What was my biggest discovery?
Throughout the process I made many discoveries. I really liked the World Book resources that would for sure be useful to my elementary aged patrons. There were many resources that I will definitely go back and look at more, for my own personal knowledge and to share with the teachers I work with.
I guess I would have to say the the biggest discovery was that all this is available. I had no idea there was all this information accessible to us and that it was this easy to access and use. Diving in to these and actually searching subjects and finding information really got me excited about using some of these valuable resources.
I have already started promoting many of these resources within my building. As I would find options that would be useful to different teachers or met student needs, I would share what I learned and encourage them to use the resource. I had a class of 1st grade in here using World Book just a couple of weeks ago. I will continue to familiarize my self with these resources and hopefully be able to share them with the staff here in a broader way. Perhaps introducing them at staff meeting in brief presentations that perk their interest in these resources. I will also be sharing information with my own family members who would benefit from many of the resources that I delved into.
This was a fun experience and one I hope to make the most of.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Searching for myself in AncestryLibrary, I found that I was listed 2 times. I also discovered that there are a lot of people with my name in this world. Several within the Sioux Falls area.
I then searched my grandfather and found him in the 1930 census. It gave me information about his parents and their birth places. I also found his siblings and their ages in 1930. I did notice that the spellings of several of the names were not correct. I found it fun to look at who their neighbors were at that time! It is very cool that we can see an actual copy of the census record. This is a great resource and tool. My family does a lot of family history and I know that my dad has used this resource.
HeritageQuest seems easy to navigate and the information is interesting. I searched the town I live in and found 3 results. I liked that it gave a rating on the relevancy of each result. I then searched people and searched my maiden name. It was fun to look for my ancestors. I found a name of an individual who is most likely my ancestor and I will have to do some further research on it.
Sanborn Maps is also an interesting resource. I searched for Pierre, because I grew up there. Looked at several different dates and of course noted the growth of the city. Located the State Capitol building on one set of at the maps.
I then searched my grandfather and found him in the 1930 census. It gave me information about his parents and their birth places. I also found his siblings and their ages in 1930. I did notice that the spellings of several of the names were not correct. I found it fun to look at who their neighbors were at that time! It is very cool that we can see an actual copy of the census record. This is a great resource and tool. My family does a lot of family history and I know that my dad has used this resource.
HeritageQuest seems easy to navigate and the information is interesting. I searched the town I live in and found 3 results. I liked that it gave a rating on the relevancy of each result. I then searched people and searched my maiden name. It was fun to look for my ancestors. I found a name of an individual who is most likely my ancestor and I will have to do some further research on it.
Sanborn Maps is also an interesting resource. I searched for Pierre, because I grew up there. Looked at several different dates and of course noted the growth of the city. Located the State Capitol building on one set of at the maps.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Using the Archivegrid resource, I typed in Sitting Bull autograph card and learned the following about Sitting Bull:
He was a leader of the Hunpapa Sioux
He led the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors against the U.S. cavalry at the battle of the Little Bighorn.
Sitting Bull toured with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show.
He was killed for resisting arrest for his unwillingness to abandon the traditions of the ritual Ghost Dance.
My next search was "Mormon pioneers in the Midwest" .
There were 10 results. No surprise, most of them were located at Brigham Young University.
It was interesting to read through what these collections had within them. Very detailed descriptions of what is in the collections and also if the collections were split up at some point where they were sent.
Moving on to the CAMIO resource, I find this really interesting.
I did the search for "Sioux" as recommended. It brought up 63 works of art. Everything from bead work, to carvings, to photographs. Really cool stuff to be able to look at and see without having to go to the actual location. I could spend hours looking at this stuff.
I next searched for "Monet". Pretty good clarity in the screen views. Love the descriptions and history provided on each piece.
I can see this resource just being a great opportunity for the students to be able to view pieces of art that they may never get to see. Not just being able to view it, but learn about what inspired it or what techniques were used to create it. The art teacher could bring a whole class to the computer lab and have Monet at his fingertips, or just use the smart board to show the class as a whole the various works of Monet. The slide show option would make this type of presentation especially easy and fun.
The ability to put them into a web page would make it easy for students to then view from home for further study if preparing for tests over different styles or artists.
Really cool resource!
He was a leader of the Hunpapa Sioux
He led the Sioux and Cheyenne warriors against the U.S. cavalry at the battle of the Little Bighorn.
Sitting Bull toured with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show.
He was killed for resisting arrest for his unwillingness to abandon the traditions of the ritual Ghost Dance.
My next search was "Mormon pioneers in the Midwest" .
There were 10 results. No surprise, most of them were located at Brigham Young University.
It was interesting to read through what these collections had within them. Very detailed descriptions of what is in the collections and also if the collections were split up at some point where they were sent.
Moving on to the CAMIO resource, I find this really interesting.
