Lesson 5: ProQuest

Question 1

I entered “Les Miserables” in the search box and got 6,243 results. I reentered “Les Miserables novel” in the search box and narrowed the results to 1808. By choosing the Document Type “Article” the results decreased to 906. Under Subjects I chose “Literary Criticism” and got down to 140. I checked various articles. They loaded quickly, and the search terms were highlighted. The articles were very scholarly. The reading level of the articles available on this site would be too difficult for middle schoolers, but very helpful for teachers doing continuing education coursework.

 

Question 2

First I tried searching “Hurricane Sandy AND libraries” and got 971 results. I narrowed the Document Type to Reports, and started by choosing the Subject of Damage, since some of the impact will be damage, though that is certainly not the only kind of impact. In reviewing the results, I found that libraries were being used as supply collection sites and as places to  hold press conferences. I can infer some impact from this information: communities are recognizing their library buildings as stable, easily located, versatile public centers. The library buildings are being instantly repurposed to provide shelter, aid, and information to the public. This will create lasting good will toward the libraries, and instill in the public a visceral memory of the library as something they are grateful their town has; an important place in times of need.

 

I also found articles on specific aid for libraries such as this press release from New Jersey        Representative Frank Pallone (“. . .  the National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the New Jersey Council for the Humanities an Emergency Chairman's Grant of $30,000. The grant will go towards repairing New Jersey's cultural infrastructure and historic institutions . . . In addition, many humanities organizations, like libraries, served as shelters, emergency supply distribution centers and charging stations during the storm. The funding may also go to these organizations to defray hurricane-related costs.”) and this note from the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Hearing: “The Louisiana Office of Facility Planning and Control (FP&C) is responsible for $1.4 billion repairs or replacements of thousands of disaster-damaged facilities including hospitals, libraries and college campuses in Louisiana.”

 

I learned about an entirely new kind of library: “The USGS has helped develop a new tool using information from stream gauges called a flood inundation map library to assist first responders and the general public in knowing what areas will be flooded and how deep those flood waters will be for a given storm based on the NWS flood forecast. Real-time flood inundation map applications run flood simulations and create maps "on the fly" during a flood, using real-time data. The maps are freely available to anyone at any time.”

 

Next I searched for “Hurricane Sandy AND impact on libraries” and got 116 results. I was interested in this article on how libraries were immediately curating information about the storm’s impact on their communities. (Not surprisingly, they are focusing on virtual content which cannot be damaged by storms.)

 

'Hurricane Sandy: Record, Remember, Rebuild' Project

Targeted News Service [Washington, D.C] 29 May 2013.

According to Jon Voss, Historypin Strategic Partnerships Director, "At Historypin, where we seek to build community around local history, we hope to contribute in some small way to Hurricane Sandy recovery by providing a place online to share photos and recollections of how things were before, during, and after the storm. We know that archives, libraries, and museums play a critical role in preserving cultural and community memory, and we're delighted that SAA is joining us in this effort . . . Historypin invites individuals, communities, and local archives to share photographs, videos, and memories, with the goal of creating a rich record of life in communities and neighborhoods affected by the storm, a space to share memories, and a place to chronicle the re-building efforts. “

The article I was most interested in pertained to Hurricane Katrina, not Sandy. It seemed to come up in my results because it contained the word “Hurricane” even though I had specified “Hurricane Sandy” in my search. Regardless, it is clear from this introductory paragraph that with a little serious forethought, libraries can be the vanguard of information and organization in  disaster response. Although the research focused on medical libraries, the roles and skills fit all kinds of librarians. The article makes me wonder if the Rapid City Public Library is included in FEMA or other local disaster preparedness plans.

Library roles in disaster response: an oral history project by the National Library of Medicine*[dagger]false

. Journal of the Medical Library Association96.4 (Oct 2008): 343-50.

