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Enclosed is this month's free newsletter for eLibrary® 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.
Full Training: Podcast via iTunes
As you know, we offer large, Flash-authored training files for all of our K-12 solutions. Our newest eLibrary training course is now available as a series of video podcasts –- all playable inside a free copy of iTunes.
Download your copy of iTunes today, and subscribe to our free podcasts with a click of your mouse.
eLibrary Fall Updates
Here’s a brief rundown of the newest tweaks and system enhancements now online inside eLibrary, eLibrary Science, and our BookCart tool.
eLibrary Family
- Key Relevance has been renamed to Keyword Score. (Also done in eLibrary Science.)
- We’ve removed Relevance score from search results. (Also done in eLibrary Science.)
- In Civil War Battlefield Guide, the maps are now clickable.
- If you’re a site admin exploring our usage tool and you employ IP authentication, you can now exit and log back in as a different user. In addition, in Local Admin, the 30 minute lag time for changes to be rendered has been removed.
Bookcart Tool
- Navigating into Bookcarts from the Teacher Edition limits the content set by the product you came from.
- Two-word queries are now working for Bookcart searches.
- Added a confirmation message when restoring a Bookcart.
- On the Organize Bookcarts page, only the folders that appear on the Local Tab now appear in the dropdown list.
Don’t Miss a Single Teachable Moment:
Free Curriculum & Lesson Plans
On the first of each month, our curriculum specialists deliver a powerful tool to thousands of K-12 teachers worldwide. And best of all, you can sign up to get this free, hands-on and classroom-ready content today at ProQuest.
Our monthly Teachable Moments email newsletter (November issue here) offers a treasure trove of innovative student activities that take full advantage of our complete line of K-12 learning solutions. Most can be easily augmented to fit into any classroom curriculum.
Sign up for Teachable Moments today using the box below, then browse our inventory of back issues. Consider it your own personal teachable moment with a professional development theme!
New ProQuest K-12 Catalog Available
Don’t miss the latest information about ProQuest’s full line of popular K-12 learning solutions. From eLibrary to SIRS to CultureGrams and beyond, you’re sure to find a new solution that will help students at all grade levels learn at their own pace--online. Get your copy of the PDF version today.
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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: Standards Searching.
When most people think about eLibrary, the first thing that comes to mind is student research. And in this regard, eLibrary certainly fits the bill. With more than 2,000 sources of articles, images, photos, video clips, and more, students have come to rely on this popular solution to make the grade.
One eLibrary feature, however, tends to get overlooked. A feature that makes it easy for educators to find resources that match perfectly with state and national standards for learning. An unrivaled tool that instantly morphs eLibrary from a broad resource into a local, standards-aligned curriculum resource.
Our eLibrary Standards Search covers all curriculum areas, every U.S. state and Canadian provinces. This built-in tool helps educators save time during the lesson planning process, and makes it possible for media specialists to link online library resources to learning benchmarks with a click of the mouse.
To conduct a standards search, connect to eLibrary and click the Search State and National
Standards link.
Select your state, then choose a standards set.
Review the standards related to the subject, and drill deeper into each node to reach the benchmark you’re interested in.
At the benchmark level, click See resources to match each end node to eLibrary content.
eLibrary queries your benchmark against the topic tree, and displays all topics related to the benchmark.
Each topic leads to articles, periodicals, reference works, and more. Each dynamic search ensures that educators can locate updated content as new resources are added to your subscription.
Using the my list and BookCart features explained in last month’s podcast, anyone can take these results, add them to a list, and embed them in a new BookCart, which can then be used with students in any classroom or your media center.
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
November 12-18 is American Education Week. Education reform is focused mostly on disadvantaged and immigrant students. They generally attend schools that are urban or rural and are inadequately funded because local school boards rely primarily on property taxes to fund the vast majority of educational services and resources.
Because these areas have a high percentage of people on poverty and property values are low, the taxes generated don’t provide the level of education that these students need to succeed. When school districts don’t have adequate funding over time, they can’t compete for the best teachers and can’t provide robust learning resources. This is a sure recipe for low student performance over time.
The federal government, through No Child Left Behind (NCLB), is trying to solve some of the funding problems of disadvantaged schools in return for school accountability for increased student achievement and teacher effectiveness. NCLB formulae and competitive grants provide funds for learning activities and products that target reading and mathematics as fundamental to success.
A variety of private organizations have also entered the reform movement by providing funding and ideas based on research into the learning process. Many of these ideas are controversial. Some are resurrections of ideas of the past such as single-gender schools, school uniforms, no-frills curriculum, schools-within-a school, charter schools, vouchers, etc. Many of the new strategies proposed are based on technology integration, brain research on learning, and research on what actually works in the classroom.
