Lesson 10: Wrap Up

My biggest discovery was the vast amount of information that I have FREE access to that I was clueless about 10 weeks ago. I had no idea that the State Library had so many different databases that covered such a variety of topics.

I would like to send out a staff message once a week and call it “Features for Teachers.” Each week I would highlight a different database (or even just a small piece of a database) by providing a brief overview and how it might be useful in their classrooms. The World Books and Mango would be great places to start, as they provide information to a variety of learning styles and individual needs. I really enjoyed learning about these resources, and I know my co-workers will as well.

Lesson 9: Common Core Connection

One of the 6-8 standards requires students to use several sources to answer a question.  Students could generate questions centered on their hometowns or ancestry and use the sources to generate results.  This could be especially interesting in smaller towns, as it seems somebody is always related to someone else.  It would be fun to then create a map or “class tree” to give the students a visual to compare and contrast their heritage. 

Lesson 9: Ancestry Library, Heritage Quest, and Sanborn Maps

I did a search for my name, using first my married name and then my maiden name.  I also searched my hometown as well as Sioux Falls, but the closest match I found was another person with my name in Wisconsin.

Next I did a search on my grandfather, and his birth and death date came up. I did another search on my grandmother (who is still alive), and I was able to find her name. The information hadn’t been updated since 1995, so most of the information provided was no longer accurate. Many of her relatives were also listed below, as her name was mentioned in their obituaries.

Lastly, I searched SD and found several photos listed, many which included baseball and yearbook albums.

When using Heritage Quest, I searched Davis and Chancellor, SD, as I have ancestors from both cities.  I was able to generate some results on both cities, but didn’t get any results when I added my extended families’ last names. I kept getting several or zero results, so I definitely need some practice at using specific words to narrow my search without completely eliminating it.

Neither Lennox nor Chancellor was an option on Sanborn maps, so I chose to look at Sioux Falls instead. I specifically looked at downtown SF to see what I recognized and to also see how much everything had changed.

Lesson 8: Common Core Connection (part 2)

The 5^th grade standard 4.RI.3 includes historical events and how they are related. Students could compare and contrast different cultures from different time periods using the pictures in Camio. They could work in a small group and each research the same time period, and then the groups would switch so they would all be an “expert” about some of the artifacts and would be able to share their results with their new group. It would take more organizing and direction, but I can seem them really enjoying these pictures since they are so often drawn to non-fiction, visuals, and history.

Lesson 8, part 3: Camio

Discovery Exercise part 3

I found 63 items that related to the term “Sioux.” I noticed that several of the years dated back to the 1800’s. The pictures were clear, and I liked how it listed the different categories (such as costume and jewelry.)

I researched a couple of completely different items. I started with Pilgrims, just to get an idea of how it worked. Then I tried searching using the phrase, “Fourth of July.” I was surprised that 8 results came up. My hometown always has a large Fourth of July celebration, including fireworks at night. Many people come to watch, similar to one of the photographs on Camio.

I also chose to do a search on airplanes, and added a few of those photos to my favorites. They were easy to sort and compare as they were all listed side-by-side. The organization options would make this really user-friendly when doing a big project.

Lesson 8: Common Core Connection, Part 1

 

This search was especially interesting to me. I first chose to look at The Handbook of Research on Teaching and Learning in K-12 Education. According to this site, 3 libraries own the item worldwide. The second result I looked at was Transforming K-12 Classrooms with Digital Technology. Again, three libraries worldwide owned the item. After clicking on each of these, I could see the full details. Having access to updated professional materials with common core included is very important. Often people have questions, and I think this tool would help me help them locate answers.  

Lesson 8, Parts 1 and 2

Discovery Exercise part 2
OAIster
I was a little overwhelmed with the information provided through WorldCat and OAIster, and often felt like I was only understanding part of how it worked. I will need to keep exploring it to get a better handle on its true features. I did follow the steps above and found the 2013 Annual Report for South Dakota. Because there is so much information provided, I will need to get better at my navigation skills. I can see how it is important to limit the search to narrow the results. I can also see how it would save librarians time and enable them to locate information very quickly.

Basic Discovery Exercise part 1
WorldCat

I chose to look at the title To Kill a Mockingbird, and 2947 libraries have the title. After I selected the libraries, it gave me an initial list of the SD libraries that have the title. After that there was a complete list. Number one (Ashford University) kept giving me an error message, so I chose number three on the list. It was Central College. The colleges were grouped by states, and listed by proximity. So, the SD ones were listed first, then the IA, followed by MN, etc. The call number is 813 Le. 33 c.5 with 296 pages. When I selected the author’s name, it said there were 5 entries listed. However, when I clicked on them, they were all variations of the same title. I didn’t seem to get a large amount of information on this selection, and am wondering if a different selection would have led to more results.