Week #8, Thing #19.1 Alaska's Digital Pipeline

I've used this resources for several years now, but never knew I could have my own personal account where I could save search results. In the past I had notice the email option, but did know that I could actually email articles to myself for future use (how powerfully wonderful). Lastly, I never knew how to use the folders for temporary collection of searches -- so I wouldn't have to remember how to get back to an articles while I found others. The tutorial provided on Digital Pipeline is wonderful -- particularly the part that includes the narrowing of a search terms in the advance search option. Students who will take the time to learn how to use this database will see the benefits it could provide for them. I find many students who do not want to learn how to use databases because it is easier to "just search the web". For the coming school year I hope I will be able to present this tutorial to my staff -- to make them more attuned to the concept of doing good research -- I've heard teachers say to students, "oh, just Google it"! Also, I will propose to staff that this tutorial be presented to all freshman and sophomores at our school. I include the sophomores because I think it will take more than once for them to truly understand how databases work and are organized. After all, the sophomore's program can be a refresher program and the freshman's program the introductory program. Convincing students to use databases for research will be a big challenge during the coming school year. (Hiker taken from the Alaska Digital Pipeline Tutorial Page).