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OPEN MIC NIGHT February 23, 2009

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Announcements.
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St. Patrick High School, 5900 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago, is hosting an Open Mic Night on Friday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. and Res poets and singers are invited to perform.  Poems and songs may be either original or by another artist/poet.  See the flyer in the library for more information.

Even if you’re not a performer, you can always stop by and enjoy the show.  It will be held in the St. Patrick H.S. Atrium (enter off the Belmont Parking Lot).  Admission is free and refreshments will be served.

NEW BOOKS February 23, 2009

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in New books in the Library, Reading Recommendations.
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We’ve had a steady stream of new books come into the library over the last couple of weeks.  Here are a few that might interest you.

 

What I Saw and How I Lied; by Judy Blundell

The buzz around this book just keeps growing and growing!  In 1947, with her jovial stepfather Joe back from the war and family life returning to normal, teenaged Evie, smitten by the handsome young ex-GI who seems to have a secret hold on Joe, finds herself caught in a complicated web of lies whose devastating outcome changes her life and that of her family forever.  Find it on our shelves at:  FIC BLU.

 

Isadora Duncan : A Graphic Biography; written and illustrated by Sabrina Jones

In graphic novel format, this biography traces the life of the pioneering modern dancer from her unconventional California childhood to her triumphs in Europe.  It’s an innovative way to tell the story of a great innovator.  Find it on our shelves at: 921 DUN.

 

Promised Land : Thirteen Books That Changed America; by Jay Parini

Need a little context for the works you read in your American Lit or U.S. History classes?  Take this chronological tour of Parini’s choices for books that, as Pat Schroeder put it, “reveal the DNA of a nation’s culture.”  In spite of Americans’ view of themselves as a “practical” rather than an “intellectual” people, ideas have shaped and transformed our history and culture in profound ways.  Follow Parini as he makes his case for the powerful influence of books.  Find it on our shelves at:  810.9 PAR.

 

My Lost and Found Life; by Melodie Bowsher

When her mother is accused of embezzling a million dollars and vanishes, spoiled, selfish Ashley must fend for herself by finding a job and a place to live.  Booklist called this novel, “part sexy romance, part urban survival adventure.”  It’s a quick and easy read that lets you imagine what it would be like to be completely on your own just as you graduate from high school.  Find it on our shelves at:  FIC BOW.

BRITANNICA ONLINE SCHOOL EDITION February 18, 2009

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in General Research Help.
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Britannica Online School Edition is an online encyclopedia with content covering 3 levels: elementary, middle school, and high school.  Start searching here to get basic information on people, places, things, and concepts.  Click on the link below for an introduction to using this database.  The guide sheet is also available from the Library’s Online Databases web page.  If you need the username and password to access this database, pick up a blue sheet in the Library.

Britannica Online School Edition Guide Sheet

FACULTY WEB RESOURCES February 17, 2009

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Faculty Resources.
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In an effort to make these resources more accessible and more easily updated, and to facilitate teachers’ contributions to this list, I’m repeating some of the web sites from the Library’s Faculty Resources web page here on the blog.  This is the first installment and it covers some sites that address professional development and teaching in general.

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT (ASCD)
Some sections of the website (http://www.ascd.org) are only accessible to members, but this site is a good way to stay current with what’s going on in curriculum and instruction.  They produce some excellent publications; browse the “Publications” section when you’re looking for books to add to your professional reading list.  The Res Library subscribes to the ASCD journal, Educational Leadership.  Let us know if you’d like to be on the routing list.

The ASCD blog (http://ascd.typepad.com/blog/) is available to everyone, members and non-members alike.  The topics range from national issues like NCLB and merit pay for teachers to very personal stories of classroom interactions and epiphanies.  Visit once a week or so, or you can sign up for e-mail alerts when new content is posted.

PBS LEARNING NOW
This blog (http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now) is written by Andy Carvin and is sponsored by PBS, which has really expanded its support for, and involvement with, K-12 education.  Carvin is very involved in using technology in education and this is a good place to learn about integrating technology into classroom activities, how technology can drive learning and critical thinking and student involvement, and to get a heads-up on emerging technologies.

