuss action to be taken before next meeting.	-       Laptop -       Charger -       Pencil -       Eraser
Tue-Wed, May 8-9, 2012	Induction Program		- Laptop - Charger
Friday, May 11, 2012	Work and post on blog: Phase II.  Planning phase	Things I should post: ·   A clearly written goal. ·   The context for your choice. ·   A clear justification for your focus area of interaction. ·   A detailed plan for how you aim to achieve your goal. ·   Detailed specifications by which you will judge the quality of the end product/outcome.	-       Laptop -       Charger
June 9 – July 25 2012 (during the holiday)	Research, record research about sixth sense on my final product (a digital research journal), & make appointments with the people I want to interview later on	Things I should do: ·  Finish researching about how to journal ·  Research on the basic things about sixth sense (record on journal) ·  Make appointments with the people I want to interview	-   Laptop -   Charger -   Hand phone -   Internet -   Books, videos, CDs, DVDs (if any found related to the research)
Fri, July 26, 2012	Meet Ibu Yuda and post Phase III.  Research Phase on blog	Things I should post: 1. Summary of your research information (what have you found?). 2. A full bibliography showing at least three different kinds of appropriate resources. 3. Analysis and evaluation of the information that you have found through your research.	-       Laptop -       Charger -       Internet
August	Research and record on journal	·       1st week: research deeper about 6th sense from books and Internet ·       2nd week: research deeper about 6th sense from books and Internet ·       3rd week: interview with parapsychologists/psychologists about 6th sense §   4th week: interview with parapsychologists/psychologists about 6th sense	- Laptop - Charger - Books - Internet - Notebook - Pencil - Camera - Recorder
Friday, Aug 3, 2012	PP Meeting to discuss analysis of information, & work and post on blog: Phase III.  Research Phase	Things I should post: The second draft of… 1.    Summary of your research information (what have you found?). 2.    A full bibliography showing at least three different kinds of appropriate resources. 3.    Analysis and evaluation of the information that you have found through your research.	- Laptop - Charger - Internet
Thursday, Aug 16, 2012	PP Meeting to discuss the process. Work and post on blog: Phase III.  Research Phase	Things I should post: 1.     Comments on new perspectives gained from research. 2.     Analysis of what you learned from your research about your focus area of interaction and chosen topic. 3.     Analysis of what you learned about approaches to learning through the whole process.	- Laptop - Charger - Internet
September	Research and record on journal	·      1st week: interview with people who have the ability §  2nd week: interview with people who have the ability §  3rd week: research about how some people get the ability from books, Internet, interview with science teacher §  4th week: research about the 6th sense ability in the perspective of Christianity from books, Internet, Bible	- Laptop - Charger - Notebook - Pencil - Recorder - Camera - Internet - Bible - Books
Friday, Sep 7, 2012	Work and post on blog: Phase III.  Research Phase	Things I should post: Draft two of… 1.     Comments on new perspectives gained from research. 2.     Analysis of what you learned from your research about your focus area of interaction and chosen topic. 3.     Analysis of what you learned about approaches to learning through the whole process.	- Laptop - Charger - Internet
28th of September 2012	Meet Ibu Yuda
October	Research, record on journal, and meet Ibu Yuda 2 times	·       1st week: survey about the disagreements between the 6th sense ability with Christianity and how they are affecting Christians’ faith + interview with anyone related to the Christian “institution” ·       2nd week: interview with priests + interview with anyone related to the Christian “institution” ·       3rd week: interview with priests + interview with anyone related to the Christian “institution” ·       4th week: interview with psychologists who studies Christianity - Meet Ibu Yuda on the 11th and 25th of October 2012	- Printed survey sheets - Laptop - Internet - Charger - Notebook - Recorder - Camera - Pencil
November	Research, record on journal, & meet Ibu Yuda 2x	§  1st week: interview with psychologists who studies Christianity §  2nd week: catching up with anything I missed/was left behind with §  3rd week: catching up with anything I missed §  4th week: catching up with anything I missed - Meet Ibu Yuda on the 9th and 23rd of November 2012	- Laptop - Charger - Notebook - Pencil - Camera - Recorder
Friday, December 7, 2012	PP Meeting to discuss about the written document. Meet with Ibu Yuda and show the final product and outline of written work.	Things I should be finished with: 1.    Evaluate quality of the product/outcome according to your established specifications. 2.    Consider future improvements. 3.    Outline of report including all the required structure and a word or time count (depending on format).	- Laptop - Charger
Friday, January 11, 2013	Show supervisor draft I written work	Things I should be done with: -       First draft of report including all the required structure and a word or time count (depending on format).	- Laptop - Charger
Friday, January 25, 2013	Show supervisor draft II written work	Things I should be done with: 1.    Second draft of report. 2.    Personal Project Assessment Criteria Checklist.	-       Laptop -       Charger
Wednesday, Feb 6, 2013	Upgrading PP	Things I should do: 1.    Self-Evaluation sheet: Personal Project 2.    Give your supervisor: - An electronic copy of your report or in other agreed format - An electronic copy of evidence of your product - Updated link of your process journal	- USB/Internet to send the files - Laptop - Charger
Fri, February 15, 2013	Submit final written work, Process Journal and Product	Give your supervisor:              An electronic copy of your report or in other agreed format              An electronic copy and real evidence of your product              Updated link of your process journal	- USB/Internet to send the files - Laptop - Charger
Wednesday, Feb 20, 2013	Personal Project Standardization
Wed, Feb 20-April 10, 2013	Personal Project Standardization weeks
Friday, April 13, 2013	Favorite Personal Project student based on Students’ vote
Wed, April 10, 2013	Favorite Personal Project Student based on Teachers’ vote
May 8, 2013	Personal Project Exhibition

