I-Search Paper on Music Education Method for Melody Music Academy

My final project is I-Search Paper about finding a music education method for my music school Melody Music Academy. I started with a business plan, but gave up because writing a completed is a huge work. I decided to work on a specific topic, so I changed my business plan to I-Search Paper.

I did the research on music education methods, such as Suzuki, Kodaly, and Dalcroze. I borrowed all the related book from CSULA Library. I want to recommend Patricia Shehan Campbell and Carol's Music in Childhood: From Preschool through the Elementary Grades.In general, this book contains the basic definition of all kinds of music education methods. It is a great resource to start with.

One advice is trying to narrow your topic. It can provide you a better focus on your topic, and you will have a better idea to do the research.

I-Search on The Hunger Games, Dystopian Literature and Reality

     For my I-search, I decided research about dystopian literature and compare it with our own reality. I was inspire to do this reseacrch when I read The Hunger Games and realized the metaphors that mention in the book are similar to the social issues we're facing every signal time. I started thinking and it made me questioned if our reality is our own dystopian reality. Once I completed my research, I was surprise as to what I found and made me think about our own social issues.
   At first finding articles about dystopian literature wasn't easy because some of the articles didn't cover what I wanted to use and others we're available. That is until I found an article, with the professor help, that I could use to explain my research. The article is called Fresh Hell from THE NEW YORKER by Laura Miller; the article is a critic about dystopian literature in young adults on the rise since The Hunger Games came out. She explains the purpose of  dystopian literature is "... not about persuading the reader to stop something terrible from happening--it’s about what’s happening, right this minute, in the stormy psyche of the adolescent reader.” (Miller) The was helpful to understand what dystopian literature are trying to do and helped me to find other articles with something similar to what Miller was explaining in her article.
   Would've done the research differently, if I knew what I know now? I'm actually spilt on the question. In one way, I feel that I wouldn't done it different because I didn't anything about dystopian literature, but i would've probably explain the dystopian literature during the 20th century and compared to the modern literature to see if there were any changes made in our society or are we still stuck on the same issues. Overall, I enjoyed the research because I learn something about our reality and being aware of any changes that can cause to live in a society similar to The Hunger Games 
  

I-SEARCH on William S. Burroughs and the cut-up method

I chose to do the I-SEARCH paper on William S. Burroughs’s cut-up method.  The cut-up method is a technique of writing that involves taking pieces of unrelated text and moving them within a body of text to create new stories.   And since the cut-up method was pretty easy to explain, I took it one step further in its classification of collage and classified it as bricolage.  Bricolage is a term originated by Claude Levi-Strauss, its meaning is basically work that is put together from the materials at hand.  Classifying the cut-up method as bricolage involved researching a completely different field separate from literature.  The search for information wasn’t hard.  There were articles available for Burroughs on the CSULA database, but the ones I was mostly interested in were not available.  This was not a huge hurdle because William S. Burroughs is a modern day author, so I went straight to the source by researching a ton of interviews.  The available interviews were abundant and I found hours of lectures he had given at schools to go along with them.  As for the research needed for Levi-Strauss’s bricolage, the CSULA database did have most of the articles I was interested in.  The one thing the CSULA library didn’t have was Levi-Strauss’s book The Savage Mind, which was the text that he originated the term in.  Besides The Savage Mind, everything went smoothly. 

            If I had to do it differently, I would have changed my topic.  In all the research, his opinion of Language and the Word interested me more than the cut-up method.  After doing the research on Claude Levi-Strauss who had his own Theory of Language, it made me want to compare Strauss to Burroughs.  In my research I also found Burroughs went far beyond the cut-up methods.  He would use exercises similar, but with tape recordings and film (montage).  So if I broadened the topic to Burroughs’s thoughts on language, I could have included all these separate methods that did not include written text. 

            Advice for anybody attempting this I-SEARCH paper, in the beginning of the research take the first few sources that are gathered and do a “Shitty First Draft” of the entire project.  Then go out and get the rest of the sources.  There is so much information out there, creating a backbone for your paper would make it much easier to sort through all of it.  Trying to weave 10 articles together into one topic is a tedious and contradicting task.   Having a first draft to bounce all the extra research off of to combat and replace your earlier ideas would have worked much better for myself. 