Activity: American Education Week is a great time for students to look at public education issues and a variety of recommended reforms. eLibrary BookCarts can provide an easy and effective way for teachers to assign research activities on American education.
ProQuest has created a variety of model BookCarts that focus on education reform. Each student can be assigned a different BookCart/issue. Students can defend their position on the issue in a three-minute oral presentation. This provides other students to ask questions and learn from the presentations. View and copy these BookCarts to the My Local Carts collection for your school:
- Logon to the eLibrary Teacher Edition.
- Click the BookCart Admin link at the top right.
- Click the ProQuest Carts tab.
- Type “ED” in the Search box.
- Scroll down to ED01--No Child Left Behind (MS/HS) and view ED02 to ED20.
- Review the BookCart by clicking the View icon, then click Close Window.
- Click the Copy icon to the right of the title under the Actions column.
- Click Back to the BookCarts page link to return to My Local Carts.
- Repeat the process—Copied BookCarts will contain “Copy of” as a title prefix until you edit and adapt them.
Teachers can also download a copy of the Engaging Activities for Mini-Research that provides teacher guidance in how to manage and evaluate these mini-research reports, as well as a list of essential questions for critical thinking to integrate higher-order thinking skills into the research
Bonus BookCart Activity: Many teachers and librarians who create BookCarts overlook the Publications Search tool.
This tool is designed to allow students to search for additional resources from within a BookCart. This is necessary when a topic is prone to change such as a science or current events topic. For example, if your students are doing research on the Solar System using one of your BookCarts, how do they address the recent demotion of Pluto to a non-planet status? Simple! They do a Publications search while inside the BookCart.
This gives students freedom to search for additional resources, but only from within the collection of publications selected by the teacher. This increases relevance and saves time while preserving the value of the other resources in the BookCart.
Because most teachers (and ProQuest with its collection of 500 models) don’t have time to constantly update BookCart collections, Publications Search comes to the rescue for teachers and for their students. The problem is that teachers are not familiar enough with the range of 2000 eLibrary publications, organized alphabetically, to be able to easily select those that would benefit their students.
To solve this problem ProQuest has created a tool (get it here) that organizes eLibrary publications by correlating each to the curriculum area and level supported. So when teachers are copying and adapting a BookCart or building their own, this list will help them find exactly what their students will need. The list can be easily downloaded and printed by teachers and librarians.
The list starts with General Reference and then lists subject areas alphabetically. The section at the end lists approximately 100 education journals and magazines—a great and free professional library.
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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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SIRS® DECADES: PRIMARY SOURCES IN YOUR CLASSROOM
The use of source documents offers students a direct glimpse into the past. But without context, these sources can confuse as often as illuminate. SIRS Decades places these resources into a relevant framework for understanding that enriches both the content and student understanding of the material. SIRS Decades features more than 5,000 hand-selected primary and secondary source articles highlighting key events, movements, people, and places in 20th-century America.
Below are links to several primary source documents. To access the material, sign up for a free trial, login, and then click on each link.
Primary source types include: Advertisements, Editorial Cartoons, Letters, Memos, Messages, Maps and Charts, Original Documents, Original Works of Art, Photographs, Poems and Literary Works, Posters, Published Articles, Speeches and Addresses. Users will be able to save time by exploring thousands of primary sources in one integrated, user-friendly resource. Students will also be able to use these primary source documents to understand how historical events affected politics, popular culture, and the media.
Find out more about SIRS Decades at our K-12 website.
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PROQUEST LEARNING PAGE RESOURCES
ProQuest Learning Page celebrates November with activities related to Thanksgiving, Election Day, and Veterans' Day.
Worksheets include:
Thanksgiving notes, drawings, and word problems
Completing patterns
Veterans' Day counting
Election Day word search
...and more! Get them here.
You'll also find three great printable books in this month's Giving Thanks activities:
Maria's Thanksgiving: A resourceful girl turns a snowstorm into an opportunity to honor the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
Celebrating Food and Family: Families around the world celebrate the harvest season according to their own unique traditions.
Tommy for President: RK-5 arranges for Tommy to go back in time to meet George Washington and learn an important lesson.
Next month, Learning Page will celebrate December with a collection of activities related to world holidays.
All of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are FREE! If you aren't already a member, register today for access to all the materials at Learning Page. It's quick and easy!
Plus, Reading A-Z has everything you need to expand your teaching tool kit and help you motivate young readers. Sign up today and enjoy a wealth of resources--all with just a click of your mouse.
For information on any of the ProQuest LearningPage websites -- Reading A-Z, Raz-Kids, Reading-Tutors, or Vocabulary A-Z -- please call 866.889.3729 or email razsupport@readinga-z.com.