PBS TEACHERLINE
TeacherLine (http://www.pbs.org/teacherline/) provides online professional development opportunities in: Reading/Language Arts, Instructional Technology, Science, Mathematics, and Instructional Strategies.  Courses are offered Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter — although not every course is offered every term.  There is also an option to receive graduate credit for these courses.  Most courses are 30 hours in length and cost around $200.

PBS MEDIA INFUSION
This blog (http://www.pbs.org/teachers/mediainfusion) only posts once a month, so it’s easy to keep up with content!  However, they are substantial posts (length and breadth and depth) that cover alot of ground on one specific topic.  As the title suggests, the blog focuses on integrating various types of media into classroom learning, but the whole range of teaching strategies is often discussed.  This is also a good way to learn about a variety of resources (books, documentaries, dramas, digital libraries, etc.) on a particular topic, including those not produced/created by PBS.

LD ONLINE
This massive site (http://ldonline.org) has information for LD and ADHD students and their families and teachers.  It’s a kind of clearinghouse and information center for students and families, so their primary focus is not classroom teaching strategies.  They do have a section for Educators that pulls together articles on a variety of topics.  Overall, it’s a good place to gain an understanding of some of the issues facing LD and ADHD students and to stay abreast of what’s happening in this area.

ILLINOIS MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY (IMSA)
IMSA (http://www3.imsa.edu) focuses on science and math education, but they also sponsor Problem-Based Learning initiatives (http://pbln.imsa.edu).  I just saw that their information literacy initiative, 21st Century Information Fluency (http://21cif.com), has been spun-off as its own entity.  They have excellent Internet searching and website evaluation activities for students and offer online classes (with CEU credit) for teachers and librarians.

COALITION OF ESSENTIAL SCHOOLS (CES)
The CES (http://www.essentialschools.org) was started by Ted Sizer and emphasizes creating “personalized, equitable, and intellectually challenging schools.”  The CES ChangeLab (http://www.ceschangelab.org) provides practical resources divided by sections, such as: Teaching & Learning, School Practices, Assessment, Leadership, and Community Connections.  The CES also posts its quarterly journal, Horace, online (http://www.essentialschools.org/pub/ces_docs/resources/horace/horace.html).  You don’t have to be a member to access it and they also post back issues to 1988.

So now you have some of my ideas.  Feel free to share your own best online sources for teaching and professional development.  And to get you thinking ahead, future posts will cover:

 

PEACE & JUSTICE QUARTER PROJECT February 11, 2009

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Help with Assignments.
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I’ve put together some ideas for students working on the Quarter Project in Mr. Finch’s Peace & Justice class.  Because your 4 choices are so diverse (and there are choices within choices), my suggestions are rather broad.  As always, if you need specific help, stop by the library and ask.

First, use an encyclopedia to gather the basic facts about your research topic.  You can use a print encyclopedia or Britannica Online, which you can access either from school or from home.  If you need the username and password, stop by the library and pick up a blue sheet.

Second, use library catalogs (both the Res Library catalog and your local public library) to find books on your topic.  Whether you’ve chosen research option 1, 2, 3, or 4, do a Subject search for names of individual people, events, organizations, or countries.  To do a search for a person, enter the last name, then the first name; for example, Price, Leontyne.  But don’t stop there!  Look at broader subject headings to find even more information.  Here are some examples of broader subject headings that might help you locate a chapter (not a whole book) about Leontyne Price – information you might not have found just by searching on her name.

The information you gathered by reading the encyclopedia articles in Step One will help you figure out what broader subject headings might apply to your research topic, whether it’s a person, an event, an organization, or a country.  Here are some others to get you started:

Third, there are some databases that we subscribe to that might be useful.  You will need the usernames and passwords to access these databases, so if you don’t have one, stop by the library and pick up a blue sheet.  I’ve already mentioned Britannica Online.  Here are a few others:

Fourth, there are many good, credible websites out there that can help you in your research.  Here are a few portals and sites to get you started.

