Day One of Research Blogging

Today I watched anxiously as other students sat across from Mr. Engholm discussing their proposals. This stressed me out a lot as some of the other people looked, well, not upset but definitely stressed. I keep thinking about my proposal wondering how I could fix it. This Wednesday is when we need to have met with our advisors by to discuss our proposals. I will try to talk to Mr. Bowman tomorrow about that, although I know he is extremely busy with FIRST Robotics right now, but I knew that going in.
I have a found a lot of information online detailing the innovativeness of Kinect hacks. I have joined many "hacking" sites to learn more about how to first hack into the Kinect and secondly how to create my own hack. I am also about to start a series of computer science videos produced by Harvard to increase my computer programming savviness. By about to I mean as soon as I make a schedule that devotes a certain amount of time each week to watching and taking notes on these videos. Hey, I could do that during our time in The Cave. But no, I should probably research something else, although this is an integral part of my thesis project. Speaking of schedules, I am completely overwhelmed. I wake up and, depending on the day, go to Chinese class for 7:00 a.m.. Theme I have all of my classes until 3:15, which is only the beginning for I will spend another three hours on campus. I will either go to softball or robotics (I am the semi-president as all we did was just raise our hands) and some times afterwards go to mock trial. Someways, such as tomorrow, I have all four of these additional things to do on campus. It makes for a late night as usually I have a large amount of homework that is impossible to be completed before 12:00 a.m. at the earliest. This itself is quite stressful. I have come to the conclusion that in order to e successful in each day of researching I must makes an agenda I things I hope to accomplish. I could do this in a word document or in my notebook. I can even do something similar to a long term plan in Noodle Tools. Here's to happy researching.

What problems do I anticipate regarding using, engaging, and managing sources? And anticipating those problems, how can I address them?

I anticipate lots of sources that I can’t use because what I am researching is relatively new equipment. The sources won’t be well known or “approved.” One of my worries is that when reading my sources I will not be able to understand all of the technical jargon. I am not worried about managing sources because I really like Noodle tools. During my Biology Honors cancer paper, I finally realized how important Noodle tools is so I don’t hate it anymore and actually like it because it is so incredibly helpful. I have become good at organizing my notecards and sources, so I am not too worried about managing my sources although I am sure that there will be hundreds of notecards and bibliography entries.

I am not quite sure how to address the source problem. I will be searching a lot of tech sites trying to find reputable sources. Mr. Engholm said it’s different for everyone’s thesis. To overcome the technical language I will have to research those words, which will lead to more sources. It will become a chain of information and sources and will help me understand my sources. I think these problems are definitely manageable.

What problems and sources will I be pursuing for this project?

I don’t know the BIG problem. I want to explore the Xbox Kinect and its hacks in order to create my own hack. Money would be the high stakes because it is such widespread technology. With everything that can be created from it provides the potential for a lot of money to be made. Money runs the world so this could be really high stakes because if I don’t do this then world will end. (Not really) What is the BIG problem though? I don’t know what side of it I am going to address and I need to talk to Mr. Bowman as soon as possible. The money side of it would be a practical problem. The conceptual problem could be that the full potential of the Kinect has not been reached and that I want to understand it. I’m not sure if that works, though. I need to further explore this.

I will be looking at what other people have done with the Kinect. These people do not only include big scientists, but regular programmers whose brilliance with computers leads them to develop these hacks. A lot of these people have their own websites but I do not know if they are trusted. Yet, I might have trouble finding trusted sources on things people have done to the Kinect (does that make sense?). Because these are relatively new findings, they won’t be published through a trusted source. This is a problem.

3.4.1-3.4.3. of The Craft of Research

3.4.1

I am trying to learn about the Xbox Kinect.

3.4.2

I am studying the Xbox Kinect and its hacks because I want to create my own hack.

3.4.3

I am studying the Xbox Kinect and its hacks because I want to create my own hack in order to help my reader understand how the Kinect can be used to create new programs.

I was having a crisis of topics today. I really wanted to do the music generator because it just seemed so cool, but I was becoming overwhelmed by the immensity of the project. Mr. Engholm helped me calm down and make my thesis more manageable by looking at what everyone else has done with the Kinect. Liz’s help was amazing and is the basis for this (thank you so much Liz! I’ll bake you cookies or something soon!). So what I will be doing with my thesis (at least at this point in time) will be looking at what has been done to the Kinect and what I can do to make a practical hack. Basically, I would become an expert on the Kinect. One problem, I don’t know if…well…this is cool enough? I mean I know it doesn’t have to be cool but I still want it to be.

My advisor will be Mr. Bowman although I need to run this new idea by him. See, we sort of informally decided in December that he would be mine and Kelsey’s advisor due to the programming/computer aspect of our topics. I hope he likes this idea because if he doesn’t then I have to find another advisor and I don’t know who would be willing to help me. That is distressing. I will arrange a meeting with him to discuss a change in topic.

Respond to the questions in sections 3.3.1-3.3.7 of The Craft of Research

Ask about the History of your Topic

· How does it fit into a larger developmental context? Why did your topic come into being?

I could develop this into its game. Video games are extremely popular in today’s culture. What was there before the Kinect? Was there technology like it?