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CULTUREGRAMS™ IN FOCUS
CultureGrams can help you broaden your students' understanding of the world and its peoples. Our World Edition includes 190+ country profiles, written for junior high students and older. CultureGrams also has a Kids Edition and a States Edition, geared for upper elementary students. These editions include kid-friendly profiles of 70+ countries and all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia.
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.
Country:
Chile
Did You Know?
- Chile’s Easter Island is in the Pacific Ocean, far away from the Chilean coast. The island’s strange ancient statues stand 30 feet (9 m) tall, but why they were built is a mystery.
- For centuries, Chileans have used llamas to carry their goods.
- About five hundred years ago, the ancient Inca Empire of Peru began spreading south into Chile. Ruins of Inca roads and buildings still can be seen in Chile today.
Language
Spanish is the official national language of Chile, and almost everybody speaks it. But the Spanish that people speak in Chile is a little different than the Spanish spoken in other countries. Chileans call it Castellano. Chileans like to add little word endings like -ito, which means “small.” For example, Chileans can change the boy’s name Carlos into “little Carlos” by saying Carlitos. Chao means “good-bye,” but Chaoito is a “small good-bye.”
Schools
Chileans take education very seriously. All Chilean kids between the ages of five and seventeen have to go to school. Kids go to public schools, which are free, or to private religious schools. They study many of the same subjects you do. After eight years of elementary school, kids advance to a four-year secondary or vocational school. For those who want to get a higher education, Chile has many universities. Santiago alone has eight.
Rodeos
The people of Chile held their first rodeo (or la fiesta huasa) more than four hundred years ago, and they have loved them ever since. Huge crowds go to watch them. Rodeos in Chile are a little different than rodeos in North America. Two riders on horseback try to corner a bull against a certain spot on the edge of the rodeo ring. The winning team is the one that can corner the bull the best and the fastest. The riders wear the traditional clothing of flat hats, brightly colored ponchos, and boots with spurs.
To find out more about CultureGrams, connect to our website today.
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EXPLORE OUR WORLD WITH CULTUREGRAMS
As world events increasingly affect all our lives, it’s more important than ever to educate students about the world around them. CultureGrams and World Conflicts Today show students how the world’s peoples live... and what’s behind the major conflicts they face.
CultureGrams concise, reliable, and up-to-date information delivers a true insider’s perspective on daily life and culture of the world’s people. Explore 190 country reports that include 25 cultural categories, maps, images, bios, glossaries, statistics, and five local recipes per country.
World Conflicts Today provides new ways to understand the high-profile conflicts currently engulfing many of the world’s nations. Unbiased overviews of the history, background, obstacles, and implications analyze each conflict, alongside primary and secondary sources, interactive maps, slide shows, and other multimedia.
Conflicts include Afghanistan, Basque Country, Chechnya, Colombia, Darfur, Iraq, Jammu & Kashmir, Korean Peninsula, Northern Ireland, and the Palestinian Territories.
Together you get more than facts and figures; you give students unbiased cultural and social insights they won’t find in any textbook, website, or encyclopedia.
Try both today, free for 30 days.
You can save 20% off World Conflicts with purchase of both* by 12/31/06.
And, with district purchases you may be eligible for up to 40% off CultureGrams!
* Existing CultureGrams Online subscribers are eligible
You’ll see why School Library Journal recommends CultureGrams for, “History, geography, foreign language, ESL, and current events teachers…[for] discussions, debates, presentations, research papers, reports, and reading and writing exercises.”
For more information, contact ProQuest toll-free at 1.800.521.0600, or by email at PQSales@il.proquest.com.
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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.
Becoming Human:
Paleoanthropology, Evolution, and Human Origins
Organization: The Institute of Human Origins (IHO)
Discover what makes us human in this paleoanthropology site, which "includes an interactive documentary, educational exhibits, research tools, and the latest news from scientists across the globe." (IHO)
Green Fluorescent Protein
Organization: Marc Zimmer (Connecticut College)
"Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) has existed for more than one hundred and sixty million years in one species of jellyfish. In 1994 it was cloned. Now GFP is found in laboratories all over the world where it is used in every conceivable plant and animal. Flatworms, algae, E. coli and pigs have all been made to fluoresce with GFP." (MARC ZIMMER, CONNECTICUT COLLEGE) Learn about the history and structure of GFP and view interesting photos, including one of a pig with a fluorescent yellow snout and hooves.
Moyers on America: The Net at Risk
Organization: Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
This companion site to "The Net at Risk" contains multimedia, resources, and questions regarding net neutrality and the future of the Internet. Watch the preview to learn "how mega-media corporations could restrict the democratic possibilities of the Web's new future." (PBS)
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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 or additional ProQuest solution course today.
(Interested in Reading A-Z programs? Click here.)
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 do you and your students find the most useful? Have you recently used or are planning to use it 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 resources! 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 K-12 Team
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