Research Tool: The Ultimate Research Assistant
I learned about this tool during the summer. This research tool, appropriately named “The Ultimate Research Assistant” does more than list websites on a specific topic. This tool “reads” the information from each website and extracts the main points or themes from each link, and creates a report summarizing the information from each website. Once the report is generated, a student could export the report and begin to write his/her research paper using the results from this report. A word of caution: the report summarizes the information from the website. I would recommend the student visit each website and read the entire content for him/herself.
Advanced searching allows the user to refine his/her search to only internet sites, educational sites, governmental sites, and other subject specific sites.
This tool is free and easy to use and understand.
For additional information on how this tool works, click on this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6cAx73ISmU
Explore The Ultimate Research Assistant. It can be a useful tool for research.
Have You Heard About Sweetsearch?
When I ask my students the above question, I get strange looks and responses like who? what? I then explain to them that Sweetsearch is a search engine for students that provides credible, authoritative results on any topic. Howevever, community college students could use this source as well.
Sweetsearch.com searches only 35,000 web sites that have been evaluated by the Sweetsearch staff. Thus, students can be assured of receiving reliable, authoritative, credible sources for their topics.
Sweetsearch4Me is especially designed for elementary students. “Only the best sites directed at elementary school students are included, and many of the results on the first page were created exclusively for kids.”
SweetSearch2Day is another feature of Sweetsearch. “It offers a daily curated assortment of the best content on the Web for history, language arts, science, news, culture and other topics. It was developed in consultation with leading educators to help integrate timely topics into daily lessons, and lead students to research and explore the best content online.
Sweetsearch Biographies profiles more than 1000 people and provides students with credible information on well-known people.
Web Guides “provide a road map to exploring hundreds of topics online, with links to the best resources, ordered logically, and woven with narrative, insights, and research strategies. Web Guide categories include dozens of academic subjects, as well as health, technology, careers, and other topics.”
Sweetsearch offers a variety of tools for students and teachers. Take the time to explore Sweertsearch for yourself.
Donations to the Ferguson Library
While I’m playing Dragon Age: Inquisition working on my final paper for LBSC 702, check out this article by Ashley C. Ford about the monetary support Ferguson Library has been receiving in response to Darren Wilson not being indicted for shooting Michael Brown.
And if you have more time watch this short film by Ralston Smith about DC’s response to the decision.
Resources for Thanksgiving
Listed below are a few electronic sources on Thanksgiving:
Sweetsearch Webguides: http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Entertainment/Holidays/Thanksgiving.html
Thanksgiving History: Plimouth Plantation: http://www.plimoth.org/learn/MRL/read/thanksgiving-history
History of Thanksgiving from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving
First Thanksgiving from National Geographic: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/content/kids/en_US/explore/history/first-thanksgiving/
Primary Source Sets from Library of Congress: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/thanksgiving/
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