Week 11 - Wrap UP
This has been a great learning experience and has made me much more aware of what MARVEL has to offer. One of the most important things I learned was that MARVEL is very user-friendly and offers information on practically any subject you are interested in. It can be overwhelming to look at the lists of databases available but if you take it one step or database at a time, like we did in this class, you can navigate the sites and find what you are looking for. I currently use NoveList K-8 on a daily basis and find that to be a valuable resource. I know that I will refer to Health Source but I don't think that I will be spending any time on Business Source Complete. The information available there is still Greek to me! If I can ever find any spare time I would like to continue to explore Ancestry Library and, of course, Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center. I did love that lesson!
I will continue to encourage the students to use NoveList when doing their book, author and series searches. I will also remind them about the Britannica resource that is available. I want to thank Stephanie, Marmie and Valerie for offering this Invitational and the opportunity to explore MARVEL. Marvel truly is MARVELOUS!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Week 10 - EbscoHost and Ebsco eBooks
I began my search using the MiddleSearch Plus because of my work in a middle school library. Under the publication link I was able to find many of the magazines that are most popular with the middle school students. Sports Illustrated Kids, Boys' Life, Girls' Life, Motocross and Dirt Bike were all available with full text articles available from as far back as 1990 to the present time. I looked for the magazine Seventeen, knowing that it was for the older teens, with no results. I then checked for Seventeen in MasterFile Premier and found it available there. I would certainly use MiddleSearch Plus when searching for publication that are appropriate for the middle school students.
When I did a basic search for what foods have zinc the first result discussed the benefits of zinc in helping women with diabetes. The article was from the May/June 2009 issue of the Saturday Evening Post.The article mentioned some natural sources of zinc including beans, nuts, whole grains, dairy products and poultry. It also mentioned that zinc is available in supplements. I did like that fact that you could listen to the article.
I tried to check out some of the other participants' blogs but am thinking that many are very busy and haven't had the chance to work on this week's assignment. I did find 2 completed and it looked like their results were very similar to mine. It made me feel a bit better about not finding many sources for Constitution Day.
I did a search for information on exercising for health. I didn't get the results that I was looking for so I narrowed the search to exercise. The first eBook that was listed was Understanding Exercise Addiction. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for but it did have some interesting information that might help someone battling this addiction. This database certainly offers a fast way to get information when you don't have the option of going to your library and looking for a book. It is also great for those readers that prefer eBooks. I am still holding on to my hard cover books but may join the eBookers at some point! :)
I did a search for Constitution Day but didn't have much luck. I'm not sure if I was doing this correctly but I didn't find any eBook that I felt would help a student with their search for information on Constitution Day. I did find periodicals and journals that would help but nothing in eBooks.
Once again I didn't have much luck in my search for information on Western history after typing in Nebraska in the Publisher box. I found a number of eBooks but I didn't feel that they were directly connected to the topic.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Week 9 - Learning Express
After viewing both tutorials I went to LearningExpress, registered into The Learning Center and started my search. I decided to look at the Middle School Math and went to the first part of the California 8th Grade Mathematics Practice Test. Lucky for me it was only a practice test! I answered a few questions and clicked on Score My Test. I liked the fact that you can get your score immediately. There were detailed explanations for any questions answered incorrectly which would be very helpful if you were preparing for a major exam like the SAT's. It also listed suggestions on what tests and courses would be beneficial to improve your scores and knowledge. I can ssee how this testing option would be very helpful for students ttying to prepare for exams or just improve their math skills.
In Job Search and Workplace Skills I selected Creating Great Cover Letters. I have always found this to be very difficult but with this resource you are given step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process. You can see correct formats to use, what to include and, equally important, what not to include. If I had to write a cover letter, which I hope I never have to do, this is where I would go for assistance.
I clicked on the eBooks link and browsed what was available. I selected Think You Know Your Vocabulary and found it very interesting. It was written with some humor which made it enjoyable to read. I thought it would be just reading material but it contained many word activities like crossword puzzles, word searches, fill in the blanks and word scrambles to help expand your vocabulary. I plan on keeping this in My Center and referring back to if often.
