Lesson 3 - Learning Library

As I followed the instructions on this exercise, I learned there are a lot of sub-categories in each of the testing options.  For example, I chose the Skill Building for Adults tab, to find a test that I thought might not embarrass me when I clicked on "score this test".  That led to a page with many options to choose a subject matter, such as:

Math and Reasoning Skills Improvement

Personal Finance Skills Improvement

Public Speaking Skills Improvement

Reading Skills Improvement

Science Skills Improvement

Statistics Skills Improvement

Trigonometry Skills Improvement

Writing and Grammar Skills Improvement 

 

Each of these subjects break down into further detailed options, as far as learning tools and testing.  My choice, the Writing and Grammar Skills Improvement, provided these sub-categories, each of which breaks down even further with the individual tests & lessons!

 

Practice Essays
Grammar Practice
Grammar Skills for Writing Courses
Writing Practice
Fundamentals of Writing Courses          

From this menu, I selected Grammar Practice, because a little practice never hurts anyone. From here, I discovered another list of choices. This is where I chose the test: Grammar Practice 1, out of the eight (8) tests offered.  This resource really offers a lot of bang for your buck, that's for sure!  So, having chosen a test to take, I'm going to hop over there and will get back to you as soon as I've aced a few queries... brb.

So much for acing everything!  Out of the eight (8) questions I answered, two (2) (glaringly obvious) mistakes were discovered after the scoring took place. I really like how the site provides not only the correct answer, but it also gives the reason for the "grammar rule".  The diagnostic tools on this resource are really going to be helpful for the student trying to not only learn the answers, but who also want to understand the why any given answer is either correct or wrong.  Now that I've taken the practice test, it would not hurt for me to go back in and do some dusting off of the gray cells.  This Resource is a gold mine of information and help!  I plan on telling all of my student patrons who visit our library about it, both young and adult.  From what I've observed during this exercise, a visit to this site, for any student interested in really growing and improving their test scores, can only be beneficial.  The site is easy to navigate and there are many helpful links for the student who wishes to delve deeper into the learning realm.

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The next exercise had me visit the Career Resources.  I chose the Career Course: Succeeding on the Job.  The first page, once I made my selection, gives a brief description of the course, as well as listing the lesson topics.  A small, but important detail to mention is the handy little button that offers more "Instructions" for how to use the platform, if the student struggles anywhere during the lessons.

This course offers good suggestions on how to be better at one's job, in order to work more efficiently with time management, as well as offering many helpful hints on how to excel in human relations in the workplace. Some of those hints would go a very long way in one's personal relationships, also, if one were of a mind to improve self both career-wise and personally.  There is a menu on the left side of the screen, which helps the student to track the next lesson topic.  Once a page has been completed, a little check mark appears next to the topic in the menu.  That's a nice touch, as it helps me to remember where I've read , should I get distracted or lose my place.

Another great point I like about this is the course "saves" your work, automatically, once you being a course.  In this course I chose, I found some of the material did not really apply to my position at this library, but I read it for the sake of the exercise.  The course offers little tools that help to discover how one might be mismanaging their time, as well as how to amend that in a way to benefit the individual and their employer/colleagues.  Next to the "instructions" button at the top of the page, is also a link to the "my center" and to a "notebook" where the student can take notes and save them for future reference.  I really like how the course does the saving, when it comes to the tools used, like the time management tool, so I am able to return to it at a later time.  Anything saved can be edited, another plus, if one needs to do so, in the future.  All in all, this is a nice resource that may be very helpful to anyone wishing to enhance their skills and possibly prepare themselves for advancement.

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The final exercise  was to type a search for a skills improvement or a career topic.  From this, I must select an eBook and peruse its pages. My search, for "Business Communications" led me to an eBook on "Business Writing Clear and Simple".  This book is one I'd really like to read, as I feel it is vital to the business I am in to have healthy and proper writing skills, in order to effectively communicate with patrons, write grants, and more.

The book has been broken down into sections, all listed clearly in the Table of Contents.  The first section, Basic Training, offers several suggestions to aid the student in a number of ways.  This eBook looks like it would be a wonderful tool to have access to at any time, if something is needed.  The first section covers things like organizing thoughts, the necessity of avoiding certain words, keeping the transcript positive, simple, clear and concise and more.

