Entries Tagged 'student learning' ↓

No time to come to the Library – let us come to you!

You do not have to sign up with us to use and benefit from the library resources.  Students use and love Google and Wikipedia, but there is so much more out there!  It is important for students understand the importance of using more than one source and to learn how to use credible and complete sources such as our databases.

Students struggle with:

• Effective search strategies/techniques
• Creating interesting/logical/effective powerpoints
• Correctly paraphrasing
• Creating works cited pages

Students LOVE our new LibGuides! These allow us to create a webpage to organize all the resources you need for topics and/or projects you are covering in your classroom.  We can post your handouts, videos, widgets (search box), and links for students to easily access from school or home!  We then send you the link to post on your website and we can post on the library webpage.

We can:

• Come to your classroom to talk to students – we accommodate your schedule and timeframe
• Provide a link to a libguide.  You tell us what information to include and we’ll post all the resources your students will need.

Contact us if you are interested in finding out more.

Look what’s new and helpful for you!  To help students readily access credible sources, we are creating libguides (research pathfinders) for your classes.  If you sign up in the library, assign an outside project, or utilize the computer lab, we can create guides that are specific to your assignment.

Examples:

Culture & Food of China http://libguides.bvwlmc.com/culinary_arts

Systems/Utopia http://libguides.bvwlmc.com/utopia

AP U.S. History http://libguides.bvwlmc.com/orlowski

For more libguides that the librarians created, go to libguides.bvwlmc.com.  Please send us an email or stop by to let us know if you would like a libguide created for your classes.

9th Grade CA and Social Studies Teachers,

April Burkhardt, Joe Geist, Kim Lilley, Jared Zuckerman

Aaron Anderson and Josh Koerkenmeir

Thank you for bringing in your students for library orientation and iGoogle set up!

Our Spotlight for November shines on the 10th grade Honors Communication Arts teachers!  Jenny Johnson, Tyson Ostroski, Morgan Scanlon and Trent Stern had their students create public service announcements related to their editorials.  Students were required to include three persuasive techniques and follow copyright guidelines for publishing online.  The students were very creative with their projects!  Help us by viewing the videos posted on Teachertube and rate the videos (just like on youtube). 

SIRS Researcher is an online database that provides articles from a variety of reading levels.  With such important issues like the election and our economy, SIRS provides a toolbox of articles and interactive websites. 

“Global Reach: SIRS Researcher
Did you know that SIRS Researcher provides a global perspective on leading issues from more than 270 international content sources?

Our editors monitor issues daily, hand-selecting the most relevant articles from global sources such as the Arab News (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), Bulletin (Brussels, Belgium), and China Daily (Beijing, People’s Republic of China).

For a full list of SIRS Researcher’s international sources, including 99 Canadian Sources, click here.”

“The Great Depression V2.0?

“The U.S. financial system resembles a patient in intensive care. The body is trying to fight off a disease that is spreading, and as it does so, the body convulses, settles for a time and then convulses again. The illness seems to be overwhelming the self-healing tendencies of markets. The doctors in charge are resorting to ever-more invasive treatment, and are now experimenting with remedies that have never before been applied.” — Wall Street Journal (”Worst Crisis Since ’30s, With No End Yet in Sight”)

How will members of the U.S. Congress solve the current financial-market crisis facing the nation? How will this economic crisis affect the outcome of the presidential election? How will it affect you and your family?

SIRS Researcher provides the answers you need with the latest articles from leading economists and policymakers. Learn more about the bailout plans, read analysis of the causes of the crisis and gain historical perspective. See Financial crises to get the results you need to understand this important issue. Then, share your opinion about the crisis on SIRS Researcher’s That’s Debatable poll question.

Plus, see our Election 2008 coverage in action inside our latest video podcast.”

What is SIRS Researcher?

We have a database to help students prepare for the ACT, SAT and AP exams! 

Encourage your students to visit the Library Media Center website at www.bvwlmc.com.  Click the Testing & Education Reference Center button.  This site has online test preparation and online manuals with practice questions and additional tests!

·        ACT/SAT/PSAT

·        AP tests

·        Many More!

See the library staff for password information to view outside of school (sorry – we can’t post passwords online).

iGoogle:  personalized home page with immediate access to your favorite resources

Google recently launched iGoogle.  iGoogle allows users to set up a page with “widget or gadgets” sitting on the page that directly link to favorite sources.  These gadgets deliver content directly to the page.  For example, add a weather gadget and each time you open your iGoogle page, you will see the current weather and three day forecast.

In addition, content from your favorite news sources will be delivered to the page.  Other gadgets include, interactive to-do list, calendar, online dictionary, and word of the day.

How can this be used with students?  Students can create individual iGoogle pages linking to content helpful for your class.  This page can become a meaningful information source for students. 

In addition, you can create a gadget so that your information is “pushed” to the students’ iGoogle pages.
For more information about creating a gadget, see the library newsletter blog (bvwlibrary.edublogs.org). 

iGoogle Gadgets for West:

BVW Passwords:  list of passwords for all library databases

BVW One-Liners:  first lines of books in the library, updated each day

Helpful Resources:  Links to all library databases

To access the gadgets, go to the LMC web page.

The Testing & Education Reference Center provides specialized practice tests and helps prepare students for
college, graduate school, the military or trade school. 

College Entrance Exams
ACT, PSAT, SAT

AP Tests
Biology & Chemistry
Calculus AB & Calculus BC
English Language & Comp.
English Literature & Comp.
European History
Physics B & Physics C
Spanish (both versions)
U.S. History
Statistics
Government
Psychology

Online Prep Handbooks
Online manuals included with each test.

CLEP
Algebra, Biology, and much more!

Graduate Entrance
GRE, GMAT, MAT
LSAT and MCAT
(great for any staff beginning graduate degrees)

To Access the Site:

Go to the LMC Site,
www.bvwlmc.com

Locate the Testing Icon

See library staff for password information.

Wiki:  an online tool for collaboration allowing all users to edit a web site – no knowledge of web design needed – it is all about the content.  See the library online newsletter for a great video, Wikis in Plain English or post above.

If you have used Wikipedia, then you have accessed a wiki.  While Wikipedia may be a controversial research tool, the way in which collaboration and connection occur on Wikipedia is amazing.

As a collaboration tool, educators are creating wikis to improve group projects and connect with the world.

For example, in AP Economics, a teacher created a wikiwhere students post notes, comments, and presentations throughout the year.  Before a test, students meet “virtually” to review for the test. 

In technology/computer classes, students from Georgia, Melbournne, and Vienna collaborated on the Horizons Project.

Interested?  Go to www.wikispaces.com or
pbwiki.com to set up an account and learn more.  Need help?  Contact one of the library media specialists.

Examples of Educational Wikis:

goApes Wiki, AP Environment Science
http://goapes.wikispaces.com/

Horizons Project, High School Computer Classes
http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/

Mr. Lee’s Math,
12th Grade Math
http://acrospire.pbwiki.com/

Welker’s Wikinomics, AP Economics
http://welkerswikinomics.wetpaint.com/