The LearningExpress is another valuable tool available through MARVEL!
After viewing both tutorials I went to LearningExpress, registered into The Learning Center and started my search. I decided to look at the Middle School Math and went to the first part of the California 8th Grade Mathematics Practice Test. Lucky for me it was only a practice test! I answered a few questions and clicked on Score My Test. I liked the fact that you can get your score immediately. There were detailed explanations for any questions answered incorrectly which would be very helpful if you were preparing for a major exam like the SAT's. It also listed suggestions on what tests and courses would be beneficial to improve your scores and knowledge. I can ssee how this testing option would be very helpful for students ttying to prepare for exams or just improve their math skills.
In Job Search and Workplace Skills I selected Creating Great Cover Letters. I have always found this to be very difficult but with this resource you are given step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process. You can see correct formats to use, what to include and, equally important, what not to include. If I had to write a cover letter, which I hope I never have to do, this is where I would go for assistance.
I clicked on the eBooks link and browsed what was available. I selected Think You Know Your Vocabulary and found it very interesting. It was written with some humor which made it enjoyable to read. I thought it would be just reading material but it contained many word activities like crossword puzzles, word searches, fill in the blanks and word scrambles to help expand your vocabulary. I plan on keeping this in My Center and referring back to if often.
The LearningExpress is another valuable tool available through MARVEL!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Week 8 Genealogy Resources - Ancestry Library
After viewing the tutorials that were available for this database I paid a visit to my local library and sat down to start my search. I began my search by typing in my own name and found that the first 5 results pertained to me. Of the 5 results, one was accurate and up-to-date while the other 4 were rather out-dated. All the results had the correct date of birth but the residence information was not accurate. The one that seemed the most accurate actually included my telephone number which was correct. When I clicked on the link that was the most accurate I found that it also included my birth date and below mine in parenthesis was my daughter's without her name. There was no information on my son. I did try to access my marriage license by adding all the pertinent information in the search boxes but I didn't get any results.
I had a great time searching for information on my grandparents and also my father who has been deceased for many years. It was very exciting to find their names with accurate information although the most current information was from the 1940 Census Report. I learned that my grandmother had my father when she was 26 years old which seems fairly old for that generation. The results included her husband, their address, their children and their ages, place of birth and other information. I was also able to access information on who their neighbors were but I did not remember any of their names. I did remember the street address listed and it brought back some very pleasant but vague memories. I also looked into my husband's family and found information on the ship that my father-in-law served on in the Navy. So much information and so little time!!!
Maps and Photos was an interesting database once I was able to find it. It took some time hunting in order to find the link and figure out how to get the results I was looking for. I typed in Maine and came up with 212,144,019 results. Overwhelming to say the least! I did refine the search to Livermore Falls and found yearbooks with photos and articles available. I liked the option in the upper right corner of the page that allows you to flip through the pages of the yearbook as if you were holding the actual book in your hands. You have the option to zoom in on the pictures and articles and also customize the page to full screen with other options available. I was disappointed that there were only a few years available but maybe with more searching I could have found additional results.
This database is very impressive and lots of fun to use. I can see how beneficial this would be for someone interested in genealogy. I was fortunate to have a co-worker at the library doing the same assignment so we were able to help each other. It did take some time to figure out how to navigate the site but once we did we thought it was amazing. We had a hard time keeping our "library voices" on when we found information about family members long deceased. Quite an enjoyable afternoon spent at the local library!
After viewing the tutorials that were available for this database I paid a visit to my local library and sat down to start my search. I began my search by typing in my own name and found that the first 5 results pertained to me. Of the 5 results, one was accurate and up-to-date while the other 4 were rather out-dated. All the results had the correct date of birth but the residence information was not accurate. The one that seemed the most accurate actually included my telephone number which was correct. When I clicked on the link that was the most accurate I found that it also included my birth date and below mine in parenthesis was my daughter's without her name. There was no information on my son. I did try to access my marriage license by adding all the pertinent information in the search boxes but I didn't get any results.