Section 2 approaches the Composition basics.  These basics cover everything from using the proper formats, the parts of a letter & how to use them, electronic communications, resumes, cover letters and even covers the paper and envelope discussion. This section is really nice, because it provides examples of the correct format for the topics covered.  As the type of learner who tends to "get it" faster when an example is available, I truly appreciate this aspect of the course!

Section 3 gives a large variety of sample letters, with explanations for when each might be used.  There are also suggestions as to when it's appropriate to send which type of letter.  This eBook would be a very valuable tool for those folks who don't have time to go hunting through volumes of grammar books for an answer to any questions related to Business Communications/Writing Skills and Grammar.  This eBook seems to have covered a multitude of very important facts that writers need to know and blunders that writers tend to practice.

The final section, Section 4 approaches Grammar, which is a very vital aspect of effective communicating.  We all know and have experienced that one individual on Facebook and elsewhere in life, whom tends to correct our typos and bad grammar.  Having access to this Section alone could bring the Grammar Police to their knees, or at the very least, get them off of our backs!  This section covers the parts of speech, punctuation (Do I have too, too many commas in this sentence, yet?), capitalization, spelling and more.  All are very useful tools for the writer who wishes to excel in their craft or field of work.

This exercise has been a very profitable one for this librarian.  This weekend, my plan is to purchase a ream of paper, so I can print this eBook.  Yes, this decision is not a very green choice, but this book is going to be very helpful for a very long, long time.  Thank you, to the Learning Express Library for this very valuable tool!

                

How well do you communicate at school or in the workplace? Are you looking to improve your writing skills when creating reports, memos, letters, or e-mails? This updated edition of Grammar Essentials is designed for students and adults who need to improve their writing ability quickly to move ahead. This book focuses on mastering the basics, including parts of speech, punctuation, abbreviations, numbers, word division, capitalization, and spelling. It also reviews the basics before guiding you through the 25 most common grammar mistakes and how to avoid them. Whether you have an occasion question or need to sharpen your basic skills, Grammar Essentials can dramatically improve your communication skills.
Bonus feature: includes a Grammar IQ review test at the end of the book to help you measure your improvement.

close Number of Pages: 224     PDF File Size: 643 Kilobytes

          

This 40-question practice exercise was developed to teach you the skills you need to improve your grammar. This practice exercise will give you:

• Questions that will test your understanding of capitalization, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, word usage, and other important rules of grammar
• An instant score report with a personalized analysis of your strengths and weaknesses
• Detailed answer explanations

close Number of Questions: 40     Approximate Test Duration: 30 Minutes

                                  

 

 

 

 

 

Lesson 2 -Chilton Library and Mango Languages

This certainly challenged me, when it comes to the search of criteria stipulated in the challenge.  The first exercise instructed me to search for my vehicle & the maintenance schedule.  Perhaps it's just me, but I could not locate the 30,000 mile maintenance schedule for my particular car.  There is, however, a 3,000 mile schedule mentioned, as well as a recommendation to replace engine coolant every 45,000 miles or 36 months.  For the sake of the exercise, I shall list the recommendations for the 3,000 miles recommended maintenance details.

Service/Inspect Exhaust system
Service/Inspect Rotate tires
Service/Inspect Suspension ball joints

I was glad to find these recommendations, so I might be sure everything is up to date on my vehicle.  It surprised me to find only the three above suggestions and then one for the 45,000.

That having been said, after my initial confusion and surprise, I recalled the last exercises we did and went back to the Chilton's site and looked for avenues which might bear more fruit than my prior search.  Sure enough, there in the upper corner of the page was a link to the "full chart list".  Obviously, my ranger skills are slipping, but that's a different blog entry.  Upon locating the more extensive list, I found the correct mileage and details requested in the exercise.  Success!  Here was a far more detailed list, which included the 3 above suggestions, with a total of 9 offered for the 30K mileage.  I did not even realize my car has upper knuckle ball studs, whatever those are!

Once I've figured out I need to pay better attention to "Links" and other elements on the site, it was much easier to navigate.  Apparently, the PIC (person in chair) factor plays a major role in efficiently being able to assist others with the site, as well as one's self.



