Erin’s Journal
Monday 12/3
Susannah and I looked on the St. Andrews databases and found nothing on the assigned bacteria. We both talked to Ms. Jansen and we were informed that we would have to use the free web. Susannah emailed me asking if I had any luck with the researching on the St. Andrews databases. I responded saying that I had gotten no information on the St. Andrews databases and that we should as a teacher about what we should do and if we would have to use the free web. We were informed that we would have to use the free web.
I started to look and nothing is on the free web. In between the few that I am able to use the rest are websites I am unable to use. In the future I believe someoneshould update the databases so in the furture if the ninth graders have to do this project they will not have as much trouble as the class of '11. Susannah and I emailed each other the rest of the day, talking about how we were supposed to get an A on this so called 'fun' project. We agreed we would have to make the best of it and hope for the best.
Tuesday 12/4
I started to look on the free web using Google searching “Leuconostoc mesenteroides” and “about leuconostoc mesenteroides”. I found one valid sentence about the shape and the how it travels in chains. The rest of the information on the website was unnecessary and I could not use to for my research. I researched for about a half an hour more and found nothing else to use for the bacteria. I either get a website having nothing to do with what I searched or I found the same thing for every website which is exactly one sentence.
Today I've come to the conclusion that I realized that this project wouldn't be any kind of fun. I've already not been able to get on to the wiki, so I'm making the whole journal on a word document and probably will attach it on the end. Everytime I research the bacteria nothing valid comes up.
Wednesday 12/5
I researched different topics about the bacteria and found nothing. I heard to try and research with quotes so I attempted it. I searched “Leuconostoc mesenteroides” “Leuconostoc” and “structure Leuconostoc mesenteroides”. I found a couple things about it like the phylum and kingdom but nothing else. Most of the cites I clicked on took me to something else that didn’t have to do with the bacteria. I emailed Susannah and asked if she was getting anything good on the bacteria project. I found out that she was getting the same luck with the researching as I was. So I emailed her back and said that tomorrow we should talk to Ms. Jansen about the project and that we weren’t finding enough information. She agreed.
I started to search the topics on the bacteria. For example, Leuconostoc Mesenteroides is a gram positive bacteria, So I would search gram positive. I got a lot of information using this method. I told Susannah about this method and we both used it to our advantage. I decided to work on my project every day during my free period unless I have a test to study for. This is probably going to be the easiest way to finish the project.
Thursday 12/6
This project is frustrating. I can’t seem to find any information on my assigned bacteria. So I emailed Mrs. Rassmusen about helping Susannah and I with our research. While in my free period I noticed Sarah Doonan had the same bacteria as Susannah and I. I asked her if she could give me any ideas about where to find information on her bacteria and if her partner and she were having the same amount of luck as Susannah and I. She said she could give me ideas and where to look for better information. I emailed Susannah to tell her about the researching help.
This new information helped Susannah and I a lot. We also found out some new ways to search for information and new ways to make our website more attractive. Cause you can totally make information about bacteria attractive and interesting. I just love added on stress to the already stressful world of St. Andrews. I started to search pictures and videos too. I found one video of the bacteria but it had some guy talking in Japenese for the first ten minutes of it. Susannah and I do not speak Japenese neither does 99% of St. Andrews.
Weekend 12/7- 12/9
This weekend I searched for a lot of information, pictures, and videos. Some luck with information, none with pictures and videos. I searched Leuconotoc Mesenteroides on google and a picture of a baby came up. Wow. What does a baby have anything to do with bacteria named Leuconostoc Mesenteroides. Then I went on youtube and found more Japenese videos of some guy talking about nothing. I do not think I will have any luck with the videos of the bacteria. Also, everytime I search pictures I get the same picture. I am thinking about searching the fermentation of pickles or something along those lines to get a video or pictures.
Tuesday we will get time in class to work on our project. I will talk to Susannah then about searching for the fermentation of pickles and things of that nature. I worked on my project mostly on Saturday morning because I had previous engagments that I had to go to Sunday. This will talk up most of my day. Hopefully when I research more I'll get no more pictures of babies and Japenese men.
Monday 12/10
Today Ms. Jansen came and talked to us today about the project. Tomorrow we will have time in class to work on the bacteria. We found our bacteria was used for the fermentation of pickles, so on youtube I searched the fermentation of pickles. Susannah and I found some intresting. Today was supposed to be that last day of researching, but with the luck we are having I do not think this will be the case. Hopefully tomorrow, since we have time in class to work, will be that last day. We are trying our best to follow the timeline.
