Lesson 5 – Proquest

Lesson 5 – Proquest

1. Do a basic search on something of interest to you. Report your findings and observations.

I work as a curator for the Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society. We are planning our next gallery exhibit on the 1970’s so I thought it might be fun to see what information I could find on 1970’s disco fashion. A variety of articles, from newspapers, scholarly journals, and mainstream magazines came up in my results. I especially like how there are images from the articles included in some of the results. The breadth of articles, from politics to disco parties, was also incredible and very interesting. The ability to narrow my search results by topic (I chose “history”) was helpful in eliminating a lot of the outlier articles.  

2. Click the Publications tab at the top of the page. Do a search for a journal in your profession by typing a title or keyword in the search box. Report your findings and observations.

As I stated earlier, I work in the Museum located at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. When I ran a title search for “museum,” very few titles came up. However, when I searched “museum - In publication summary” a number of results were returned. I was rather excited to discover that I could view the latest issue of Smithsonian Magazine  in its entirety!

 

Lesson 4 -- SIRS Issues Researcher and Discoverer

Lesson 4 -- SIRS Issues Researcher and Discoverer

SIRS Discoverer 

1.  I looked up Labrador Retrievers, my favorite animals. A large number of results came back. the "sort by relevance" feature is a nice way to make sure you are reviewing the best match for your inquiry first. The key at the top of the page is easy to follow and understand. I looking at the first article on the page, the ability to print, share, and view the graphics separate from the article are nice features, as is the EasyBib link. I wish they had this when I was in high school/college writing research papers!:) Here's one of the images (with caption) from the article

2. I looked up information on the country of Norway, or as it is officially known, the Kingdom of Norway. The site provides good general information on the country including the capitol, population, size, climate, and language. The information on Norway's government was interesting to me, I did not know they were ruled by a king. I also didn't know that there were two types of Norwegian language, Bokmal Norwegian (official) and Nynorsk Norwegian (official). The fact that I found the most interesting was posted in the "Did You Know" portion of the page and reads, "Norway’s northern regions lie within the Arctic Circle. Nearly 70% of Norway is uninhabitable and covered by mountains, glaciers, moors, and rivers." The links within the context of the information are very helpful too, great way to dig deeper into research quickly. 

I pulled up the British Columbia, Canada map. The map shows basic geographic information, including: capitol, international border, province border, major and secondary roadways, and national and provincial parks. The map is very easy to read and would be a good tool for students looking to get a general lay of the land of a country. With this map in particular, students could get a sense of the province's proximity to the United States and what states border Canada. The roads and parks listed on the map provide information on how people get around and provide options for digging deeper into the landscape and culture of British Columbia. 

I selected the "Biographies" link and pulled up an article on Bella Abzug. This was a name I was not familiar with. I learned from the article that Bella was an avid campaigner for women's and civil rights. She was a served three terms in the U.S. Congress and was among the first people to call for Nixon's impeachment. The article also included this great quote, "There are those who say I'm impatient, impetuous, uppity, rude, profane, brash and overbearing....But whatever I am--and this ought to be made very clear at the outset--I am a very serious woman."--Bella Abzug 

 SIRS Issues Researcher
1. So as to not spark too much controversy (and my goodness there are some controversial issues included) I selected "Cellular Telephones." The "At Issue" topic was specifically "Cell Phones in School." The information provided, for both the pro and con argument, is very thorough and organized in a way that is easy for students to wade through. It provides enough information for students to develop their own perspectives and guiding questions to get them through the reasoning behind their stance on the topic. I clicked on the "timeline" in the research tools section. The basic information and graphics that supplement the information is simple and direct. It is very nice that the articles are relevant and current, I was able to pull on up from January 8, 2015.

2. For the "Curriculum Pathfinders" I clicked on the "Fine Arts" tab. There were a variety of courses, research ideas, and quick links. I selected the "opera" course and pulled up a list of three websites for more information on opera. Through the information listed, I discovered "Opera Glass." "Opera Glass" provides summaries of and information on many operas and reviews of opera performances. The list also included links to an opera foundation and the U.S. Opera, "a web resource dedicated to opera by American composers."

Lesson 3 -- Learning Express Library

Lesson 3 -- Learning Express Library 

1. I set up my Learning Express account. 

2. I chose to test my algebra skills. Although it certainly made me a little nervous to test my math skills, this testing center is very easy to use. I like that there is an option to take the test with the answers to help with studying. I also like that when you have completed the and select "View Answers" the correct answers are shown with explanations on the correct answer. This would be very helpful to a student trying to understand the concepts and not just get the right answers.

