Katrina
Deliramich
Libr.
260A
Assignment
Number (#1)
September
28, 2010
Reference
Websites:
Yahoo!
Kids
Yahoo!
Kids is a free online website that provides reference information, games and
advice for children. The website is apart of the main Yahoo! Site and is
available national and internationally.
Yahoo!
Kids allow you to ask questions to a carton character named Earl. You can look
up questions already been asking and look up terms for definitions. There is a
separate section for study help. The main interface is very colorful and has
pictures and bright colors. You can either use the large tabs at the top of the
page to find Animals, Ask Earl, Science, reference, and World Factbook. The
animal’s tab allows you to get information on a list of animals or to find
animals in definitions and topics. Science shows you information on the solar
system NASA, videos on space and science projects and links to other science
sites. Reference gives you links to homework help websites, definitions,
encyclopedia and a search box to look up anything you need.
I
explored the topic of dolphins using the reference search box. I received over
ten hits for definition, encyclopedia entries and links to other websites. I
then tried asking Earl a question about how dolphins breathe. When I asked the
question they then asked for my first name and age from a drop down box. I said
I was four. When I submitted the question I was confused how I would get the
answer. On more careful searching I found the answer would be posted under the
Earl tab when it is answered. I am not sure how long this will take.
I
feel this is a good site for older kids from 3rd to 8th
grade. The interface is easy to use and there are a lot of fun learning games
and pictures to keep kids interested. If a parent were to help a young child
they could use the website to view videos on animals and space. Overall I think
the information is good although the Ask Earl area was confusing if you need
information fast, I would try one of the homework help links they have instead.
Awesome
Library
HYPERLINK “http://www.awesomelibrary.org/student.html” http://www.awesomelibrary.org/student.html
Awesome Library is a free online website that
provides thousands of reviewed WebPages and information for students,
librarians and parents. The website was created by Dr. R. Jerry Adams and is
associated with the Internet Content Rating System that provides a thorough
survey of information to provide family safety.
Awesome Library has a very simple
interface. There are bright colored boxes that provide the different school
subjects for K-12. The subjects include English, Math, Science, Health and PE,
Technology, Language, The Arts and Social Sciences. Each subject provides a
further breakdown of topics such as The Arts gives information on Arts &
Crafts, Architecture, Dance, Painting, Theatre, Music, Sculpture, Movies and
Photography. When a sub-subject is chosen you are then provided with
definitions, papers on the topic, other areas to search for similar topics,
website links and materials. If you get stuck at any point there is always a
search box at the bottom of the page to help guide you in a new direction.
I looked at the
Photography section more in-depth. I was provided with lessons on how to use
different cameras. They gave links to view photos and you can get descriptions
explaining the photo. There were websites that provided links to famous
photographers, history of photography and slide shows from famous photography
exhibits.
I really liked
this site for older children, such as 4th grade and up. This is a
great way to find historical facts on subjects along with information on how
things work and how to put what you are learning into real life. The interface
is very straightforward and is easy to maneuver to where you want. By having
the subject broken down like the schools it would be easier for children to
know where to look for certain homework assignments.
Little Explorers
HYPERLINK “http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Dictionary.html”
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Dictionary.html
Little Explorers provides information for free but
also has a subscription available. The benefits of being a subscriber allow you
to view the website without ads and to view and print more content than the
free website provides. The subscription is $20.00 and is paid yearly. A maker
of educational games created little Explorers in 1996. The website is available
in many languages including Japanese to allow access to almost everyone.
The home page has
a large colorful alphabet to allow easy access to definitions and subjects. The
dictionary gives the definition and a picture so young children can enjoy the
site, although subscriber’s rate the age group to 2nd-3rd
grade. Below the alphabet children can click on links to the right for
information about the current season, famous birthdays the face of a medieval
explorer to locate facts related to history and animal print outs. Language
selections are provided in the center of the webpage under the alphabet. I
found the breakdown for ages helpful because they have certain links to a bunch
of WebPages for age groups, it makes searching faster. Icons are provided for
scavenger hunts, vocabulary maps and definition information. The vocabulary map
gives a breakdown of the word and synonyms, acronyms, parts of speech, a
picture and how to use it in a sentence. This is a very valuable tool for young
children.
