Bathroom Makeover Inquiry

Technology

2010-09-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

Concept Map – I used MyWebInspiration to create PDFs describing the costs of the changes to our bathroom. Links to these PDFs are included in my Wrapping/Waving post.

Web-based tool – I used OlioBoard to organize my design ideas in a visual way. My OlioBoard is included in my Weaving post.

Productivity tool – I used my digital camera for all the before/during/after shots of the bathroom. I used Microsoft PictureIt to edit these photos, and I used Animoto to create a video of the process.

Notetaking tool – I used Awesome Highlighter and loved it (when it was working!) It has been especially helpful in the incorporating professional literature aspect of this project. I wish I had started using it sooner.

Curriculum Connections

2010-09-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

"Students are asked to make academic connections to ordinary life experiences...Many students aren't aware of how reading, writing, and mathematics are part of their daily life, and one of the challenges for educators is to help students make such real-world associations" (Callison & Lamb). A great real-world inquiry for a fifth grade class would be to design a room (bathroom, bedroom, or even the classroom or school library). In small groups students would

• Determine prior knowledge
• Explore the topic and develop questions, find/evaluate/use sources to answer questions, organize information and make decisions
• Take measurements and draw floor plans (using paper/pencil or an online tool such as www.floorplanner.com). Create an OlioBoard to display design ideas.
• Create a detailed budget
• Present findings to class (or parent, principal, etc.)

This project would require students to walk through all the steps of inquiry fulfilling the AASL standards 1, 2, and 3.

IN Standards

• Geometry (Examples: Measuring for floor plan and design)
5.4 Students identify, describe, and classify the properties of plane and solid geometric shapes and the relationships between them.
5.4.1 Measure, identify, and draw angles, perpendicular and parallel lines, rectangles, triangles and circles by using appropriate tools (e.g. ruler, compass, protractor, appropriate technology and media tools.)

• Measurement (Examples: Determining amount of paint, flooring/budgeting)
5.5 Students understand and compute the areas and volumes of simple objects, as well as measuring weight, temperature, time, and money.
5.5.2 Solve problems involving perimeters and areas of rectangles, triangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids, using appropriate units.
5.5.4 Find the surface area and volume of rectangular solids using appropriate units.
5.5.7 Add and subtract with money in decimal notation.

This same project could be used in high school classes as it fits within the scope of Business Math standards.

BMTH.1.2 Students apply basic geometry principles to solve problems for a variety of business situations. (Examples: Measuring for floor plan and design, determining amount of paint, flooring)
BMTH.1.2.1 Demonstrate ability to take measurements and convert as needed.
BMTH.1.2.2 Use formulas necessary for area, perimeter, circumference, diameter, and volume
BMTH.6.1 Students develop skills to create and present accurate and effective communication for specific business related purposes and audiences. (Examples: cooperative groups, inquiry process, technical sources—i.e. plumbing how to)
BMTH.6.1.1 Use clear and legible handwriting in all written work and communication.
BMTH.6.1.3 Use discussion skills to assume leadership and participant roles.
BMTH.6.1.4 Use research, composition, and oral skills to present information for a variety of situations utilizing appropriate technology.
BMTH.6.1.5 Work cooperatively with peers and authority figures.
BMTH.6.1.6 Use clear and concise writing skills to describe, explain, and inform various audiences.
BMTH.6.1.7 Follow and interpret directions, graphs, charts and diagrams found in technical writing.
BMTH.6.1.8 Use appropriate industry terminology.

Callison, D. and Lamb, A. (2004, December). Key words in instruction: Authentic learning. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 21(4), 34-39.

Wishing/Reflection

2010-09-27T20:44:00.000-07:00

Overall I was quite pleased with how my project has gone. Through the information I explored, I was able to accomplish everything I wanted in our bathroom. I feel like we took the time to do the research and do things the right way, and I am very happy with the final outcome.

