Thing 9: Databases & Search Tools

Thing 9 came at the perfect time! I had just been asked my the 9th grade English teacher to assist her students with researching people from Time Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People of 2014 list. They of course had already exhausted basic Google searches, and I wanted to make the most of this opportunity to share a good database with these 9th graders.

So... as suggested by the first learning activity for Thing 9, I investigated some of the databases available through NOVEL and the school library system to see which might be helpful with this "influential people" assignment. I needed something that was updated often and current, and decided to focus my energy on Gale's Academic OneFile.

Using the suggested checklist from Thing 9, I was pleased to see that OneFile met pretty much all of the criteria:
- Yes for RSS feed
- Yes for saving results (also able to e-mail, download, etc.)
- Yes for advanced search options (which is what I actually used with the students)
- And probably yes for the search widget, although I didn't pursue this (I did however create a link with the OneFile logo directly on my library webpage at http://www.millbrookcsd.org/highschool/library

I found that using the advanced search feature of OneFile allowed students to search for their selected person while limiting results to "Document Title" - I found that by doing this, we got better results that were more focused on helpful information about the selected subject. I'm now a believer in Gale's OneFile and am much more confident using this search tool and sharing it with students. I looked at the Database Info Sheet that was posted and thought it was great, but didn't think it was necessary to use at this point - but definitely something to file just in case!

I also found several of the Thing 9 articles helpful and interesting. After reading the article "7 Academic Search Engines Not Named Google", I tweeted it out and it was favorited by both my principal and some of the HS teachers I work with! I also downloaded and plan to print the "7 Google Search Tips for Students" poster. The colorful circle graphics will catch their eye for sure!

I also tweeted out the link for the downloadable audiobooks I came across on openculture.com as a result from a link in the article "15 Must Have Google Lesson Plans to Teach Students Effective Search Skills". Good stuff!

Lastly, thought not on the list, I did also explore how to better use Wikipedia for research as part of Learning Activity 3 on the list. I explored this topic prior to my 9th grade English classes, and demonstrated it along with Gale's OneSearch. I showed students how to use Wikipedia as a launching point for research, and how to scroll to the bottom and the use the "References" or "External Links" sections to link to more authoritative sites, as well as primary sources, Ted Talks, and interviews. I created a 2-sided handout featuring Wikepedia for Research on side and OneSearch on the other. The lesson was well-received by the majority of students who successfully located information on their "Influential Person".

A very helpful "thing" and highly relevant to my teaching... thank you!