FINAL RESEARCH

After reading the report, "How Teachers are using Technology at Home and in their Classrooms", I formed this topic and following question:

1. Digital technology is a must for our students future.

              a. How important is digital technology for the future of our students?
              b. KEYWORDS: digital, technology, students, future, careers

2. I used the deep web resource, Cannell Library at Clark College to research my topic.

              a. My first keyword "digital" produced results but not what I needed. The second
                  keyword   "digital technology" produced results, but again, too vague.
                 I added the word "student" for a keyword of "digital technology and students".
                 That produced many results (37) and exactly what I was looking for.
           
               b. Selwyn, Neil. "Schools and Schooling in the Digital Age: A Critical Analysis". Electronic
                    Resource. Print. 190 p. Hoboken : Taylor & Francis, 2010.

3. After reading this article, I feel that it is trustworthy. Using ASPECT, I found the following:

                    
A: Authority - The author, preface and acknowledgement listed many contributors.
S: Sources - There were over 24 pages of references citing everyone from Phd's to Scholarly Journals
P: Purpose - To enlighten the reader of the benefits of technology in our schools around the world.
E: Evenness - Draws on works and writings of others, but the author gives his opinion as well.
C: Coverage - In depth look at schools from primary to advanced structures of schooling.
T: Timeliness - October 7, 2010

4. My review of this book:

Neil Selwyn does an exceptional job at thoroughly delving into the effects of digital technology in our classrooms. He is an avid supporter of technology as it is a pathway for further education and career progress. Students need to understand technology at an early age, however, age, social class and gender play in important role in developing these technological skills. The rules and order of digital technology can bridge the gaps between these differences.

It is up to the student to comprehend the technology and the determination of the teacher to provide it. If either subject is not "on board" with educational technology, then readjustment or realignments in the classroom cannot be made. Educational technology is a powerful tool and can open many doors for students through new ways of thinking about the world and new abilities to act in the world.

Whether or not to use digital technology and how to integrate it into schools is a hot debate today. The best option is to use open sources approaches to technology. Open-source software is gaining momentum when compared to the purchase if IT equipment. Encouragin inter-generational communication within the schools is the best way to raise enthusiasms for digital technology today and the careers of tomorrow.

CREATE A WEB PAGE

This week, we created a web page using the basics of HTML coding, here is what I developed:

I have several HTML templates that I use for my ebay auctions, so I had some knowledge of HTML coding and the meaning of some abbreviations. However, this activity has really impacted my understanding of the web in that it is not as difficult to navigate as I previously thought. I always try to keep in mind these words of wisdom someone told me when I purchased my first computer eighteen some years ago, "Tell the computer what you want it to do". Not the other way around. I found that this class has really helped in providing me the resources needed to use the web more efficiently.

I did not know that you could capture or "snip" an image to use inside of another web document. I have previous knowledge of inserting photos and saving them as a jpeg file if needed in some instances, but the "snipping tool" we used for this weeks research was new to me.

This activity really appealed to me as it was interesting, fun and personal. I also enjoyed the "wordle" activity for the very same reasons. Some of our previous weeks weren't as interesting but needed just the same as they definitely furthered my knowledge of web applications and resources to use so that I can "tell my computer what to do".

Google Search Tool

For this week’s research, I choose to delve deeply into “Google” and determine how this search engine handles (or does not) Boolean operators, truncating, and phrases as well as any other pertinent advance features. I use Google for everything and it’s a household joke now that my standard answer to any question is “Google it”.

The most unique thing about the Google search tool is that it analyzes links to other sites and determines the relative worth of that hyper-link for display.

Five really cool things about Google are:

1.       You can used the Google “Advanced Search” option for a fill-in-the-blank option of narrowing your search even further.

2.       Google likes you to use the ~ sign (tilde sign) immediately in front of a word to search for that word as well as even more synonyms.  ~food facts  includes results for "nutrition facts".

3.       Can run a search in any language

4.       Has a powerful algorithm that deals away with spelling mistakes and sloppy queries, and gives the most relevant search results to the original query.

