The internet site I chose for competency 9, Internet, is The Children's Book Council, Inc.
I found this webpage using the search engine, Google. I typed in children's literature, found children's literacy and reading organizations, and after looking through some of the organizations offered, found The Children's Book Council, Inc.
The link to this webpage is below:
http://www.cbcbooks.org/about/
The Children's Book Council, Inc. is described as a site for booksellers, parents, teachers, and librarians.
The Children's Book Council, Inc. is the nonprofit trade association of publishers and packagers of trade books and related materials for children and young adults.
The goals of The Children's Book Council are as follows:
• to make the reading and enjoyment of children's books an essential part of America's educational and social goals;
• to enhance public perception of the importance of reading by disseminating information about books and related materials for young people and information about children's book publishing; and
• to create materials to support literacy and reading encouragement programs and to encourage the annual observance of National Children's Book Week and Young People's Poetry Week.
I chose The Children's Book Council, Inc. as my internet webpage because as a future school librarian, I believe the information in this site will be valuable to me. It will give me ideas to use to promote reading in my elementary school and will inform me of any important dates such as the observance of National Children's Book Week.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Competency 8: LS 5013 Research Visual
© 2007 Overture Services, Inc.http://www.nald.ca/clr/flac/page87.htm
Source: "Come Read With Me", Sask. Literacy Network
I found the literacy diagram above using the Alta Vista search engine. This diagram illustrates what adults can do to help their children become competent readers who enjoy reading. This diagram would be perfect to use when I become an elementary school librarian. It will not only help my students, but it will also help their parents understand what they need to be doing to help their child learn to become literate. I chose this as my research visual because much research has been done on what adults can do to promote literacy in their children. This diagram is an example of the results found in such research.
Competency 7: LS 5013 Image

© 2007 Overture Services, Inc.
http://www.boltonliteracytrust.org.uk/13.html
I chose to use the image shown above for competency 7. I found this image on the Alta Vista search engine. I searched using the images option and the keywords children's literacy. I found this image on the fourth page.
I chose this picture for my image competency because it shows elementary school aged children reading together. I like how the picture shows that even though they are all sitting close together, each child is in a different world, unique to the book he or she is reading. This is an image of children enjoying the world of books, which I will be helping to bring to children as an elementary school librarian.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Competency 6: LS 5013 Citation Pearl Growing Search Strategy
The known item I chose for this search is a journal article titled Blooming Booklovers by Jennifer Burek Pierce.
Burek Pierce, J. Blooming Booklovers. American Libraries v. 38 no. 3 (March 2007) p. 79
Database: Library Lit (Library Literature)
Actual Strategy:
After I brought up the article, I used the subject headings to search for more articles like it.
I searched for full text articles written between 2006-2008.
The first subject heading I used was children's reading/projects, thinking that it would give me several articles describing various ways to promote children's interest in reading. I retrieved 1002 results, but I did not find the types of articles that I was looking for, which surprised me.
The next subject heading I used was children's reading/Washington (state). This time the result was much better. I retrieved 16 results. Nearly all of them described different ways that schools and libraries could work together to inspire a love of reading in children.
1 example of results found:
Eldridge, C. Reading buddies: celebrating the joy of reading [reading promotion program at Friday Harbor Elementary School]. PNLA Quarterly v. 64 no. 4 (Summer 2000) p. 16, 21
Reflection:
I chose the original article because it showed me a great way to get children motivated to read. I wanted to find more articles with other ideas that I can use with my students when I become an elementary school librarian. By using the Citation Pearl Search strategy I was able to find several articles that gave me some great ideas on how I can promote a love of reading in my students when I become an elementary school librarian.
I like the Citation Pearl Growing Search Strategy. It is useful because a user can use this type of search strategy to find results similar to other results in a previous search that were useful. I would use this type of search strategy if I were looking for subjects, authors, or ideas that are similar to my original search result(s).
Burek Pierce, J. Blooming Booklovers. American Libraries v. 38 no. 3 (March 2007) p. 79
Database: Library Lit (Library Literature)
Actual Strategy:
After I brought up the article, I used the subject headings to search for more articles like it.
I searched for full text articles written between 2006-2008.
The first subject heading I used was children's reading/projects, thinking that it would give me several articles describing various ways to promote children's interest in reading. I retrieved 1002 results, but I did not find the types of articles that I was looking for, which surprised me.
The next subject heading I used was children's reading/Washington (state). This time the result was much better. I retrieved 16 results. Nearly all of them described different ways that schools and libraries could work together to inspire a love of reading in children.