I decided to try
out one of the vocabulary maps. I clicked on the link and it took me to a page
with many different layouts for the vocabulary map. I could then either print
out a blank map or download it to my computer. A link at the top of the page
brought me back to the alphabet dictionary. I then clicked on the letter B.
When you click on a letter instead of having a list of words come up you get a
grid like feature. In each box are an illustration, the word and a brief
definition. You can click on any box you want for further information. Filling
in the vocabulary map was extremely easy because all the information you need,
including the picture, is already provided.
This site is
designed to be used by kids but I can see how teachers and parents would find
the information very useful. There are many tools that can be used in the
classroom for activities and homework help. Younger children might have a
problem figuring out certain areas, such as the vocabulary map, but I feel with
the help of a parent they will enjoy the illustrations and learn quickly.
Kids
Click!
HYPERLINK “http://www.kidsclick.org/”
http://www.kidsclick.org/
Kids
Click! Is an ALA rated Best Website. The site was created by the school of
Library and Information Science at Kent State University in 1995. Kids Click!
Is free with no membership required. The focus of the website is to provide
links for information and informational sites to kids.
The
homepage of the website is not very exciting. There is a breakdown of fifteen
categories: facts & Reference, Weird & Mysterious, Religion &
Mythology, Society & Government, Science & Math, Health & Family,
Home & Household, Machines & Transportation, The Arts, Popular
Entertainments, Sports & Recreations, Literature, Reading Writing &
Speaking, Computers, Geography History & Biography. Under each category
there are dozens of sub-categories. A search box is provided at the top of the
page.
I
chose to try looking into the history category to see what was provided. When I
clicked on the heading I was taken to a page with many listings for history
related websites. They were broken down into sub-menus by City, Country,
American History, World History and much more. I could also look under specific
subjects such as War, Witchcraft and Royalty. When I clicked on either a
sub-menu or category I was taken to another webpage that even more breakdowns,
such as American History the next page provided breakdowns by period and
events. I could then click on a specific period or event. I chose Colonial
period and was given a listing for 23 websites relating to the Colonial Period.
I tested a few of the sites, which provided a brief overview in the listing.
What
I thought was the most beneficial aspect of this site was the notation at the
bottom of each website listing that gave the appropriate age level to view the
site. This allowed me to see which sites they said were appropriate for first
grade and which for seventh grade. I was very impressed by how much information
was given and how carefully they divided up the categories. It would be very
simple for a third through eighth grader to follow this website and to find
exactly what they wanted. Younger children would need more help since there are
no pictures and you could get confused with so many options.
Smithsonian
Kids
Smithsonian Kids
is a free website offered by the Smithsonian Institution. The goal of the
Smithsonian Kids website and the institution as a whole is to educate kids and
educators by providing resources and programs. The website has won many awards
including the American Association of School Librarians award and the WEBBY
award two years in a row.
The home page of
Smithsonian Kids is very exciting and interactive. There a real photos along
with illustrations. There are links to Art, Science, History and People. Four
educational adventures are giving for exploring the moon, archeology, the
Universe and a “Kids” link. There are many online interactive areas such as
exploring the climate and viewing animals live through video. Fun facts are
given on the right side of the page.
There is no search
box so you have to explore the different areas in order to find what you are
looking for. I chose to look through the People link. Once I clicked on the
link I was given many categories such as exploring people around the world,
transportation, history of homes and biographies on notable authors,
historians, and pioneers. It seemed with every area I chose I got a slideshow,
a video or some fun game to play. The facts are given about each area but
instead of reading a long paragraph about a lion you actually can view footage
of the lion habitat and information about their everyday lives.
I feel this is a
great website to get children interested in science and the world. They can
learn exciting facts and explore in so many different ways. I thought this site
was the most interactive one I have found so far and I was not bored at all
with the content. If it pleases me I know it will keep children entertained for
hours. I do not think a parent really needs to help kids with this site because
the goal is exploration. You cannot really go wrong anywhere unless you are
looking for one specific thing. I found it was difficult because there was no
search box, so you cannot just go to one specific fact, you have to explore.
