Lauren's Thoughts

Standards

2008-09-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

While my topic may not be covered by most middle school to high school English classes, the way in which I did my research and the way I combined my ideas into a project would be easily achieved by many young learners.
A teacher could easily meet the standards required for teaching language arts through this type of research. My research focused heavily on interviews and discussion: This is a standard found in the seventh grade standard: ask questions to elicit information from speakers, including evidence to support the speakers claims.

Another standard found in the higher level that could be acheived through my form of inquiry would be the eighth grade standard: plan and conduct multiple step searches by using cocmputer based databases. This was acheived in my project by finding that a simple search for roofing materials leads to a deeper search on which are the longer lasting materials, which are the most wind resistant, and which have the most durability.

The ninth grade standard: synthesize the content form several sources was achieved by my locating different questions through different resources that will aid me in buying a good roof. I used infomation from interviews and from online research, and then crreating a powerpoint from that information.

An upper level (10-12th grade) standard would be an easy one: the standard to use technology to integrate databases, visuals, graphics and other resources was evident in the final outcome of my project. The brief PowerPoint I prepared used everything form hyperlinks, to graphics, to charts. Each was necessary to provide my with my final product.

Each of the above standards are listed by Callison in the Blue Book, pages 94-95. These are all standards for language arts.

Wishing

2008-09-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

So what do you think of my final project? The thing about it is that I don't get to see the results of my project until I start to receive the estimates that I requested. That was definitely a flaw in the topic I choose. I almost think that the topic I picked was too broad, or too abstract. I also wish I had started sooner. It is amazing how quickly time flies! I swear that I fully intended to work on this sooner. Oh well. Maybe my next topic should be on the art of procrastination.

I think one of the greatest strengths I found through my inquiry was the connections I made with my neighbors and my co-workers. I didn't know them well before, but through this process of inquiry, I have had the opportunity to speak with them multiple times, and learned from them through their experiences.

My experience is very similar to what a child or young adult might experience when they visit the library and make inquiries on their topic of choice. Much of my research was done by talking with other people, and getting their advice and opinions. I can' t count the number of times people have come into the library asking for a librarians opinion on a topic. I myself, have visited the library and struck up a conversation with the librarians on local restaurants, and the best places to visit in our area. They are a wealth of information, and have a personal view on things that may not necessarily be found in a book.
The other way in which my form of research parallels that of a young adult or child is that I used a very basic search engine, Google, and asked for a variety of information on my topic. This may not always reveal the most reliable of answers, but I found that if I found enough information on the topic, and correlated it with information I received through speaking with people that are knowledgeable on the subject, I was able to find answers to my questions. Sometimes the information you seek is not necessarily found in an encyclopedia. You kind of have to extrapolate it from multiple areas of information.

Does this link work? Waving

2008-09-21T18:38:00.001-07:00

Please let me know if you can view this link. It is being very tricky!http://sites.google.com/site/project1powerpoint/Home
Here is the synthesis (ha ha-I knew I could use this word in a sentence!) of all my gathered data into one cohesive project. What was once a jumble of unknowns and random information is now a easy to follow presentation. While I know all the questions are as yet unanswered, that was not my goal. My goal was to know and learn what are the best questions to ask, and how to find the contacts that will eventually provide me with the answers I seek.
At the basic level, this synthesis of information should simply "yield a product" (Callison p 543 BB) At a deeper level, however, the it should also help provide " key quesitons that need to be answered". (callison p 544 BB)
That is what I appreciate about this project is that it helped me brainstorm questions that I can eventually get answers to.

I don't know if this will be helpful to anyone but myself, but it may give others a place to start as they begin the process of their own home repair!

Here is the link

2008-09-21T18:21:00.001-07:00

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\So you need a new ROOF_files\frame.htm

Please check out my project!

2008-09-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I said before that I would create something on Word, but it was just too boring looking. So I went back to Powerpoint and Excel and tried it again and Voila! Here is my project.
I found that Excel just was to limiting as far as presenting my information in a visually unique way. TH powerPOint allows me to coalesce my questions, and while I know my questions cannot be answered yet, it provides my with a forum to organize my thoughts. THe excel doc is awesome in that once it is printed out, I have a quick reference for all the bits of information, and don't have to go slogging through the estimate to find a bit of relevant data. I am sure the headers to each of the columns in the excel sheet may change after my first meeting with a contractor, but it is a start! Also, the images give me an idea of how I started, and then where I want to be. I can't wait to see the final product in all this. I know It will change the look of my house immensly!
Please let me know what you think of my project. I know my topic isn't the most intriguing, but it is really important to me, and I hope you will find some of it interesting. I hope this link works! Wait, how do I link this? Hold on, I will be back soon to post it!

How to Organize my information.