Literature Review

Hello all,

Here is my take on my Literature Review project. Literature Reviews are a great way of doing some really essential ground work for any research project. Reading a large amount of articles really helps put everything into perspective as far as what current researchers are examining. What is important is that you start broadly and work your way down to a couple of specific variables of interest. If that means going to the library and reading a couple of chapters on theory and methodology, then that is exactly what you should do; just be sure to leave yourself enough time to read and absorb everything. Or at the very least, look it up on Wiki so that you have an idea about what people are talking about.

The most helpful source for me included a textbook on the specific field I was interested in (developmental psychopathology). From that book I was able to follow up on a couple of foundational articles which helped point me in the right direction as far as the deciding on the research question I wanted to ask. Just be smart and narrow focus down really early. It is tempting to examine many different variables, but it just isn't feasible. You are just one person and you only have a few weeks to complete the project. If I could do this over again I would find the most contemporary literature review article on the subject of interest and choose one of the suggestions for future research. I did this with a much older article and the data collected since then just did not support the suggested path of study. So, I had to start over and this cost me precious time.

The literature review option should really only be attempted by students who have a little bit of a background on methodology. Don't put yourself through the stress unless there is really something you feel passionate about, otherwise it might turn you off to the whole experience. Especially if you do not have good organization skills.

Happy Researching!
Glasseschick (Belen Oceguera)

Statement of Purpose .... My ticket to Graduate school

I decided to do the professional development project because I want to apply to grad school next fall.  This project is very helpful to start visualizing what you may need to accomplish before you apply to the programs of your interest . While doing my research I encounter many good books  in the database of CSULA.  One of the book that I used and they have an online copy available on google books is How to Write a Winning Personal Statement for Graduate and Professional School by Stelzer, Richard J. . I liked this book because its very direct, it explains how to write a statement of purpose that will make you stand out by giving you the specifics of what the people reviewing applications are interested on. Additionally, I feel that the most important source anyone can use is the experiences other can share with you. In my case I interviewed the best grad student on campus(kinda of intimidating but it was helpful). He applied to major leagues university and got accepted. His advice in how to write and he actually showed me some of his statement of purpose he used to apply for his Ph.D application. 
When I began the project I did not think it was going to be so hard to actually think about all the good stuff you have dome through out you life. I encourage everyone that if you decide to work on this project please take the time to interview people, start networking with the grad students, and always give Jenny your work to revised(she is a helpful professor). Another thing, start thinking ahead where you want to go,read, and work on you writing skills. Your student life will be much easier if you know how to write. 

I Search on the Evolution of Drumset

So I decided to do an I search paper about the evolution of the drumset and how its role in different ensembles have changed over time. I knew that the drumset was created to consolidated the parts of two percussionists but the idea that it embodied the percussion section was a concept that developed over time as the design of the instrument was modified with new additions. This was something I did not know. Then as the drumset evolved it went back to being a part of a percussion section; especially while other musical genres began to assimilate it into their instrumentation.

I thought it would be difficult to find scholarly sources about the drumset but it turns out that there are plenty of dissertations and articles about the history of the drumset. Anthony Brown's dissertation on The Development of Modern Jazz Drumset Performance was very helpful because it discusses the turning point when the drumset acquired the concept becoming a percussion section within itself. Another helpful source was The Heritage of the Drumset by Royal Hartigan; this article provided me with the history of how the drumset looked and functioned in its original form and what factors lead to its current physical appearance.

The research I did really helped focus my question for my paper and gave a clear goal. I can't really think of anything I wish I had known before starting the project but I feel like there was so much more I could have learned if there was more time. I will definitely continue researching the subject after this class.

I-Search on Job Satisfaction

I decided to do an I-Search project to determine who has a greater job satisfaction, male or female lawyers? I eventually want to became a law student and I felt this was a great opportunity to become aware on some facts. 

