NetLibrary

I perused the Idiots Guides, Cliff's Notes, and some specific topics such as Steinbeck. I searched Western History and Oklahoma; I located a delightful book called Nothing but Prairie and Sky. It had fascinating stories, such as what they did with a call girl who died and was too large for a casket. When I searched the term constitution, I found original documents and some advanced material about interpreting the constitution. I have recommended NetLibrary in the past, but the login process seems to keep some teachers from using it. I couldn't remember my password from before, so I did all of the above without logging in, while waiting for an e-mail with my password. What do you think of recommending this for teachers and classes? Would they just not be able to save their work/lists, or would there be other limitations? It looked like I had full access while I was there, just not able to make lists, etc.

Gale

Gale is so extensive that sometimes it is overwhelming. I checked on a few random topics. First I used an encyclopedia of mythology and found 17 articles about Hermes, with one main entry. Yesterday, it was so slow that it was unusable and I never did get to a specific article. Then I did general searches on tax cuts and the blood supply (two different searches!). There was plenty of information--some great general articles and many related topics. I liked how Gale keeps track of your search history. At one point I thought all was lost, but I found my lists and was able to backtrack very easily. Gale seems like one of the most academic databases, and I think of it as intended for high school and college.

ProQuest

I have a question about ProQuest and SIRS. At the bottom of one of the SIRS pages, I saw a ProQuest logo. Are they the same company? Does one own the other? I find them very different in navigation. I think of ProQuest as having fewer bells and whistles and teacher resources. It is sometimes easier to navigate for students who just want some basic info. I like how it is divided by types of resource.

I looked up Matt Kenseth (my NASCAR driver), Fawcett (very current articles on the Smithsonian donation), and a few other topics. I didn't always find in depth information, but enough to get me started.

My most interesting find was in the publication feature. I had never used that, and I think I will use it a lot in the future to scan professional journals that we can't afford. Do most databases have this feature? I opened up the newest issue of Library Journal and found the article, "Bodice Rippers Without the Bodice." At first I figured it would be about nudity. Nope. It is male/male romances written by and for straight women. Who knew? The article listed the Top 10 in the genre, so apparently there are many more, ranging from pirates to private detectives to farmers. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading current professional journals whenever I want!

SIRS Researcher

Anyone remember when SIRS came in newsletter form and we kept them in binders??? I love the way SIRS is organized. I recommend to teachers that they print off the printable flyer, write a quick assignment, such as pro/con research, a debate format, or just reading and writing a summary or reaction to articles. Then they have an instant lesson plan for a sub or between units, or wherever it works best. They could also do the same thing with the current events section. Especially with a substitute, it helps keep students in a certain area of the internet. I compared the country information between Discoverer and Researcher. Discoverer actually has enough information for indepth assignments, but Researcher branches out with more with different types of references. I learned something new today. The English language is 40% French origin. I always hear that it is a Germanic language, so who knew? Sacre bleu! I also found an excellent section on Bastille Day and took a fun quiz (the corset is not the emblem of the French revolution!). There is just so much available. Teachers always complain that inservices just throw information and sites at you, but don't give enough follow-up. This is a site where teachers could spend a lot of time finding resources for students and all the tools available to make their jobs easier.

SIRS Discoverer

I used SIRS Discoverer a lot when I was K-12, and I went there today thinking I'd just go through the motions for the assignment. I started out with animals, but ended going through all the monthly features and other fun things, and ended up finding tons of current info on authors and books at all levels. One thing I did notice about the animal search was how many directions you could go from there; along with info on animals, there were suggestions on related topics, such as animal rights. I also spent time with the new science fair experiments section and the discussion of fair use under the educator's resources. I have also used the workbooks to teach SIRS to students. An area that I am interested in learning about (or at least know that I should!) is lexiles. When/if teachers or administration ask about lexiles, I will at least be ready with plenty of resources. I love the high-interest, enticing setup of the site! You can just jump in anywhere and find something intesting, which takes you to something else...