I think the biggest finds for me this year were Sirs Discoverer E-books and I also found many new e-resources on Gale Virtual Reference Library that I didn't know about. I also learned about some new features in the Advanced search methods that I hadn't used before. I have already put some of these finding in use as we have started our literary analysis papers in the junior and senior classes.
I will continue to promote these resources whenever I can. I work with most of our ELA classes throught the year. I try to connect with other teachers as well in using the resources.
I am also setting up a foreign-language station that will utilize the Mango database in using language resources.
A lot of wonderful resources!
Monday, March 17, 2014
Lesson 9
Ancestry Library
1. For finding the sister ships of the Titanic, I went into the advanced search and typed in a keyword search for "Titanic Sister Ship." I then selected the Ship Pictures and Descriptions category. I came up with 3 results with pictures and descriptions: The Titanic, The Majestic which was actually a replacement ship for the Titanic, and the Olympic which was a sister ship. I googled sister ships for the Titanic to double check and came up with the Olympic and the Britannic. However when searching on Ancestry I could not verify that the Britannic was the sister ship so conflicting information there.
For the Hindenburg search, I again went into the advanced search and searched for Hindenburg. On the left I limited the search to Newspapers and Publications, so 436 results. I selected the tab at the top for categories and noticed they were arrange by dates. I selected the time period for 1937 and had it limited to 42 results. I scrolled through the results. Many of these were images from newspapers of survivors, testimony, etc.
Heritage Quest
I searched in heritage quest for Lac Qui Parle County, MN, where I grew up. I searched books, census and the Persi for places. I had many results of interest. There were books about the Sioux or Dakota Uprising and I recognized many names in the census. In the Persi there appeared to be many results of interest, but it seems you have to request the article in order see it? Anyway, only the citations appeared. There were many on the school district and Indian Mission but again just the citation for it, not the actual article.
1. For finding the sister ships of the Titanic, I went into the advanced search and typed in a keyword search for "Titanic Sister Ship." I then selected the Ship Pictures and Descriptions category. I came up with 3 results with pictures and descriptions: The Titanic, The Majestic which was actually a replacement ship for the Titanic, and the Olympic which was a sister ship. I googled sister ships for the Titanic to double check and came up with the Olympic and the Britannic. However when searching on Ancestry I could not verify that the Britannic was the sister ship so conflicting information there.
For the Hindenburg search, I again went into the advanced search and searched for Hindenburg. On the left I limited the search to Newspapers and Publications, so 436 results. I selected the tab at the top for categories and noticed they were arrange by dates. I selected the time period for 1937 and had it limited to 42 results. I scrolled through the results. Many of these were images from newspapers of survivors, testimony, etc.
Heritage Quest
I searched in heritage quest for Lac Qui Parle County, MN, where I grew up. I searched books, census and the Persi for places. I had many results of interest. There were books about the Sioux or Dakota Uprising and I recognized many names in the census. In the Persi there appeared to be many results of interest, but it seems you have to request the article in order see it? Anyway, only the citations appeared. There were many on the school district and Indian Mission but again just the citation for it, not the actual article.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Lesson 8: World Cat
1. World Cat: I used the Advanced Search and put in "Martin Luther" not "King". I also used the sub-type limiters to request a juvenile book and not fiction. I limited the type to books. I also sorted by date and just looked at the more recent ones at first. I found several such as Martin Luther: man who changed the world which was at Brookings Public Library and Martin Luther: father of the reformation which was at Watertown Public Library.
Graphic novels: After a little trial and error, I ended up putting in Graphic novels in the genre/form field and classics in the keyword field and not Garfield to eliminate those. I ended up with over 500 classics graphic novels. I would choose Count of Monte Cristo published by Papercutz.
With My Fair Lady search, I entered "My Fair Lady" as a title phrase and limited it to a musical score. I had over 500 results. I chose the third result and the ascension # was 26429906.
2. Camio--I tried the different search terms and then used the limiters on the side for the dates and browsed through the results for the 1831-1902 time period.
Graphic novels: After a little trial and error, I ended up putting in Graphic novels in the genre/form field and classics in the keyword field and not Garfield to eliminate those. I ended up with over 500 classics graphic novels. I would choose Count of Monte Cristo published by Papercutz.
With My Fair Lady search, I entered "My Fair Lady" as a title phrase and limited it to a musical score. I had over 500 results. I chose the third result and the ascension # was 26429906.
