1. The biggest discovery I made in doing this challenge was really just learning more about all the different resources that we have available to us through the state library. I knew very little about a few of them like SIRS and Proquest, and would always suggest them to students when they were doing research projects. I feel now that I could really show them how beneficial these resources are and hopefully get them to use them more frequently. Another resource that I am so excited about using more in my library classes is Tumblebook. I know that my students will love listening/watching the books on our Smartboard and it is just such a great way to incorporate technology into my library lessons. I am really glad I completed this challenge and the information I gain through it will benefit not only me, but my students as well as public patrons.
2. I will use the resources such as Tumblebook in my library classes and Proquest and SIRS for my high school and middle school students as they are working on research projects and such. The teachers I feel would really benefit from the use of World Book in their classrooms, especially elementary, and I hope they will make use of this great resource. I feel that I can promote the use of Ancestry Library as well as resources including Mango Languages for our public library patrons. We hosted a genealogy workshop at the library last fall and learned a lot of good sites to use in doing gemology research but knowing that we have free sites available to our patrons through the state library will be so great and very beneficial.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Challenge Lesson 9: Ancestry Library, Heritage Quest, & Sandborn Maps
1. I search for my maiden name in the Ancestry Library and I found just one result which stated my name, my parents names, and the year and county in Minnesota I was born in. I tried to find a marriage licence for myself but I couldn't find one.
2. I search my grandpa, my mothers father, and found a few public records that came up. I tried to click in to them to view the files but they all said index record only. The result did list his name, birth date, where he was born, and the date and place where he died. I found another result that was supposed to show a military document of from when he was in World War II but I could not get that to pull up either. The result did list what War he was in, his position, and where his grave site is in a veterans cemetery in North Dakota.
3. I found a picture of a team of professional baseball players on a Detroit team. One of the players, Raleigh Aitchison was born in 1887 in South Dakota. Along with a picture, I was also given his birth date/place, death date/place, height, weight, date of his first game, date of his final game, which way he bats, and throws.
4. I clicked on directories and then publications and typed South Dakota into the location bar. One of the results that came up was called "A Brief History of South Dakota." I clicked into it and it was a book with many chapters on important events that took place in South Dakota including some information on when Lewis and Clark traveled through.
5. I searched Centerville, SD and found a map of the town from May of 1904. It was kind of hard to read and navigate because a lot of it was hand written but I found one building that was the post office at this time and is now still used as the Senior Citizens Center. I thought it was really cool to see where everything was back then and how it differs from today.
2. I search my grandpa, my mothers father, and found a few public records that came up. I tried to click in to them to view the files but they all said index record only. The result did list his name, birth date, where he was born, and the date and place where he died. I found another result that was supposed to show a military document of from when he was in World War II but I could not get that to pull up either. The result did list what War he was in, his position, and where his grave site is in a veterans cemetery in North Dakota.
3. I found a picture of a team of professional baseball players on a Detroit team. One of the players, Raleigh Aitchison was born in 1887 in South Dakota. Along with a picture, I was also given his birth date/place, death date/place, height, weight, date of his first game, date of his final game, which way he bats, and throws.
4. I clicked on directories and then publications and typed South Dakota into the location bar. One of the results that came up was called "A Brief History of South Dakota." I clicked into it and it was a book with many chapters on important events that took place in South Dakota including some information on when Lewis and Clark traveled through.
5. I searched Centerville, SD and found a map of the town from May of 1904. It was kind of hard to read and navigate because a lot of it was hand written but I found one building that was the post office at this time and is now still used as the Senior Citizens Center. I thought it was really cool to see where everything was back then and how it differs from today.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Challenge Lesson 8: Worldcat, Camio, and More
Part 1:
2. I searched for the book "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathon Safron Foer. There were 10 different book results brought up. There are 2,623 libraries worldwide that have item #1. The top library that comes up is the Alexander Mitchell Public Library in Aberdeen.
