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Enclosed is this month's free newsletter for eLibrary® Curriculum Edition subscribers. This newsletter is designed to help teachers, librarians, and administrators stay informed about the latest changes to their subscriptions, while providing classroom resources and giving tips for using their ProQuest solutions in a variety of settings.
Don't miss our online archive for access to past issues, and to make changes to your newsletter options.
PROQUEST EDUCATION SOLUTION UPDATES
Our product development team is constantly reviewing customer feedback and making changes to our learning resources to meet your needs. Several updates or content additions were recently completed, and we wanted to bring them to your attention.
eLibrary Citation Generator
For years, online researchers at all grade levels have struggled with what should be an easy feat -– generating citations for their Works Cited pages and bibliographies.
Truth be told, most of us would rather have our computers create our bibliographies, rather than cracking open the MLA Handbook time and again. And for all but one online reference tool, you'll still need that hefty tome to be close at hand.
Launched early last week, our new, exclusive eLibrary citation generator tool is here to take the pain away! Simply put, this new feature provides point-and-click Web forms for building citations that conform to the MLA style.
These forms can be edited to refine the formatting of the bibliographic information received from publishers, so that your citations can meet any need. There are 14 distinct citation formats available.
Just click the small citation button at the top of any eLibrary resource to view a detailed, editable MLA citation reference.
To see the tool in action, read the quick start guide, view a multimedia demonstration (Flash), or subscribe to our monthly eLibrary podcast via iTunes. More about accessing our podcast(s) can be found below.
ProQuest Training Demos: Menus & More
Our entire collection of training demonstrations are now sporting easy-to-use menus, as well as updated content!
To tap into our Flash demos and learn more about all of our ProQuest solutions anytime, anywhere, just access the Training & Support section of our K-12 website, and click on Recorded Training. You'll be learning and exploring your subscriptions in no time.
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ELIBRARY BOOKCARTS: MODELS, COLLABORATION, AND MORE
Enhancing Teacher-Librarian Collaboration: Your eLibrary subscription provides much more than access to a raw "database" of resources. It's also the only K-12 teaching and learning solution that makes it possible to author original lesson plans, activities, curriculum, and assessments with our one-of-a-kind BookCart tool.
But even more than that, have you been looking for an easy and effective way to promote information literacy, inquiry-based learning activities, and increase teacher use of library resources and librarian expertise?
Our BookCart tool (named for the traditional book cart of learning resources that was rolled into classrooms by librarians) lets you do that and more. This breakthrough tool helps teachers and librarians create lesson plans for digital information literacy that offer advantages well beyond those of EBSCO, Gale, and Google. Suddenly a library database becomes a "solution" for teachers, librarians, but most of all, students.
Learn more about this exclusive eLibrary tool that integrates digital resources and assessments into daily classroom use, and encourages teacher-librarian collaboration.
Get our new Collaboration Quick Start Guide today.
Engaging Issues Bookcart Guide Update: This newly revised guide helps teachers use our special collection of 90 customized eLibrary Bookcarts that support mini-research activities designed to motivate and engage student interest. The activities correlate to national standards and support the core curriculum in health, science, language arts, and social studies.
Download the Engaging Issues Bookcart Guide today!
Model BookCarts: Librarian and teacher collaboration just got a lot easier thanks to the eLibrary model BookCart collection. Many eLibrary subscribers are not aware of the unique BookCart tool and for many who are, they may view it as a great idea, "but creating BookCarts is just one more task in my very full schedule."
The good news is that librarians and teachers don't have to create their own BookCarts unless they want to. Your eLibrary subscription entitles you to copy one or all of the 520 model BookCarts in the eLibrary collection -- and nobody else can provide these unique learning resource models for you and your teachers.
The "ProQuest Carts" tab collection of BookCart Editor is organized into folders so that teachers and librarians can easily find and review the BookCart models that support their curriculum area and curriculum level: high school, middle school, and upper elementary school. Folders are also organized by subject areas taught based on titles that correlate state standards: Science -- Environmental, Science -- Physical, Science -- Technology; SS -- US History, and SS -- Geography as examples.