I learned that amongst male and female lawyers they report to be equally as satisfied with their jobs but there are certain factors that affect female lawyers from remaining in the law field. In order to determine these factors it was identified that work motivation and depression are strongly correlated with job satisfaction. Motivation increases satisfaction and depression decreases satisfaction. 

For me the CSULA library database was extremely helpful. I had trouble finding books that related to this subject, but there were plenty of Journals published regarding job satisfaction in law firms. What I wish I would've know before starting the project was how much time reading ALL the journals would take. Most of the journals were 30+ pages, but after reading them they gave me a better understanding on my subject. Therefore I recommend that by doing the research portion with plenty of time will become a lifesaver.

Good luck to future students!

   

Professional Development Project: Law School

Professional Development Project: Law School

My project was on Professional Development which entailed drafting a personal statement for law school.  This personal statement allows the law school committee to figure out why I want to go to law school and whats so special about me for them to accept me. This statement is the deal breaker. 

The most helpful source was the toplawschool.com site.  Its filled with all kinds of great information you need about law school and examples of personal statements. 

I wish I knew how to write creatively.  I never wrote anything creative of subjective before, since teachers always ask us to write objectively this was weird. 

Professional Development Project: Business School

I decided to do the Career Portfolio for my final project. I had to compile different materials like, a business resume, a personal statement which describes my short-term career goals after Business School, I also needed to interview a professional in the field of business marketing, and lastly a reflection explaining what I learned from doing the project.

Another component for the final project was to obtain at least five sources that would help in composing the material for the project. The best source that I found and cherished the most is the interview. For my interview, I had to speak to a professional in the field of marketing which was actually something I needed to do for myself, but had not yet done. So, actually getting the opportunity to sit down and talk to someone about their professional development was very intersting and useful for me because it open my eyes to the possibilities that the field of marketing has for me.

As for wishing I had known something before starting the project would be nothing to be honest. The project is very straight forward and to the point. The only thing I  wish I had before starting the project was time!

P.S. Let your interviewee know ahead of time that you need to schedule an interview and give the person a list of questions, so he-she is prepared to answer your questions to their best abilities.

Professional Development - Medical School

For my final project for English 308, I chose the professional portfolio option.  For this, I wrote a personal statement for applying to medical school with the prompt, "Why do you want to go to medical school?"  I wrote up a resume, interviewed a doctor for her imput on a profession in medicine, and then wrote a reflection about the whole process.

I'm not sure if this counts as a "source", but the most helpful thing I found while working on this project was the interview with the doctor.  She obviously had gone through the entire application process once before in life, and while the process may have been a little different when she did it years ago, she still had very helpful words of wisdom.  Not to mention, she used to be on the admissions committee at USC Keck School of Medicine, so she pretty much knew what she was talking about.  The hardest part of this project was definitely the personal statement, and I felt that her advice really helped me figure out what to focus on while writing it.

What do I wish I'd known before starting this project...  Well, I think that it would have been smarter to start the project earlier, though, this would have been difficult because I literally started it as soon as it was assigned.  I just feel like I didn't have enough time to write the personal statement.  A personal statement is suppose to have countless drafts, but I was really only able to go through about 4 of them given such a short amount of time, in addition to other school and work commitments.  I do not think my personal statement as-is is my final draft; I think it can use a look more work.  So, my advice is if you decide to do the personal statement option early in the quarter, start early.  Then you can work on it a little bit at a time and have plenty of time to have other people proof read it and get their advice.

Final Project-Creative Nonfiction Writing

For my final project I chose a DIY project, which involved me researching and writing creative nonfiction. My project had three parts: a creative nonfiction report, a creative nonfiction piece, and a reflection. In the past I have attempted creative fiction writing, and failed miserably. So this project was actually very enjoyable for me because I was able to learn about writing creative nonfiction narratives and short stories. And more importantly what I wrote about was from my own experience, and I feel that I was able to write it well. I was able to tell a story of my life and add a reflection to what I had learned from my experience.

I found many articles through the library database which were able to help me for my final project. Most of the articles I found were by professors, so they gave direct advice on creative nonfiction writing. Since they wrote their articles in a teaching way, they were easy to read and the information was useful for me as a student.