2. Camio--I tried the different search terms and then used the limiters on the side for the dates and browsed through the results for the 1831-1902 time period.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Lesson 7: EbscoHost Ebooks
1. I tried out the advanced search feature first using South Dakota as a seaerch and browsing through books on hiking and Native Americans. Then I put in "Literature" as my search and then narrowed it down by subject such as African American authors, Race Relations, and Class in Literature. This source is helpful for my English Lit courses when they do their research papers. I did notice the "Most relevant pages" feature which I believe is new. That is helpful to look at those first.
I also played around with searches putting in Literature and 18th Century, etc. Limiting by category is helpful: "biographies, literary criticism," etc. Or, Literature and Surrealism; any of these will work for our research.
2. Fairy tale series: For this search, I put in Fairy Tales as a subject search in the advanced search and had 16 results. The author of the series is Andrew Lang and titles are Violet, Yellow, Blue, Red.
I also played around with searches putting in Literature and 18th Century, etc. Limiting by category is helpful: "biographies, literary criticism," etc. Or, Literature and Surrealism; any of these will work for our research.
2. Fairy tale series: For this search, I put in Fairy Tales as a subject search in the advanced search and had 16 results. The author of the series is Andrew Lang and titles are Violet, Yellow, Blue, Red.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Lesson 6: Gale Virtual Reference Library
Question 1: Spring Holidays Around the World
The Encyclopedia of Islam had the following:
Because it is believed to be a time of good luck, playing games of chance involving dice is popular among Indian men on Diwali. The goddess Parvati is said to bless those who gamble on this day with prosperity throughout the year.
It was very easy to get distracted and read and browse more than I should have, but well worth it!
a. Spring festival traditions in different countries:
I searched for "holidays" and then used the limiters on the left side such as cultural overviews, recipes, etc. I also tried selecting by publication title; choice included Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Junior Worldmark Ecyclopedia of Nations, and Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Holidays. And just searching for Holidays and then searching within for spring was effective.The Encyclopedia of Islam had the following:
NAWRUZ
Nawruz, literally "new day," is the Iranian holiday that celebrates the beginning of spring
I was also able to use the subject limiter and limit my search to holidays.
Another finding:
Rose Monday Parade in Cologne
The highlight of Karneval in Cologne,
Dusseldorf, and Mainz, Germany, is the Rose Monday Parade. The parade in
Cologne is the largest in Europe. It starts at 11:11 A.M.
on the Monday before Ash Wednesday and features floats, bands, and
groups of people masquerading as fools. More than seven thousand people
and three hundred horses participate in this procession. Those riding on
floats throw candy into the crowd lined up along the streets to watch
the parade.
And the Ukraine:
And the Ukraine:
Introduction
Easter, called Velykden (pronounced
vuh-LICK-den; Great Day), is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's most
important holiday. The celebrations combine modern innovations with
ancient traditions to render the holiday one of the most enjoyable of
the year. Ukraine is famous for its elaborately decorated Easter eggs.
b. Traditional Foods and their recipes:
I did my search much the same as for the above question. I used some of the same titles but also found the Worldmark Encyclopedia of Food & Recipes. I browsed through the titles quite a bit longer than I planned. Very interesting. I also tried searching under spring festivals and then limiting to food and recipes. The following for Ching Ming festival:Foods, Recipes
Cooked meals are most often offered to the
dead on Ching Ming, but some families keep an old custom called the Cold
Food Feast. This custom comes from an ancient story that restricts the
making of all household fires on the day before Ching Ming (see "Legend
of Cold Food Day" under "Folklore, Legends, Stories"). Because people
could not cook any food, they prepared cold meals that did not require
cooking. This feast once lasted for three days. Today, people place
foods such as uncooked rice and noodles and unpeeled fruit and
vegetables on the graves.
I also found the Easter holiday in Greece and a recipe for Easter honey pie or Melopitta.
I also found the Easter holiday in Greece and a recipe for Easter honey pie or Melopitta.
c. Spring festival games:
By this time, it was easy to find the information. Diwali is a spring festival in India:Because it is believed to be a time of good luck, playing games of chance involving dice is popular among Indian men on Diwali. The goddess Parvati is said to bless those who gamble on this day with prosperity throughout the year.
It was very easy to get distracted and read and browse more than I should have, but well worth it!
Lesson 5: Proquest
This search was very helpful since we are about to embark on our literary research in a few weeks. I must admit I don't use all of the limiters other than a few basic things. This particular search on Les Miserables took me a little trial and error. I started by just typing in Les Meserables and then trying out some of the limiters, but I found that I still had a ton of results with many still coming up with the Broadway play or musical. So I then typed in "Les Meserables novel" and that helped quite a lot. I still excluded many of the same things such as television show, movies, etc. and I also simply selected the tab for literary criticism which narrowed it down to about 117 articles and just looked at those. Anyway it helped to be able to eliminate those articles. I will definitely use this a lot in the coming weeks.