3. After clicking on result number 1, I found that the call number/class descriptor is 813.6. When clicking on the author, I see that he has two other books available to get. I clicked on the first subject listed which was September 11 terrorist attacks fiction and that brought up 10 other books available on that subject. I see that you can also click and find other books that are of the same or similar genre.
Part 2:
I clicked on a couple different results on the access link to see what I would come up with. The first result I clicked on was "South Dakota Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Documentation of Discrimination" and when I clicked on the access link, the memorandum for this law comes up that you can read and print out if you like. I also clicked on a result titled "Cruel and Degrading: The Use of Dogs for Cell Extractions in U.S. Prisons" and the access link brought up a PDF document that you could read online or print out. I think this is a great tool to have access to because you can get documents/ books that you wouldn't normally be able to get without having to have the physical book. I can think of a few of our public patrons as well as students who are doing research projects who would benefit from this tool.
2. I searched for the book "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathon Safron Foer. There were 10 different book results brought up. There are 2,623 libraries worldwide that have item #1. The top library that comes up is the Alexander Mitchell Public Library in Aberdeen.
3. After clicking on result number 1, I found that the call number/class descriptor is 813.6. When clicking on the author, I see that he has two other books available to get. I clicked on the first subject listed which was September 11 terrorist attacks fiction and that brought up 10 other books available on that subject. I see that you can also click and find other books that are of the same or similar genre.
Part 2:
I clicked on a couple different results on the access link to see what I would come up with. The first result I clicked on was "South Dakota Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Documentation of Discrimination" and when I clicked on the access link, the memorandum for this law comes up that you can read and print out if you like. I also clicked on a result titled "Cruel and Degrading: The Use of Dogs for Cell Extractions in U.S. Prisons" and the access link brought up a PDF document that you could read online or print out. I think this is a great tool to have access to because you can get documents/ books that you wouldn't normally be able to get without having to have the physical book. I can think of a few of our public patrons as well as students who are doing research projects who would benefit from this tool.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Challenge Lesson 7: EBooks on EbscoHost
1. I looked up "vaccination of children" and was given multiple different resources raging from books on what you should know about vaccines, how to keep children healthy naturally, and then some books on vaccinating pets. I noticed that you can minimize the results given by clicking subjects on the left side of the screen and choosing a more specific topic. I also noticed how you can limit the results by publication date so if you are looking for more recent information, you have that option. When you choose a book that you would like to download or use, you can also make notes, highlight, or get a citation.
2. Some titles of books that may be appropriate for students who are doing research on the U.S. Constitution prior to constitution day that I found on EbscoHost are:
The Bill of Rights by Thomas T. Lewis- This title gives a history of the Bill of rights, how it came to be, and so on.
Colonies and Revolution by David C. King- This title is a Junior Reference book that gives information about the colonies and the history surrounding the time frame that the constitution was written.
3. When putting "Oklahoma" in the search bar, some of the results I was given were about Native Americans, Deserts, growing up in the Great Plains, and the fur trades as well as many other topics. This tool is a great resource to libraries, especially school libraries because it gives students a variety of other resources that they can use when researching and such without the library needing to own a physical copy. Many teachers want students to have print resources as well as online and this tool is a great way to help them find those sources.
2. Some titles of books that may be appropriate for students who are doing research on the U.S. Constitution prior to constitution day that I found on EbscoHost are:
The Bill of Rights by Thomas T. Lewis- This title gives a history of the Bill of rights, how it came to be, and so on.
Colonies and Revolution by David C. King- This title is a Junior Reference book that gives information about the colonies and the history surrounding the time frame that the constitution was written.
3. When putting "Oklahoma" in the search bar, some of the results I was given were about Native Americans, Deserts, growing up in the Great Plains, and the fur trades as well as many other topics. This tool is a great resource to libraries, especially school libraries because it gives students a variety of other resources that they can use when researching and such without the library needing to own a physical copy. Many teachers want students to have print resources as well as online and this tool is a great way to help them find those sources.