NOTE:

*GOAL and INQUIRY QUESTION

You now have an area of interaction and a topic of interest. You must set a goal – what you aim to achieve with your project. The best way of describing your goal is to create a question that will guide your investigation. Your question must refer­ence:

•          your area of interaction

•          your topic

•          SMARTEC(specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time, Ethical and Challenging.

Your question must demand inquiry, and not be a question that can be answered in a sentence or two.

Some examples of inquiry questions include:

Human ingenuity questions:

— What ingenious ideas will enable house­holders to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet?

— What ingenious processes are involved in authentically rejuvenating an antique ward­robe?

— How have ingenious humans developed human flight over time and what might the future hold?

— What can be done to improve access to all areas of our school for students with physical movement disabilities?

— What factors and clever strategies enable a performer to excel in a performance?

Environments questions:

— What materials and methods can lighting designers use to ensure that lighting systems are friendly to the environment?

— Is the school’s use of resources efficient or wasteful and what can be done to improve the existing situation?

— What are the best environmental condi­tions for rearing birds in captivity and why are those conditions effective?

— Why should we be concerned about the local environment and what should be done to improve it?

— How can I positively improve the current environment within my family’s home?

Approaches to learning questions:

— What strategies and techniques can stu­dents use to more effectively manage and complete homework?

— How can a coach effectively improve the individual and team ball-handling skills of junior basketball players?

— How might our school enable all teachers to become proficient with Information and Communication Technologies?

— What could teachers do to make learning experiences more enjoyable and effective for Middle School students at our school?

— Why is it important to train a dog and what are effective ways to achieve this aim?

Health and social education questions:

— Is it important to have single gender classes at school or should everyone be in coeducational classes all the time?

— What exactly is a healthy lifestyle and is it the same for everyone?

— Why is it important to have a school tran­sition program for new students and what should it involve?

— How effective is the existing drug aware­ness program in our community, and what could be done to improve drug awareness and the dangers of substance abuse among our peers?

— Does the existing homework program help or hinder students’ relationships with family and friends, and are there improve­ments that could be made to the program?

Community and service questions:

— How can school students really help peo­ple in need in the international community?

— What actions should the general commu­nity take to enable older citizens to live safe and comfortable lives?

— How can a person change the world for the better through service without spending money?

— What can we do to bring the international community together to fulfill the International Baccalaureate mission?

— How does my church actively serve the wider community and how might I get in­volved?

(Taken from SSIS Personal Project Student Guide)