For the second question, I searched for "Hurricane Sandy" AND librar* and retrieved 480 results. I sorted the search by most recent date which were February 2014. I looked through a few of those and then I chose the subject limiters and included storm damage and chose reports for a source type.
I found articles that included how libraries and information centers are used as responses to extreme weather. Below is an excerpt:
The model pian, a one-page Library Service Continuity Plan, was adapted from the Councii of State Archivists' Pocket Response Plan (PReP) to be specific to libraries and information centers. The plan îs a template that contains space for everything a library needs to respond to a disaster. Libraries that complete 1he plan possess a very valuable response tool.
Another article discussed how thousands of books had to be discovered that were wet or moldy and it was cheaper to replace than try to preserve. With rarer books, money was needed to decontaminate them. Some libraries lost 80% of their collection. The insurance money could not even replace many of the books. Authors like Walter Dean Myers were making donations toward replacing books.
Another article mentioned how libraries were used as shelters in areas. And one where urban librarians were creating mini libraries:
Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) collected more than 20,000 children's books to help replace library collections damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The library advocacy and support group, founded by 2012 LJ Mover & Shaker Christian Zabriskie, also placed Mini Libraries in front of libraries that were closed by storm damage in Queens and Brooklyn.
I was interested in this topic as I had visited NYC shortly after Sandy and saw some of the devastation.
For the second question, I searched for "Hurricane Sandy" AND librar* and retrieved 480 results. I sorted the search by most recent date which were February 2014. I looked through a few of those and then I chose the subject limiters and included storm damage and chose reports for a source type.
I found articles that included how libraries and information centers are used as responses to extreme weather. Below is an excerpt:
The model pian, a one-page Library Service Continuity Plan, was adapted from the Councii of State Archivists' Pocket Response Plan (PReP) to be specific to libraries and information centers. The plan îs a template that contains space for everything a library needs to respond to a disaster. Libraries that complete 1he plan possess a very valuable response tool.
Another article discussed how thousands of books had to be discovered that were wet or moldy and it was cheaper to replace than try to preserve. With rarer books, money was needed to decontaminate them. Some libraries lost 80% of their collection. The insurance money could not even replace many of the books. Authors like Walter Dean Myers were making donations toward replacing books.
Another article mentioned how libraries were used as shelters in areas. And one where urban librarians were creating mini libraries:
Urban Librarians Unite (ULU) collected more than 20,000 children's books to help replace library collections damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The library advocacy and support group, founded by 2012 LJ Mover & Shaker Christian Zabriskie, also placed Mini Libraries in front of libraries that were closed by storm damage in Queens and Brooklyn.
I was interested in this topic as I had visited NYC shortly after Sandy and saw some of the devastation.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Lesson 4: Sirs Discoverer, Sirs Researcher
Sirs Discoverer: This has been my favorite database this year. I like the new features with the non-fiction books, current events, activities, etc. I have been using this with both elementary and middle-school students. For the third grader I would use the advanced search and search by Lexile levels. I also checked the easy level so the easiest articles would be returned with Lexiles from lowest to highest. With the search of the solar system I received some very easy basic articles and gradually rose in lexile level. There were reading comprehension questions and activities or lessons with most of the articles.
I also just noticed the export to Easy Bib feature. Although our kids usually use Word to create their bibliographies I like the feature.
When searching for maps and images of volcanoes, I entered volcanoes as my search term and then clicked on the graphics tab; I had 141 images containing pictures, maps, charts and so on.
I also tried clicking on pictures in the database tab and then typing in my search. I received 109 results this way. I'm not sure why the difference but both bring a lot of relevant results.
Sirs Researcher:
When I use Sirs Researcher I usually look at the leading issues to determine if I can find my topic there. I think this is a good beginning point and gives me an overview of what the database has on the topic. I then read the overview or At Issue summary, then the perspective or pro & con perspectives. Then I look for relevant articles on the topic.
For the suicide topic I also noticed an interactive link in the corner and I clicked on that. There were all kinds of links and resources for both teens and parents. There was also an interactive flash titled Why Me? available.
I've always liked the SIRS products and encourage my students to use them. I do use google for quick overviews of things, but when I'm conducting research I usually go to the databases. When I googled teen suicide prevention I had to wade through a few sites before getting to the same information that I found on Sirs Researcher. Much of the time with google, there are so many yahoo or ask.com sites that are just not releable. I'm glad we have so many resources at our fingertips.