5.       It can only navigate through its own index.

I would definitely use Google for my next research project as not only is it really user friendly, but there is the option of Google Books and Google Scholar as well. I think the more simply you keep your search words, the better luck you will have. Use “headache” instead of “why is my head killing me”

Information I found when using the MetaSearch Tool, Dogpile,  is as follows:

The most unique thing about Dogpile is that it, “Presents results from each of the search engines it queries individually, instead of mixing them all together into a single list. While some love this feature, others find it difficult and less useful.”

 

5 really great things about Dogpile’s, features are:

1.       It has an Advanced Search option that is easier to get to than Google.

2.       It produces a smaller amount of relevant information than Google

3.       It does not duplicate sites.

4.       This means that a Dogpile search can give you many more results to work with, and can be especially useful when trying to find vague articles and the like.

5.       There are a lot of sponsored ads hidden among Dogpile's search results

 

I do not think I would use this search tool for the reason I stated above, and that is I want to see ALL of my options in order from highest to lowest demand of views and not by search tool used.

 

Information I found when using the Subject Dictionary’s, Academic Info, is as follows:

The most unique thing about Academic Info is that you can browse using the Browse by Subject or Search by Keyword options.

5 great things about Academic Info are:

1.       It’s very easy to navigate using the State, Degree Type, Interest, Filter By (class type) options.

2.       AcademicInfo was created in 1998 by Michael Madin.

3.       It is approaching 15 years on the Internet, and has become the premier website for education and university related information and reviews.

4.       You can easily select the tab “View All Schools” to see what is available in your area.

5.       It has an “Online Degree” tab that has even more information about online classes, etc.

I would definitely use Academic Info if I ever needed to compare career paths or gain information on a new career. I think this a helpful tool for narrowing down or getting a quick glimpse of a field of study, but I’m a bit leery that the schools displayed are on there as paying advertisements.

http://support.google.com/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=134479&topic=1221265&ctx=topic

http://www.helium.com/items/2244960-Internet-Troubleshooting

http://www.brighthub.com/internet/google/articles/122585.aspx

http://www.academicinfo.net/educational-resources

http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/)

Week 7: Periodicals

The revised statement suggestions for my research (thank you Ms. Bullock) is to use asterisks and not quotation mark’s as quotation marks really limited my past search to that specific phrase.

I entered Internet AND History AND  Invent* (as the internet was developed more than it was invented) into EBsCoHost. My database was pre-set to Academic Search Premier. I typed Internet in my first box, History in the AND box as well as Invent in the next AND box. I did not choose a field as I did not see one that would further extend my research by doing so.

My results did not retrieve relevant results. I had misleading results such as “History Innovators” and “Invention Web Site”.

I revised my search again using all the words “Internet History” AND “Who Invented”. This resulted in the first subject being the most useful, titled, “The Birth of the Internet From Two Present at Creation”. Although my source type was ALL RESULTS, I still only had 6 subjects and the remaining were not useful or relevant. Because there were so few result, I could not search types of articles.

I used the words Internet History AND Who Created AND Who Invented without a single result.

I then used Internet History AND Al Gore AND 1980 without a single result either.

Finally, Internet History AND Created AND Invented gave me several pages of results.

a.) Popular Magazine:  “The Al Gore Quiz”

I chose this article because it is a, “Discussion of Gore's statements including his claim to have invented the Internet.”

Works Cited. Leo, John. "The Al Gore Quiz." U.S. News & World Report 129.14 (2000): 16. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.

b.) Scholarly Journal: “The Big Question: Greatest Thing Since… What Is the Most Significant Invention of the Past Decade, and What Do You Anticipate for the Future?”

I chose this article because it is a review of the greatest inventions of the past decade and include, “Web 2.0, mobile phones, mobile banking, the Internet social networking sites Facebook and Myspace and the business model based on open innovation. “

Works Cited. Frederick Balagaddé, et al. "The Big Question: Greatest Thing Since… What Is The Most Significant Invention Of The Past Decade, And What Do You Anticipate For The Future?." World Policy Journal 28.3 (2011): 3-7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.

This activity was helpful in reviewing the use of the Clark Library databases even further. Especially since I have many mower years of schooling. Finding source types (magazine, newspaper) was beneficial to my future research needs. I am still at a loss as narrowing down my subject words, perhaps I just have a general subject but it seems there would be a plethora of articles regarding the invention of the internet (or creation).