I had a great time searching for information on my grandparents and also my father who has been deceased for many years. It was very exciting to find their names with accurate information although the most current information was from the 1940 Census Report. I learned that my grandmother had my father when she was 26 years old which seems fairly old for that generation. The results included her husband, their address, their children and their ages, place of birth and other information. I was also able to access information on who their neighbors were but I did not remember any of their names. I did remember the street address listed and it brought back some very pleasant but vague memories. I also looked into my husband's family and found information on the ship that my father-in-law served on in the Navy. So much information and so little time!!!
Maps and Photos was an interesting database once I was able to find it. It took some time hunting in order to find the link and figure out how to get the results I was looking for. I typed in Maine and came up with 212,144,019 results. Overwhelming to say the least! I did refine the search to Livermore Falls and found yearbooks with photos and articles available. I liked the option in the upper right corner of the page that allows you to flip through the pages of the yearbook as if you were holding the actual book in your hands. You have the option to zoom in on the pictures and articles and also customize the page to full screen with other options available. I was disappointed that there were only a few years available but maybe with more searching I could have found additional results.
This database is very impressive and lots of fun to use. I can see how beneficial this would be for someone interested in genealogy. I was fortunate to have a co-worker at the library doing the same assignment so we were able to help each other. It did take some time to figure out how to navigate the site but once we did we thought it was amazing. We had a hard time keeping our "library voices" on when we found information about family members long deceased. Quite an enjoyable afternoon spent at the local library!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Week 7 - Consumer Health Resources
Health Source - Consumer Edition
I found many different publications from periodicals, books and health reports to pamphlets, academic journals, trade publications and more.
I searched hypertension and found over 3,000 results. I selected an article titled A Strike Against Stroke which was the cover story from Nutrition Action health Letter dated Nov. 2012. The article was very interesting and informative as well as being easy to understand. I didn't feel like I had to have a medical dictionary to understand what I was reading. I found the magnifying glass to the right of the article's title to be a helpful option. By clicking on that I was able to get a brief description of what the article was about. The Contents list to the left of the article makes it easy to jump to exatly what you are looking for. I think that this is a great resource for information and is very user-friendly.
Medline Plus
The home page has a lot of information available. The Health News for today addressed US Diabetes rates soaring, 60 percent of America's biggest cities are now smoke-free and the fact that alcoholic drinks add 100 calories a day to the average adult's diet along with a link to more health news. On the left side of the page were a numbe of top searches with the largest and boldest being the sites most visited. Autism, diabetes, hypertension and vitamin d were the top searches. Some of the other popular searches included asthma, shingles, breast cancer and aspirin.
I did a search for hydrochlorothiazide which is a water pill prescribed for hypertension. The information available included why it is prescribed, how to take it, special precautions, dietary instructions and more importantly the side effets caused by taking this medicaiton. There was a lot of helpful information and it was very easy to understand.
I once again searched for hypertension and found that this database offered many more links such as research, basics, reference info and a very interesting link to multimedia and cool tools which offers tutorials, videos, pictures and photographs. To the right are links to Medical Encyclopedias, Related Topics and even links to other languages. The options seemed unlimited and the information was more in depth that what I found on Health Source. I feel that this database is geared more toward the medical profession.
I watched a video on coronary artery disease and heart disease in women. I found them both to be very informative. There is even a link to quizzes so you can check your knowledge after watching the video. I do think that this database would be one that I would refer back to along with Health Source. Great resources!
I found many different publications from periodicals, books and health reports to pamphlets, academic journals, trade publications and more.
I searched hypertension and found over 3,000 results. I selected an article titled A Strike Against Stroke which was the cover story from Nutrition Action health Letter dated Nov. 2012. The article was very interesting and informative as well as being easy to understand. I didn't feel like I had to have a medical dictionary to understand what I was reading. I found the magnifying glass to the right of the article's title to be a helpful option. By clicking on that I was able to get a brief description of what the article was about. The Contents list to the left of the article makes it easy to jump to exatly what you are looking for. I think that this is a great resource for information and is very user-friendly.