I did the search for "Sioux" as recommended. It brought up 63 works of art. Everything from bead work, to carvings, to photographs. Really cool stuff to be able to look at and see without having to go to the actual location. I could spend hours looking at this stuff.
I next searched for "Monet". Pretty good clarity in the screen views. Love the descriptions and history provided on each piece.
I can see this resource just being a great opportunity for the students to be able to view pieces of art that they may never get to see. Not just being able to view it, but learn about what inspired it or what techniques were used to create it. The art teacher could bring a whole class to the computer lab and have Monet at his fingertips, or just use the smart board to show the class as a whole the various works of Monet. The slide show option would make this type of presentation especially easy and fun.
The ability to put them into a web page would make it easy for students to then view from home for further study if preparing for tests over different styles or artists.
Really cool resource!
Friday, March 22, 2013
As I searched through the World Cat resource, I was amazed at the amount of information there. I will need to spend more time on this one to see all that it has to offer.
I searched the book "Shiloh" and of course found many results. 4048 libraries have copies of the book. The top of the list was the South Dakota State Library. I found the call number to be FIC. We were just looking for some call numbers the other day as we were moving some books around in our library and trying to decide where they should be shelved. This would be a good source for that. I like the option to be able to see what else the author has written. Also liked the ability to see what else is available on that subject. I was impressed with the many ways to sort out what came up or to search by these many options also. Books, Sound, Internet, Visual, Archival, Computer, Scores, Serials, Maps - Lots of information provided in that one search.
I searched the book "Shiloh" and of course found many results. 4048 libraries have copies of the book. The top of the list was the South Dakota State Library. I found the call number to be FIC. We were just looking for some call numbers the other day as we were moving some books around in our library and trying to decide where they should be shelved. This would be a good source for that. I like the option to be able to see what else the author has written. Also liked the ability to see what else is available on that subject. I was impressed with the many ways to sort out what came up or to search by these many options also. Books, Sound, Internet, Visual, Archival, Computer, Scores, Serials, Maps - Lots of information provided in that one search.
Friday, March 8, 2013
I didn't find the information available in the EBooks on EbscoHost as complete as some of the other resources. I did a search on the Revolutionary War, a topic my daughter has been studying in school. I didn't find much that would be related.
I also didn't find much that was of use in my search for "Constitution Day". A few sources, but I was surprised at the limited number.
Perhaps I was not using this resource properly??
In the advanced search option, it was interesting to be able to find items that were published in a particular area that gave information on the topic searched.
I also didn't find much that was of use in my search for "Constitution Day". A few sources, but I was surprised at the limited number.
Perhaps I was not using this resource properly??
In the advanced search option, it was interesting to be able to find items that were published in a particular area that gave information on the topic searched.
In the Gale Virtual Reference Library, I chose a volume on World War II. Most of these volumes are above the level of my elementary patrons, but I could see their usefulness for older students. I think that
my older more advanced students could use it for research. It is easy to get to the sections of the volume that I chose.
I went ahead and searched the question "What foods have zinc?". Impressed with the number of volumes that it brought up. The Listen feature is a great tool for those who either have a lower reading level or for those who learn better through audio.
Some of the other bloggers mentioned the use of these references as a tool for smaller libraries. That is a great observation. Being able to have the references as a tool without having them take up shelf space or come out of tight budgets.
my older more advanced students could use it for research. It is easy to get to the sections of the volume that I chose.
I went ahead and searched the question "What foods have zinc?". Impressed with the number of volumes that it brought up. The Listen feature is a great tool for those who either have a lower reading level or for those who learn better through audio.
Some of the other bloggers mentioned the use of these references as a tool for smaller libraries. That is a great observation. Being able to have the references as a tool without having them take up shelf space or come out of tight budgets.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Proquest seems like a great resource. I searched for information about the meteor explosion over Russia that happened just this week. I hadn't heard too much about this and was surprised at the amount of information that was pulled up when I searched. Once again the icons are helpful in weeding the information. I noticed that there is the ability to sort and narrow your search in various ways. Also there are options to cite, email, and print the information. After opening the article I chose, I also noticed the ability to translate. I really liked the preview option, which would make looking through the information much quicker.
The blog I chose to look at was very comprehensive and detailed in what they found. It helped me think about finding more detailed information as I research these resources.
The Publications option was interesting. I found 26 publications liked to Library. Once again the sorting options come in handy for finding the specific option you would need.
The blog I chose to look at was very comprehensive and detailed in what they found. It helped me think about finding more detailed information as I research these resources.
The Publications option was interesting. I found 26 publications liked to Library. Once again the sorting options come in handy for finding the specific option you would need.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
After looking at the SIRS DISCOVERER, I started emailing teachers who I thought would be able to use this for upcoming projects. I really like the icons that help to sort through the articles listed. There is so much available.
