The course is done, but my learning is just beginning! Like I said in my earlier blog, I never once thought that there would be that much relevant information on reference materials for one to make a full course on it ... Boy, was I wrong! I learned so much about reference materials (and the like), enough for me to know that I shouldn't take them for granted.
It is from the heart when I say that I am grateful for this course. Eventhough I was the least bit interested in taking it (after I found out what it was all about), it was one that I learned the most from. I think this course is not just useful to TLs, but also to classroom teachers. Now that I have chosen to leave my TL position and become a full time classroom teacher, I feel like I am now armed with so much useful information that I can use in my teaching and share with my colleagues. I can't wait to check out the different online databases that our district subscribes to, which I never knew about and never got a chance to explore. I'm eager to have a look at the maps that are available in our library and start integrating them in my teaching. Finally, I'm extremely excited to visit all the sites provided by our classmates and see which ones I can bookmark and share with colleagues.
Thank you Anne for teaching this course and for all your thoughtful comments about our work. Thank you fellow learners for sharing your knowledge and expertise via the discussion forum. Lastly, thank you my children for being so patient with your mom (me!) especially when I had to give up many of our play and cuddle times, so I can do my course readings and assignments. Now that the course is over, we can play play play and play ... well, at least until my two courses start again in Sept!
Monday, 25 July 2011
Lesson 10 - Bibliographies, Biographies and Directories (Periodical Indexes)
If one is to explore the list of UBC Online Indexes and Databases, you will find an extensive list of options that are available for use. I like using EBSCO because ...
1. It is linked to several database collections, which yield results that are relevant to my field of study (i.e., Academic Search Complete, Library Info Science and Tech Abstracts, EBSCO Animals, Canadian/Teacher Ref Center, ERIC)
2. It often provides full text of the articles that I need, so I can easily view them online.
3. I can can alter my search in a variety of ways.
4. Many school districts subscribe to it, so students can access it as well.
5. I can do my article search from home, instead of having to personally go to a library (the way it used to be done years ago).
When I wasn't at all that comfortable yet in using EBSCO, I was easily getting frustrated with the site. I felt I had to be very specific with my keywords before it yielded relevant results. I was constantly losing connection and had to retype all my parameters to re-start my search, although I think the problem was more with my internet connection than it being a problem with the database. Just the same, I am indebted to this type of search engine because it gives me access to countless set of information which I find, not only relevant to me as a student, but also as a teacher.
1. It is linked to several database collections, which yield results that are relevant to my field of study (i.e., Academic Search Complete, Library Info Science and Tech Abstracts, EBSCO Animals, Canadian/Teacher Ref Center, ERIC)
2. It often provides full text of the articles that I need, so I can easily view them online.
3. I can can alter my search in a variety of ways.
4. Many school districts subscribe to it, so students can access it as well.
5. I can do my article search from home, instead of having to personally go to a library (the way it used to be done years ago).
When I wasn't at all that comfortable yet in using EBSCO, I was easily getting frustrated with the site. I felt I had to be very specific with my keywords before it yielded relevant results. I was constantly losing connection and had to retype all my parameters to re-start my search, although I think the problem was more with my internet connection than it being a problem with the database. Just the same, I am indebted to this type of search engine because it gives me access to countless set of information which I find, not only relevant to me as a student, but also as a teacher.
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Lesson 9 - Maps, Atlases and other Geographical Sources (Maps)
Geography has never been an interest of mine. This is unfortunate because I know that there are much to learn just from simply looking and reading maps, for instance. This is perhaps that case why I have inadvertedly ignored the atlas/map section of our library. Although I am fully aware where they are situated in the library, I am not certain of their circulation status and whether or not they need updating. If it wasn't for Riedling's evaluation criteria, I wouldn't know what to do with them otherwise.
I did, however, make an honest effort in evaluating a geographical source from the links that were provided to us. Much as a I have never been a fun of maps, I find myself using Mapquest (and the portable travel map) quite a bit when figuring out how to get to a certain place. There are so many things I find useful about the Mapquest site. You can ...
1. Search for both Canadian and US locations
2. Search for both driving and walking options
3. Add a stop to your originally searched route or reverse your search (from the destination and back)
4. Alter the unit of measure (i.e., miles to km and vice versa)
5. Search for commonly used ammenities and places of interest (i.e., schools, hospitals, gas stations, restaurants) by a touch of a button (e.g., icons are available), within your driving/walking route
6. Print (to bring with you as you drive), save (for later use) and send (if your travelling as a group, for instance) your search results
7. Change your originally searched route to a shorter one
8. View the map in various ways (i.e., satellite, 360 view, normal map view)
and the best one of all ...
9. Change the site to Mapquest Atlas, which is just an engaging and interactive.
Mapquest is such a useful site for even the least computer savy user. It's very user-friendly and not overwhelming at all.
I did, however, make an honest effort in evaluating a geographical source from the links that were provided to us. Much as a I have never been a fun of maps, I find myself using Mapquest (and the portable travel map) quite a bit when figuring out how to get to a certain place. There are so many things I find useful about the Mapquest site. You can ...