Medline Plus
The home page has a lot of information available. The Health News for today addressed US Diabetes rates soaring, 60 percent of America's biggest cities are now smoke-free and the fact that alcoholic drinks add 100 calories a day to the average adult's diet along with a link to more health news. On the left side of the page were a numbe of top searches with the largest and boldest being the sites most visited. Autism, diabetes, hypertension and vitamin d were the top searches. Some of the other popular searches included asthma, shingles, breast cancer and aspirin.
I did a search for hydrochlorothiazide which is a water pill prescribed for hypertension. The information available included why it is prescribed, how to take it, special precautions, dietary instructions and more importantly the side effets caused by taking this medicaiton. There was a lot of helpful information and it was very easy to understand.
I once again searched for hypertension and found that this database offered many more links such as research, basics, reference info and a very interesting link to multimedia and cool tools which offers tutorials, videos, pictures and photographs. To the right are links to Medical Encyclopedias, Related Topics and even links to other languages. The options seemed unlimited and the information was more in depth that what I found on Health Source. I feel that this database is geared more toward the medical profession.
I watched a video on coronary artery disease and heart disease in women. I found them both to be very informative. There is even a link to quizzes so you can check your knowledge after watching the video. I do think that this database would be one that I would refer back to along with Health Source. Great resources!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Week 6: Business Resources
Week 6: Business Resources
Business Source Complete
My search for FM radio found a variety of sources available from reports and periodicals to academic journals. I noticed that the first few articles were current, dated in 2012, but there were many that were not very current. I would imagine that if you were searching with more specific terms you would have much better results.
I did a visual search and liked the graph and column options. Personally, I think the visual option makes searching easier.
EconLit
My search for small business owners came up with 153 results available in reports, academic journals and books. Articles ranged from what small businesses do, small business growth, family owned businesses and many other topics that would assist someone interested in starting a business.
I then entered EPA and found there were 680 results. When I entered EPA and small businesses it narrowed the results to 31. I found that the dates of the articles were not very current and you would have to search to find information that was up-to-date.
Tax policy returned 6555 results. Tax policy and small businesses narrowed the results to 14 with academic journals, reports and books offered. Once again I noticed that the articles were not very current.
Regional Business News
I decided to do a search for Barnes & Noble and came up with 1797 results.
To narrow my search to a more regional business I entered Hannaford Brothers which returned 117 results from mainly news and periodicals.
For a Maine company I chose LL Bean but came up with only 7 results from news and government documents. The first article was about LL Bean's Outdoor Discovery Day being held in Lorton, VA. I thought that I would get more current results but there was only one article that was dated 2012.
Value Line
This topic is totally foreign to me. I did look at the "Description" which explains what the site provides. For anyone interested in finances and investments this would be a valuable tool. For me, unfortunately, it was like reading something in a foreign language!
I did look at the various reports but once again I was totally our of my element. The Investment Survey lists 133 companies showing what the industry is and the Ticker sorted alphabetically. I clicked on American Greetings and could see the stocks return for the last 10 years but I would need a translator to figure out what everything means.
Wall Street Journal
I searched for small businesses and health care and came up with a little under 20000 results. I narrowed the search down by using a suggested subject and came up with 11 results. Some of the articles were current but others were very out-dated.
I did look into setting an alert and found that relatively easy to do. Anyone interested in up-dates on specific topics would find this option helpful. The information listed would be sent to your email and offers options of when you want to receive notification, either daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly.
I am sorry to say that this week's lesson got the better of me. It was very time consuming and, even after putting in the time, I still could not assist anyone needing help with this site.
Business Source Complete
My search for FM radio found a variety of sources available from reports and periodicals to academic journals. I noticed that the first few articles were current, dated in 2012, but there were many that were not very current. I would imagine that if you were searching with more specific terms you would have much better results.
I did a visual search and liked the graph and column options. Personally, I think the visual option makes searching easier.
EconLit
My search for small business owners came up with 153 results available in reports, academic journals and books. Articles ranged from what small businesses do, small business growth, family owned businesses and many other topics that would assist someone interested in starting a business.
I then entered EPA and found there were 680 results. When I entered EPA and small businesses it narrowed the results to 31. I found that the dates of the articles were not very current and you would have to search to find information that was up-to-date.