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The second exercise requested information regarding the most recent Technical Service Bulletin or Recall notice and when it was issued.  There are several listed, over the years my vehicle has been driven.  The most recent listing is a Technical Service Bulletin, which mentions something about "Blending Clearcoat During the Refinish process" from January 31, 2013.  This database, once I got all of my "dots" connected really is fantastic!  It was sweet to learn that there are videos and pop-up windows that provide more information and instructions on various recommended maintenance and Service Bulletins.  It was especially pleasing to see the correct repair details, so if/when I took my own car in for service, I could look this up and avoid being "scammed" by unscrupulous mechanics.  As a single woman, sometimes I do find some mechanics are occasionally prone to overcharging or repairing things that really are not in need of fixing.  With this site available, I will be able to educate myself prior to visiting a mechanic, and deciding whether I can do the repairs or should have it done via mechanic.  There are some really helpful videos, giving very detailed instructions on how to do repairs, as well as mentioning any specialized tools necessary to complete any repair. It's been a few years since I've attempted fixing any vehicles of my own, but that's because I was leary of the more computerized vehicles of today.  With the Chilton's site to help, my fears may just have been quashed a little more.

The most recent recall, which I noticed was back in 2013, does little to interest me, as it's based on cosmetic service.  However, I did see a recall notice that dates back in 2009, which is related to the seated heat sensors.  My car's heated seats only work when they decide to work, so I'll be contacting my Jeep dealer shortly regarding this hazardous issue!  Thank goodness for this database, as well as the exercise.  I had no idea I was sitting on a match just waiting to be lit at it's discretion! :)

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The final exercise was given to research the Brakes system of my vehicle under the Repairs banner. There is more information than my mind can process, just on the Brakes system alone on this site!  The links provided led me to calipers and wheel speed sensors, as well as several windows that provide Diagnostics and testing, related to most specific repairs.  I've investigated the component diagrams, which show the reader what the various parts look like & where they would be found within the vehicle. At this point, if I chose to follow the instructions given here, to change my own brake, I feel I could do it.  If I were still a young thing, able to crawl into the engine compartment of any car, I might go for it.  At least with these tools available, I can pay attention to the mechanic and understand better what he might be trying to communicate as far as repairs. :)  Should I choose to service my own vehicle, someday, it's a comfort to know there are wonderful, well prepared videos that will aid my attempts to bleed the brakes or attempt any number of brake repairs.  The site includes detailed diagrams, concise videos and written instructions to help the Do-It-Yourself individual attempt their own repairs.  The Chilton's Manual website is a treasure trove of useful and very educational information that will be a tremendous tool for anyone in the mechanical field or the layman wanting to stretch his/her dollars in today's economy by doing their own repairs.

All in all, the Chilton's site is a blessing, an incredible, in depth database sure to be a tremendous asset to the SDSL Electronics Resource.  I am so thrilled to have access to this, just to bring peace of mind, when it comes to my personal vehicular repairs.  Now, I'm really looking forward to sharing more about this site with my patrons.  With the help of this exercise, too, I've learned more about how to navigate the site and how frequently it will boot me off, so I have to "re-enter".  A small price to pay, for excellent information. :)

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Mango!  What a terrific tool when it comes to learning languages!  I read the FAQs page and learned there are even lessons on ESL  (English Sign Language) available for many different languages.  The language I chose to learn, however is Malay, because I have friends who live there.  How nice it might be for them to have me try to communicate in their natural tongue, instead of them always having to understand mine.  The Mango Languages program really is fairly easy to navigate and use.  Upon entering the site and choosing a language, I was taken to a page that offers information about the country/region from which the language originates.  On a margin, there are links to information regarding how many people speak the language, where it is spoken and the statistics with that information.  The links did not open for my computer, but I'd like to hope they lead to more in depth data related to the language.  I did contact someone at the SDSL regarding my difficulties and am waiting on a response, as she is looking into the matter.

The course itself is/was available and I've really enjoyed taking it on as a personal challenge.  I like how the language is taught in this course.  The various situations which may apply to an individual and the language one might need in any of those situations are listed, as in "greetings/salutations", for example.  The individual lessons are split into two different, but related goals - the Conversational Goals and the Grammar Goals.  What I appreciate about this, is being able to not only learn how to correctly pronounce the words but to use them with proper grammar.