There is not really one particular thing I wish I knew about this project beforehand, except to learn how to write creative nonfiction. But doing a DIY project is about learning about what you are doing along the way. I know that might have wanted to maybe set more restraints on page length on each of the parts of my project, since they turned out to be extensive and my project ended with 15 pages when I had originally hoped for 10 or 12. But as I learned from one of my sources, "writing is about discovery", so me elaborating on the information I learned, as well as on my thoughts, I feel made my paper stronger.

The Literature Review

So I did my final project on the literature review.  Perhaps one of the most difficult projects I have encountered, but it's worth it.  As a psychology major, I felt that learning how to write a literature review was very important because I know I'll be writing these in my future.  I chose to write a review on the psychological effects of correctional insititutions.  My aim here was to find out which was a larger factor, cognition or behavior, as they have been opposing theories for some time. 
I think the hardest part of writing a literature review is coming up with the question.  I started off not knowing what to do since I changed topics from my mini lit. review to my final lit review.  Then, once I knew in what realm I wanted to write about, narrowing the topics was difficult.  Luckily, Prof. Hicks is a great help.  I went to her office hours and she helped me tremendously in narrowing down into a managable topic.  After that, it's all about finding books and articles.  I  know some people have probably never checked out a book since almost everything is online, but I decided to hit the library for some foundational studies and develop from there.  One source that I found helpful in creating my foundation was a book that I have at home.  It's a textbook that I bought at used book store by Philip Zimbardo, a famous social psychologist.  The book had the foundations of the behavioral and cognitive theories and approaches which the later studies and experiments used and have developed from.
This project wasn't easy, but it did help me a lot to prepare what my psychology classes have for me in the future.  Advice for the students who take this class later, DON'T procrastinate. You'll only hurt yourself.  And second, if you need help, see Prof. Hicks, she doesn't have office hours for nothing.  She's a great help. Good Luck.

Ricardo Borges: Researching the Batman

For my final project, I did an I-Search paper on the Dark Knight Trilogy. I examined Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Batman and took a more in depth look at what set it apart from other superhero movies and past incarnations of Batman. I chose this because I wanted the opportunity to practice some research skills and critical thinking on an interesting topic. I am not a film buff, nor am I a particularly huge Batman fan. It was just a topic I had enough knowledge on to want to know more about.

One of my favorite sources I used was J. M. Tyree's article for Film Quarterly called "American Heroes." It mentioned that Heath Ledger's Joker was unique in that he was given no back story, and argued that this is part of what made him more interesting than Christian Bale's Batman. The suggestion that the origin of the character is less relevant and can actually restrict a character's potential ended up being the inspiration for my thesis. From there, hearing Bane's line about how "No one cared who I was until I put on the mask," and seeing how when his true back story was revealed, it totally ruined the character, my thesis was all but written.

I wish I had known how hard it was to come by specific information on some of the older versions of Batman. I also wish I had been able to think of more creative sources to look for, things that maybe weren't specifically related to Batman but could be applied to the character and the films. I also wish I knew more about film; I feel like I grasped some of the major themes but I'm sure most of it went straight over my head.

Cheers!

Hello,

     I decided that for my final project I would do the I-Search paper. For my paper I had to create a question that I wanted to find the answer to. My research question is, what are the causes of nightmares in children? I decided to focus on this question because I am a Social Work major and I am currently in intern in the field. I have the opportunity work with children that many times have this problem and when parents would ask me the causes I had no clue on what to answer.

     With my search I found out that Nightmares on children can be caused by genetic factors, personality, stress, and trauma. I was also able to find solutions, like different types of therapy for different type of causes. All this information I was able to find it in the library database. It gave me a variety of articles and I was able to look in different fields. I was also able to find information in the libraries books. I went to the help desk and the librarian very nicely helped me with my search. 

     Looking back when I started the project, I wished I would have decided on my question earlier. I think I would have had more time to research. I also think that if I would have known a little more about the subject earlier, I would have had the opportunity to go more in depth with the subject. I also would have liked to interview a therapist that is familiar with children’s nightmares. I think that would have helped me understand everything much better.