Loose Ends

The last leg of the personal inquiry journey includes Dr. Lamb's Wrapping, Waving and Wishing.  I chose a technical project because I had previously tried to install an operating system that was not a Microsoft product without any success.  I was still interested but just did not take the time to investigate why the installation was not successful.  This project provided the opportunity to take the time and  to be more systematic in my approach to gathering information.  I have made more use of my Google account and done more with Google docs than with any other assignment.  I used an Open Office document to list questions to explore and an activity planner to help me get done before deadline.  I was able to load some documents from the web to my Google documents So they would be accessible from my iPhone.  (Reading document from the iPhone will take some getting use to.)

I think this project was important to do for at least two reasons.  First, I am bothered by the fact that any new computer being sold today comes with a Microsoft bundle included.  As I have gotten to know computers and the multitude of tasks they can perform, I realize that I am not a power user.  I cannot afford top of the line mulitmedia software and if I could, there would be more bells and whistles than I could use without lots of opportunity to practice.  Too much to spend for something that would not be used to capacity.  I have used an open source audio editing program called Audacity that has worked very well for me.  Using Audacity did not make me wish I could go back to a professional audio software whose capabilities were substantial when my need was minimal.  Installing an operating system and software that are open source is an opportunity to try more things without the expense (or the regret) of purchasing more than I need.  Open source software allows me to have tools available for occasional use, tools that will be regularly updated and will not need to be purchased again when it is no longer supported.

A second reason this project was important is that I will be able to advise students about this alternative to Microsoft products.  Our youngest daughter now a college senior has used open source software for every paper she has had to do as an English major.

I have posted a power point presentation to communicate what Ubuntu is, what it does, what an operating system is and what an operating system does.  What I had to do to get the software installed, the resources that were used and what remains to be done.  (I am completely amazed that I was able to move the power point into Picasa and get it into my blog,  I think it was magic.)

The remaining steps of the information inquiry process are Wrapping: choosing, planning and creating a product.  Waving: communicating with an audience and Wishing: assessing the project and reflecting on the process of information inquiry.  Posting the power point presentation to my blog demonstrates the Wrapping and the Waving part of the inquiry process.  The assessment of the project and the process (Wishing) will occur in the morning edition of this blog.

I am going to try to get my activity planner to post as an example of an organizational resource Google makes available.  My attempt was not successful which means that I need more information to get from Google docs to the blog.  I thought I would be able to address all the loose ends in this blog but there are a few left to address.  I will do that in the morning post.