Finding great models and review them for your teachers that you know that your teachers assign. Copy and edit the models that will instantly support the research topics.
Give them a list of these BookCarts and show them how to use them and you will have teachers and students more eager to use your library resources than ever before. This is very important to your library program because the growing use of Google not only impacts on the use of the library but also by-passes your expertise in information literacy. You should also give them this guide to help them compare eLibrary and BookCarts to Google researching.
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ELIBRARY PODCAST + TIPS & TRICKS
Let’s face it--no matter how many times we visit our favorite online learning resources, we’re bound to miss a feature or two. This month, our free video podcast focuses on one of the least-known but most useful feature sets of your eLibrary subscription: Citation Generator Tool.
As we mentioned at the top of this month's newsletter, each new eLibrary resource citation is generated from within an opened article, photo, or other resource -– just click the citation icon that now appears in the document information bar.
This opens a page that contains both the citation generated for this newspaper article as well as a Web form with most fields auto-populated with the metadata received from the publisher.
Chapter and section identifiers for the citation type as it appears in the MLA Handbook (6th edition) appear in the gray Edit Citation bar, along with the MLA chapter and section identifiers for citing resources from subscription databases.
A prompt for more information appears in red when any field is blank. In this citation, the place of publication isn't needed for the newspaper article that appears in the podcast (the city name is in the title of the newspaper). The edition, however, might found by returning to the document to see whether additional data is available.
If the information is found, click on the citation icon again and edit the appropriate field. The correct formatting is shown in the examples to the right of each field. Once the citation form is edited, click the Update Citation button.
Copy and paste the citation text into your research notes or a Works Cited document. At this time the eLibrary citation generator has 14 distinct citation forms. You can view examples of these forms -- and print out this entire process for your personal, library, or classroom use –- via our new quick start guide. Connect to www.proquestk12.com/go/elibrarycitations and the guide will start downloading automatically.
We know you and your students will find our new, exclusive citation generator to save time and reduce research headaches – in the classroom, media center, or even at home.
Now you’re in the know! We hope this month’s tip and trick bring you closer to being a true eLibrary power user. Be sure to sign up for our free video podcast (no iPod necessary!) to stay up-to-date.
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
What we now call Black History Month was originated in 1926 by Carter Godwin Woodson as Negro History Week. The month of February was selected in deference to Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, who were both born in that month.
This important annual observance of the struggle for civil and human rights of African-Americans provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to integrate mini-research and in-depth study of topics that may not be covered, or not covered effectively by many Social Studies textbooks.
Of all ethnic groups, only African-Americans had a unique and disabling start in America as slaves. And despite all the advances made since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, they still do not enjoy the status, income, and many other benefits of citizenship that latter-day ethnic immigrant groups have achieved. The struggle continues and Black History Month helps each American to understand and help support this struggle.
History Study Center Activity: To access HSC Black History resources, do the following:
- Click the History icon under Special Collections > Browse Topic Tree.
- Click American and Canadian History > American Society in the Twentieth Century.
- Click American race relations, 1896-1954: Plessy to Brown.
- Note: My Archive can be used to save resources for future reference or immediate use.
- Click Add This Study Unit to My Archive.
- Click The American Civil Rights Movement, 1954-1968 and add it to My Archive.
To ensure that students will learn more than facts and use their critical thinking skills, teachers must assign a variety of essential questions that engage student interest. Here are some samples for teachers to use and hopefully create their own to challenge students:
- Why is the African-American struggle for equality and civil rights similar to, and yet very different from other ethnic immigrant groups?
- Why is the study of Black History Month topics important to a student's overall understanding of US and world history?
- What rights remain to be gained by African-Americans today?
- What were two of the most important events in the struggle for African-American civil rights and why?
ProQuest Learning: Literature Activity: Access learning resources for African-American authors.
Click the Literature icon in the Special Collections section and type "African American authors." Students will find results for 26 authors from different time periods.
Here are some examples:
- Ward, Theodore
- Reed, Ishmael
- Attaway, William
- Wright, Richard
- Motley, Willard
- Wilson, August
Assign each student a different author to summarize. Here are examples of what should be included in the summary:
- What was this author's time period, education, and most recognized works?