In some ways my strength in this area is also my weakness. I have a good short term memory and I have always relied on that heavily when doing any type of research or inquiry. It’s convenient to be able to relay to my husband my findings off the top of my head or draw upon my readings while standing in the aisle making a decision in the store. However, this also causes me to not be very organized. For class assignments this is a drawback because I am forced to retrace my steps in order to exhibit my work properly. In personal inquiry experiences I lose the benefit of clear organization. I have no way to share my thoughts with others except for telling them, and in my hectic life I tend to lose track of my little jotted down lists and notes. The biggest challenge by far for this project was time. Trying to balance the inquiry, the bathroom remodel, regular assignments for this and one other class, and taking care of my family was tricky. (And I am going to be taking a deep breath and maybe a nap when I finally get this all done!)

As I just mentioned, my organization for this project was not so great. I would definitely learn from this experience and start out with a clearer organizational plan. I’ve never really associated a “school” level of organization with a personal inquiry before. I now see the value of processing things in a similar way no matter what the task. I guess that’s really what we want students to take from school anyway, isn’t it? Understanding that the processes they learn in school are applicable in real life. : )

If I had more time, I would also have loved to explore some of Indianapolis’s construction reuse/recycling venues. While I found the contact information and locations of these, I did not have time to check them out. However, I do have another bathroom and kitchen I would love to tackle someday, so maybe I can try them out then.

As I was working on this project, there were several times that I realized how beneficial my prior knowledge was to being successful. Considering that my experiences are part of an English/Education/Library science background, I realize that I may have a leg up on most adults, let alone children or young adults when it comes to inquiry. For the bathroom remodel specifically, it was obvious that my previous, although limited, experience with DIY home improvement gave me an excellent starting point. This is prior knowledge most students wouldn’t have. I think the role of prior knowledge is one of the biggest differences between my experience and that of my students. The experiences one has at 8, 12, or even 18 or 20 are so limited compared to the experiences of one’s adult years. Guild explains this concept in this way, for students "the subject matter domain may also be at the novice end of the spectrum. As Pitss (1995) showed, the combination of rudimentary research skills and sketchy content area knowledge proves insufficient to support independent research activities."

I also realized that I exhibit some traits that I might have in common with some children or young adults. From my teaching experience, organization is often an overlooked/undesirable part of student’s inquiry/research process. I’ve already shared my shortcomings in this area. I also found that I got very excited about the final product and had to reel myself back in to working through the steps. Unless a child/young adult is pursuing a topic of little interest, I think they would share this trait with me as well.

Guild, S. L. (2003). Modeling recursion in research process instruction. In B. K. Stripling & S. Hughes-Hassell (Eds.), Curriculum Connections: Through the Library (p. 142). Westport, CT.: Libraries Unlimited.

Wrapping and Waving

2010-09-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

Part of the reason I choose bathroom model for my topic for this project was because it is something I have wanted to do. With three little girls and a busy schedule to boot, things that don’t get scheduled don’t get done. Although the inquiry process is obviously a huge part of the bathroom remodel process, my goal was to finish the bathroom itself to present for my final product. It has been a crazy few weeks trying to get everything done and stay on top of the blogging as well, but I am so excited to say that the bathroom is finished!! (Well, nearly finished. Still need to paint the door and touch up the trim.)

According to Pappas and Tepe searchers, during the communication stage, "choose a format that appropriately reflects the new knowledge they need to convey, then plan and create their product." I knew that I needed a visual way to represent the individual changes in the bathroom as well as the steps taken in completely the remodel. In a previous class I was introduced to Animoto, but I hadn’t had a chance to use it. I thought it would be fun to create a before/after/remodeling process video. The clincher was when I received a promo code in my email for a free full-length video. To create my video I edited (using Microsoft PictureIt) and organized digital pictures I took of the bathroom. Animoto uploads pictures really quickly, but sampling and choosing a soundtrack was pretty slow.
http://animoto.com/play/sNbJlGsUMLUO7HFKrp8Gcw?autostart=true