The Database Features are very usable and I have several teachers that I know could use this for projects. The 4th grade students who are working on their State research projects would find useful information in the Country Facts section. Also, very easy to read maps of their state in the Maps of the World section. We are soon to have a Science Fair at our school and the Science Fair Explorer area would be very useful to the students who are looking for ideas for their projects.
Great, easy to use information!
SIRS RESEARCHER, what a great research tool. Above the students that I work with, but good to know that it is there. It seems to make research much easier than I ever remember it being. So much information there at their fingertips. Also, the way it walks them through the writing of a research paper in the "My Analysis" section, I really am impressed with what it offers.
In the Curriculum Pathfinders section, I played around with the Research ideas section. I chose Literature and found "The Great Gatsby"- I remember writing a paper on that book in High School. Would have loved to have the information that is available within this resource. :)
The Database Features are very usable and I have several teachers that I know could use this for projects. The 4th grade students who are working on their State research projects would find useful information in the Country Facts section. Also, very easy to read maps of their state in the Maps of the World section. We are soon to have a Science Fair at our school and the Science Fair Explorer area would be very useful to the students who are looking for ideas for their projects.
Great, easy to use information!
SIRS RESEARCHER, what a great research tool. Above the students that I work with, but good to know that it is there. It seems to make research much easier than I ever remember it being. So much information there at their fingertips. Also, the way it walks them through the writing of a research paper in the "My Analysis" section, I really am impressed with what it offers.
In the Curriculum Pathfinders section, I played around with the Research ideas section. I chose Literature and found "The Great Gatsby"- I remember writing a paper on that book in High School. Would have loved to have the information that is available within this resource. :)
Friday, February 1, 2013
Learning Express Library -
I liked how the testing allows you to see both your answer and the correct answer. Also the ability to see the reasoning for the answers and for the answer being incorrect. The access to go back and view each individual question is also a good resource. I can see the benefits of being able to practice all these assessments at various levels. It can be useful both to student, teacher and parent. My son who is approaching college age would be able to improve his test taking skills by using this resource.
The Job Search and Workplace Skills is a very useful section. I chose to look at "Interview: Tips To Get the Job You Want" The information is concise and is in small segments so that it is not overwhelming. There is any information that you would need to become successful at these job skills.
Liked the access to the ebooks about the various job and career options.
I liked how the testing allows you to see both your answer and the correct answer. Also the ability to see the reasoning for the answers and for the answer being incorrect. The access to go back and view each individual question is also a good resource. I can see the benefits of being able to practice all these assessments at various levels. It can be useful both to student, teacher and parent. My son who is approaching college age would be able to improve his test taking skills by using this resource.
The Job Search and Workplace Skills is a very useful section. I chose to look at "Interview: Tips To Get the Job You Want" The information is concise and is in small segments so that it is not overwhelming. There is any information that you would need to become successful at these job skills.
Liked the access to the ebooks about the various job and career options.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
This is so fun! Discovering all the ways to find information. Learning about Buffalo as my chosen mammal could be so easy and fun all at the same time.
In World Book Kids, I found good basic information that many of my students could use and understand.
The Student edition kicks it up a notch and provides the more advanced version with added details and information. I really liked the ability to print each section separately. Students working in groups wouldn't have to print all the information, just what they were assigned to find. Loved that the citation information is provided for them at the bottom of the article. Easy to get to related information, books to read, additional articles etc. Also found it great that the information could be correlated to the standards by grade.
In World Book Advanced, I ventured into Ireland as my chosen country. Great source of info. once again. Loved the basic topics, easy to use and find whatever info was needed. I thought that the first screen divided left and right would be the most useful to my advanced students.
Got excited about the World Book Discover and the ability to translate into languages. We have a student that could use this right away!
Info Finder looks like a great tool for Public Libraries. I could easily see patrons being able to quickly locate what they would need based on the categories provided. Same benefits ease of discovery as the other applications. Could see myself using these research options and sources of information. I think I will in the future!
In World Book Kids, I found good basic information that many of my students could use and understand.
The Student edition kicks it up a notch and provides the more advanced version with added details and information. I really liked the ability to print each section separately. Students working in groups wouldn't have to print all the information, just what they were assigned to find. Loved that the citation information is provided for them at the bottom of the article. Easy to get to related information, books to read, additional articles etc. Also found it great that the information could be correlated to the standards by grade.
In World Book Advanced, I ventured into Ireland as my chosen country. Great source of info. once again. Loved the basic topics, easy to use and find whatever info was needed. I thought that the first screen divided left and right would be the most useful to my advanced students.
Got excited about the World Book Discover and the ability to translate into languages. We have a student that could use this right away!
Info Finder looks like a great tool for Public Libraries. I could easily see patrons being able to quickly locate what they would need based on the categories provided. Same benefits ease of discovery as the other applications. Could see myself using these research options and sources of information. I think I will in the future!
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