1 example of results found:
Eldridge, C. Reading buddies: celebrating the joy of reading [reading promotion program at Friday Harbor Elementary School]. PNLA Quarterly v. 64 no. 4 (Summer 2000) p. 16, 21
Reflection:
I chose the original article because it showed me a great way to get children motivated to read. I wanted to find more articles with other ideas that I can use with my students when I become an elementary school librarian. By using the Citation Pearl Search strategy I was able to find several articles that gave me some great ideas on how I can promote a love of reading in my students when I become an elementary school librarian.
I like the Citation Pearl Growing Search Strategy. It is useful because a user can use this type of search strategy to find results similar to other results in a previous search that were useful. I would use this type of search strategy if I were looking for subjects, authors, or ideas that are similar to my original search result(s).
Competency 6: LS 5013 Sucessive Fractions Search Strategy
Search Topic: How do picture books help children to develop a love of reading?
Database: Academic Search Complete (ASC)
S1 = picture books or wordless books
S2 = children or kids
S3 = reading or literacy
S1 = 7,917 results
S2 = 415, 004 results
S3 = 88, 212 results
Facets from broadest to narrowest = S2, S3, and then S1
Actual Strategy:
After finding 415,004 results for S2, which was way too many, I combined S2 and S3 (the next broadest facet).
S2 and S3 = 17,228 results which was still too many to look through.
Next I combined S2 and S3 and S1.
This last combination of S2 and S3 and S1 gave me a total of 275 results, which was much better.
1 example of results I found in this search:
Title:
PUT SOME PIZZAZZ IN YOUR READ-ALOUDS.
Authors:
Sasson, Dorit
Source:
Reading Today; Jun/Jul2008, Vol. 25 Issue 6, p36-36, 1/2p
Reflection:
This search went very smoothly. It was a lot like doing the Building Block Search, which I like. Some of the results were not exactly what I was looking for, but I was able to find some good articles on my search topic.
I like the Successive Fractions Search Strategy almost as much as the Building Block Search Strategy. Both searches remind me of each other. This type of search strategy is very useful because of the fact that the user can use it to narrow down his or her search in order to find just the information he or she is searching for. The Successive Fractions Search Strategy is another search strategy that I am glad to have learned how to do in this course.
Database: Academic Search Complete (ASC)
S1 = picture books or wordless books
S2 = children or kids
S3 = reading or literacy
S1 = 7,917 results
S2 = 415, 004 results
S3 = 88, 212 results
Facets from broadest to narrowest = S2, S3, and then S1
Actual Strategy:
After finding 415,004 results for S2, which was way too many, I combined S2 and S3 (the next broadest facet).
S2 and S3 = 17,228 results which was still too many to look through.
Next I combined S2 and S3 and S1.
This last combination of S2 and S3 and S1 gave me a total of 275 results, which was much better.
1 example of results I found in this search:
Title:
PUT SOME PIZZAZZ IN YOUR READ-ALOUDS.
Authors:
Sasson, Dorit
Source:
Reading Today; Jun/Jul2008, Vol. 25 Issue 6, p36-36, 1/2p
Reflection:
This search went very smoothly. It was a lot like doing the Building Block Search, which I like. Some of the results were not exactly what I was looking for, but I was able to find some good articles on my search topic.
I like the Successive Fractions Search Strategy almost as much as the Building Block Search Strategy. Both searches remind me of each other. This type of search strategy is very useful because of the fact that the user can use it to narrow down his or her search in order to find just the information he or she is searching for. The Successive Fractions Search Strategy is another search strategy that I am glad to have learned how to do in this course.
Competency 6: LS 5013 Specific Facet First Search Strategy
Search Topic: I want to find a book about the climate of tropical rainforests for children.
Database: WorldCat
Quick test for specific facet:
S1 = tropical rainforest or rainforests: 2,928 records
S2 = climate or weather: 225,908 records
S3 = children or kids: 1,829,570 records
The facet with the fewest number of records is S1, tropical rainforest or rainforests.
2,928 records are too many to look through.
My next step before going to do a standard Building Block or Successive Fractions search is to apply limiters and see if that narrows down my search results.
Limiters I applied:
I limited Type to books.
I limited Language to English.
I limited Year to 2000-2008.
Subtype Limits: juvenile, not fiction.
When I applied the limiters above, I came up with 163 results for tropical rainforests which was much better than the 2,928 hits I came up with originally. I was able to find several great articles on my search topic.
1 example of records found:
Rainforests : an activity guide for ages 6-9 /
Nancy F Castaldo
2003 1st ed.
English Book : Primary school x, 133 p. : ill., map ; 21 cm.
Chicago, Ill. : Chicago Review Press, ; ISBN: 1556524765 9781556524769
Provides facts and activities that explore tropical and temperate ancient forests, discusses how individuals can help preserve them, and describes well-known and unfamiliar creatures of the rain forest.
If I had not found the results I wanted using the limiters, I would have done a standard Building Block Search to narrow the search down further.
