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.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
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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