1. Search for both Canadian and US locations
2. Search for both driving and walking options
3. Add a stop to your originally searched route or reverse your search (from the destination and back)
4. Alter the unit of measure (i.e., miles to km and vice versa)
5. Search for commonly used ammenities and places of interest (i.e., schools, hospitals, gas stations, restaurants) by a touch of a button (e.g., icons are available), within your driving/walking route
6. Print (to bring with you as you drive), save (for later use) and send (if your travelling as a group, for instance) your search results
7. Change your originally searched route to a shorter one
8. View the map in various ways (i.e., satellite, 360 view, normal map view)
and the best one of all ...
9. Change the site to Mapquest Atlas, which is just an engaging and interactive.
Mapquest is such a useful site for even the least computer savy user. It's very user-friendly and not overwhelming at all.
Lesson 8 - Indexes, Abstracts and Full Text Databases (World Book Online)
Given all the online topics of discussions in our reference course, I have to say that this one on databases is what excited me the most! I'm extremely pleased with the amount of information that I obtained from having had the opportunity to explore the different databases that our district subscribes to. Unfortunately, I only had the chance to explore one - but fortunately, I chose what I think is the best one - World Book Online!
What an incredible resource WBO is! There's certainly something for everyone. It has many features which I know my students and I will benefit from.
1. WB Online is more superior to WB Print in the sense that it allows for various students to research on the same topic at any given time, without having to wait for the resource to be available.
2. It comes in three versions which cater to users of different reading levels.
3. All versions can be accessed from the same site. This eliminates the need to purchase different sets of WB for their library for the students and teachers use.
4. Its multi-media function is definitely very engaging - it has sound capability, very visually appealing, and it allows for its users to make data input (i.e., article search, interactive maps).
5. The site's content is constantly being updated and made relevant.
6. There are helpline and online tutorial guides, which first time users can access so as to help them navigate the system.
and the list goes on ...
In this day and age when people, particularly our young students, are becoming more and more technologically involved, online databases are similarly increasing in use and popularity. They are highly accessible from school and home (provided that internet is not down) , user-friendly and is free to access (through our school districts). They are different types of databases and it's just a matter of figuring out which one would best meet our needs.
What an incredible resource WBO is! There's certainly something for everyone. It has many features which I know my students and I will benefit from.
1. WB Online is more superior to WB Print in the sense that it allows for various students to research on the same topic at any given time, without having to wait for the resource to be available.
2. It comes in three versions which cater to users of different reading levels.
3. All versions can be accessed from the same site. This eliminates the need to purchase different sets of WB for their library for the students and teachers use.
4. Its multi-media function is definitely very engaging - it has sound capability, very visually appealing, and it allows for its users to make data input (i.e., article search, interactive maps).
5. The site's content is constantly being updated and made relevant.
6. There are helpline and online tutorial guides, which first time users can access so as to help them navigate the system.
and the list goes on ...
In this day and age when people, particularly our young students, are becoming more and more technologically involved, online databases are similarly increasing in use and popularity. They are highly accessible from school and home (provided that internet is not down) , user-friendly and is free to access (through our school districts). They are different types of databases and it's just a matter of figuring out which one would best meet our needs.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Lesson 6 - General and Specialized Encyclopedias (Wikipedia)
Quite honestly, I know very little about Wikipedia prior to taking this course. I have used it a couple of times before, but I never questioned the validity of its content because the information I got was accurate and complete. I didn't realize until after I've read my classmates posts on this topic in our online discussion forum how controversial of a research source it is.
Now that I know what I know about Wikipedia, the question now is ... should I allow my students to use Wikipedia as a research source? My response is ... why not? I used (and will continue to use) it! My reaction is as such because when doing research, I ALWAYS require my students to use multi-sourcing. This way, a lot (if not all) of the discrepancies and inaccuracies will likely surface, and we (as a class) can make the corrections ourelves.
In reading my classmates' posts on Wikipedia, I found that they all basically revolved around this notion. Familiarize our students with the different features of Wikipedia (including the history tab, which I myself just recently learned about), discuss with them the pros and cons of using it as a research source, educate them on how to use it wisely and responsibly, and lastly ... evaluate their work based on how effectively they managed to incorporate their researched information into the overall content of their work.
Now that I know what I know about Wikipedia, the question now is ... should I allow my students to use Wikipedia as a research source? My response is ... why not? I used (and will continue to use) it! My reaction is as such because when doing research, I ALWAYS require my students to use multi-sourcing. This way, a lot (if not all) of the discrepancies and inaccuracies will likely surface, and we (as a class) can make the corrections ourelves.
In reading my classmates' posts on Wikipedia, I found that they all basically revolved around this notion. Familiarize our students with the different features of Wikipedia (including the history tab, which I myself just recently learned about), discuss with them the pros and cons of using it as a research source, educate them on how to use it wisely and responsibly, and lastly ... evaluate their work based on how effectively they managed to incorporate their researched information into the overall content of their work.
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