I also wanted some way to detail the changes and the costs involved in the process since part of my focus was being frugal. I thought Inspiration could be a fun way to create a “map” of what I had done. My Inspiration free trial had expired, so I decided to try Webspiration. Because our bathroom is so small, I couldn’t get a full shot of any of the walls; instead I took several shots and used PictureIt to compile several shots into one complete image for each wall. I then imported these images in Webspiration and labeled the changes we made in the bathroom.
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B9XPuNMzDNi3MDFmN2E2NjAtYjM4OC00MzliLTg1OWQtMThlZGMxZjk0NzFh&hl=en&authkey=CL3NrI4P

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B9XPuNMzDNi3OTg3YTg0MjAtMDdjNS00ZjI2LTkyZTQtNDlmYzQ0NzUzNTZh&hl=en&authkey=CKaO1K0K

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B9XPuNMzDNi3ZjE4YmY4YjAtYTQ2YS00NGQ2LWJmYWYtM2FmZDUxYTFjODcw&hl=en&authkey=CKnw26AL

https://docs.google.com /fileview?id=0B9XPuNMzDNi3MDYxZmFjZGUtOGU1Ny00MDA0LWJlOTktNWUyMGU3YjkzODk3&hl=en&authkey=CLed_P8E

I posted my Animoto video to Facebook, and I intend to link up my blog and my Webspiration PDFs there as well. It’s fun to share something like this, and I know some of my friends are still trying to understand how my bathroom relates to my SLIS course : )

Pappas, Marjorie L. & Tepe, Ann E. (2002). Pathways to Knowledge and Inquiry Learning. Libraries Unlimited.

Weaving

2010-09-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

Callison and Preddy describe inference on a personal basis (inference defined as"actions or processes for deriving a conclusion from facts and premises") as being "usually an internal message to the self, and not one that is conveyed in a formal manner to others." After completely some of my research I began to synthesize this new information in my head, trying to get an overall image of what I wanted my bathroom to be. Olioboard ended up being a great way to kind of solidify this image. Throughout the information gathering process, as time allowed, I discussed my findings with my husband and we began to make decisions and/or narrow choices. I also did a lot of meshing what I had learned through my reading and browsing images/ideas with the available options at our local retail establishments. As I, or my husband and I, walked through the stores, we were able to hone our choices and begin to make final decisions and plans. My research questions naturally fell into two categories: decorating and remodeling.

I also initially began organizing most of the information in my head; this is what I typically do when I am pursuing a topic for my own personal interest. I eventually realized that was not the best way for the results I wanted or for this assignment. Then I began to collect notes/images from online resources in a Word document and marked pages in my print resources. Finally I started using Delicious and Awesome Highlighter. I actually had a little trouble with Awesome Highlighter, after marking a few webpages, I was later unable to access them or the main Awesome Highlighter page. I gave up, but then decided to try again after a few days. Woo-hoo, my pages were back, so I continued using AH for the rest of my online research. My final organizational step has been creating lots of lists: to do, to buy, honey-do, and lists of questions to revisit.

Callison, D., & Preddy, L. (2006). The blue book on information age inquiry, instruction and
literacy. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Wiggling

2010-09-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

As I was gathering information, I had no formal method of evaluating my information/sources. Upon reflection, I realized that I had been using a mental checklist. The most important criteria for me for this project was that the information be relevant to my topic. Eisenberg provides a sample list of evaluation criteria for evaluating sources and then asks “Which of these criteria are most important? It all depends on the situation and the student.” For my situation I realized that the criteria that were most important to me included:

Is this information helpful?
Is this information applicable to my specific situation?
Does this source provide images or videos?
Is this source trying to sell something?
Are there spelling/grammatical errors?

I wasn’t specifically concerned with authority. Sometimes the random blogger with DIY tips can provide equal or better information to the published reference book. Because of my time constraints, the evaluation question I asked of each source almost immediately was, “Is this information applicable to my specific situation?” This way I was able to skim over and quickly move past information that was not relevant.