Unit 6 - Boolean Operators

Part 1: Practice Writing Boolean Search Statements

Remembering that “and” links key concepts and narrows a search, while “or” links synonyms and expands searches as well as allowing either key word to be retrieved, I used Google and the above Boolean operators to research the following five questions:

1.) Does television advertising by the pharmaceutical industry have an impact on prescription drug abuse?

B.O. used: “television advertising” and “pharmaceutical industry” and “impact on prescription drug abuse” or “prescription drug abusers”

2.) What breeds of dogs make good therapy pets?
B.O. used: “breed of dog” and “good therapy pet” or “best”

3.) What stand does the American Medical Association take on natural medicine?
B.O. used: “American medical associations”and “natural medicine” and “beliefs” or “opinion”

4.) Are big box stores like WalMart and Target good for the economy?
B.O. used: “WalMart” and “Target” or “big box store” and “good for economy” or “impact on economy"

5.) Does anti-smoking advertising by the tobacco industry lead to increased smoking among youth?
B.O. used: “anti-smoking advertisements” and “tobacco industry” and “increases smoking”
and “youth” or “young adults”

Part 2: Boolean and your Own Topic

I used the word “internet” as the base for my research in Unit 3. I added “who invented the internet” for further research, and will now use Boolean Operators to research and narrow my topic once again.

B.O. used: “internet” and “who invented” or when invented”

B.O. used: “who invented internet” and “when” or “date” or “time”or “year”

B.O. used: “al gore” and “internet” and “year invented” or “date invented”

B.O. used: “internet” and “who implemented” and “first person” or “name of inventor”

Focus On Books

BOOK RECORDS RESEARCH

Cannell Library Book Catalog

Search Term(s) used: Internet

Citation information for one book: Ryan, Johnny, “A History of the Internet and the Digital Future”, London : Reaktion Books, 2010.

Subject Headings: Internet, Internet – History, Internet – Social aspects.

Is this a Circulating Book or an E-Book? Circulating book – 246 pages

Location and Call Number for the Book: Cannell Library TK5105.875.I57 R73 2010

What clues in the book record lead you to believe that this book is credible, or trustworthy? This book is trustworthy because it is in depth in length and gives an overview of historical relevance.

 Summit Catalog

Search Term(s) used: Internet History

Citation information for one book: Moschovitis, Christos J.P.; et al “History of the Internet : A Chronology, 1843 to The Present”, Santa Barbara, Calif. : ABC-CLIO, ©1999.

Subject Headings: Internet -- Juvenile literature, Telecommunication -- History -- Juvenile literature, Internet Telecommunication – History, Communication and technology -- History.

Is this a Circulating Book or an E-Book? Circulating book

Location and Call Number for the Book: Available at many locations by clicking on the link for your college. It is available at Clark College Cannell Library. TK5105.875.I57 H58 1999 

What clues in the book record lead you to believe that this book is credible, or trustworthy? Again, I can trust the information provide in this book because it is in depth in length and gives an overview of historical relevance.

 Books 24x7 – IT Pro Collection of E-books

Search Term(s) used: Internet History

Citation information for one book: William Aspray and Paul E. Ceruzzi (eds) ,“The Internet and American Business”, The MIT Press © 2008.

Subject Headings: I could not find this.

Is this a Circulating Book or an E-Book? Circulating Book 607pages.

Location and Call Number for the Book: I could not find this either but the ISBN# is ISBN:9780262012409 which is always helpful in locations at a retail book store.

What clues in the book record lead you to believe that this book is credible, or trustworthy? Again, as a reference book, the information is verifiable and historical.

 Google Books

Search Term(s) used: Internet History

Citation information for one book: Wolinsky, Art., The History of the Internet and the World Wide Web”, Enslow Pub Incorporated, Sep 1, 2000.

Subject Headings: There wasn’t a “subject field” but here was a reference to another books such as, “Visual Communication: Images with Messages” by Paul Martin Lester

Is this a Circulating Book or an E-Book? This is a circulating book with 64 pages.

 Location and Call Number for the Book: ISBN # 076601746X, 9780766017467

What clues in the book record lead you to believe that this book is credible, or trustworthy? This book isn’t as lengthy as the others I found, but I can trust it for accurate research because of its historical information.