Reflection:
I decided to do this search looking for a children's book on a particular subject, much like I will be doing when I become an elementary school librarian. I was able to find several good books that were exactly what I was looking for by doing this search. I liked using the WorldCat database.
The Specific Facet First Search Strategy is the search strategy that I like the least out of the four search strategies posted on my blog. I find that when I do this type of search, most of the time, I end up having to go back and do a Building Block Search Strategy or a Successive Fractions Search Strategy because of getting too many results in my original search. For this reason, I do not find the Specific Facet First Search Strategy useful. In order for it to be of use to a user, it would have to be used in a search where there is a term that is very rare and specific. In that case, I think this strategy would be useful.
Database: WorldCat
Quick test for specific facet:
S1 = tropical rainforest or rainforests: 2,928 records
S2 = climate or weather: 225,908 records
S3 = children or kids: 1,829,570 records
The facet with the fewest number of records is S1, tropical rainforest or rainforests.
2,928 records are too many to look through.
My next step before going to do a standard Building Block or Successive Fractions search is to apply limiters and see if that narrows down my search results.
Limiters I applied:
I limited Type to books.
I limited Language to English.
I limited Year to 2000-2008.
Subtype Limits: juvenile, not fiction.
When I applied the limiters above, I came up with 163 results for tropical rainforests which was much better than the 2,928 hits I came up with originally. I was able to find several great articles on my search topic.
1 example of records found:
Rainforests : an activity guide for ages 6-9 /
Nancy F Castaldo
2003 1st ed.
English Book : Primary school x, 133 p. : ill., map ; 21 cm.
Chicago, Ill. : Chicago Review Press, ; ISBN: 1556524765 9781556524769
Provides facts and activities that explore tropical and temperate ancient forests, discusses how individuals can help preserve them, and describes well-known and unfamiliar creatures of the rain forest.
If I had not found the results I wanted using the limiters, I would have done a standard Building Block Search to narrow the search down further.
Reflection:
I decided to do this search looking for a children's book on a particular subject, much like I will be doing when I become an elementary school librarian. I was able to find several good books that were exactly what I was looking for by doing this search. I liked using the WorldCat database.
The Specific Facet First Search Strategy is the search strategy that I like the least out of the four search strategies posted on my blog. I find that when I do this type of search, most of the time, I end up having to go back and do a Building Block Search Strategy or a Successive Fractions Search Strategy because of getting too many results in my original search. For this reason, I do not find the Specific Facet First Search Strategy useful. In order for it to be of use to a user, it would have to be used in a search where there is a term that is very rare and specific. In that case, I think this strategy would be useful.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Competency 6: LS 5013 Building Block Search Strategy
Search Topic: How do picture books help children develop a love of reading?
Database: ERIC/FirstSearch
S1: picture books or wordless books
S2: children or kids
S3: reading or literacy
Actual Strategy: ((keywords: picture and keywords: books) or (keywords: wordless and keywords: books)) and (keywords: reading or keywords: literacy) and (keywords: children or keywords: kids)
Records found: 254 hits
1 example of records found:
Read Me a Song: Teaching Reading Using Picture Book Songs.
Wanda J Routier 2003
English Document (ED) 19
Reflection:
This search went very well after I changed my original search topic question. My original question had the search terms children, literature, and reading in them. I found the terms literature and reading to be too closely tied together to think of synonyms for both of them so I chose the term picture books in place of the term literature. This created a more specific search and allowed me to find several records that would help me to answer my search question.
I like the Building Block Search Strategy the most out of the four types of search strategies posted here on my blog. I think it is the search strategy that is the easiest to do. It is very useful because the results I always get when using this search strategy are very positive. I am very glad that I learned to use the Building Block Search Strategy in this course.
Database: ERIC/FirstSearch
S1: picture books or wordless books
S2: children or kids
S3: reading or literacy
Actual Strategy: ((keywords: picture and keywords: books) or (keywords: wordless and keywords: books)) and (keywords: reading or keywords: literacy) and (keywords: children or keywords: kids)
Records found: 254 hits
1 example of records found:
Read Me a Song: Teaching Reading Using Picture Book Songs.
Wanda J Routier 2003
English Document (ED) 19
Reflection:
This search went very well after I changed my original search topic question. My original question had the search terms children, literature, and reading in them. I found the terms literature and reading to be too closely tied together to think of synonyms for both of them so I chose the term picture books in place of the term literature. This created a more specific search and allowed me to find several records that would help me to answer my search question.
I like the Building Block Search Strategy the most out of the four types of search strategies posted here on my blog. I think it is the search strategy that is the easiest to do. It is very useful because the results I always get when using this search strategy are very positive. I am very glad that I learned to use the Building Block Search Strategy in this course.
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