2008-09-21T15:29:00.001-07:00

Ok. I have information for the beginning of determining the installation of a new roof. Now I need to find a way to present this information in a useful manner. I love the power point program, but I don't think it would be that useful as a means of presenting my information. I think my best bet is to use a combination of Excel and Word. I would like to put together some sort of grid that would hold the info from each of the contractors on it, and also hold the estimates and information that I collect. This would be the most practical, as I can easily access it and add more information to it as I see fit. I also took pictures of my house and the roof, and will add these to the document as a visual aid. I would add more images, but the puppy chew up my connecting cord from my computer to the camera. Grrr! She is definitely in the chewing stage. OK, back to the project at hand. Here it goes!

Awesome links!

2008-09-20T16:18:00.000-07:00

As just a side note, I have found several websites with awesome information on Roofing. But most importantly, I have found a site that is a blog for people with questions! I haven't tried writing in a question yet, as my journey on getting a roof is only beginning, but I know I can use it in the future as I figure out all the ins and outs of roofing.
Here is a list of a few more useful roofing sites.
The following three sites are all great references for roofing answers. One even provided me with questions that I will be sure to ask the Contractors!
http://www.essortment.com/all/roofingcostest_rdvd.htm
http://www.danzcustomhomes.com/roofing_faq.html
http://remodelhomeguide.com/roof-replacements/factors-to-consider.html?gclid=CPDu8KW_65UCFRoSFQodbiEmgA
This site is a little different from the others as it has answers to a specific question I have about the difference between architectural shingles and Standard shingles. From what I can tell, Arch. Shingles are by far the better bet, even though they cost more.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Roofing-1598/Standard-shingles-vs-architectural.htm

This site is the Blog all about roofing. I can't wait to try it!
http://homeaddition.blogspot.com/2006/04/roofing-qa-new-roof-and-re-roofing.html

Wiggling/Evaluating

2008-09-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

From the information I have so far collected, I think I am on the right track to determining the best roofer for our home. It is funny. In our house, I tend to be the researcher. What I mean by this is whether it is finding the best phone company to use for our cell service, finding the right insurance company for our car, or even scoping out the best home in NWI, I tend to be the info gatherer. Then I present my findings to Tim, my husband, who throws in his two cents, then we make our decisions.
While it is just an observation, I find it interesting that the English major is the one deciding who to hire to fix the roof, and not the engineer that has a background in home construction. Maybe it is because he deals with things like this everyday, and it is easier to let me do the grunt work of finding the information...
So, as I said in an earlier blog, I have called 5 roofing contractors, and they will be coming out in the next week to present me with their estimates. I made sure that at least 3 of these contractors came with references. In the case of two, I can see the work they did on my neighbors houses as proof of their quality.
While I haven't gotten any estimates in yet, I am optimistic that they will both provide me with the answers I am looking for and more questions that I can ask.
I think that my focus for this project is less about the actual numbers and answers i need for installing a roof, and more about knowing what to ask when I speak with each of the roofing contractors. They are the ones with the answers to my questions on cost and what product they have available.
However, from my inquiries so far, I believe that a complete tear-off and a replacement with architectural shingles is the way to go. Between the people that I have talked to, the websites I have visited, and the brief discussions I have had with sevearl contractors, I believe this is the best strategy for us. As Callison states in the Blue Book, "reflection on collected information is a test." It allows me, the inquirer, to think about the value of all the bits of data I have collected, and "to make decisions on assimilating or discarding" that data. Well I have most certainly been doing some discarding and some keeping of the infor I havce gathered.

For instance, my mom said wen I first began my inquiry that she thought we should attepmt to do a second layer on the roof; her reasoning being that it would be less costly. But after talking with contractors and co-workers, I realized that this was a bad idea. Did you know most contractors do Not warranty a second layer roof, and that it cuts the roofs lifetime in half! Sure enough, not even two days later, my mom called back and said she had talked ot my dad, and he said that doing a second layer is not a great idea, and to do a tear-off.

My biggest issue is my source. A lot of the info I am gathering is admittedly from people and their personal experiences. SO I have to find what credentials they have. Makes it more tricky, but it is worth the bonus conversations!

Webbing/searching for answers and information

2008-09-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, down to the nitty gritty. I have contacted 5 roofing companies in Valparaiso that offer free estimates for roofing. Two of the roofers were recommended by my next door neighbors, and the one other was recommended by my co-workers husband(the home builder). The other two were random choices from the phone book that had ads stating that they were licenced, bonded and insured, and offered three estimates. Why 5 companies do you ask? Well, in trying to learn more about the steps to tkae in hiring a roofer, I came across a very useful website through Google. http://www.essortment.com/all/roofingcostest_rdvd.htm
This website gives all sorts of pointers on how to get the best estimate for a new roof.
It also gave me some idea of what questions the contractors would ask when they come out to give me an estimate.

I also spoke with parents and coworkers about whether to do a complete tear-off or a second layer(look at me with all the roofing terminology!). I found out from my co-workers husband that the complete tear-off is a must if you are working with a previous roof that is already 20 years old.

The next important step is to figure out how much roof we really have. While the afore mentioned website didn't specify this, my home construction reference said that this is good because it will help you make sure the roofing companies are accurate and on the up and up.

I must say that this topic I have chosen has certainly allowed me to get to know my co-workers better. I am rather new at this facility, and it is good to get to met new people, especially my supervisors, throught this informal process of inquiry.

