How to teach the GPS to beginners?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lisa Louise Cooke on July 14, 2009 at 2:48pm

I think a great way to start is just by talking about it more. I covered the GPS on my podcast Family History: Genealogy Made Easy (Episode 20 featuring MARK! - and Episode 23 where I introduced the Research Worksheet) I actually did 2 worksheets - a blank one listeners could use, and an example worksheet all filled out. I think it's important to help folks see the GPS in action.

The more we incorporate it into our everyday jargon and vocabulary, the more naturally it will come. It would be nice to see some of the large sites like Ancestry and familysearch refer to it. Now that I think about it, I've never seen it mentioned. There must be a way to refer to it without it sounding daunting.

Thanks Mark for all you do to bring it the foreground. Lisa http://www.GenealogyGems.TV

Permalink Reply by Janet Hovorka on July 14, 2009 at 7:38pm

I'm using it in my class in a couple of weeks on "Good Research Practices in the day of New FamilySearch" at the BYU conference. Are you coming to the conference? Your chart is really the most fabulous way of explaining it to beginners I think. Keep up the good work.

Permalink Reply by Mark Tucker on July 14, 2009 at 9:26pm

I'll be there Thursday& Friday. I present on Friday at 1:30pm. It will be great to see you again. Thanks for the kind words.

Permalink Reply by Michael Hait on July 17, 2009 at 4:48pm

Your presentation is very good, Mark. I viewed it in SlideShare when you first posted it last year (?) and again after some revisions.

I have struggled with this myself. You read my column on the GPS, Mark. I think true understanding of the GPS only comes with the insight of experience, but (like any good Catch-22) you want beginners to gain their experience while using the GPS.

I am very interested to see how others teach this.

Lisa - I remember your podcasts with Mark, but don't remember the worksheets. Could you post the link so that others (as well as myself) could see it again?

Permalink Reply by Sue McCormick on October 31, 2009 at 8:20pm

Although I came to genealogy knowing that to be useful, genealogical research must be "scholarly," as a raw beginner, I haven't known a lot about going about it. I didn't see this group when I first joined Genealogy Wise; I would have joined when you started it.

I bought Christine Rose's book sometime this year, and have been working to apply it to my work. Telling researchers about such resources is part of how you teach us beginners to use it. I'm sure that my attempts to apply GPS will improve with time, but the fact that I know about it and can try to apply it, gives me a head start on beginners who "don't have a clue."

The structured chat room talks help us to learn about practices such as GPS (even those which may not mention it by name). The chart which Mark has supplied will be a help to me. I can use it along with the Christine Rose's book, to improve my practices.

Just some musings from a beginner.

Sue

Permalink Reply by msualumni on November 8, 2009 at 7:53pm

I teach an advanced class at the local community college. The first time I taught it, I covered the GPS in class 1, and everybody's eyes glazed over;) I have since moved it to Class 5, and it is received much more charitably--after we've covered many of the steps in other classes. I also found that working through an example or case study, helped the students to understand and see how it's applied.