Friday, March 6, 2015
Challenge Lesson 6: Gale Virtual Reference Library
1. The title I selected was "Novels for Students Vol. 16: , 2003 (9781414428093)". This volume covers a variety of literature including, The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, and many more. I am not sure how I could use this resource personally but I would recommend it to the high school English teachers as they are reading certain literary classics with their students. I think it would be a great tool for them to use in their class discussions or for students when they are trying to understand the general theme or purpose of the authors writing.
2. I typed in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" into the search bar and it brought up anything relating to the story or themes discussed in the story such as slavery, the Mississippi River, and Mark Twain. I was also given many different resources about the story itself. One of these that I clicked on was titled The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. This resource included a synopsis of the book, as well as events in history during the time setting of the book and at the time that the book was written. I tried the listening tool and I think it is such a great feature to have. I really liked that each word is highlighted as it is read so that you can not only hear, but see the words as they are being read.
2. I typed in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" into the search bar and it brought up anything relating to the story or themes discussed in the story such as slavery, the Mississippi River, and Mark Twain. I was also given many different resources about the story itself. One of these that I clicked on was titled The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Literature and Its Times: Profiles of 300 Notable Literary Works and the Historical Events that Influenced Them. This resource included a synopsis of the book, as well as events in history during the time setting of the book and at the time that the book was written. I tried the listening tool and I think it is such a great feature to have. I really liked that each word is highlighted as it is read so that you can not only hear, but see the words as they are being read.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Challenge Lesson 5: Proquest
1. I did my basic search on "pros and cons of vaccinations" and a lot of different resources where given to me, 1,062 results in all. There was a dvd seminar that was recommended on the topic as well as a variety of other articles related to the topic in some way. I like how they give you related searches to also try in case the search you tried didn't bring the results you were looking for. I like how you can narrow your results down to specifically newspapers, journals, reports, magazines, and so on. I also like the feature of being able to email the article to yourself and to create an alert for any new articles that may arise on the topic.
1a. I commented on "My Happy Place's" blog, lesson 2.
2. I typed in "School Libraries" in the publications search. This brought up two results, School Libraries in Canada, and School Library Journal. I decided to click on School Library Journal and found that they had these journals dating back from January 1988 to present. I then chose a link to "show most recent issue" and it brought up all the articles published in the March 2015 issue. This is such a great tool to be able to use especially when trying to find recent information on specific topics. So often it is hard for students to find recent published works when doing research and Proquest really helps make the research process a lot easier for them.
1a. I commented on "My Happy Place's" blog, lesson 2.
2. I typed in "School Libraries" in the publications search. This brought up two results, School Libraries in Canada, and School Library Journal. I decided to click on School Library Journal and found that they had these journals dating back from January 1988 to present. I then chose a link to "show most recent issue" and it brought up all the articles published in the March 2015 issue. This is such a great tool to be able to use especially when trying to find recent information on specific topics. So often it is hard for students to find recent published works when doing research and Proquest really helps make the research process a lot easier for them.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Challenge Lesson 4: SIRS
SIRS Discoverer:
1. I decided to research koalas using SIRS Discoverer. I am so impressed by the information I was given and the organization of it all. I love the tabs at the top for weeding out the articles you are given so you can look at specifically newspaper articles, magazines, images, and so on. It makes finding information so much easier! I was given a variety of articles giving general information about the animal to related topics with years of publication raging from 1994 to 2014. I was given 30 different images including actual pictures of koalas as well as tools such as graphic organizers and other worksheets. The reading levels for the articles were mostly rated general or moderate but there were a couple easy ratings. What a great researching tool!
2. a. I chose the country Madagascar in the "Country Facts" section. This section is so nice! I love how it just gives you the basic facts about each country including population, major historical events, and currency in an easily laid out way. This would be so easy for elementary students to navigate.
b. One feature that I really liked in the "Maps of the World" section was being able to choose "Outline" maps which gives you maps of continents and such that aren't labeled. These maps would be great for students learning about the USA and teachers could use it as an activity and/or assessment tool by having students label each state. I also noticed one map that had a space for a capitol of each state too. I know this is something that I learned and was tested on in elementary school and is still relevant today.
c. I chose to look at the "Activities" section and I think it is so cool to have all those resources to add to lessons that teachers may be teaching. One thing I was surprised to see what a section of plays and read a louds that teachers could use in their lessons. What a cool idea and great way to get students involved in their learning.