A specific example of this which is also an example of something I have found frustrating involves resources that label information intended for small bathrooms. Unfortunately, I have found this definition usually differs from my own. When I have been reading or looking at pictures for small bathrooms that include suggestions for things like double vanities, I typically skim quickly over the rest realizing that this information isn’t intended for my type of small bathroom. (To the left is an example from http://www.kitchenbathideas.com/bathroom-design/small-bathroom/small-bathroom-ideas-traditional-style-bathrooms/)

Additionally, due to the DIY nature of my inquiry, I was accessing some great information from many sites that had lots of advertisements. (Like the KitchenBathIdeas page from Better Homes and Gardens http://www.kitchenbathideas.com/bathroom-design/) My stance became: Deal with the ads on the sites with the articles, but ignore the articles which were obviously selling something themselves.

Eisenberg, M. (1997, November/December). Information seeking strategies. Emergency Librarian, 25(2). Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database

Webbing

2010-09-19T14:39:00.000-07:00

What I did while Webbing fits into Pappas and Tepe's Search stage,"During the Search stage, searchers identify appropriate information providers, resources and tools, then plan and implement a search strategy to find information relevant to their research question or information need." After developing my list of research questions, I considered what types of resources I could use to find the answers to these questions and how I could access these resources. I decided on these types of resources:

• Books – non-fiction (I used my local library’s online catalog to locate possible resources by searching for bath and bathroom, and I also browsed the shelves when I went to check out the books I had selected.)
• Magazines—home improvement and decorating magazines (I used some resources that I already had at home and some I checked out from the library. I browsed the magazines at the library to make my selections.)
• Online—web sites, forums, blogs , videos(I did a lot of “how to” searching and because my topic is so widely covered, this search strategy typically provided me with the results I was looking for. I already have frugal blogs that I read on a somewhat regular which occasionally include home remodeling tips. I also appreciate the real-life information blogs provide, so if my Google searches weren’t giving me what I wanted, I also added blog to my search strategies.)
• Retail—home improvement, home décor and discount stores (Since a great of what I needed to know was options and costs for décor and replacement fixtures, I made several stops to local—and not-so local—retail establishments to browse and make purchases. I also utilized store websites, when available. For example, since I was visiting a friend who lives near an IKEA, I decided to do some of my shopping there. I knew I would have my three children with me, so I used IKEA’s website and shopping list feature to plan out what I needed to buy before I made the trip. I also used our digital camera during the browsing phase; with one picture I could remember what the item looked like and the price!)
• Personal interview—Not sure if this one counts as previous knowledge or not…Because I have been interested in redoing the bathroom for some time, I had already consulted with my brother-in-law (a real estate agent and successful landlord). We would eventually like to make this house a rental, so I wanted to be sure that any improvements we make are appropriate for that plan. I asked questions like “Should we replace _______?” “What kind of flooring do you recommend?” “Would it make sense to use top-of-the-line materials?” In summary, his answer was that no changes were needed for the house to become a rental, so he recommended not putting a lot of money into the bathroom. This information definitely colored our choices. We knew we needed to make choices that would increase our enjoyment of our home, but that also would make financial sense since we won’t be expecting to see much of a return on investment.

The only search I had any trouble with was looking for reuse centers in Indianapolis. By searching for “Recycling indianaplis, in” I found (3rd hit) http://www.kibi.org/recycle_and_reuse_guide. Looking at this guide I was able to get to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore http://www.indyhabitat.org/restore/index.php. I knew there was at least one more place like this in Indianapolis, but I was unable to find it with these search terms. After trying several others, I found Asset Recycling (what I was looking for) using this search strategy “reuse building materials indianapolis, in non-profit.”

I felt fairly confident throughout this webbing phase. For the most part my search strategies worked with my first or second try. I was able to find answers to all my research questions and finished this phase with renewed feelings of confidence and excitement about the final product.

Pappas, Marjorie L. & Tepe, Ann E. (2002). Pathways to Knowledge and Inquiry Learning. Libraries Unlimited.

Wondering

2010-09-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

After deciding for certain that I was moving forward with the bathroom remodel, I used the physical space to help me brainstorm some of my research questions. I literally walked around the room noting what things would need to be changed, what things I wanted to change and what I needed to research about these things.