The lessons are easy to follow, the translations provided are clear and I am excited about this way to learn.  At this point, I've yet to discover any dislikes I might have for this learning tool.  Whether I find any exist or not, is up to the future and how easily my noggin retains any learned information.  For now, let's just leave it at khabir baik... I am good. :)

Lesson 1b - World Book Public Library Edition

The first challenge, using World Book Online Kids, was to find information on an mammal of my choosing, a picture of this mammal and information about its' habitat.  The mammal I chose was the llama, because I used to own llamas.  My thinking was it may prove beneficial to have a little knowledge to start with, to determine the breadth of information provided by World Book Online Kids, in comparison to the other WBO related databases.

The World Book Online Kids gives a photograph of a beautiful llama, and a good amount of basic information related to the llama.  Two short paragraphs, describing the llama physically, where it originates and some details regarding how they are used by the people whom own one of these great working animals.  All in all, a nice and concise introduction to the llama.  Just right for the age group audience it's aimed toward.  I am loathe to mention it, but the video shared is inaccurate, in that's footage of the Guanaco, not llamas, although the page states the animals are brown and white llamas.  In the photo below is a brown and white llama, but not then it is not same creature as the guanaco that is shown in the same video listed on both of the Kids' pages. Call me strange, but I believe the video needs to be either removed or the information corrected, in order for the resource to maintain integrity.

This is a llama ~



When I repeated the search, via the World Book Online Info Finder, there was more information related to the llama.  This time, the first page grants a peek at the llama, as well as many subjects related to them. It was good to see there is more variety of information for the researcher, two pages worth, in fact!  I clicked on the "Llama" link and was taken to a page that shows, again, a photograph and a video (same video as mentioned above) are offered for the reader to gain a better visual of the animal.  The information given about the llama, while still somewhat limited, is more than one finds on the previous search with World Book Online Kids.  The information basically expands on the details given during the previous search.  When this information is compiled with the info gained via visiting the related links, one might be able to come up with a better understanding of the llama.  Good information for an older audience, as long as the reader is interested in pursuing the many options available on these pages.. One good point to mention is the list of sources cited for the information given here.  The older kids will most likely appreciate access to the resources cited and may even learn how to add citations to their own reports, given this example.  That's always a good habit for them to get into.

This (as seen in the aforementioned video) is a Guacano ~

Finally, the third exercise instructed me to visit the World Book Online Reference Center and search for a country.  My choice was Peru, a native home to the llama.  The information that appeared on the first screen was really a huge surprise, as I wrongly assumed there would be just a "little bit more" than the previous two searches had provided!  In the left column, the search results are listed, including maps, Presidential papers, sounds and so much more!  This page offers much more than the first two, which makes it an excellent resource for the students seeking a wider range of data for their research.  I was also delighted to see there are e-books listed, primary sources and a plethora of data links on this first page.

Once I chose the link for my country of choice, Peru, I was taken to a page that has an amazing amount of detail information about this country, more than I anticipated! Along with details on the economy, geography, government, climate, history and so on, I learned things about Peru that I'd not yet learned.  I LOVE this  WBO Reference Center!  From now on, when I need to research a country, this shall be my "go-to" resource.  It contains shortcuts that will allow me (or the reader) to print subsections of my choosing on a topic.  The sources are sited, as well, at the bottom of the page, which aids the reader.  There were a couple of the links, in the left column, which did not work, but that may be a temporary glitch in the internet or on the site itself.  All in all, however, this is a great resource that can be extremely beneficial to those individuals requiring good, accurate information on any given subject.

The final question of this exercise proves the most difficult to respond to for me. What types of information will be most valuable to my patrons?  These databases/resources are so terrific, especially in that they are geared toward age appropriate audiences.  I feel there is a lot of good information, but am challenged to pinpoint how it might meet any one patron's needs.  The important thing to remember, when our patrons do seek our counsel, it's "out there" and we have the ability to lead them to this vast gold mine of knowledge.  That, my friends, is a very good thing. :)

And so the journey begins...

Welcome to The Tatted Librarian!  This blog has been developed to be a tool to use during the South Dakota Library Challenge: Electronic Resources Edition.  It is my intent, as the Tatted Librarian, to learn as much as possible about the Electronic Resources available to patrons of the SD State Library.  Hopefully, the reader will enjoy reading the perspectives of this small town girl, with big city history.  School is about to begin, so with no further adieu, sit back, relax and hang on.  This little school bus hasn't been driven in a while.  This might get muddy. ;)