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AHS Subject Guides: How-to for Teachers: Databases: Effective Searching Strategies

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Databases: Effective Searching Strategies

Technology Training Session 3/15/2019: Facilitator, Robert Musco

 

Encouraging use of quality high school research sources through effective searching strategies:

Advanced database searching with limiters, newspapers and magazines, primary sources, Oxford English Dictionary, etc.

 

1. Announcements

These workshops are to help make everyone comfortable with integrating technology in their classroom in a meaningful way.

- “It’s the task, not the tech.”

- Stretching comfort zones.

- Pick achievable goals.

- Unified Classroom still the school Learning Management System.

- Current plan: 2019-20 1-to-1 in 8th grade, 2020-21 in high school

- SAMR model: leading from using technology as simple substitution, to redefinition of the task.

 

1.a.

Objective: To use effective searching techniques when seeking information from online sources, and to reflect on how to include these strategies in teaching.

 

Rationale: Teaching strategies for more effective searching can help student reduce stress and conduct more successful searches. (Carol Kulthau)

 

Online Sources Covered:

“College-type” databases from EBSCO publishers (similar interface):

Other Newspapers and Magazines

Additional Resources of Interest

The Chicago Manual of Style Online

Oxford English Dictionary

 

2. Look at standard interface of “College” databases from EBSCO publishers.

 

2.a. Independent participant search:

Search “Mainfile” (scroll down the alphabetical list on the library page).

Search for something that interests you, try out as many search functions as you can to see what they do.

 

2.b. Looking in the “Advanced Search” area and the left-hand sidebar, identify 3-5 search functions that might be useful to find information about the following research question:

How can policy-makers control healthcare costs in the U.S.?

 

2.c. Debrief and review searching strategies for EBSCO databases.

Use ADVANCED SEARCH:

Use LIMITERS

Use related SUBJECTS

SAVE your search, SAVE your files

 

3. Notice these additional EBSCO databases:

Academic Search Complete

The Biography Reference Center

Biography Reference bank

ERIC

Greenfile

History Reference Center

Mainfile

MasterFILE Premier

Newspaper Source Plus

“Popular Magazines” from ResearchIT CT

Science Reference Center

 

4. Other Newspapers and Magazines

Independent participant search:

Test out the publications databases below, for 5 minutes each, in groups of 2-3

Again, try out as many search functions as you can to see what they do.

 

- News and Newspapers (ProQuest):

How is this different/similar to EBSCO databases?

- Local library magazines (RBDigital): local library patron sign-in is required, so look at the designated computer to see Robert’s account.

- New York Times Replica Edition (username AND password: 200330264):

For more searching tips, see this How-to lesson.

- Chronicling America:

Look at the many searching options.

 

4.a. Please answer the following question:

What did you see in any of these online sources that might be useful in your classroom?  How would you use it?

 

5. Additional Resources of Interest

- The Chicago Manual of Style Online

- Oxford English Dictionary

 

6. Additional Q&A

Amity High School, Amity Region 5 School District, Woodbridge, CT 06525, 203-397-4844 Librarians: Robert F. Musco and Victoria Hulse Copyright 2017