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.  



    

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.

World Book

Question 1
     I choose the koala to research.  The information in World Book Kids was very age appropriate for the lower elementary grades.  It also gave a valuable introduction as a student moves into World Book Student.
     I am teaching research and writing to a second grade class.  World Book Kids was an awesome introduction to research using a computer.

Question 2
     World Book Student gives a student a choice of articles that would enhance a research project.  I found many links that allowed me to expand my koala subject.  For example, it showed a link to marsupials.  The side bars offered maps, graphs, and tables.  It allows a much more detailed study of a subject.  A student can choose to move into selected areas of his or her main topic,
     I was also excited to see how to cite the articles at the bottom of the page.  A great way to teach that research tool.

Question 3
     Using the World Book Advanced, I researched Australia.  There were maps, research guides, videos, and timelines.  It was very easy to navigate. 

Question 4
     The ability to hear and read selections in at least 30 different languages would make World
Book Discovery an important tool for ESL students as fell as foreign language classes.
     Being able to check comprehension through questions, look up instant lesson plans, and check content standards would enable any teacher to use this in the classroom.