Through the process of conducting the oral history, an understanding of multiple roles for libraries in disaster response emerged. The roles fit into eight categories: institutional supporters, collection managers, information disseminators, internal planners, community supporters, government partners, educators and trainers, and information community builders.

Lesson 4: SIRS Discoverer and SIRS Issues Researcher

SIRS Discoverer 

First, this is my go-to research resource for middle school students: I love it! But based on this exercise, I wouldn’t use SIRS Discoverer with lower elementary students, especially not low-readers. I found no articles on the solar system or on planets with Lexile levels below 330, which is the bottom level for a 3^rd grader. Educators are told that a child doing research should be working towards the bottom of their leisure reading range. I was able to sort articles on the results page, but Advanced Search did not return any results in less than 3 minutes from my home computer, and then the results were only for the key search term; there was nothing “Advanced” about the search.  

When I sorted by Lexile Level on the results page, it trumped the Relevancy search. One of the first hits was for an article on lungs that contained a “what if” reference to the “Planet Sklunk.” Fortunately I don’t see these problems in my library classes. We love SIRS because of the accuracy on the topics we need, the descriptors, the summaries, and the pre-made MLA citations at the bottom of each article.

I would use World Book Kids with lower readers. The page layout at SIRS Discoverer has too many links; too much information; too many options for a young researcher to sort through on their own. A grown-up sitting behind the keyboard could find what the student needs, but I don’t think an elementary student would stick with it long enough to get decent results.

I was disappointed to find 10- and even 20-year-old results on a topic like the solar system. SIRS needs to clean out inaccurate and outdated material. Both of these articles had information that has changed since they were published. Students don’t know inaccurate information when they stumble on it. It’s another reason I would go with World Book Kids in this situation.

I the end, I found no articles I would consider worthwhile for this student. They were too specific, or too high a reading level, or no longer accurate.

 

2.  I tried Advanced Search for Volcanoes AND maps but got nothing that made sense.

Because Advanced Search still wasn’t performing well, I searched Volcanoes as a keyword and got 141 graphics hits. Clicking on the Graphics tab brought up only the graphic images, and I could see several maps on each of the 25 pages. I like that feature for helping students quickly find a usable image for their assignment. I tried a variety of other things, but never did find a way to only look for maps.

 

SIRS Issues Researcher

Let me  start by saying I was surprised at your introductory remarks about this resource. I question the description of SIRS Issues Researcher as being the middle- to high-school version of Discoverer. It really does an entirely different thing, and if students want a single-topic-oriented search experience like they get at Discoverer, they are going to be frustrated with Issues Researcher. You can get to the articles, but this site is really about pro/con, compare-and-contrast research. I send students to the Discovering Collection from Gale to continue single-topic-oriented research. I really think it is a more accurate example of the next-step-higher research site from SIRS Discoverer.

To answer question 1., I simply searched Suicide Prevention in the homepage search box of Issues Researcher and got hundreds of articles including both general information on teen suicide, but also things on specific prevention programs and strategies. Because the articles are vetted, it is a far faster way of searching for reliable information than is Google. I have used a similar “race” when I introduce research for classes but I don’t really need to do it anymore after the middle of 7^th grade. They pretty much know if they’re in the library they have to use reliable sites and Google is too slow.

 

2. I searched Water Use to start, and got a variety of hits about issues around the globe. I especially liked the Subject links at the bottom of each article for ideas about more specific search terms. Here is the list from an article about water use in Colorado:

Subjects:  Arid regions, Conservation of natural resources, Environmental impact analysis, Environmentalism, Irrigation, Irrigation farming, Natural resources, Reservoirs, Water conservation, Water use, Water-supply, West (U.S.), Colorado River Watershed (Colo.-Mexico), Irrigation water

There were many articles about towns all around the planet which were facing water conservation needs, and the solutions they were coming up with. I think these positive perspectives on water use might be very helpful at a town meeting where tempers can become heated. To be able to say, “Lots of people around the world are facing similar problems. Here’s what they’re trying” and give some accurate examples could move the discussion in a productive way.