Vanity- paint or replace? How to paint? What are the options/costs?
Vanity top- replace or something else?
Flooring- replace? What are the best types of flooring for the bathroom and the pros/cons of each type?
Mirror- What are the options/costs?
Light fixture-What are the options/costs?
Shower curtain- Make or buy? Style?
Walls – Color?
Towel racks, other fixtures - What are the options/costs?
Toilet – Replace?
Wall niche – how to build? Style?
After doing this I consider what kinds of overall questions I needed to answer (budget, design style).
How much do we want to spend in this bathroom?
What kind of look/style do I want?
What are the measurements of the room and things in the room (vanity, shower rod, etc.)

Finally I consulted with my husband to find out his opinions and to see if I missed anything.

This phase seems especially important for a project like a remodel. In order for things to run smoothly once we get into doing the work, I need to have done my best to think through the process so as to avoid surprises. I really enjoyed this phase because this remodel has been something I’ve been itching to do, it was quite satisfying to start exploring what we might actually be able to do.

As Annette points out on her Wondering page, keeping an open mind in this phase was a challenge. I already had things in mind that I wanted to do, so I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to do this research before I committed to anything. I had to go back and add to my questions to make sure I was exploring all my options.

Preddy writes that "Inquiry research should be generated from the student's base knowledge by building on what they know instead of what they don't know," and Stripling notes that this part of the inquiry cycle usually includes tapping "into prior experience, background knowledge." I did not use any sort of chart or anything to connect to my prior knowledge. My connection to prior knowledge was mostly subconscious. For example, as I was walking around the bathroom creating my questions, I did not have many about painting because I am already familiar with that. My prior knowledge includes best paint for bathrooms, techniques for prepping walls to paint, and painting techniques. Since I enjoy watching home improvement, design, and DIY shows, I also had some vague prior knowledge of what I wanted in the bathroom.

Preddy, L. B. (2002, November). Student inquiry in the research process. Part one. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 19(3), 28-30.

Stripling, B. (2008, September). Inquiry: Inquiring minds want to know. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 25(1), 50-52.

Topic Choice/Focus

2010-09-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

After mulling over my topics and checking with Annette Lamb, I decided to find out more about bathroom remodels/makeovers. Although I am truly interested in each of my possible topics, this topic had the most immediate appeal. I figured if I were concentrating on it for a class, maybe I could learn how to make our bathroom a more beautiful place.

I consider myself a DIYer (Do it yourselfer—at least a fledgling one), but my experience is mostly limited to painting and putting together manufactured furniture. I would like to focus on frugal ways to improve our bathroom; we will not be gutting it. : ) Our bathroom is also very small, so that will limit the focus as well.

Lamb and Callison write that as students approach real research they find "information problems and questions to be interesting, exciting, challenging, and personally meaningful." That sums up how I feel about my topic for this inquiry project.

Callison, D. and Lamb, A. (2004, December). Key words in instruction: Authentic learning. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 21(4), 34-39.

Watching

2010-09-06T14:31:00.000-07:00

I seem to do quite a bit of informal personal inquiry in my day-to-day life…mostly through exploring blogs or checking out home repair/decorating books at the library or afternoon research projects (coined by my husband—those quick Google searches like who Wrote that song?, Where is that island?, etc.) Rarely do I follow through in these inquiries past this initial step.

After reading over this assignment I had several ideas for a topic I would like to pursue more fully:

- Photography (I love taking pictures of my girls and scrapbooking/creating photo books so I would like to learn to take quality photos)
- Simple living (I struggle with the “stuff” that seems to take over our lives. I’m intrigued by people who live very simply.)
- Food preservation (I have dabbled in canning and freezing with my mother as a guide. I’m interested in learning what else I could do as well as the science of it.)
- Fitness/Nutrition/Weight loss (This seems to be a recurring topic of interest for me as I struggle to bid farewell to the baby weight.)
- Frugal Bathroom Makeover (I have wanted to do something with our bathroom, but haven’t had it in our budget. I would like to see what we can accomplish without spending a lot of money.)