In the case of the drought and water issue I found the leading issue of Water Use. I read through the summary and the pro/con feature articles, plus the articles found below. Many of those articles could be used. I also searched for water use, drought, and water prevention. I always make sure I notice the subject descriptors under the articles. That way I found water policy, water conservation, water pollution law and legislation, etc.
I also just noticed the export to Easy Bib feature. Although our kids usually use Word to create their bibliographies I like the feature.
When searching for maps and images of volcanoes, I entered volcanoes as my search term and then clicked on the graphics tab; I had 141 images containing pictures, maps, charts and so on.
I also tried clicking on pictures in the database tab and then typing in my search. I received 109 results this way. I'm not sure why the difference but both bring a lot of relevant results.
Sirs Researcher:
When I use Sirs Researcher I usually look at the leading issues to determine if I can find my topic there. I think this is a good beginning point and gives me an overview of what the database has on the topic. I then read the overview or At Issue summary, then the perspective or pro & con perspectives. Then I look for relevant articles on the topic.
For the suicide topic I also noticed an interactive link in the corner and I clicked on that. There were all kinds of links and resources for both teens and parents. There was also an interactive flash titled Why Me? available.
I've always liked the SIRS products and encourage my students to use them. I do use google for quick overviews of things, but when I'm conducting research I usually go to the databases. When I googled teen suicide prevention I had to wade through a few sites before getting to the same information that I found on Sirs Researcher. Much of the time with google, there are so many yahoo or ask.com sites that are just not releable. I'm glad we have so many resources at our fingertips.
In the case of the drought and water issue I found the leading issue of Water Use. I read through the summary and the pro/con feature articles, plus the articles found below. Many of those articles could be used. I also searched for water use, drought, and water prevention. I always make sure I notice the subject descriptors under the articles. That way I found water policy, water conservation, water pollution law and legislation, etc.
Lesson 3 Learning Express
In using Learning Express for the fourth grader I found many reading comprehension practice skills. There were different types of reading such as poetry, informational, persuasive, general, following directions, etc. I think these practice exercises would be helpful for reading teachers or special ed teachers that are working with students in small groups or one to one.
For the recent HS grad interested in an office manager job and how to improve their skills, I would show the Adult Learning Center and the section on Improving your writing, speaking, and grammar. There is a section on Building Your Workplace Skills, tutorials, practice writing exercises. There were even several ebooks that could be used. The tutorials included lessons on writing various business documents, getting organized, writing without mistakes, etc.
For the student needing help with careers I went to the career center and there was a section under Learning About Careers. There was a section on nursing and two ebooks: one on Becoming a Nurse and the other on Spanish/English terms. The latter had sections on how to communicate with patients, basic Spanish words, phrases, and grammar. I didn't find a lot on the Pharmacy career, only a little in the Allied Health area. However, for both careers the students could look at the entrance exams.
Overall, I think this program is a nice companion to our careers library. The careers section, ebooks, and college prep sections will be very useful.
For the recent HS grad interested in an office manager job and how to improve their skills, I would show the Adult Learning Center and the section on Improving your writing, speaking, and grammar. There is a section on Building Your Workplace Skills, tutorials, practice writing exercises. There were even several ebooks that could be used. The tutorials included lessons on writing various business documents, getting organized, writing without mistakes, etc.
For the student needing help with careers I went to the career center and there was a section under Learning About Careers. There was a section on nursing and two ebooks: one on Becoming a Nurse and the other on Spanish/English terms. The latter had sections on how to communicate with patients, basic Spanish words, phrases, and grammar. I didn't find a lot on the Pharmacy career, only a little in the Allied Health area. However, for both careers the students could look at the entrance exams.
Overall, I think this program is a nice companion to our careers library. The careers section, ebooks, and college prep sections will be very useful.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Lesson 2: Chilton and Mango Languages
Chilton is an interesting database that I confess I have not used before this. It was easy to look up the Cherokee Jeep and find the repair manuals I needed. They had tips, videos, animations and I could print out pictures and directions that I would need. I'm guessing I won't be using this database unless I'm helping a student but I know a few people that might like to try this out. It might be very useful to them.
Below is what I found on the Geo Prizm 3 speed authomatic and the path I used:
The A131L transaxle is a 3-speed automatic, developed specifically for transversely mounted engines. The wide gear ratios and efficient torque converter combine with the built-in locking clutches to operate quietly and efficiently.
PATH: Transmissions > Automatic Transaxle > Description
Mango Languages:
I love, love, love this database! I have been using it the last couple of months when we were first sent the information about it. I have been brushing up on my German, a little Spanish, and even tried a little Dutch. I have told our teachers about it and hopefully our foreign language teachers have used it.