Lesson 3 Learning Express

I found Learning Express to be more cumbersome to navigate and less helpful than I remembered it from a few years ago.

My main concern is about privacy: I don't like having to register, sign in, or have my movements tracked by any site, but this is especially concerning for people who might be exploring new job options. I emailed Learning Express to ask if there was a way to use their site without registering. If I hear back, I will add it to the bottom of this post. For this lesson, I created a fake ID and was able to register without giving an email address.

Still, I think as librarians we need to be aware of privacy issues. If a user wants to create an account that's one thing, but to require an account to access the site content I think is unnecessary and unfair. I don't know if this is something SDSL discusses when they contract with a site to offer it through the state library, but I think it should be going forward. I don't see any reassurances on the Learning Express site that they won't be using or releasing information they have collected from users.

1. For the 4th grader, I found Reading Comprehension exercises available for 5 different kinds of reading: Informational, Narrative, Persuasive, Poetry, and General Reading. I will be showing this to the Reading Specialist in our building.

2. For the woman seeking an office manager job, I first went to the Career Center and searched "office manager" but got no hits. Then I noticed the left and right arrowheads in the middle of the page and moved through options to Job Search and Workplace Skills and chose Build Your Workplace Skills from the menu on the left. There were four lessons on writing skills available, but nothing on what I think of as "management" skills: organizational skills, motivating and directing workers, basic accounting, corporate flow charts and position expectations, basic legal issues in Human Resources (taxes, insurance and benefits, harassment, etc.) I searched these topics individually without much success. 

Next I went to Prepare for an Occupation Exam and searched for "business", "office manager", "clerical", "administrative", and "human resources." No hits for any of these. I guess the only thing Learning Express can offer at this time is the writing lessons.

I will be checking other people's blogs on this question to see what else they find. "Office manager" is a pretty basic, common request and I hope there is more on Learning Express than I was able to find.

3. For the student interested in nursing or pharmacy, I went to the Career Center and chose Allied Health first. In one of the articles, there was a brief definition of what a pharmacist does, but not much else. Under the Occupational Exams center I found some tests for Pharmacy Technician Certification, but that is not the same thing as a pharmacist.

Back at the Career Center, I found a section on Becoming a Nurse, but I could not access it and the site froze three times in a row when I tried to open the document.

Here again, I am hoping others had better luck. When I used the site a few years ago, I thought it was a gold mine.

I also explored the College Prep Center and went into the AP exams. There are a number of curious 8th graders who would enjoy trying their hand at these tests, so I will be showing these to students soon. To see the exams, I did have to register, but the tests loaded smoothly and offered several different ways to take them and to use them as study aids.

Lesson 2

I decided to time myself on this lesson. Even signing in from home, the whole thing took 7 minutes. I love that South Dakotans have so much information at their fingertips.

Chilton
1. I entered the year, make, and model at the home page and clicked "Enter." Next I chose Steering Wheel Removal and Installation on the left menu. There were three videos available, and I played the third, which sounded most pertinent. It loaded quickly, the video quality was excellent, camera angles were helpful, and I especially appreciated the voiceover. It was not automated; there was no accent; and the script was in short clear sentences.

2. I had a little trouble with this one because I don't now anything about transmissions. However, I have used Chilton with several students this year, and they always know what options to choose for what they want. I just let them know the site exists and get them into the right year, make, and model. I think the Transmission Identification number is A131L. That's the number related to the Geo Prizm 3 speed transaxle . . . whatever that is. I have no question that if I had a living patron asking for this information we could work together to find it.

I am so glad that Chilton has gone online. It saves a ton of paper, shelf space, and continuous update costs, but mostly it gives me a site I can introduce to students that some non-readers will absolutely love. Plus the videos give a much clearer explanation of which bolt to tighten than a schematic drawing ever could. Thanks for offering this site!