 SUMMARY OF BOOK RECORDS RESEARCH

I used keywords: Internet AND Who Started AND Who Invented in my Cannell Library research which resulted in “No Entries Found”. I added more words: Internet AND Who Started Internet AND Who Invented the Internet (caps for emphasis here, I did not type caps into my keyword search in Cannell Library). Again, “No Entries Found”. Hmmm…. nothing was working, so I simply entered “Internet’ and Bam! Over 40 pages of entries! I scrolled down until I found a title that fit what I was looking for and chose, “A history of the Internet and The Digital Future”. If I were to enter keywords again, I would choose “Internet AND History”. Perhaps my keywords were too specific.

When I moved on to Summit, the single keyword “Internet” gave me multiple entries so I thought I would narrow it down using “Internet History” from my research at the Cannell Library and that helped even more. The first entry was exactly what I was looking for.

“It-Pro” was a really exciting website to check out and one I was not aware of offered through Clark College. It gave you several options once you found the book of your choice such as breaking down the chapter contents, a back cover image and full table of contents were available. This site also prompted me with a citation link that was really user friendly and I could choose from several different formats. It appeared as I hovered over the author’s name. Here is the MLA format simply copy and pasted from the headings by this book:

Aspray, William, and Paul E. Ceruzzi (eds). The Internet and American Business. The MIT Press, © 2008. Books24x7. Web. Feb. 5, 2013. http://common.books24x7.com/toc.aspx?bookid=26537

How easy is that for English class! J

“Google Books” search engine gave the first two book titles that I had found in the Cannell Library and Summit as the first options I could choose from. I scrolled several pages before finding a title that was more specific to what I wanted to learn.

Research Journal Part 4: Types of Information

When using the Internet to research topics whether they are for personal or academic use, "BE A SKEPTIC!" You wouldn't trust the advice of a stranger at a bus stop without doing your research, don't trust every website you come across!

Some things to keep in mind when navigating the Internet are to look for an "info" or "about tab" to find out who created the website. You can then put this name into "Google" (or yahoo, Bing, or msn - you will get a different results with each search engine) and gather even more information about the factual substance of the website. Check the perimeter of your website for links to outside sources that can validate the authenticity of the statements made about your topic. Are the a personal opinion of facts? The URL is another quick way to check authenticity of a website to be scholarly based and usable for academic research if they contain .gov or .edu.

Lastly, check the date of last update of the website. Ongoing media often referred to as the "Information Cycle" moves from daily coverage to the day after, to the following week and into months and years of any given topics, especially when it is very news worthy. But again, most magazines aer personal opinion and not facts based within a scholarly journal  - be a skeptic!

Practice Research Questions:

1) Is a vegetarian diet healthier than a meat-based diet?

 I chose Books from Scholarly/Academic Publishers because they contain new research as well a review of existing research.
 

2) Target often forces musicians to alter lyrics in order to have their CD's sold in Target stores. Is this censorship?

Yes, this is censorship. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary online, censorship means, "Act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good."

3) How much more can a college graduate expect to earn over someone with a high school diploma?

I could use a Popular Magazine or Newspaper for this type of questionable research since it is not a direct fact of a specific job and is not asking for a specific salary. An overall opinion of salary differences would be edited by professionals but I would also want to make sure and look for the author's (of the magazine) credentials.

4) Should educators use commercial services to combat plagiarism?

I would choose a verifiable web site to research this question (such as .edu) because it would give me outside links to form an opinion and gain factual information from.

5) Is the current lack of sunspot activity affecting global warming?

Since this question has a lot of historical relevance and is still a continued debate, I would use a Book or e-Book since they offer in-depth info and a historical perspective. I could also be led to other sources. but would need to look for the author and publishes credentials.

I am going to use the same advice that I gave above to research three questions from my last blog.

All of my question are facts. I would not want to use popular magazines, newspapers or articles to answer these.

1.Who invented the cell phone?
2. Who invented Google?
3. Who invented the television?

I would use information from an Academic Encyclopedia as the authors of scholars and it is edited by professionals. It covers background information as wells s overviews.

I could also use an Academic Journal for my research on all of the above questions since I can count on those for being edited by professionals with in-depth research as well as primary research that is current. They are also easily accessible online through a library database.

 

 

https://moodle.clark.edu/mod/resource/view.php?inpopup=true&id=257153

http://www.wou.edu/provost/library/clip/tutorials/eval_internet.htm

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censorship