Readers
Advisory Websites:
BookHive
BookHive
is a reader’s advisory site presented by the Public Library of Charlotte and
Mecklenburg County. BookHive has a kid friendly interface that allows children
to easily search for the book they are looking for. A large link in bold type
allows you to “Find Books” (the link is a cartoon bee and very inviting for
kids). The books are divided into thirty-two categories including classics,
poetry, sports and humor. There is a break down for picture books, non-fiction
books and read-aloud as well. Books can also be viewed by winter, spring,
summer and fall. When you click on a category you are then able to either view
all reviews in the category or narrow your search results by audience. The
audience categories include babies, toddlers, primary, intermediate and adult.
I tried searching for a historical book. My options were to type in a book or
theme in the search box provided or choose a category. When I accessed the
historical link I was able to view books for each age group. I could find no
results for babies and toddlers under historical, but I was able to find seven
reviews for primary kids. The a few of the books included: The Bravest Knight by Mercer Mayor, A Library for Juana: The World of Juana Ines by Pat Mora, and Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Martin
Luther King Jr. by Doreen Rappaport. A nice edition at the bottom of the
page provides reviews of the books by children and adults who have previously
read them. The website is very colorful and full of animation. There are many
options to view books including searching, categories and booklists.
Reading is Fundamental
HYPERLINK “http://www.rif.org/” http://www.rif.org/
Founded
in 1966, Reading is Fundamental is a non-profit organization geared towards
teaching children to read and providing free books and education. The
foundation focuses on children ages 0-8. The website is very interactive and
the children’s section is divided into two groups. 0-5, 6-15. These sections
are also available as links in Spanish. When you click on an age group the
website talks to you. For the ages 0-5 pictures appear and tabs are presented.
The tabs break up the age group into babies &toddlers, preschoolers and
grown-ups. Under babies & toddlers you can view stories, nursery rhymes and
play games. The grown-ups tab gives you access to more book reviews and a search
box. You can choose keyword or subjects to search for. There are also links to
journals and articles for children. I
did a search for books on bears. I was bale to choose the age group I was
searching for. Since I was still under the 0-5 section my age choices were 0-1,
2-3 or 4-5. I chose 4-5 to search. I noticed from the results not only did I
get titles with bears in it but if the review mentioned a bear I received that
result as well. A few of the books I found were Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Jan Brett and The Girl Who Lived With the Bears by
Barbara Diamond Gouldin. The results give the picture of the book and a nice
summary. This site is very interactive for kids but would need an adults help
to navigate to the right area. Once they are in their age group a child can
spend hours playing and reading.
The Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature
HYPERLINK “http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html” http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html
The Database of
Award-Winning Children’s Literature was created in 1997 by Lisa Bartle. The
database at first glance is very bleak looking but once you start searching it
becomes much better. Instead of a simple search box the database provides
fifteen questions to answer about what you are looking for. The questions are:
Suggested age, setting, historical period, ethnicity of protagonist or tale,
includes languages, keyword, awards, format, genre, multicultural, gender of
protagonist, publication year, author/illustrator and sorting, You can choose
to fill in the options or to choose that they do not matter from a drop down
box. The results are catered exactly to your needs. The trouble I had was when
I filled in too many options I could not find any results. If you chose about
three options I could find results I wanted. I tried searching for a girl
protagonist, age group 5-8, with a keyword horse. I received seven results
including That Book Woman by Heather Henson
and Song of the Horse by Richard
Kennedy. There are no pictures provided of the covers and the summaries are
rather brief. I know from previously reading That Book Woman that it fits my
criteria but I am not sure of the other book. I liked this website for parents
who have children interested in a certain subject or time period. It can be
hard finding books if they have read all the known ones around. This is a great
site to give suggestions. A child can access this site with their parent to
help fill in the questions but alone I think they would find it boring and
confusing.
Columbus Metropolitan Library
The Columbus
Metropolitan Library has a great reader advisory site for children. The website
is interactive with comical pictures and bright colors. The words are written
in large font and the overall interface is pleasing to the eye. There are links
for searching for books or resources. The website is different from other sites
in that it does not give you any search options to begin with. You type in a
keyword and then a new page comes up with the results, including pictures of
each cover. There is a web to the left with more keywords and on the right
there is a break down of categories. Topic and age groups are listed along with
the number of results for each category. This is an easy way to sort through
information and adjust your search as you go if you do not know a specific
title or author. Parents would need to help kids navigate the website but there
is a lot the child could accomplish on his own as well. I tried a search for
pictures and I received an incredible amount of results. In less than ten
seconds I was able to look just under preschool age books. From there I could
pick a series, number of pages, author or genre. They provide many more options
to lower your searches. I found they even have a separate search engine for
just picture books, which helped me narrow my searches even more. When I tried
a search if they did not have a picture book with that search they give you a
suggestion for a similar word or topic.