Mango
I clicked "Start Learning", chose "English Courses", then hovered over each language offering to see which one was Vietnamese. I clicked into the one beginning "Tieng Anh Cho" and was on my way.

What a great resource! I hope you are in contact with agencies and congregations that are resettling immigrants and refugees to let them know about this resource. What an asset!

Lesson 1C

I used the French edition, and searched for "house." The response was quick, but I was surprised by how many items pertained to the United States. I had expected the articles to emphasize houses in France and French speaking countries. I did not get the article on Maisons that focused on houses; rather I got articles on Hull House, Halifax, and Jane Addams. The sidebar information was cognates and unremarkable. I noticed when I hovered over certain terms like "suivant" an English definition popped up. Students would like that.

Next I browsed "Peuple" and scrolled down to find "Maison." For results, I got three pages of articles ranging from terrariums to lamps to pets to vacuum cleaners. There was also a wonderfully complete article on houses, and once I found the Translate button I was able to learn a lot.

I encourage my students to explore and just have fun in the French and Spanish editions. They rarely have enough free time or patience to do this, but on the occasions when I have required them to do it for 10 minutes, they laugh a lot and enjoy it. Sadly, there is very little opportunity for this kind of playtime in a middle school day.

Lesson 1B.1  WB Online Info Finder Kids

I went to Games, hoping I might find something for SPED student in my middle school. The Spelling Maze was too graphically immature for my students. The words were challenging enough for some SPED classes, but the only movement comes from using the arrow keys, and that is too simple for any students in  my level. The line drawings were neither clever nor engaging.

The second game I tried was multicolored multipliers. As you solved a multiplication fast fact, numbered sections on a simple line drawing would get colored in. It would hold a child's interest for a while, and it does reinforce basic multiplication facts, but I am a real believer in using technology when it is the best way to teach, not just because it is available. In this case, I would far rather have the child select the colors they wanted and get the much-needed small muscle skill of coloring the sections themselves. The picture would look better, the child would be more engaged and proud of their own efforts. Having incorporated more kinetic activity, the exercise would be more deeply embedded in the child's memory.

The last game I tried was a kind of  Social Studies tic-tac-toe. The questions were challenging; I liked playing against an unknown opponent, and the game was entertaining enough to be fun. I would recommend this to 7th grade Social Studies teachers in need of a fill-activity while they reteach lessons for struggling students.

Lesson 1B.2   WB Online Info Finder grades 5-9

I may have the title of this WB site incorrect. To my mind, there are so many WB sites it is very confusing. I have the same problem when I teach WB Online, and so do my students and teachers. I wish their names for the Public Library sections and the basic reference sections were radically different from each other.

I went to the virtual tour titled, "WB Explores the Pilgrims and Colonial Life." It loaded quickly and looked promising. The Q&A format was clear, but the time- and location-jumping between the questioner and the costumed responder seemed contrived. I would have preferred to see a 21st Century child speak their question directly to the re-enactor. It got even more confusing when a 21st Century historian joined the re-enactor in the video frame to try to re-answer the child's question. Then the historian explained in a slightly patronizing way that the term "Pilgrim" is never applied to these people, and that they never called themselves that nor thought of themselves as pilgrims. The questioner was using exactly the same terminology used by WB. If that's the case, why doesn't WB use proper terminology in its title for this tour?

I reviewed a few other questions. The re-enactor responder uses the same opening in each video clip, which would seem pretty fakey to kids. The language the re-enactor uses to answer the child's question is far too complex and mature for the age of the questioner. When the 21st Century historian steps into the video frame to clear it all up, she uses equally lofty language.

The last question I tried was "Did Native Americans marry?" I think the question rightly should be, "Did Wampanoags in the 1600s marry?" as variations likely existed between tribes and across the centuries of Native American life in North America. The re-enactor presents what seems to me like a late-19th Century notion of love and "wanting to spend the rest of their lives together" as the reason Wampanoags married. Were there no economic or political incentives in selecting mates? Did the young people choose their own partners without advice or interference from their elders? I did appreciate the explanation of a give-away.

