Red Fox Sounds

I did some more research on the sounds red foxes make. I found several entries on YouTube. My interest comes from watching a LOT of BBC productions on PBS. During many outdoor, night scenes, I would hear a strange animal sound or call, and wondered if it might be either a peacock or a fox. Perhaps fellow BBC afficiandos have had this same experience. My investigation today reveals that it is the sound of a vixen barking. "Mystery" solved. :-)

Job Search and Workplace Skills

I had never heard of TOEIC (Test of English in International Communication) before. This would also be helpful to ESL students, in addition to TOEFL test prep.

I did have to go to another online source to find out what the acronyms TOEFL and TOEIC stand for, so unless the patron has already heard of these tests, further explanation would be necessary.

The Job Search and Workplace Skills tab revealed some great resources. It covers not only the "paper" part of the process (resumes and letters), but the "people skills" part as well. I can think of specific patrons who would benefit from this resource. I am eager to share it with them.

I selected the Vocabulary and Spelling Course. The self-assessment at the beginning is helpful. As with other aspects of Learning Express, this is very user-friendly and not intimidating. I also like the Notebook feature which is provided.

The Search Smart and Get Ahead ebook is terrific. I plan to read through it more thoroughly later, as I work to improve my cyber literacy.

This whole process is really nifty! (Do I date myself with that adjective?) I can't wait to explore more, and share with our patrons.

Learning Express Practice Tests

I completed the 4th grade Math Practice Test (Algebraic Thinking and Patterns) and was pleased to find that I remembered enough to get all of the answers correct.

I also took part of the high school Vocabulary and Spelling Practice test, and answered the questions correctly. It's been many years since I've had to answer questions like these. The experience was empowering. I think the fact that it was a multiple choice test gave me confidence. I plan to play with this some more, and flex some more mental muscles.

I hope that most patrons would also find the experience positive, and non-threatening. It's good to know that your answers are private, and that you are provided with an explanation of the correct answer.

Lesson 2 - Learning Express Library

I have recommended Learning Express to patrons in the past, mostly for those interested in ACT or SAT prep resources. I did not realize that Learning Express also provided so much information for adults. It's good to know that there is another resource for adults engaged in a job search, or those wanting to polish their rusty math skills.

We have many international patrons who want information on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam. We have books available, but the patrons often want to study them for more than the four week (or eight weeks with renewal) circulation period. The Learning Express option is great! I can't wait to recommend it.

World Book Foreign Language Edition - French

The French edition did not provide me with as many visual clues as the Spanish version did. I also speak very, very little French. Navigating was more difficult in that regard.

This edition could help non-French speakers with reading fluency, but I did not find a read-aloud feature.

World Book Foreign Language Edition - Spanish

When I did the exercise for the World Book Kids edition, I learned that the Spanish word for fox is "zorro." So I looked that up. The article appears to be a translated version is the English entry.

I liked the Mundo de Animales feature, where I could view pictures of birds and animals, and also test my limited Spanish vocabulary by seeing which words I recognized.

We do have native Spanish speakers who use our computer lab, so this may be of help to them in their learning. It might also help reinforce learning for non-Spanish speakers who are learning the language.

Listening to the article on zorros rojas, it was neat to be able to control the speed of the reading. For learners who learn best by hearing, this would be a great advantage. I am a visual learner, so it helps me to read and identify the words while I listen.

World Book Online Reference Center - Russia

The Online Reference Center provided an extensive article about Russian government, people, way of life, climate, the arts, history, and the economy. There were a tremendous number of sub-categories available. Learners can research as broadly or as specifically as they please.

I am curious about the "freshness" of this information. The citation information lists today's date, but it is not possible to find out when the entry was last updated. Or am I missing something?

I did discover a Research Skills link at the end of the Related Information page. That, as well as the Writing Skills and Speaking Skills articles could also be helpful to learners.

World Book Online Info Finder - Giraffe

Here I did find info about the sounds the giraffe makes. "A giraffe seldom uses its voice, although it can utter a variety of soft sounds."

The Info Finder format provides a greater amount of information, maps, pictures and even video on this subject.

The citation information at the bottom of the article is really helpful. We frequently get citation questions from students (and parents) whose teachers require citations in their work.

World Book Online Kids - Giraffe

Giraffes live south of the Sahara desert in Africa. They require areas with trees and bushes from which they eat leaves, twigs and fruit, although they can go without water for many weeks.

They usually sleep standing up.

World Book Discover - American Government

The translation feature would seem very helpful, although the Greek is all Greek to me. :-) For ESL users and new readers, I think the "double click a word to define it" feature would prove very helpful, as would the read-along option.

I selected an article on the New Deal. One option allowed me to view a draft of a radio address. Neat!

The "For more information, see these articles" option at the bottom of the page would help learners expand the scope of their research.

World Book Advanced (grades 9-12+) England

Still waiting for my search to download . . .

OK, that's better. Using the word "England" for my search, the first encyclopedia article was about the country. Most of the subsequent articles referred to New England.

The Primary Sources and E-books options are interesting, and would be helpful to patrons seeking in-depth research of the country's history. I think that the encyclopedia articles would be more helpful to patrons looking for general information about the nation.

The Sounds option is sort of fun. I got to listen to a few lines of Shakespeare, along with an English jig.

World Book Student (grades 5-9) Red Fox

At this level, the information was more detailed, but I only found one article in my search. I had no success investigating animal sounds in this site.

The Back in Time articles are interesting, but none referenced the subject that I searched.

World Book Kids (Grades K-5) Red Fox

The site was really slow to load, but provided helpful, basic information about the red fox. I am looking for specific information about the sounds they make, so will look further. I was interested to learn that the red fox may be found in wooded areas of some cities, in addition to farmland and forests.

Welcome to the Gentle Reader Blog

I invite you to join me on my journey into cyber literacy. I am looking forward to the Electronic Resources Challenge. I'm already feeling empowered by creating this blog!