Children’s Literature Network
The Children’s
Literature Network is a reader’s advisory site that is for-profit yet all
proceeds go back into education. The site offers a subscription option but you
can read the review and access most of the site without a subscription. The
interface is calming and crisp, more suited to parents and librarians than to
kids. New books are listed on the homepage and you can easily read more about
the book and they provide color photos of the covers. Unlike in others sites
the search box was not very useful. The best way to find books is to choose
from one of the subject breakdowns they have. They cover over thirty-eight
subjects including adoption, historical and poetry. The subjects are a bit odd
because they include subjects such as reading with dad, skinny books and
child’s heart. Under each subject all books relating to the subject are listed
along with the book covers and a short description. The books are organized
very cleanly and easy to view what you want. Another way to find books is to
look under the review section. The reviews are divided by months and you can
view all the reviews along with videos on how the books were made and about the
authors. This is not a kid friendly site but I appreciated the details such as
the videos to learn more about certain books. I looked for a book under the
subject farm and farming. They had reviewed over two hundred books and ranked
the top twenty. I found books such as From
Wheat to Bread by Kirstin Keller, Harvest
Year by Cris Peterson and How Do You
Raise A Raisin? by Munoz Ryan. From the descriptions of the books and the
cover pictures provided these books seemed very interesting and colorful for
children.
Sources
American Library Association Wiki Website (2010). Retrieved
September 18, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/Main_Page”
http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/Main_Page
Awesome Library Website (2010). Retrieved September 23, 2010
from HYPERLINK “http://www.awesomelibrary.org/student.html” http://www.awesomelibrary.org/student.html
Children’s Literature Network Website (2002-2010). Retrieved
September 18, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/”
http://www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org/
Columbus Metropolitan Library Website (2010). Retrieved
September 18, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://kids.columbuslibrary.org/”
http://kids.columbuslibrary.org/
Digital Librarian Website (2010). Retrieved September 18,
2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.digital-librarian.com/childlit.html”
http://www.digital-librarian.com/childlit.html
Facts for Learning Website (2008). Retrieved September 20,
2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.factsforlearning.com/trial/ffl-learn-more.asp”
http://www.factsforlearning.com/trial/ffl-learn-more.asp
Kids Click!, School of Library and Information Science at
Kent State University Website (1995-2010). Retrieved September 20, 2010 from
HYPERLINK “http://www.kidsclick.org/”
http://www.kidsclick.org/
Little Explorers Website (1996-2010). Retrieved September
23, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Dictionary.html”
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Dictionary.html
Madison Public Library Website (2008-2010). Retrieved
September 16, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/booklists/readersites.html”
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/booklists/readersites.html
National Science Digital Library Website (2010). Retrieved
September 16, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.nsdl.org”
http://www.nsdl.org
Peck, P.
(2006). Crash course in children’s
services. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County Website
(2010). BookHive Website Retrieved from HYPERLINK “http://www.plcmc.org/bookhive/” http://www.plcmc.org/bookhive/
Reading is Fundamental Website (2010). Retrieved September
18, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://www.rif.org/” http://www.rif.org/
San Mateo County Library Website (2010). Retrieved September
17, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://kids.smcl.org/en/node/151”
http://kids.smcl.org/en/node/151
Smithsonian Kids Website (2010) Retrieved September 19, 2010
from HYPERLINK “http://webzero.si.edu/kids/”
http://webzero.si.edu/kids/
The Children’s Literature Web Guide (1994-2001). Retrieved
September 17, 2010 from HYPERLINK “http://people.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html”
http://people.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
The Database of Award-Winning Children’s Literature
(1997-2010). Retrieved September 18, 2010 from HYPERLINK
“http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html” http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html
Yahoo! Kids Website (2010). Retrieved September 25, 2010
from HYPERLINK
“http://kids.yahoo.com/learn”
http://kids.yahoo.com/learn
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