- What was the theme(s) of this author's work(s)?
- How did this author contribute to better understanding of African-Americans?
- How did and does the literature of African-American authors contribute to the objectives of Black History Month and civil rights?
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PROQUEST® PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: ELIBRARY & SIRS
Our professional development training program is a complete package that delivers the key processes to ensure successful program implementation, and the content to support ongoing use and customization across the entire curriculum.
The CEU-eligible program provides educators with research-based technology integration strategies and tools for customizing instruction and assessment using our eLibrary and SIRS online learning solutions. Schools receive the materials they need to build professional development and instructional models that can maximize teacher efficiency and effectiveness, and improve student achievement.
Educators receive rubrics, assessments, activities, and content designed to spur students' information literacy skills, critical thinking, and reading and writing abilities, while increasing their own technology usage. Plus, our flexible model ensures that all instructional staff in a school or system will benefit from the lessons learned.
Our fresh support for our line of SIRS solutions will train your teachers to fuse four types of literacy using SIRS resources with state and national learning standards. Find out more about this new program today--just in time for your spring training dates!
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CULTUREGRAMS ADDS PROVINCES
Looking for a fresh, up-to-date solution to power your social sciences, geography, or cultural studies curriculum? As always, our CultureGrams line is here to help.
And last week, our editors were proud to launch a new product -- Provinces Edition -- with reports on all 13 of Canada's provinces and territories.
Provinces Edition is ideal for upper elementary and middle school students studying Canada. Each province's report contains fascinating information on categories such as Geography; Wildlife; Environmental Issues; History; Population; Cultural Notes; and First Nations, Métis, and Aboriginal Peoples.
Each report includes maps, charts, a history timeline, and useful images, such as photos of the province's official emblems. Plus, statistical tables allow students to compare basic information on all of the provinces.
Find out more about CultureGrams at our K-12 website, or sign up for a free trial today.
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CULTUREGRAMS™ IN FOCUS
CultureGrams can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. The World Edition includes 190+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition, Provinces Edition, and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries, all 50 states (including Washington, D.C.), and the Canadian provinces.
CultureGrams goes beyond mere facts and figures to deliver an insider's perspective on daily life and culture, including the history, customs, and lifestyles of the world's people.
- Capital: San José
- Population: 4,016,173 (rank=122)
- Area, sq. mi.: 19,730 (rank=125)
- Area, sq. km.: 51,100
- Real GDP per capita: $9,606
- Adult literacy rate: 96% (male); 96% (female)
- Infant mortality rate: 8 per 1,000 births
- Life expectancy: 76 (male); 81 (female)
Did You Know?
- More than 11 percent of Costa Rica's territory is reserved for national parks.
- Costa Ricans call themselves ticos and are known by that name throughout Central America.
- Costa Rica is one of the largest banana producers in the world.
Population
The majority of people (87 percent) have a European heritage. About 7 percent are of mixed heritage (European and indigenous), although many of these are immigrants from other Latin American countries. Three percent of the population is black and lives mostly on the Atlantic Coast. These people are descendants of laborers brought from the Caribbean to build a railroad. They later worked on banana plantations and developed a distinct culture in the region around Puerto Limón.
Religion
The Roman Catholic Church claims membership of about 80 percent of the population. Until the mid-1980s, it was the nation's official church, but it lost that status when the government decreed that a democratic nation should not support any particular religion. Although the Catholic Church continues to be very influential, the constitution guarantees religious freedom to the people. As is the trend elsewhere, secularization in Costa Rica is leading some people away from organized religion. At the same time, a growing number of religious people are joining other Christian churches, and religion still plays an important role in society.
General Attitudes
Costa Rica is a land of courtesy, domestic enterprise, hospitality, and gentleness. Militarism is despised by nearly all. Children are taught in school that armies are created to oppress rather than protect people. Aggressiveness, brusqueness, and violence are also shunned. Ticos say they are lovers of peace and conciliation. They avoid confrontation when possible; they may even say they will do something when they really don't intend to do it, just so they won't have to disagree.
