Academic Search Engines and Web 2.0

I was given a list of 12 academic search engines to look like. I definitely found ones that I like and ones that I dislike.

Like:

• Academic Info is pretty cool. I like how it is easy to navigate. Just pick your topic and the sources are easy to find. This is great to find primary sources and accurate historical information.

• I love using Eric and Google Scholar to find research articles I need for papers. I am able to find whole PDF documents links to different sources that I can use. The only downside for Eric is you have to log in though the university to have access to some articles. You don't have to do this in Google Scholar.

• Infomine gives a good preview of what is on the source. This way it makes it easier to pick out which site you want to use before you click on it.

• Infotopia and Kidtopia are nice alternatives for Google. They definitely filter out a lot of junk.

• Library of Congress and the National Archives are great for finding primary sources! I love the variety of files that are available from audio files, videos, pictures, maps, and letters. There is a ton of information available on these sites. I bet I could spend hours on these sites picking out sources and finding information for the topic I am looking up. I am definitely using these sites in the future.  

Dislike:

• I did not like Base. I wasn't sure what I was looking for or what I was looking at. I tried to type in Civil War and I was not pleased with the results. The results just did not make sense. I did not know what the results were. They just seemed like random files.

• LibGuides was very hit or miss for me. Not all of the search results were fantastic.

• CiteULike: Oh boy. I was a bit annoyed the second I saw this site. I didn't like how you had to register for it. Plus, the name itself is kind of annoying. When I did a search it first led me to a bunch of gibberish. Honestly I had no idea what it was leading me to. Then I clicked on a link and it led me to a bunch of spam. I had a bad feeling about this site as soon as I saw it and I was right. 

• RefSeek and Virtual LCR were OK. They basically seemed like Google to me. Nothing really impressive about these sites. I guess they just gives you the more academic links first, which isn't bad. 

 One thing in general that I noticed was that these engines were definitely for looking up academic information. What I am having trouble finding is a general search engine like Google that filters out bad sites and photos for kids. I am not sure if Google has those settings. While I enjoyed looking at these academic sources I would love to find a great alternative search engine like Google for kids.

These sites lead me into discussing Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is huge. It branches off into so many different categories that it can be hard to keep track of it all. The way I describe Web 2.0 is that it is a way people can connect. Connecting can just mean talking, giving or sharing information, finding information for others, finding other people, finding services, lesson plans etc. As you can see Web 2.0 has created a whole new world online.

Teachers can use this world to connect with other teachers as well as connect their students with other students. Teachers can find lesson plans and ideas, links and information to use in the classroom, and so much more. Web 2.0 has made the world open for an individual classroom. The ways of connecting with others and finding and sharing information has grown globally.

As teachers we have so many resources that sometimes it can be hard to narrow down what is useful and what is not. Bookmarking sites can be handy to know which sites are good. Even the academic search engines can help us find useful sites and information that can help us.

 With so many options available it seems hard to keep track of them all. From which Web 2.0 sites to use from which academic search engine to use it can all seem pretty overwhelming. Yet at the same time I find it exciting because I am always learning something new. I found so many new academic search engines just from one web sites shared to me by the power of Web 2.0.

As I finish this blog that is possible due to Web 2.0, I think about how much the web has helped me. I need to force myself to stop writing because I feel like I could write forever on Web 2.0 and the web in general. There is so much to talk about and explore! So, I will end this by posting this link on Web 2.0. Have fun!

Web Based Tools Part 1

So this week I tried out 3 tools: Wordle, Voice Thread, and Animoto.

Wordle- I have seen Wordle but have not used it before. It seems easy enough but my computer was having a really tough time downloading Java so that I could use Wordle. I got it to work eventually. This would be a great way for students to express themselves or to use vocabulary words creatively to show what the students are learning. I tried to put in a quote but I didn't like the way it looked in Wordle. It seemed too hard to read and figure out. The Wordle I made is all words that are about school. It was my first attempt and I didn't think it was that bad!

 Wordle


Voice Thread- I used Voice Thread a little bit in another class. What I really like about this is that it doesn't necessarily have to use your voice. Personally, I always feel weird and uncomfortable recording myself so I like how I can use comments or my voice. I like the doodle option, but I feel that some students could be immature with this feature and use it inappropriately. I like how many people can comment on this. It can be open to the whole class or even the whole school. People can share ideas or ask questions anytime they want. The only downside is it can be hard to input YouTube Videos. They have to be saved to your computer first.  I tried to make a Voice Thread on the Iroquois Confederacy.   


Voice Thread

Animoto- Animoto is a nice way to make a 30 second or less video. It always stinks that if you want a longer video or more options you have to pay for it. But either way it is still really easy to use. It would be a great way to show what the students are working on in the classroom. The video can show a project or a lesson from beginning to end. It can also be a video on a field trip, presentation, or solely on student work. It could be broader and show what the whole school is up too. Animoto can easily be done by students as well. The students can take pictures of their best work and showcase it with Animoto or can take pictures of their work and show it from beginning to end. This way the student picks the pictures instead of the teacher. I dedicated this Animoto to my dogs because I felt like doing something non-educational for fun.      