Lesson 1B.3     WB Online Reference Center

I researched Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Under Related Information, the Primary Sources left me totally confused. I could not figure out how they related to Huck Finn, and there were no narrative introductions that I could find to help make the connections. This would not be something I could send 8th graders to and have them get anything out of it. The Back in Time articles had the same problem. They may have made glancing reference to Mark Twain or Huck Finn, but for students at my level, it would have been wasted time and effort to read through all this morass.

Of the six websites, the first one could not be found. The second and third went to the same site, but the material there was high quality, varied, and original. Sites 4 and 6 gave information on Twain works too loosely related to Huck Finn to be of use to middle schoolers. But site 5 on Tom Sawyer was very interesting and pertinent to understanding both Mark Twain and Huckleberry Finn.

On the whole, this side of the WB Online offerings leave me cold.

Lesson 1a World Book Kids

I went to World of Animals and, lo and behold! there was a picture of an animal I actually know something about: the axolotl. I know of this Mexican salamander through a young microbiologist at the University of Minnesota. She is in a lab that is researching the axolotl's amazing ability to heal injuries with virtually no scar tissue. In fact, the axolotl's regenerative capacity is such that if you remove the poor thing's entire liver, it will keep itself alive while it grows a new liver. If we were to learn the secret of the axolotl's regenerative capacity, it seems that humans might truly be able to live forever, replacing each organ system with a new set as needed.

Setting that disturbing philosophical possibility aside, let's look at the information offered in World Book Kids. The picture is of an albino axolotl, but the article describes a normally colored axolotl. This is confusing. It's a great opportunity to mention albinos and what the term means, but they never do that. In fact, because axolotls are being so assiduously studied and it is easier to breed albino axolotls for studies, I believe there are more albino axolotls that normally colored axolotls on earth at any given moment. Surely this should be mentioned by World Book Kids.

I loved the "Exhibit" feature and will definitely show this to 6th grade classes doing animal research projects. The facts are clear, organized, and interesting (like that they share gender names with pigs: "boar" and "sow". How did that happen?) The article was mediocre at best. It didn't clear up the albino issue. It said they are popular pets but never explained why anyone would want to keep such an unattractive and apparently dull animal as a pet. What is it about axolotls that makes people want to domesticate them? Their importance in research was not mentioned nor, more importantly, was the regenerative capacity of salamanders in general.

I was surprised that the read-aloud feature was not very helpful. It is an automated voice which pronounces "axolotl" in awkward and inconsistent ways. Worse, if you press the "Hear text read aloud" link it reads every language it could read aloud in, and all the instructions. Students in the target age of "WB Kids" won't sit through for all this nonsense. More troubling, I can't find a way to stop Ms. Robotic Siri. As I write, she is dedicatedly reading the copyright and trademark information at the bottom of the page. I have clicked everywhere I can think of and cannot get her to stop.

When I logged in at South Middle School in Rapid City, the citations were not consistently organized: the APA and Harvard citations were spaced out vertically with one item per line. When I logged in at my house, the citations were lined up correctly. That seems odd.

But the bigger question is this: Why is Harvard citation formatting included in a resource aimed at K-5 in the first place? Are there elementary schools anywhere in the world that require Harvard citation formatting for elementary students? Here in Rapid City, we're being told if you can get middle school students to understand the legal requirements for citation, and to put the citation in MLA format, that's more than half the battle. Why can't those Massachusetts snoots just accept the MLA format? It' s got everything their format has except for the URLs which are impossibly long for students of World Book Kids age to transcribe anyway.

Nitpicking aside, I will definitely use the exhibit feature of this resource for 6th grade animal reports. The chart will make their work much easier and the MLA citation that they can just copy and paste to their bibliographies is icing on the cake.