The Arts
Dancing is a favorite activity among ticos of all ages. Typical Latin dances such as salsa, merengue, and cumbia, as well as the Costa Rican swing, are popular. Folk dances include the national dance, the Punto Guanacaste, the cambute, and maypole dances. Typical musical instruments include the chirimía (oboe), guitar, xylophone, accordion, and quijongo (a stringed instrument). People enjoy soca (a mixture of soul music from the United States and calypso music), calypso, reggae, and other music popular throughout the Caribbean, Central America, and North America.
To find out more about CultureGrams, connect to our website today.
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TOP 3 WEBSITES
Each month, our SIRS® WebSelect and SIRS® Discoverer WebFind editorial teams scour the Internet for top-quality sites that help teachers teach and students learn. Although no Internet site can supplant a quality research database, these vetted resources offer unique resources that are sure to be of interest.
Say It Plain:
A Century of Great African American Speeches
Organization: American Public Media
"Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most famous black orator in history. But he was hardly alone. For generations, African Americans have been demanding justice and equality, reminding America to make good on its founding principles of democracy. These orators, and the very act of speaking out, played a crucial role in the long struggle for equal rights. Hear some of those seminal speeches at Say It Plain." (AMERICAN PUBLIC MEDIA) Read or listen to speeches from notable African-Americans such as Marcus Garvey, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Barack Obama.
Global Warming Facts & Our Future
Organization: Koshland Science Museum
"Is the climate warming? Are we the cause? These questions are at the heart of today's public debate about global warming. Conflicting opinions are everywhere, but now is your chance to cut through the noise and discover the facts." (KOSHLAND SCIENCE MUSEUM) Learn about the greenhouse effect, carbon cycle, and aspects of climate change through articles and online activities.
Freevibe
Organization: Nat'l Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
This anti-drug site for teens provides information on the dangers of drug abuse, including the dangers of specific illegal drugs. Site visitors can ask questions on drugs, relate their drug stories, learn why people take drugs, and focus on strategies for avoiding drug use. Information on cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse and depression is also featured.
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FREE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Our ProQuest product trainers are standing by to help you get the most out of your subscription--and learn more about our other digital learning resources! We offer a wide variety of online training sessions each month.
Plus, all attendees can easily obtain a Certificate of Attendance (right) for any of our online courses! The certificate documents the course name, amount of class time, date, and verifies attendance. You can use the certificate to document attendance in the class and submit it along with the additional documentation your school district requires to award you with continuing education credits.
Be sure to tell your trainer that you would like to receive a certificate via email at the start of each class. They’ll be glad to help!
You can download three ready-to-print versions of forthcoming training dates and times in PDF format.
Our training sessions cover after-school hours within several time zones. Best of all, there's no cost to participate. All you need is a computer with Internet access, a phone, and one hour.
Register for an eLibrary CE, History Study Center, ProQuest Learning: Literature, or additional ProQuest solution course today!
You may also sign up for a timely enewsletter to receive training dates each month via email as soon as they're available.
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CALL FOR USER TESTIMONIALS
What features of eLibrary CE do you and your students find the most useful? Have you recently used or are planning to use eLibrary as part of an assignment or student research project? How do you and other curriculum leaders in your institution use your ProQuest educational resources?
Share your experiences with peers working in schools across the country and around the world--through an upcoming Product News Bulletin! We're waiting to hear from you. Please send your ideas and stories to: tim.mclain@il.proquest.com
If we choose your submission, we'll contact you for additional information and permission to use your story in a future issue.
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FORWARD TO A COLLEAGUE + EMAIL SERVICE INFORMATION
Increase the usage of your digital learning solutions! Our forward-to-a-friend service makes it easy to instantly send this product bulletin -- and all the great ideas and information it contains -- to others in your subscribing institution with a click of your mouse.
Also, be sure to encourage them to sign up for our SIRS, CultureGrams, ProQuest, ProQuest Historical Newspapers, eLibrary, eLibrary Curriculum Edition, and additional enewsletters as appropriate.
To change your email address, sign up for additional newsletter titles, or modify your subscription settings, click here.
Cordially,
Your ProQuest CSA Team
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