SIRS Issues Researcher:
1. I chose to look at the leading issue "Vaccines for Kids" and was given a variety of different articles from newspapers, magazines and so on. The topic overview gave resources that showed pros/cons, global impact and statistics, terms that would be beneficial to know, as well as additional resources on the topic. I really like how the articles given are recent and that you have the ability to email it to yourself as well as print. It is also super nice that the citation is included at the bottom which makes creating a works cited page a breeze.
2, Under "Curriculum Pathfinders" I chose the subject Drama and I found a lot of Shakespeare's plays as well as play scripts for one act plays and so on. I was also given information about Greek, Roman, and English plays and different play writers. This is just a snapshot of the information given. I think this is a great research tool for high school/college students and even adults.
1. I decided to research koalas using SIRS Discoverer. I am so impressed by the information I was given and the organization of it all. I love the tabs at the top for weeding out the articles you are given so you can look at specifically newspaper articles, magazines, images, and so on. It makes finding information so much easier! I was given a variety of articles giving general information about the animal to related topics with years of publication raging from 1994 to 2014. I was given 30 different images including actual pictures of koalas as well as tools such as graphic organizers and other worksheets. The reading levels for the articles were mostly rated general or moderate but there were a couple easy ratings. What a great researching tool!
2. a. I chose the country Madagascar in the "Country Facts" section. This section is so nice! I love how it just gives you the basic facts about each country including population, major historical events, and currency in an easily laid out way. This would be so easy for elementary students to navigate.
b. One feature that I really liked in the "Maps of the World" section was being able to choose "Outline" maps which gives you maps of continents and such that aren't labeled. These maps would be great for students learning about the USA and teachers could use it as an activity and/or assessment tool by having students label each state. I also noticed one map that had a space for a capitol of each state too. I know this is something that I learned and was tested on in elementary school and is still relevant today.
c. I chose to look at the "Activities" section and I think it is so cool to have all those resources to add to lessons that teachers may be teaching. One thing I was surprised to see what a section of plays and read a louds that teachers could use in their lessons. What a cool idea and great way to get students involved in their learning.
SIRS Issues Researcher:
1. I chose to look at the leading issue "Vaccines for Kids" and was given a variety of different articles from newspapers, magazines and so on. The topic overview gave resources that showed pros/cons, global impact and statistics, terms that would be beneficial to know, as well as additional resources on the topic. I really like how the articles given are recent and that you have the ability to email it to yourself as well as print. It is also super nice that the citation is included at the bottom which makes creating a works cited page a breeze.
2, Under "Curriculum Pathfinders" I chose the subject Drama and I found a lot of Shakespeare's plays as well as play scripts for one act plays and so on. I was also given information about Greek, Roman, and English plays and different play writers. This is just a snapshot of the information given. I think this is a great research tool for high school/college students and even adults.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Challenge Lesson 3: Learning Express Library
1. I think this resource is would be great for prepping for specific exams and such. I took the pretest for adults to improve your basic math skills. This test would be very beneficial to anyone who is trying to improve their skills to help them in trying to get a job, or even for the job they are currently working in. The test was very simple to access and I like how they show you the correct answers when you are finished.
2. I chose to look through some of the course information for a lesson called "Best Careers for Teachers" which focuses on different jobs that would be a good fit for teachers who are choosing to leave the field and looking for something different to do. This course had a lot of information about the jobs that would be a good fit for teachers based on the skills that they have already obtained in their teaching experiences, as well as information on deciding whether they are sure they want to leave the field or not. I thought the course information was very thorough and brought up a lot of good points to consider.
3. I chose to look at a nursing entrance exam ebook and I think that it is so cool that these types of books are available for those who are trying to prep for upcoming exams and such and that they have access to them for free. What a great tool to have available to you! This book had so much information such as how to check the basic skills needed on the exam, choosing the correct program for you, and tips for financing your exam.