3. I explored the "Great Resumes" course. This course provided a lot of practical and useful data. I feel that the information is easy to read and digest. The course provides good guiding questions and good information for job seekers on all levels. Although I am not on the hunt for a job, I will certainly use this resource to improve my current resume.

4. I read through a portion of the e-book on the culinary arts. Again, this resource provided a lot of practical and useful data. I found the "insiders advice" very helpful. The quotes from professionals in the field were also helpful; guidance on picking a program, finding a job, and writing a resume.

Lesson 2 -- ChiltonLibrary, Mango Languages and TumblebookLibrary

Lesson 2 -- ChiltonLibrary, Mango Languages and TumblebookLibrary

ChiltonLibrary - Basic Discovery Exercise
1. I used the ChiltonLibrary to search for my 2009 Subaru Outback. At 30,000 miles, the site recommends that I replace Spark plugs, service and Inspect Steering & suspension, and Service and Inspect Transmission and/or differential gear fluid.
2. The most recent bulletin posted was addressed to service personal and was in regard to using the Subaru Select Monitor III (SSMIII) diagnostic tool.
3. I thought that with the recent snow I should look into my Anti-Lock Break system. I didn't really realize how the system works, but now I at least have some clue. "When wheel slip is detected during a brake application, an ABS event occurs. During antilock braking, hydraulic pressure in the individual wheel circuits is controlled to prevent any wheel from slipping. A separate hydraulic line and specific solenoid valves are provided for each wheel. The ABS can decrease, hold, or increase hydraulic pressure to each wheel." Good to know!

Mango Languages - Basic Discovery Exercise
1. I tried French, a language I took back in high school, but obviously do not remember any of:) I like that the lesson took you through a conversation first, so you could hear the language spoken in dialog and not just bits and pieces. I also like how it took you through segment by segment of a sentence and repeated it several times to help it stick. I also like that the lessons include commentary on the culture of the language you are learning.
2. For the Vietnamese student, they could choose to learn English and then select the "English for Vietnamese speakers" option.

TumblebookLibrary - Basic Discovery Exercise
1. The read along option is a great resource for all reading levels. The service as a whole is good for any child with access to an electronic device, but maybe no library.
2. I tried the "word catch" game. I have to be honest it took me a second to figure out the objective, but it's great for all age levels and nice that it uses the vocabulary from the books themselves.
3. This is a great resource for parents, teachers, and library groups.

Lesson 1 - World Book Online

Lesson 1a -- World Book School Edition

I know this is a bit delayed, but here it goes.
I searched for dogs on both World Book Kids (grades K-5) and World Book Online Info Finder. I was hoping they would have an image of a lab, but this golden retriever will have to do. None of the dog images really dealt with habitat.

In looking at both entries (World Book Kids and World Book Student) I noticed that each provided the same general information, but the World Book Student site provided more specific information (kinds of dogs, body types and more of the physical make up of dogs, and more on the history of domestic dogs) and far fewer images than the World Book Kids site.

On the World Book Online Reference Center site I searched for "Italy". I think that the "maps" link on the left side of the screen would be a great resource to users and students. This gives them quick access to a visual resource immediately. Right away I see the "tables" call outs. I clicked on the "Italy in Brief" and like that it condenses all the information down to an easy to access chunk of information. I also notice many functions that make the site a great tool for users. I like that there is an option to just print certain sections of the text, great for users that only need say the information on Italy's coat of arms.

Using World Book Discover I clicked over to an article on the Pledge of Allegiance. The options to have the text read aloud or the ability to define unknown words are also great for the average user or for people that may not be able to read the whole article.

Lesson 1b -- World Book Public Library Edition 

Using World Book Online Kids I used the "World of Animals" link to find information on Armadillos. Below is a map showing where "nine band" armadillos reside. 

Using World Book Online Info Finder I searched for Armadillos. Much like my dog searches on the Wold Book School Edition sites, the World Book Online Info Finder provided more specific information and fewer images.

Using World Book Online Reference Center I searched for France. I clicked on the "photos" link and found a number of different images, many linked to more information about the country and its culture. I believe this information (photos, maps, literature) would be a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about the culture and physical appearance of a country and a great opportunity for people to gather more information on any topic.

Lesson 1c -- World Book Foreign Language Edition 

I believe the simple and visual wayfinding of the World Book Foreign Language Edition would make it easy for an English and non-English speaker to manage through the content and find what is needed together. 

The ability to have an article read aloud in Spanish, is again an opportunity for someone whose reading level may not be suited for the content, but can still understand the content of what is being presented.