The Gale Reference Library is a wonderful tool for small school or public libraries. I chose the American Civil War Reference Library and went to biographies. I was interested in Winslow Homer and found a great biography about him. What I liked the most was the bibliography at the end which would help with further research. In that same vein, the left sidebar offers a guide to related subjects. As I said, this is an invaluable aid to libraries with limited research collections.
Using the "Basic Search", I was able to find out about zinc through The Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health. Another great research tool. When typing in Huckleberry Finn, I found
54 essays. Using the sidebar and clicking on Critical Essays, I narrowed it down to 46 essays. After each title, there is a description of what can be found in that essay (ie: topic, overview, glossary, biography personal account or excerpts). Great resources.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Lesson 4 Proquest
Using Proquest, I searched for articles on diabetes. There were 119,812 articles. Finding that just a little overwhelming, I went to Suggested Topics and narrowed it down to diabetes and risk factors. Finally I was able to filter it down to Metabolic Ssyndrome. It was extremely helpful to have the topic suggestions.
I found a kindred spirit in the blog by Gentle Reader. As she said, "this has been the most challenging part of this challenge". When she discussed Filia's blog, I went there and read a different viewpoint. It is nice to get diverse opinions in any subject. Seeing something from another perspective, is always valuable.
In the periodical section of Proquest, I typed in library and went to "Library Journal". I choose the future of E Books in the library. It was interesting to read about a subject that is causing debate in school libraries. I enjoyed this feature of ProQuest, as I am a new Librarian and often need professional advice that I can now find in many publications. I can see myself using the publication part of Proquest quite frequently.
I found a kindred spirit in the blog by Gentle Reader. As she said, "this has been the most challenging part of this challenge". When she discussed Filia's blog, I went there and read a different viewpoint. It is nice to get diverse opinions in any subject. Seeing something from another perspective, is always valuable.
In the periodical section of Proquest, I typed in library and went to "Library Journal". I choose the future of E Books in the library. It was interesting to read about a subject that is causing debate in school libraries. I enjoyed this feature of ProQuest, as I am a new Librarian and often need professional advice that I can now find in many publications. I can see myself using the publication part of Proquest quite frequently.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Lesson 3
SIRS Discoverer is a great site for all levels of students to do a research paper using articles from magazines and newspapers. I liked the idea it is divided into reading levels. For the younger elementary, it may be frustrating when they read an article and it mentions a picture that is not attached. As a whole, it offers students many options when researching; much more than a small school library can offer on site.
A wonderful feature in this site is the way it shows how to cite an article in a research paper.
In using the "Database Features" on the SIRS Discoverer, I explored the Czech Republic. In starting the research, I found a very good thumbnail sketch of the country with pertinent facts and a timelime. From there, you move on to articles about the country. It is a very good introduction to a country. While exploring this site, I found the graphic organizers and printed them out to have as an "on-hand" resource when teaching writing and research to the elementary classes.
Moving on to the "Maps of the World", I found British Columbia. The physical map showed water forms, land forms, and National Parks. These would also be very valuable to any research or country unit in the classroom.
Another "Database Feature" I selected was the Fiction section. It offered many good short stories with pictures. Each story showed the reading level, the source, and a summary of the story. It would be a valuable cite for teachers and students to find supplemental reading.
In the "Leading Issue" section of SIRS Issues Researcher, I chose Child Abuse. It gave a great overview of the subject with a clear definition. From there, I moved on to the Pros/Cons questions which gave articles relating to both viewpoints. I was able to find statistics, relevant terms, and additional resources. The event timeline in articles was very informational.
The "iThink Interactive Research Tutor is a great tool to train and reinforce all aspects of writing a Pro and Con essay. It would be very helpful to help with organizational skills.
SIRS Issues Researcher and Discoverer are two very valuable tools in developing research and writing skills in students. They are also important resources for teachers and librarians as they offer ideas, training and materials that are often times limited in school libraries. There are a lot of areas I need to explore and share with my colleagues.
A wonderful feature in this site is the way it shows how to cite an article in a research paper.
In using the "Database Features" on the SIRS Discoverer, I explored the Czech Republic. In starting the research, I found a very good thumbnail sketch of the country with pertinent facts and a timelime. From there, you move on to articles about the country. It is a very good introduction to a country. While exploring this site, I found the graphic organizers and printed them out to have as an "on-hand" resource when teaching writing and research to the elementary classes.
Moving on to the "Maps of the World", I found British Columbia. The physical map showed water forms, land forms, and National Parks. These would also be very valuable to any research or country unit in the classroom.
Another "Database Feature" I selected was the Fiction section. It offered many good short stories with pictures. Each story showed the reading level, the source, and a summary of the story. It would be a valuable cite for teachers and students to find supplemental reading.
In the "Leading Issue" section of SIRS Issues Researcher, I chose Child Abuse. It gave a great overview of the subject with a clear definition. From there, I moved on to the Pros/Cons questions which gave articles relating to both viewpoints. I was able to find statistics, relevant terms, and additional resources. The event timeline in articles was very informational.
The "iThink Interactive Research Tutor is a great tool to train and reinforce all aspects of writing a Pro and Con essay. It would be very helpful to help with organizational skills.
SIRS Issues Researcher and Discoverer are two very valuable tools in developing research and writing skills in students. They are also important resources for teachers and librarians as they offer ideas, training and materials that are often times limited in school libraries. There are a lot of areas I need to explore and share with my colleagues.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Lesson 2
I choose the GED Reading Practice and found it very easy to understand and answer questions. I believe the tips on test taking would be very helpful to a student taking these types of test. The best part of this was that I was able to introduce Learning Express and the available exams to the Guidance Counselor, the Test and Data Specialist, and the Elementary Principal. All seemed thrilled with what was offered.
I examined the Job Search and Networking Course. This was very informative and was easy to follow. I found the sidebar which outlines the course and records what you have already done very useful. The step-by-step tutorial would be invaluable to a job hunter. I especially like the suggested web sites for job searches.
I tried two career choices in the career topic section, but neither showed any results ( Museum Curator and Historical Researcher, my daughter's chosen field). I moved on to the The eBooks and found the Teacher Career Starter. It was very informative and I could see where a career center would find this very useful.
There are many and varied resources in the Learning Express Library. Not only would this be an invaluable tool in schools, but I can see it be used in public libraries, career centers, and in home schooling to name a few.
I examined the Job Search and Networking Course. This was very informative and was easy to follow. I found the sidebar which outlines the course and records what you have already done very useful. The step-by-step tutorial would be invaluable to a job hunter. I especially like the suggested web sites for job searches.
I tried two career choices in the career topic section, but neither showed any results ( Museum Curator and Historical Researcher, my daughter's chosen field). I moved on to the The eBooks and found the Teacher Career Starter. It was very informative and I could see where a career center would find this very useful.
There are many and varied resources in the Learning Express Library. Not only would this be an invaluable tool in schools, but I can see it be used in public libraries, career centers, and in home schooling to name a few.
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