Okay, for the Vietnamese speaker learning English, I selected the tab for Non-English speakers and then I was able to figure out from the flags and words which one was Vietnamese, then I noticed when you hovered over the link you could tell that way as well.
I know when I selected the Spanish and German courses I was able to take a placement test to find out where my starting place was which was very helpful. I noticed threre is a new interface called Mango Connect and I believe they just added the religious & scholarly section which had 4 languages there. I just noticed they have an app for it so I will be using that on my tablet or phone!!
Wonderful database and I know I will be using it often!
Below is what I found on the Geo Prizm 3 speed authomatic and the path I used:
The A131L transaxle is a 3-speed automatic, developed specifically for transversely mounted engines. The wide gear ratios and efficient torque converter combine with the built-in locking clutches to operate quietly and efficiently.
PATH: Transmissions > Automatic Transaxle > Description
Mango Languages:
I love, love, love this database! I have been using it the last couple of months when we were first sent the information about it. I have been brushing up on my German, a little Spanish, and even tried a little Dutch. I have told our teachers about it and hopefully our foreign language teachers have used it.
Okay, for the Vietnamese speaker learning English, I selected the tab for Non-English speakers and then I was able to figure out from the flags and words which one was Vietnamese, then I noticed when you hovered over the link you could tell that way as well.
I know when I selected the Spanish and German courses I was able to take a placement test to find out where my starting place was which was very helpful. I noticed threre is a new interface called Mango Connect and I believe they just added the religious & scholarly section which had 4 languages there. I just noticed they have an app for it so I will be using that on my tablet or phone!!
Wonderful database and I know I will be using it often!
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Lesson 1: World Book February 2
I spent quite a bit of time just exploring the various World Book editions. First Off, World Book Kids I perused the various features such as World of Animals which would be great for our elementary students when they conduct research & reports on animals. There were plenty of articles, videoclips, exhibits, quick facts, etc. I took a look at a few of the science projects and a variety of experiments that were exhibited there. Maps &More had numerous outline maps, atlases and I especially liked the interactive maps. I could see that being very helpful in social studies and geography classes.
The Compare Places feature was also a feature I could see using in elementary when they study states or countries. They could compare different states from different regions and discover facts and photos about those states. The Activities feature contained puzzles and games I could see being used in classes as well.
In the Students edition I also took a look at the Explore feature containing the maps which could be used in our geography classes at the Middle School. We already use the biography feature with our People of the Past research in 6th grade. We have also used it to research inventors and authors at various times. I liked the Behind the Headlines feature and plan to tell teachers about this as some of them would use that with current events. The Research tools were helpful. I've used the citation feature and have shown that but most of our teachers use Microsoft Word to create citations. There was a good timeline builder as well which showed examples and how to create your own timeline. Again could be useful in social studies or any class. The My Research and educator resources were interesting to view and even included some video clips, etc.
The Advanced World Book contained the ebook feature which I have shown to classes previously. We have used some of the classic ebooks found there and stories or poems as well. I have looked at the Grimm's tales and Andersen's fairy tales previously and have used them a few times when students or teachers are looking for fairy tales. I took a look at the special feature of World Book Explains Video in World Book Discover. I found many videos that even included students asking questions with an expert providing the answer. For example, "Why are pigs so fat?" was asked by a student and then an expert provided the answer. All in all, I found quite a few things I would use throughout the school year.
The Compare Places feature was also a feature I could see using in elementary when they study states or countries. They could compare different states from different regions and discover facts and photos about those states. The Activities feature contained puzzles and games I could see being used in classes as well.
In the Students edition I also took a look at the Explore feature containing the maps which could be used in our geography classes at the Middle School. We already use the biography feature with our People of the Past research in 6th grade. We have also used it to research inventors and authors at various times. I liked the Behind the Headlines feature and plan to tell teachers about this as some of them would use that with current events. The Research tools were helpful. I've used the citation feature and have shown that but most of our teachers use Microsoft Word to create citations. There was a good timeline builder as well which showed examples and how to create your own timeline. Again could be useful in social studies or any class. The My Research and educator resources were interesting to view and even included some video clips, etc.
The Advanced World Book contained the ebook feature which I have shown to classes previously. We have used some of the classic ebooks found there and stories or poems as well. I have looked at the Grimm's tales and Andersen's fairy tales previously and have used them a few times when students or teachers are looking for fairy tales. I took a look at the special feature of World Book Explains Video in World Book Discover. I found many videos that even included students asking questions with an expert providing the answer. For example, "Why are pigs so fat?" was asked by a student and then an expert provided the answer. All in all, I found quite a few things I would use throughout the school year.
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