Make sure you always know who is authoring and sponsoring the website and that you can defend your assessment of the site as “credible.”

Finally, for help formatting your bibliography, use the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/).  Use the right-side menu under “Research and Citation” to find Formatting and Style Guides for both MLA and APA.  Library staff will also be happy to help you check that your citations are properly formatted.

 

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROJECT February 2, 2009

Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Help with Assignments.
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We’ve put together some ideas to help students in Conceptual Physics get started on the research portion of their paper and project.  Library staff is happy to help!  Stop by and see us if you’re having difficulty finding resources, evaluating web sites, or if you want us to take a look at your bibliography.  If you need a blue sheet with the usernames and passwords for the subscription databases described below, we have those in the library, too.

Do some background reading about your topic in Britannica Online to gain a basic understanding and to find more and better search terms.  You can also read articles in weekly news magazines like Time and Newsweek or in newspapers like the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, or Chicago Tribune.  And don’t forget television programs like NOVA, Nature, or FRONTLINE, or even Animal Planet and Discovery Channel.  Spending some time doing background reading will pay big dividends when you start searching for more advanced articles in science journals or when you’re evaluating web sites.

The Res Library subscribes to a number of databases. Two of them will be particularly helpful to you in this assignment:  EBSCO Science Reference Center and Readers’ Guide Full Text Select.

EBSCO Science Reference Center

 Readers’ Guide Full Text Select

Part of your assignment requires you to use science magazines and journals.  Here are the names of some science magazines.  It’s not a complete list by any means, so if you have questions about a journal or magazine, ask your teacher or the library staff.

You will also have to find credible web sites for your project.  Use your background reading to suggest individuals and organizations connected to your topic.  Make sure you know who is putting up the information on the web sites you use.  Try to find a link like “About Us” or “Mission” or “History” — something that will tell you about the organization or individuals providing the information.  If you have trouble finding this information, it may be a clue that the site is not credible.

A good place to start looking for websites is the Librarians’ Internet Index (http://www.lii.org).  These websites have been selected by librarians.  They provide a short description of the web site and almost always tell you who is responsible for the site. Also try the McHenry County College Library’s Subject Guide to Web Sites (http://www.mchenry.edu/library/SitesbySubject/sitesbysubject.htm)

Agencies of the federal government put massive amounts of information out on the web about science, nutrition, disease, etc.  Use the Federal Government Portal site (http://www.usa.gov) to find specific sites or government agencies, like the Environmental Protection Agency.

If your topic is health-related, try the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services site (http://healthfinder.gov).  To find articles on health, psychology, and other topics, try the National Institutes of Health’s index site (http://pubmedcentral.nih.gov).

For this assignment, you must cite your source according to the APA format, both within the body of the paper and in a list (bibliography) at the end of the paper.  Don’t forget that you must also cite your sources for your graphs, charts, and other visuals.  Here are some places to get help with these tasks.

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) from Purdue University (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01).  In addition to help with formatting your bibliography, the OWL site will help you learn how to properly cite a source within the text of your paper.

The Oregon School Library Information System (http://www.oslis.org/resources/cm/apacitations).  There is an online citation maker, but always double-check any online citation maker, including MicroSoft Word.  They don’t always format the citation correctly, especially if it deviates from the typical citation for that format.  Scroll down to “Citation Resources” along the right-side menu for “APA Citation Examples.”  This is a very good resource that you might want to print out and consult as you’re creating your bibliography.

The Res Library has a copy of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association which you can consult.  It’s probably behind the Circulation Desk some place so just ask for it.  Library staff would be happy to look at your bibliography and make sure it is correctly formatted, so don’t hesitate to stop by and let us take a look.

Finally, make sure you have some FUN with this assignment.  They’re all interesting topics and you have the opportunity to discover amazing things about the world around us and in us. So get busy learning!