2. I chose to look through some of the course information for a lesson called "Best Careers for Teachers" which focuses on different jobs that would be a good fit for teachers who are choosing to leave the field and looking for something different to do. This course had a lot of information about the jobs that would be a good fit for teachers based on the skills that they have already obtained in their teaching experiences, as well as information on deciding whether they are sure they want to leave the field or not. I thought the course information was very thorough and brought up a lot of good points to consider.
3. I chose to look at a nursing entrance exam ebook and I think that it is so cool that these types of books are available for those who are trying to prep for upcoming exams and such and that they have access to them for free. What a great tool to have available to you! This book had so much information such as how to check the basic skills needed on the exam, choosing the correct program for you, and tips for financing your exam.
Challenge Lesson 2- ChiltonLibaray, Mango Languages, and Tumblebook Library
Chilton Library Discovery Exercise:
1. Service/Inspect Accessory Drive Belt, Service/Inspect Air Cleaner Filter and PVC Valve, Service/Inspect Automatic Transmission shift linkage
2. The most recent technical service bulletin done on my car was Oct. 9th 2003 and was about diagnostic information to consider before air conditioning compressor replacement.
3.I have looked under every tab under the "Repair" sections and can find nothing about breaks for my car. I don't know what I am doing wrong but I have had others look to and we cannot find it.
Mango Languages Discovery Exercise:
1. This program would be very helpful in trying to learn a new language. Being able to not only listen to the words and conversations but also to read and see the pronunciation as you learn is such a great feature. I think it would be useful if you were traveling to another country and you wanted to learn some common words or phrases to use while there. I also liked how it gave the meaning behind some of the words and what they actually translate to in English.
2. Mango Languages could help a Vietnamese student learn English by using the lessons they have available for learning English. I listened to one of these lessons and I think it is such a cool feature to have available to people. I had no idea we had this available to us and I can't wait to share it with my coworkers, patrons, and students!
Tumblebook Library Discovery Exercise:
1. I choose to listen to the story book "Paper Bag Princess" and the non-fiction book "A Butterfly is Patient" and I am in love with this e-resource! This is something that I would use very frequently in my library classes. I love to differenciate my storytimes and the kids love to listen/watch books on the Smartboard. I am really excited about this resource.
2. I watched a video on chimpanzees and I thought it was so cool! I think that these videos would be a great resource to teachers during science classes and such. I just think it is so important to incorporate technology into your lessons in order to engage students. I just think this is such a cool tool.
3. I will promote this resource to my other librarian friends and coworkers, teachers in my school, and parents of students I work with. I just think this resource is so great and why not use it! Kids would love to have the story read to them or to read it themselves.
1. Service/Inspect Accessory Drive Belt, Service/Inspect Air Cleaner Filter and PVC Valve, Service/Inspect Automatic Transmission shift linkage
2. The most recent technical service bulletin done on my car was Oct. 9th 2003 and was about diagnostic information to consider before air conditioning compressor replacement.
3.I have looked under every tab under the "Repair" sections and can find nothing about breaks for my car. I don't know what I am doing wrong but I have had others look to and we cannot find it.
Mango Languages Discovery Exercise:
1. This program would be very helpful in trying to learn a new language. Being able to not only listen to the words and conversations but also to read and see the pronunciation as you learn is such a great feature. I think it would be useful if you were traveling to another country and you wanted to learn some common words or phrases to use while there. I also liked how it gave the meaning behind some of the words and what they actually translate to in English.
2. Mango Languages could help a Vietnamese student learn English by using the lessons they have available for learning English. I listened to one of these lessons and I think it is such a cool feature to have available to people. I had no idea we had this available to us and I can't wait to share it with my coworkers, patrons, and students!
Tumblebook Library Discovery Exercise:
1. I choose to listen to the story book "Paper Bag Princess" and the non-fiction book "A Butterfly is Patient" and I am in love with this e-resource! This is something that I would use very frequently in my library classes. I love to differenciate my storytimes and the kids love to listen/watch books on the Smartboard. I am really excited about this resource.
