During this experience, I feel that I have learned a lot about researching and finding reliable sources that will be helpful as a future educator. I discovered a lot of blogs and different websites from JSTOR, as well as ERIC, that were actually interesting to read. Normally during a research project, searching for resources is boring because I am not interested in the topic and do not want to read them. However, during this project I actually enjoyed the research because I was reading about something I was interested in and I knew would be useful to me. I found success in understanding Gardner’s multiple intelligences and learning how to apply them to a lesson plan.

A challenge I did face at first was finding reliable resources. I found resources like articles online but those did not count as good articles. Then when I searched on JSTOR and ERIC, I found things like blog posts and journal entries from teachers discussing Gardner’s intelligences, as well as things they see as important to a lesson plan. The book I’m working with, The Dot, I found easily and was able to connect it to Gardner’s intelligences without a problem. I would really only say I faced challenges when it came to finding resources. Citing them in APA style on the last post was something I have not done in a while but did not find it challenging to do. I learned that the author of the book The Dot, Peter Reynolds, has actually influenced many educators and is known for his creativity. The book seems so simple but when I researched it, and the author, more, I discovered that you can find a deeper meaning in multiple parts of the story. Children’s books can seem so simple and silly when you first read them but if you research more you can find underlying lessons. Overall, I would say I have not struggled too much with this project but have actually been enjoying doing the research and finding out new information. Not to say it wasn’t a challenge and I had no frustrations whatsoever, but I had enjoyable moments which made these blog posts and the final project much less painful.