Random observations

Technology has been pretty good to me these last couple of weeks, so I will be making a few short observations as opposed to one long blog on a single subject.

I took on the part of the wiki where we are posting the reference librarians' favorite resources. The purpose of this part of the wiki is to provide the student workers a quick list of ready reference sources. I assumed that since we were approaching the full-time academic reference librarians for suggestions that I would get back mainly print sources. Lo and behold, so far they have all only given me websites. I am totally surprised! Maybe it is because I am currently taking my reference course, but I thought I would get answers like World Almanac or assorted encyclopedia sets, maybe a few odd books that Notre Dame students often need. I feel so mislead now in my reference prof.

Last week, I taught a unit with one of the English teachers. We decided to write obituaries. Seriously. To introduce the kids to authors, we had them pick one from a list or they could get one approved. Then they researched the author's life and works using the Biography Resource Center through Inspire. Once they were finished with their research, then they used the timeline template in the Inspiration program to create a pre-writing graphic organizer. The hook and the impetus for this project was the story that the AP has written Britany Spears' obituary just in case. I really thought that the teacher and I did a nice job of incorporating technology into a lesson in an authentic way. The students did a better job using a database and navigating Inspiration then what I have seen them do with other lessons.

Speaking of other lessons, a project that is a staple around here is the disease brochure. In this lesson, the students research a disease and make a brochure about it with pictures. So far, in the many times I have witnessed the health teachers doing this project, the main goal of many of the students seems to be "how can I get a really disgusting or naked picture around the filter." Breast cancer and elphantitus are both very popular with the male students for those reasons.