Pinterest
This week I have had opportunity to look at many Family History related websites, video tutorials, manuals, and blogs. The one thing that has impressed me is that sometimes we can get ourselves in a complete state of information overload.
The Genealogy Community is vast and there is so much to learn. It is never-ending and completely in flux all the time. For me I want to learn it all and that is just pretty unrealistic as there are not enough years left of life, or hours in the day for this to happen.
This week I have been thinking about all the big database websites. Ancestry.com in particular. I found that James Tanner and Crista Cowan had tutorials on videos at Youtube.com that made me think quite a bit. In Crista's video entitled, Using Ancestry.com Like a Pro Found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVra2bQZp0g She discusses something very basic. How do you start?
This is a slide from her video presentation. I want to reference it in a slightly different way than she does in the video itself. She is talking of course about how do I search and find what I want on a person I am working on. What is my formula or methodology that I will use to get what I need.
She says her #1 goal is to have a Big Focus with a Small Goal. This struck a cord with me. Sometimes in my mind I feel like I have a giant snowball nipping at my heels as I'm running down the backside that hill that most of us are over. There is so much to do, so much to learn, so much to teach that it wakes me up at 2:00 in the morning and my mind will not stop thinking about how I can possible do it all. Please tell me I am not the only one that this happens to on a semi regular basis!
This week I also saw a quote that said, " If you cannot teach what you have learned to a six year old you don't quite fully understand it yet". Does this ever happen to you when you are working with a patron? In your mind you think you do understand something but when you try to explain it you realize something crucial is still missing for you. Other times when you try to explain something to a patron you actually realize you do understand it more than you thought you did. Teaching is one of the best ways to know what you know. This concept was taught by Stephen Covey years ago and is so true.
Crista goes on to talk about the method she uses of clarifying some of these concepts by making lists, actually answered each of the questions above in detail before she even begins to search for actual records on Ancestry. Sometimes we just dive in too soon without having a plan. We just want to find a record, attach it and be done. We miss the important step of Big Focus/Small Goal. We are in too much of a hurry, we don't always analyze what we find as we should. We miss the whole point if we stop short of analysis. Or if we just grab something random and try running off to the temple to do a name. There is so much more to this whole process than that.
The other problem we have is we sometimes forget to read the instructions before we start to assemble something. Each website is different not only in content but in methodology. How does this database search for what I need? James Tanner has done multiple blogposts and videos on each of the big website and each time they are a little different. They change and improve all the time. Here is his basic one on Ancestry.com that just came out recently on Youtube: Making the Most of Ancestry.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5sxYUvtNE8
We might ask what do I know? How do I know it? Then ask what do I want to know? Where can I find it? We should also remember that we should not run faster than we are able. Just do a little bit at a time and eventually you accumulate something of value. Consistency is best and then practice. Then teach. Be patient with yourself, other people and continuous changes. It is a long process.
Explore your resources and take it one day at a time. Sometimes the Big Focus is we just want to get it all done. The better little goal is to do it consistently and methodically and patiently and get it right each time. Keep learning and be patient. Family History is never going to be done. The lesson learned about the tortoise and the hare seems applicable here.
Avail yourself of what is already out there that can help you achieve your goals. Never rest on your laurels or stop learning.
This week I also saw a quote that said, " If you cannot teach what you have learned to a six year old you don't quite fully understand it yet". Does this ever happen to you when you are working with a patron? In your mind you think you do understand something but when you try to explain it you realize something crucial is still missing for you. Other times when you try to explain something to a patron you actually realize you do understand it more than you thought you did. Teaching is one of the best ways to know what you know. This concept was taught by Stephen Covey years ago and is so true.
Crista goes on to talk about the method she uses of clarifying some of these concepts by making lists, actually answered each of the questions above in detail before she even begins to search for actual records on Ancestry. Sometimes we just dive in too soon without having a plan. We just want to find a record, attach it and be done. We miss the important step of Big Focus/Small Goal. We are in too much of a hurry, we don't always analyze what we find as we should. We miss the whole point if we stop short of analysis. Or if we just grab something random and try running off to the temple to do a name. There is so much more to this whole process than that.
The other problem we have is we sometimes forget to read the instructions before we start to assemble something. Each website is different not only in content but in methodology. How does this database search for what I need? James Tanner has done multiple blogposts and videos on each of the big website and each time they are a little different. They change and improve all the time. Here is his basic one on Ancestry.com that just came out recently on Youtube: Making the Most of Ancestry.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5sxYUvtNE8
We might ask what do I know? How do I know it? Then ask what do I want to know? Where can I find it? We should also remember that we should not run faster than we are able. Just do a little bit at a time and eventually you accumulate something of value. Consistency is best and then practice. Then teach. Be patient with yourself, other people and continuous changes. It is a long process.
Explore your resources and take it one day at a time. Sometimes the Big Focus is we just want to get it all done. The better little goal is to do it consistently and methodically and patiently and get it right each time. Keep learning and be patient. Family History is never going to be done. The lesson learned about the tortoise and the hare seems applicable here.
Avail yourself of what is already out there that can help you achieve your goals. Never rest on your laurels or stop learning.
No comments:
Post a Comment