Tax policy returned 6555 results. Tax policy and small businesses narrowed the results to 14 with academic journals, reports and books offered. Once again I noticed that the articles were not very current.
Regional Business News
I decided to do a search for Barnes & Noble and came up with 1797 results.
To narrow my search to a more regional business I entered Hannaford Brothers which returned 117 results from mainly news and periodicals.
For a Maine company I chose LL Bean but came up with only 7 results from news and government documents. The first article was about LL Bean's Outdoor Discovery Day being held in Lorton, VA. I thought that I would get more current results but there was only one article that was dated 2012.
Value Line
This topic is totally foreign to me. I did look at the "Description" which explains what the site provides. For anyone interested in finances and investments this would be a valuable tool. For me, unfortunately, it was like reading something in a foreign language!
I did look at the various reports but once again I was totally our of my element. The Investment Survey lists 133 companies showing what the industry is and the Ticker sorted alphabetically. I clicked on American Greetings and could see the stocks return for the last 10 years but I would need a translator to figure out what everything means.
Wall Street Journal
I searched for small businesses and health care and came up with a little under 20000 results. I narrowed the search down by using a suggested subject and came up with 11 results. Some of the articles were current but others were very out-dated.
I did look into setting an alert and found that relatively easy to do. Anyone interested in up-dates on specific topics would find this option helpful. The information listed would be sent to your email and offers options of when you want to receive notification, either daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly.
I am sorry to say that this week's lesson got the better of me. It was very time consuming and, even after putting in the time, I still could not assist anyone needing help with this site.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
I was anxious to work on this week's lesson because I love NoveList Plus. I work in a middle school library and this is the first tab I open after I sign into the library catalog. As much as I use the site I was pleased to have the opportunity to explore more than I do during my normal workday. I started by looking up the Pendragon series which is very popular with the students. They often ask for a book in the series by the number and not the title. By using the "view" component and the "Title Only" option I am able to get a list of the books in order making the job of finding the book requested so much quicker. The "Detailed" option is helpful by offering a summary of the book as well as a picture of the book's cover.
There are days when I have a line of students waiting to check out books and those wanting help finding books. When a student returns a book they really enjoyed they often ask if I have any similar books. The option of entering the author's name and getting a list of similar authors is so helpful. I have done searches using the "Read-alikes" option whether it's for an author or series and have been able to find lists of books that might be of interest to the students. I am going to encourage the students to do the searches so they can become familiar with this wonderful tool that is available to them. Many of the students don't know how to navigate this site but will a little instruction I do believe that my lines at the circulation desk could become shorter! :)
I was able to explore other options available on NoveList Plus and was excited to find out that I had just touched on the very basics. I did like the "Grid" option even though I often have to preface recommendations with "Please, don't judge a book by its cover". Sometimes students come in looking for a book that they saw someone else reading and the only help they can give me is what the cover looked like and maybe the author's name. This option could certainly help with that type of request. "Book Discussion Guides" would be a great resource for classroom teachers. Any opportunity to assist the students in their search for the "perfect book" is something that will be utilized by all! NoveList Plus is the database that offers such assistance!
There are days when I have a line of students waiting to check out books and those wanting help finding books. When a student returns a book they really enjoyed they often ask if I have any similar books. The option of entering the author's name and getting a list of similar authors is so helpful. I have done searches using the "Read-alikes" option whether it's for an author or series and have been able to find lists of books that might be of interest to the students. I am going to encourage the students to do the searches so they can become familiar with this wonderful tool that is available to them. Many of the students don't know how to navigate this site but will a little instruction I do believe that my lines at the circulation desk could become shorter! :)
I was able to explore other options available on NoveList Plus and was excited to find out that I had just touched on the very basics. I did like the "Grid" option even though I often have to preface recommendations with "Please, don't judge a book by its cover". Sometimes students come in looking for a book that they saw someone else reading and the only help they can give me is what the cover looked like and maybe the author's name. This option could certainly help with that type of request. "Book Discussion Guides" would be a great resource for classroom teachers. Any opportunity to assist the students in their search for the "perfect book" is something that will be utilized by all! NoveList Plus is the database that offers such assistance!
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