Watching

I love inquiries.  I used to drive my parents crazy with the number of questions I would ask in a day.  A personal motto that I frequently use is that I try to learn a little about everything and a lot about select things, all while discovering how much I don't know.  I also like to "connect the dots" or notice the little ways that everything is interrelated.  I'm excited to launch into this inquiry, but picking a topic was certainly a challenge.  Here are some things I considered:

• Italy.  I'm traveling there in June(!), and I would like to learn about the country ahead of time so that I am best prepared to take in the experience.
• The Trans-Siberian Railway.  I love train rides, and Siberia has always seemed mystical and fascinating to me.  On my way to school the last couple weeks, I've been listening to a series by reporter David Greene on NPR's Morning Edition as he rides the railway across Siberia.  It is a trip I think I would like to make someday.
• The poetry of Robert Frost.  Sometimes I joke to myself that I will never find a husband because Robert Frost was my soulmate.  Yet there are so many of his poems that I haven't taken time to discover yet.
• I fought the urge to choose a topic that I could apply to my library job right now, but I would like to learn more about integrating tablet computers into library skill instruction.
• My school is beginning a campaign to better utilize the Accelerated Reader program.  I am currently trying to label all of the books in the library with reading level and AR quiz number, but I would also like to find time to research ways to implement an AR-based reading incentive program that will be effective yet not put too much emphasis on competition or extrinsic reward.
• Finally, I have been thinking about karate.  I have studied karate for two years, and I promoted to brown belt two days ago.  I am on track to promote to black belt in November.  I'm not entirely sure why I started studying karate, but I was back home after graduating from college, bored, and in need of exercise.  The Shihan (master teacher) at our local dojo is an elder at my church and longtime family friend.  I talked to him about starting karate lessons on a whim and have been going to classes ever since.  I enjoy it a lot.  I feel more confident as a result of the self-defense techniques I have learned, and the katas remind me of the choreography of dance routines from my younger days of studying tap and ballet.  However, I frequently feel as though I don't have the proper motivation or focus of a good karate student.  I'm interested in learning more about the history of karate and its purposes throughout its history as an art form.  I also started thinking about the student creed: 

"I will build true confidence through faith in the Lord, knowledge of the mind, honesty of the heart, and strength of the body.  I will offer friendship to others and strive to build a strong community.  I will, as a black belt, win the battle within myself and never fight to achieve selfish ends."

-Frank Harness, Karate U.S.A

It is so easy to say those words at the end of every class yet not really think about what I am saying.  I experience the same phenomenon at school when we say the Pledge of Allegiance and even sometimes at church when we say prayers or sing hymns that I know by heart.  That thought process led me to determine the focus for my inquiry.  I would like to study the historical basis of creeds, pledges, and mission statements and examine their meaning and role in society.  I will look at examples from organizations, nations/governments, educational institutions, professions, and religions.  Ultimately, I hope to produce a personal creed that encompasses all aspects of my life- spiritual, physical, intellectual, and professional.