I really would like to follow the timeline and stay organized the best I can. Susannah and I really need to start brainstorming how we are going to make the wiki more intresting. The directions say that we will have to go above and beyond in order to make an A on this project. Maybe we will make a quiz or a game.
Tuesday 12/11
We worked on our project today in class. We both had time to brainstorm how to make the wiki intresting. We decided to make a quiz for everyone in the class to take after our presentation. Since we did not want everyone to hate us we agreed to make the quiz super, super easy. While in class we both did a lot of researching. We had to make up the last week of barely finding any reserch. We finished up most of the research and said tomorrow that we would pick the skin for the wiki and make the quiz tomorrow.
We talked to Ms. Tucker and got some tips on researching and making the project 'above and beyond'. We also made the questions for the quiz today, so tomorrow all we have to do is type it up and make it pretty. I finshed up a whole bunch of research. So tonight rest and working on my lab.
Wednesday 12/12
Susannah and I worked on the project during lunch today. We added some decoration and found a video. We also added a quiz as one of our ‘above and beyond’ elements. We found two decorative skins we really liked and could not decide on which one to pick. So, we decided to flip a coin. But neither Susannah nor I had a coin. So we flipped my Stephen King book and decided on the purple skin. I finished my research today and I pretty sure Susannah will be finished shortly. I have my journal just the way I want it. It has extremely, clear, vivid detail about the things I did and all the topics I researched.
I have yet to put the journal on the wiki. I am going to put the finished product on the wiki along with the organized copy of my notes. We’re not too sure were to put the video or the quiz on the wiki. We are thinking the home page
Thursday 12/13
Today, I lost my entire journal. My computer saved something over it and the entire thing was lost. After I freaked out for about an hour, I asked my brother-in-law for help. He is really into computers and he tried to find my lost document. He found it, but the computer said the document was corrupt and could not retrieve it. I emailed Ms. Jansen telling her what happened and asking her if there would be any way to retrieve it back.
I also called a friend of my fathers who is good with computers. She tried a lot and even offered to drive from her north Austin home to my south Austin home. I did not want to inconvenience her and considering it was 9:00 at night I did not want her to have to drive down for a probably lost cause. I thanked her and then freaked out some more. It was about 10:00 now and I did not want to email Ms. Rasmussen or Ms. Tucker, so I decided to tell them what happened tomorrow. I thought this would be the best idea considering I was crying my eyes out and having a meltdown.
Friday 12/ 14
When I came to school today, I had biology first period. I told Ms. Rasmussen what had happened and asked what I should do. I told her about all the people that tried to help me and I also told her about emailing Ms. Jansen. She told me to go talk to Ms. Jansen once my partner got to class. When Susannah got to class, I took my computer and went to the library to talk to Ms. Jansen. I was pretty sure there would not be any way to retrieve the document back, but maybe Ms. Jansen knew some way to get it back. She didn’t. Great. So for the rest of the day, I’m going to have to spend my free period and any spare time I have re-doing my journal.
Anytime I got today I spent trying to finish my journal. I did not want to waste my weekend by re-doing the journal because I needed my weekend time to put the finishing touching on the project. My free period, my Acting I class, and the time after my English test was all dedicating to finishing my project. Even my lunch period was spent trying to finish my journal in time. Today was probably the most stressful of the whole project. Before today I was sure that we would be fine and we got possibly make an A. But after today, I’m not sure anymore. I really, really did not want Susannah’s grade to suffer because of something my computer had done and something I had to resolve.
Weekend 12/15- 12/16
(Saturday) On Saturday I finished the last day of my journal. SUCCESS!! I made sure to save, save, and save again not to lose this copy of my journal. I was not sure how Susannah was doing so I choose to call her and see when she wanted to meet up this weekend to finish and email our project to Ms. Rasmussen. I called her but she did not answer. So I left a message asking when she wanted to meet up whether she wanted to meet up today or Sunday. I finished my part, I am pretty sure she has finished hers. So all we need to do is meet up and put the finishing touches on the project. ALMOST DONE!!!!
(Sunday) Today after church I went to my fathers office for the wireless connection. I called Susannah and we talked about the finished product. We both added a lot of stuff over the weekend and were almost done. I needed to add some more sources and a little more information then we were done! As soon as I add more information then I will send the finished product to Ms. Rasmussen. This project was very stressful, but it allowed me to open the doors of my creative side. Thank you Susannah for being the best partner ever!
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