My Thinking Past to Present
by Thonsgaard, Alyssa on Feb.24, 2014, under Uncategorized
So I began this project thinking, ‘Cool! This actually is a fun school project!’ And that’s really how I thought of it at first, a school project. Nothing more. But as I went into research I thought, ‘am I really this into this for a school project?’ and I realized that I was much more into this than I thought. Think of it this way, I walked into a giant building labeled School Project thinking that yeah it’d be cool to know more about mental health care, but knowing that I probably wasn’t going to remember anything I researched later. But now I walk out and I look up at the building’s sign and it reads Alyssa’s Interest (I know lame title) because now I’ am totally engrossed in this. By the time I get home I might pull out my Mom’s copy of the DSM and read up on some disorders, and who knows, I might even make a professional blog for myself that goes about EVERYTHING concerning mental health care, OK maybe not EVERYTHING but definitely the history about it. That’s what I totally got into, the history. (I love history). I learned plenty that I didn’t know about my topic before. One of which being Dr. Rush (Sneaky little man really, I mean he was involved in the Temperance Movement too I’m told.) who was the one to create the Tranquilizer Chair (A pretty useless invention really seeing as it did nothing to help, AT ALL). Another of which was the treatments (Which is what I tried to focus on the most, I mean come on look at the title) that people in the past thought would help, some of them I seriously could imagine in my mind, the 16th century ‘Cure’ was pretty easy to see, and the 17th century too. In fact I could seriously see everything in my minds eye, and some of it was disturbing. I think if I do continue my research I’ll look up more on the history behind everything and also behind the Doctors thinking because from what I gather I see the Doctor in the hospital going, “Well I’ve never heard of those symptoms before, better put them in the asylum, their crazy!” And my best AH HA! Moment I’m gonna have to say was when I found the Tranquilizer chair, because that’s what got me into this topic in the first place, a picture of a tranquilizer chair.
With curating your becoming engrossed in your topic you know anything and everything about it. You can talk about it with personality and passion rather than just listing off a bunch of dumb facts that you got from one website. Your more into your topic. It becomes almost like a friend that you know really well.
I’d like to say I don’t really think I had any failures, because I don’t recall any, but I’d also say that I had a lot of successes (Especially with that tranquilizer chair). Moving on, if I had to redo this project I wouldn’t really change any of my strategies. My way is simple, one topic to another, step by step, if you find something else along the way, save the link and go back later. Oh and you wait! This is gonna be so helpful on other research projects, because I know that I need to really get into something on my topic, the history, the fine lines, whatever! And if i do that I know I’ll enjoy the project rather than just sit there and groan.
My thinking on learning has changed a bit, I mean I suddenly feel like learning isn’t a chore, its a opportunity that can open so many doors up, down, right, left, anywhere! I learned also that my way of thinking varies, sometimes I’m practical and all my answers are logical and other times I’m sitting there betting for the impossible, it really just…depends.
The web as a tool for research tool is something you have to cautious with, because like with all other tools if you don’t use it right, your gonna get bad results. And if I ever make another blog in the future its probably going to be about something i’m seriously into, like creative writing, or history, or Harry Potter!
So keep your eye out for something with my name on it because i can promise you it’ll be worth the time to check it out!
February 25th, 2014 on 1:41 AM
I am so proud of you! I love being a teacher because every day I learn something from the kids I teach. This quote, “My thinking on learning has changed a bit, I mean I suddenly feel like learning isn’t a chore, its a opportunity that can open so many doors up, down, right, left, anywhere! I learned also that my way of thinking varies, sometimes I’m practical and all my answers are logical and other times I’m sitting there betting for the impossible, it really just…depends,” does my heart good. I want you to LOVE learning!
I’m looking forward to reading the Blogosphere according to Alyssa soon!
February 25th, 2014 on 6:01 PM
wow, many words
such brain hurt
but I like the description of comparing the project to a building
February 26th, 2014 on 11:49 PM
I worked with a professor last weekend who was just approved for a sabbatical so she could study and write a book about the history of institutionalizing children with disabilities, both mental and physical, in the middle of the 20th century. She had had an older sister with a rare genetic disorder who died before her parents had to make the horrible decision about institutionalizing her or not. Imagine that some 40 years later, the professor wants to research a topic with such deep personal meaning! Your meanings and passions may change over time, but you have discovered that you can “own” them when you take charge of your learning. Nice work!