My other resource so far was the phone book and the online yellow pages. While I already had the first three contacts through verbal discussions with my neighbors, the yellow pages gave me the other two contacts. These were pretty much randoms, and chances are I won't use them, but this extra information gathering can't hurt!

Here is my decision.

2008-09-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am going to blog about Roofing and fences. Woo-Hoo! Super exciting topic, huh? While I must admit it is not the most thrilling topic I could research, it is definatly the most important topic wighing on my mind right now, so that was my deciding point. I know it is a topic that is chalk full of questions. As I contact different contractors, I am constantly coming up with new questions. I have probably driven one of my co-workers quite insane as I keep asking her all sorts of roofing questions. She has the unfortunate characteristic of having a husband who has been in the home construction business for 20 years. My poor mother and father have also been getting a load of questions. But even with all this experience and advice, I still have a ton of questions that I have to find answers for.
lcfield2007 said...
As silly as it is to comment on my own blog, I got distracted by the puppy during my previous blog, and didn't quite say all I meant to say. I was thinking about the "Wondering phase" and how this last blog dealt with all the questions I have on my topic. as Callison says, "questioning seeds all other processes". I can see how important this step is in deciding how I should approach the this topic. While I concede that it is not the most exciting topic, it is very practical and relavate information in my life right now. The roof is needing to be replaced, ergo I need to determine what steps I must take in fixing it.
September 20, 2008 2:55 PM
lcfield2007 said...
List of questions I have on roofing:Is it necessary to do a complete tearoff or just a second layer?What is the difference between Architectural shingles and standard shingles?What are the layers to a roof. I know there must be a base material, and on the very top goes the shingles, but what goes in between?What is flashing around the attic vents and the exhaust from teh Water heater?Do they work around the gutters? how?What is the general cost per square foot?how many square feet of roof do we have?Do each of the rooferes come with recomendations?What is the time frame for replacing a roof? Can the complete the work this winter, before december even?

Okay, decision making time.

2008-09-17T05:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, I haven't posted anything in way too long, and here is my chance. The first of the 8 W's is Watching, and while I have been doing a lot of that, I have come to the realization that there are a lot of things in my everyday world that I am needing to do an information inquiry on. (eww..I ended in a preposition. I hate that!)

Okay, so here is my short list.
~~~I was thinking of interviewing my grandfather about WWII, but as he live almost 5 hours away, this idea is a no go. (He is rather hard of hearing, and the whole phone thing doesn't work well. I find if you want info from him, you kind of have to corner him, in person...)
~~~Golden retrievers-maintaining, care, abilities, training...the list goes on. But I am one of those people that doesn't do well with 'instruction manuals". I tend to read three pages, then throw the thing out the window...The book that is, not the dog.
~~~Installing a ceiling fan. Yeah, another topic big on instruction manuals. I will definitely leave that one for my husband with the engineering degree.
~~~Researching a trip to Jamaica. No Instruction manual...awesome!..sounds like a useful, practical topic.
~~~Finding a good roofer. VERY IMPORTANT! The Field House (like that play on words...my last name is Field...) needs a new roof. I could research what exactly needs to be done, contact different contractors, get estimates, and figure out what is the best materials for a new roof. Again, very practical as I would like to be warm and dry this winter!
~~~Finding a fence contractor. Again, a very relevant topic. We have a new puppy, and live on a busy street. Not a good combination. Soon, she will be a big puppy, and the thought of standing outside in my bathrobe at 5 in the morning with 2 feet of snow on the ground, just so she can be walked really does not appeal to me. I know that I also have to figure out how to get a zoning variance for a 5 foot fence. Being a corner unit we are not allowed more than a 4 foot fence on any side. Bridget will be a big dog and can already clear the puppy gate with little effort, so for us, bigger is better.

Okay decision time. I will be back with you this afternoon with my final decision.

Lauren
PS, If you can't tell by know, I am a world class procrastinator!

First Blog- What to Blog About...

2008-09-07T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, here goes... my first blog. Ideas for Project1. I am struggling with coming up with Ideas on what to write about. I have several interests, and I wonder if any of them are worthy of the scope that this project requires. Obviously, the most life altering aspect I have experienced recently was adopting a golden retriever puppy. While she is a sweetheart, there is so much that I feel I could learn on her care. I am also looking into gardening and tree care, as our backyard is in sore need of some intervention from a person with a green thumb! I am also hoping to travel to revisit Ireland, and to travel to Scotland to possibly determine the background of my paternal great-grandfather. But this topic is rather heady and full of intense research...still, it could be a possibility. A more feasible topic would be to find out about my grandfathers experiences during World War II. He has always been secretive about his experience, and about his childhood, but during our last conversation he mentioned the elementary school he attended. I would love to contact them and see if they have any old year book photos, maybe even an old address. I was also thinking of contacting a cousin of mine who is very into geaneology, and worrking with her to find out more about our heritage. I am still debating on my Project 1 topic, as you can see. I will keep you updated!