2. I watched a video on chimpanzees and I thought it was so cool! I think that these videos would be a great resource to teachers during science classes and such. I just think it is so important to incorporate technology into your lessons in order to engage students. I just think this is such a cool tool.
3. I will promote this resource to my other librarian friends and coworkers, teachers in my school, and parents of students I work with. I just think this resource is so great and why not use it! Kids would love to have the story read to them or to read it themselves.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Challenge Lesson 1-World Book School Edition
I am the K-12 school librarian at Centerville Public School so I chose to explore World Book School Edition as it would be the most useful to me in assisting my students and teachers.
World Book Kids:
In using World Book Kids for research, I found that the amount of information provided was really appropriate for younger students who may be just learning how to research topics. I was given simple and straight forward information that I would be able to easily use in completeing a simple research project. Along with the article, I was also given a video which is also a really cool feature.
I chose to research the Koala. They are a small animal native to Australia. Many mistake them for a bear, but they are actually marsupial mammals. Koalas live and trees sleeping most of the day and becoming active at night. Because of the destruction of eucalyptus forests, the number of koalas has dropped. Another factor in the falling koala population is a high infection of chlamydia, a disease which can result in blindness, infertillity in females, and pneumonia.
World Book Student:
When researching Koalas using World Book Student, I was pleasantly suprised by all the information I was given. I was given 13 different articles to use for information not only specifc to koalas, but also other related topics including zoos, Austrialia, and mammals, as well pictures and videos. The amount of information given was very appropriate for the target age group. This version of world book was just a step up from World Book Kids in the type of information given, how it was presented, and the quatity given at one time.
World Book Avanced:
Wow so much information! I did not realize what a great tool this is in doing research. I searched the country Ireland and was given so much different information to choose from! I chose to look a link of the history of the country and it gave me so much information. I also noticed on the left and right hand sides of the page links to related topics. I think that the side bar link will be very beneficial to my older students when doing their research. I will give them other aspects of the topic to look at as well as other resourses making their research quicker and simpler.
World Book Discover:
I had no idea that we had ability to translate articles into another language using World Book Discover! What an awesome tool to have. This would be very beneficial to any ELL students or parents who are assisting their children with research projects. What a great way to accommodate our English Language Learners.
World Book Kids:
In using World Book Kids for research, I found that the amount of information provided was really appropriate for younger students who may be just learning how to research topics. I was given simple and straight forward information that I would be able to easily use in completeing a simple research project. Along with the article, I was also given a video which is also a really cool feature.
I chose to research the Koala. They are a small animal native to Australia. Many mistake them for a bear, but they are actually marsupial mammals. Koalas live and trees sleeping most of the day and becoming active at night. Because of the destruction of eucalyptus forests, the number of koalas has dropped. Another factor in the falling koala population is a high infection of chlamydia, a disease which can result in blindness, infertillity in females, and pneumonia.
World Book Student:
When researching Koalas using World Book Student, I was pleasantly suprised by all the information I was given. I was given 13 different articles to use for information not only specifc to koalas, but also other related topics including zoos, Austrialia, and mammals, as well pictures and videos. The amount of information given was very appropriate for the target age group. This version of world book was just a step up from World Book Kids in the type of information given, how it was presented, and the quatity given at one time.
World Book Avanced:
Wow so much information! I did not realize what a great tool this is in doing research. I searched the country Ireland and was given so much different information to choose from! I chose to look a link of the history of the country and it gave me so much information. I also noticed on the left and right hand sides of the page links to related topics. I think that the side bar link will be very beneficial to my older students when doing their research. I will give them other aspects of the topic to look at as well as other resourses making their research quicker and simpler.
World Book Discover:
I had no idea that we had ability to translate articles into another language using World Book Discover! What an awesome tool to have. This would be very beneficial to any ELL students or parents who are assisting their children with research projects. What a great way to accommodate our English Language Learners.
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