Animoto Video


In the end I think that all of these tools have a place in the classroom. They can be used to show off a classroom or a student's creativity. What is nice about these tools is that they are all free and that they can be used by students in the classroom and at home. Students can learn how to be responsible online with pictures and videos. Another thing is that web tools do not have to look educational to be educational. They can still be professional and useful in the classroom. It is important to show students what professional and appropriate web sites look like. These tools are a great way to start showing students what professional sites look like and how to use them, which is an important skill for them to have down the road.    

Microsoft Access

I had never used Microsoft Access before. It looks like Excel, but was it the same as Excel? It wasn't like Excel at all.

For some reason I find Excel very hard. Everything about it-from inputting data to working and manipulating cells. I think it is a major pain and very frustrating. Yet I did not get as much frustration and annoyance when I worked with Access. I found it much easier to use. Plus I loved the options of managing the data and making Tables and Queries.

My main question is why do we have Access and Excel? Are they just redundant of each other? So I had to do some searching. I found this link with an explanation that I like:
https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/technology/tutorials/office/access03/access_excel.php

"Access vs. Excel 

 Access databases and Excel spreadsheets, although originally very different, have evolved to have similar functions. Although either type of program can do many, but not all, of the things that the other one does, there are some things which are easier in one program than the other. 

 Excel is not a database management system. Excel spreadsheets store data in rows and columns called worksheets. The areas within the worksheet where the rows and columns intersect are called cells. The most common use of spreadsheets is to manage basic information such as telephone numbers, employee names, financial data, calculations, etc.

Access stores data in tables that look similar to worksheets but function quite differently. Tables, the foundation of all relational databases, function both independently and interdependently with other tables to allow the database user to combine data from multiple sources and analyze and/or report information in almost limitless ways."

This makes sense to me. As I think about it, it makes sense to use Access if you have a significant amount of data to manage and store. If you are just making a table or two, Excel would be the right option. Still, I like Access better than Excel.

The other thing I find interesting is honestly I had never heard of Access before. I never used it any of my classes and was never told about it. I was barely taught Excel in one class. It makes me wonder why it isn't taught more. Is it because only certain businesses or professions use it? Who uses Access? I can see big businesses with massive amount of data using Access more than Excel. Maybe it is taught in business classes.

I wonder if this is something that should be taught in more classes. It is very useful and can be used in everyday life, like the example we had of keeping track of gifts and cards sent and received. I know if I was planning a big party of even a wedding this could be a tool to use to keep track of data. I could even use it to make charts and graphs and use it during math classes. Students could use Access or Excel and make their own charts. It would be great for a class that has a lot of data to keep track of. Maybe even a science class could use Access. Access is definitely a great tool from Microsoft to have.

More Web Tools!

I was given more web tools to explore this week. I like many of these tools because I really can see them being used in a classroom.There are some sites that as soon as I opened them I just closed them immediately. I don't know why but after looking at a homepage of a site you can get a sense of what it is like and if you even want to continue using it. The sites that I found interesting I am going to sign up for a play around with some more. I might not continue using them but they are worth checking out further.

I don't mind usernames or passwords, but it gets tiresome opening a webpage and knowing you cannot do more unless you get a username and a password.  I understand that usernames and passwords are important, especially when using sites like ePals or sites to make an online portfolio, book, magazine, story, or blog. There is a time and place for them.With logging in it makes it easier for projects to be saved and in some cases like journal entries, long papers, or assignments that take up a lot of time this is a good feature to have. The downside is the time it takes to make sure the software is downloaded and everyone knows their log in information. Sometimes it is easier to use a program that does not require a log in.

I guess I sometimes lean towards the sites that are quick, easy, and do not require a log in. For example, the ReadWriteThink timeline is great to use if students need to make a quick timeline in class.

Another thing that I was thinking about is how it is great to have all these tools and sites to use, but how many usernames and passwords can one person memorize? It got kind of tiresome looking at all the sites and seeing how they all require a log in. My notebook of usernames and passwords could possibly get bigger!

I like sites like Google Docs where there are many tools that can be done with one username and password. Document creation, blogging, publishing, map creation and editing, and chat rooms are all possibilities. I am a Google fan in general. Many searches are done on Google and Google Timeline and the Google Customized Search Engine are all great tools for students to learn.

I love the sites that help teachers make rubrics and quizzes. Sometimes it is easy to use these types of sites instead of making one on your own. The formatting may look better for what you are creating. Also, many of the audio tools to record and edit audio I have used before and work well.

I've tried to use Twitter to try and reach out with other teachers but you have to keep up with it. I am going to look more into Classroom 2.0 and see if I like that better instead of Twitter. I would love to connect with more educators and share my ideas.

Overall there are so many tools that if I said something about all of them this entry would be pages long. It still amazes the that there are so many different sites and programs to use. I liked how this site organized them all. I'm definitely bookmarking this page for future use!