Josh Bock's Blog

I have just finished reading Josh Bock's blog, and his research and dedication is amazing. He has accumulated a really large number of resourceful books, movies, and biographies that will really help him develop his topic of mystery. He knows that in order to make a mystery novel, which is his project, he should learn from the very best by reading and watching the best novels and films. He has great movies such as The Usual Suspects, and great directors such as Alfred Hitchcock. Josh will have no lack of research or quotes. I am impressed that he is analyzing the development of mystery in novels by tracking literary techniques. I have two pieces of advice for Josh:
1) Get started on the novel, because it could prove to take a long time.
2) Don't get too carried away trying to read and watch every mystery... You should make sufficient time for your own analysis and thinking.

Breaktime

Breaks are extremely important parts of all aspects of our lives. Too much of something is unhealthy. Breaks allow us to step back from an activity or process, refresh our minds, and eventually return better suited for success. Every cycle needs to include a break, including this research project. Breaks seem counterproductive because they take us away from research and progress; however, they help us refocus, to brainstorm, and to reenergize. Although a break takes us away physically from writing and researching, it allows us to exercise mentally. Many great discoveries and observations have been achieved 'on break'. There are countless stories of inventions and discoveries that were made unintentionally or through a random thought. Every process requires a break, because an excess of one certain thing can be counterproductive.

Technology

This blog is kind of ironic: evaluating the impact of technology on a project about the impact of technology. As I am writing this post I realize how weird it is that technology has been a huge factor in this project. Without technology, I could not have done many of my research on technology. The internet, this blog, electronic libraries, and cell phone communications have really expanded my access to certain materials and sources. I am realizing that technology is so integrated in our lives that it even controls and affects how we view and learn about itself. It is so powerful and vast that it is the most useful tool we have to learn and connect. The bottom line of my thoughts right now is that technology has such a large effect on us that it teaches us about itself. It is so much a part of our lives that we do not even realize when we utilize it or when it impacts us. We even use technology to learn about technology.

These new thoughts of mine are extremely fascinating. I have never looked at this aspect of technological effects. I am going to continue developing these ideas and hopefully insert them in my paper.

Surprise!!!

As I initially began this project, I truthfully thought that it would have no ramifications on my life. I thought I would learn some cool things and that I would enjoy it, but I did not imagine that my research would change the way I look at certain aspects of my life.
Nowadays, any time I find myself texting during class, surfing the web during a speech, or playing games during a conversation, I stop and realize the extent that technology affects me personally. It really makes me appreciate the research I am doing. These moments make my topic come alive and become relatable. Every time something like this occurs, I try to put down my phone or close my computer, because I remember the value of 'real interactions'. It has really been a refreshing few months, as these have been happening often. I have found a new sense of fulfillment at the end of the day, because instead of being glued to my electronics I am bonding with and learning from others.
I never would have thought this project would be constantly on my mind, let alone affecting the way I act. Writing this, though, I realize the surprising impact my topic has had on my life.

Alex Shoenfeld's Blog

I have just finished reading Alex's entire blog, and his project is fascinating. He is focused on the bystander effect: a topic that appears in our lives on a day to day basis. Besides for the common association of a 'bystander' with 'bullying', Alex points out that the bystander effect impacts us in many other different situations. A study he read showed that if one is in a room full of others, he or she is less likely to even stop personal endangerment. Reading Alex's blog made me realize that the bystander effect is way more powerful than I once believed it to be. I always applied it to one being afraid to stand up for others. I never thought that it could prevent one from standing up for themselves. This discovery of mine makes me interested in Alex's project and hopeful that he can teach people to take action. I think it is a good idea for him to give some sort of presentation, being that a long paper may not have as large of an impact on his readers/audience. The aspect that I think he should definitely have in his project is an experiment. The bystander effect is such a simple yet fascinating thing to investigate. Alex could set up some sort of experiment in Frisch or in his community and learn about certain trends in his world. I think he is headed in a good direction and I wish him luck.

Update

What clarity about my project have I achieved? For starters, I have been able to focus in on a specific topic. I started out with countless ideas floating around in my head, but now I am ready to investigate the impact of technology, specifically the negative aspects. I have been able to develop a clear idea of a project because of research, suggestions, comments and resources. These were the four methods that were most helpful in my search for a clear topic. I first researched intriguing topics. Then, I listened to suggestions by friends and teachers. After that, I considered the comments and ideas people had on my progress. I did not think that people's comments on my direction would actually change my direction, but it actually happened when Alex Shoenfeld suggested that I research the negative effects of technology. The final tools I used to help achieve clarity about my project and topic were the resources of the library, the internet, papers, articles, and books. By seeing what I had to work with, I was able to gain a sense of where I would be able to take my project and how I would be able to do so.

Second Thoughts

If I start this project over again, I would make plenty of changes in the way I developed my project so far. I am happy with where I am at so far, but I could have done plenty of things in a better manner. I think that if I could start over, I would try to take more suggestions and advice from classmates. I would ask them for opinions and thoughts on whether or not my project was interesting to them. If my topic was not something they would want to read about, I probably would have steered it in a different direction. I also feel that before I chose a topic I should have done more research into the ones I was considering. I am very interested in my topic, but I think maybe another choice may have intrigued me more if I had investigated it more. In the end of the day though, I am satisfied and excited with where I am at now.