· What is its internal history? How and why has the topic itself changed through time?

This started when the Xbox Kinect was developed. Immediately a whole new world of technology was there to explore. There are many facets of this original technology that is being developed. It is relatively new technology. Has this technology expanded into other areas?

Ask About Its Structure and Composition

· How does your topic fit into the context of a larger structure or function as part of a larger system?

My topic fits into the huge topic of video games. Technology is the future and this is the beginning of new equipment. Why are video games important? What impact has the Kinect had on the gaming industry?

· How do its parts fit together as a system?

Its parts fit together because the newest of video games make the rest of the market catch up. Is this the most important video game console creation? Did it mark a turning point in the gaming industry?

Ask How Your is categorized

· How can your topic be grouped into kinds?

What are the different parts of the Xbox Kinect? What is needed to make it work? What are the parts of the music generator?

· How does your topic compare to and contrast with others like it?

It is similar to Josh Parnell’s music thesis. How does the Kinect differ from the Wii?

Turn positive questions into negative ones

· Why did it not make other companies create similar products? How has it not changed the gaming industry?

Ask What if? And other speculative questions

· How would things be different if your topic never existed, disappeared, or were put into a new context?

Would there be a gaming sensor like the Kinect if the Kinect hadn’t been created? Would it have taken longer? How would it be different? What if no one had liked it?

Ask Questions Suggested by Your Sources (questions that build on agreement)

· If a source makes a claim you think is persuasive, ask questions that might extend its reach.

If the music is so hard to create, how can I integrate dance moves to match?

· Ask questions analogous to those that sources have asked about similar topics.

(I don’t know how to answer this)

Now ask questions that reflect disagreement:

· Because I am creating something new there is no disagreement. At least, not yet there isn’t.

Evaluate your questions

My favorite questions were: What are the different parts of the Xbox Kinect? What is needed to make it work? What are the parts of the music generator?

· These were my favorite questions because it will help me specifically create my project.

Doubts

I am having serious doubts about my thesis topic. I really want to do it but I don't know if I have the ability to, which is really depressing.

Craft of Reading: Pages 31-50

Read p. 31-50 of CoR and blog a response to a conversation with someone you respect about your interest. What problems did you have expressing your idea? What advice and reactions made you feel more or less confident?

Yesterday I talked to Mr. Bowman, who is likely to be my advisor, about my proposed thesis. I am getting nervous about it because neither Mr. Bowman nor I have any background in music. Here is how my idea is supposed to work:

We do not know how we are going to program the music patterns. A huge issue is that the music has to sound good together. This is making me doubt the entire idea. After my presentation, everyone in class gave me ideas about how I could still use the Kinect but get rid of the programming of music part. This is making me feel a little better, but I still do not know what I am going to do. I am going to try to have another conversation with Mr Bowman this week. I am even less confident because Mr. Bowman will be busy with FIRST Robotics for six weeks, THE PEAK RESEARCHING TIME, so I do not know what to do. I felt a little better after presenting because the ideas everyone gave me. I just hope I can do it.

Preconceptions and the Craft of Research (P. 1-27)

What are your preconceptions about research? How did Craft of Research, if it did, affect your impressions of what it is?

My preconceptions about research is that it is a long process intended to gain information about a certain subject. It can be boring and tedious. To do it right (citing sources) is even more boring and tedious. It's not fun, but it is a necessary evil. I know I need to do it but I don't want to and will put it off as long as I can. That's how much I dislike research. It's not that I don't want to learn new things, in fact I LOVE looking up stuff, it's just research. It doesn't matter what it is, I still love it. But if I am told I have to, I will look up stuff, just the wrong stuff. Rebelling but in the good-student-who-wants-to-rebel-but-not-really sort of way.

I think Craft of Research will help in my research process because I like the way the authors explain things. I know what research is, but the twenty-seven pages of Craft of Research that I have read so far break research down into something manageable so it is no longer this petrifying monster looming over me. I think I will like doing this research because I will be interested in my topic and I chose to do this. It is going to be a long, arduous process that will most certainly be stressful, BUT I think it will be worth it. Craft of Research did not really change my impressions of what it is, it only broke what I think (know) research is in order to explain why it is necessary. It magnified the importance of research and writing. I am excited to begin research, and I am glad to have Craft of Research to help me when I'm stuck or when I need to remind myself why I have to research.

How to Solve a Crime

So I know this is kind of farfetched but maybe I could do a step by step thesis on how to solve a murder. And for my presentation, my little buddy will finish talking about me and then she will be killed (not really but really) and they will drag her body off of the stage. This would be the opening to my presentation in which I will solve a crime.

Keller Quinn's Thesis

I thoroughly enjoyed Keller’s thesis because it was about the the plague and the Black Death, two subjects I find fascinating. In one of my favorite crime shows, NCIS, Tony Dinozzo contacts Pneumonic plague. This was mainly why I chose to read this thesis. I really liked how Keller had research to back his claim that the Plague was responsible for the Black Death. His thesis was easy to read and he explained everything well enough for a person with no background to understand it. I liked how he explained it step by step until he got to his main point of coming up with protocol for a new epidemic. It was enjoyable to read.