I LOVE THE TUI LIBRARY!

Give me a chance to rant and rave about the wonderful library we have. I don't think 1/2 the students know what resources are available. Just give Larraby a call and ask her how to do something. Each time you will be taken on a journey that will be so enlightening.

Larraby tells me that we have access to google scholar. Please don't mistake this for what you get on the internet. Even the Google scholar on the internet is different because it works through the esrver proxy. Which basically means we have access to it through our library card. You must go through the web site or click on this link http://www.tui.edu/library/loginRedirect.asp?url=http://scholar.google.com. It will most likely prompt you for your student ID. YOu may have to call larraby if you have trouble but she is so nice you will love talking with her.

I was also exctatic that she could get me into pubmed.

Several times I hve e mailed and asked, "how do I find this?" she e mails me back and gets it for me. I often wish I would have contacted her first instead of wasting an hour searching.

SUCH RESOURCES!!!!

My only gripe. I don't get the library when I graduate. No allum perks. WHAAAAAAAA!

Communication!

I do find that the one that the one thing I miss being at Vermont College, is communication with others. I often reach out calling or e-mailing others because it is good to know that they too are either enjoying their semester or at times struggling. Lack of communication seems to give me a feeling of floating. Even though I am proceeding with my studies, it is good to have some feedback from others. I often wonder if the online program is different.
The Dick Hathaway project is coming along. The sculpture is almost done and I have a new apprentice that is helping me with it. I just can't think past writing my black book right now. I want to have it done and that propels me to be up in the office writing rather than downstairs sculpting. Turns out I do both, up here until dinner and then downstairs until late in the evening.


Luckily I can talk to Dick. Here we are having a chat. I often find I think about Charlotte while downstairs.


2 months and nine days until graduation!

Black book or Writing a thesis....

Organization is the key. My desk is filled with the many journal articles that I have printed out, the books that I have read and miscellaneous stuff. I actually had to roll over another entire desk to extend my work area give me more room. This is insane! I can't imagine writing a doctorate thesis. I can imagine how crazy that could get. I'm always saying, "oh that was in such and such article" and then I spend a good deal of time looking for that article. I am glad for a few things.

* I purchased most of my books and underlined things I wanted to remember.

* In those same books and in the journal articles I combed through the citations to see what fit my research, thus the never ending trail of research began.

* I printed out the journal articles that I found and did the same thing. This is good for me for a second reason. I am a kinesthetic learner and have found that holding the paper helps me to understand the information.
( funny thing, as I progress in my research I find that something I read a month ago has different and more insightful meaning after reading all of the stuff in between. All the more reason to have these books and articles on hand.)

* I began to file the journal articles in a binder. I wish I would have done it by subject though i.e.. Consciousness, Mind body, Religion , Creativity. And I wish I would have been diligent about it.

* I wish I would have kept an ongoing xl spread sheet listing all of the authors and the names of their articles, that way I could find one easily or if an author sounded familiar I would be able to know why.

* I'm glad I spent time with the librarian at tui. I think we have chatted about 5 times this semester. They have b been able to obtain articles that I could not get to myself. Journal articles that really helped my study.

* I am glad I extended my research into journal articles. I love them!

( as I proceed within my circle of study I find that I am coming across the same names, the research begins to be circular, with other circles coming off of them. For example There are physicists who believe in that "skeleton in the closet"-consciousness, and then there are others who dismiss it. Each has its own circle but that sits within my circle of physicists who think it is necessary to explain this quantum mechanics to little brains like my own. They sit within my own circle of study of sculpting the deceased.)

I found this wonderful web site on writing a thesis, of course this is for a doctorate but it does help http://online.sfsu.edu/~mgriffin/thesis.html

Well I find myself easily distracted anything to keep me from writing. Though I am so close.

I have decided not to keep the thesis in Microsoft word and will probably be changing to quark express. My word program does something called infinite pagination. It must be a Mac thing, but once it gets it in its little brain, it is hopeless. I want to imbed images within my text and to do so in word would be insane. I ordered a new copy of quarkxpress. I think that is what I will do it in. For those not using a Mac, I think there is actually other software that helps with a thesis. Might be worth checking out.

Well that is it for now. I must go and write, write, write!

I love my new gift

My husband went to siggraph - a convention that has computer animation etc. Anyway he said he bought me a gift and this was delivered the other day! I love it! We have such strange taste I know. It was purchased from http://www.freedom-of-teach.com

Helpful hint...

Do the corrections on your annotations as they come in each month instead of waiting until the end. I have said it before, Sure wish I would have followed my own suggestions. Two days later!

MLA???????

Did you know that the Gary library has some wonderful information about citations on their web site? Several links can be found at http://www.tui.edu/library/cite.asp .

Some MLA citation questions- if anyone has any different information please let me know

QUESTION
How do you do the parenthetical citation of the same author and different books/journal?

ANSWER
try to refer to the book in the writing, if there is more than one author inlcude them in the parenthetical citation

QUESTION
isn't "et a"l used for more than three authors?

ANSWER
Yes

I sent out my graduation invitations today!

Or at least I will be doing it on November 1, 2006!


This is a picture that Devony took of me on our quick escape up the mountain/hill. Thanks Devony, it was perfect for my graduation announcement! I don't know who will be coming to Vermont for a graduation, but it is a good reason to travel to a wonderful state. I'll actually miss going to residency.

Did I mention....

That I am almost done with my reading.

I am doing a 20 credit culminating study instead of a 15 credit study. To do this I must read 27 books during the semester April-October instead of 20. I can read journal articles, 4 journal articles equal one book. I am loving the journal research however I must write an annotation on my annotated bib for each journal article so in the long run it might be more work. The journal articles do get to the heart of the matter. Often reading the books I have to cull through many pages of things I don't need to get to things I do need.

To date I have read 21 books and 11 journal articles!

Citation, Citation, Citation!!!!!!

As my final project for Vermont College I must write what is called “The black book” It is for all intended purposes my thesis. It is bound and kept in the library at Vermont College.

I like to write, but today, this thing feels like it is kicking my butt. Citation, Citation, Citation! I have found such wonderful information that I will use for both the black book and my book “Bringing to Life the Spirit of the Deceased—A Sculptor’s Journey. I try to remember that as I write the black book a great deal of it can be used for my book. It is great motivation.

Recently a writer contacted me about confirming some sculpting facts for a novel that she is writing. She is going to pass my presentation on to her agent and ask if he can recommend a publisher for my book. I do wish I could find one soon. Though honestly I have absolutely no time to prepare what I need to do so.

I do love my books that I have been reading and as soon as I correct some of the annotated bib I will post it on the forum. It is down on my list so be patient.