c.o.d. library esl/abe/ged faculty newsletter march 2012
better news about next year resource of the month
www.news.google.com
Online news sources are a dime a dozen and news aggregators (the sites that collect news from many sources) are available for every possible demographic. Customizing the news to fit your needs is just one of the many perks of a highly interactive Web. Google News, a highly customizable news aggregator, can be a useful learning tool. Not only do students have an opportunity to practice reading skills, but they also learn about current events, civics and politics on both local and international scales. In addition to providing the ability to select specific news sources (New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, etc.), users can also select the news topics they would like to see. Want to see more Election updates? Slide the frequency tool to “Always”. Not interested in Sports? Push the slider to “Rarely” or dump it in the trash to banish it forever. Google News isn’t limited to U.S. news sources, or even English language news. Users can select
library update As you may have heard, Library accessibility during the 2012-2013 year will be much improved over the original plan announced just last month. Instead of packing up and storing our collection during the upcoming construction, we will be able to move materials into space in the OCC. Our General Collection will be housed in closed stacks, but materials can be paged to the Library in SRC or you can request items and pick them at the OCC. Next year will be a challenging one for students, faculty and staff, but we’re happy that everyone will have access to the books, videos, software and other materials that make up 80% of our collection. Keep in mind, however, that if you regularly bring your classes to the Library for a tour, orientation, research project or other activity, many of our resources will very limited. Here are some things to consider when planning your classes for next year: ● The Library will only have 2 computer classrooms available for instruction sessions ● All of the Library’s resources will be on a single floor of the building. ● Most materials (books, CDs, videos) will not be on shelves for browsing. ● There will be fewer computer stations available in the Library. This summer, I will be revising my handouts and other instructional materials to reflect these changes as we focus more on the Library’s online resources for ESL, ABE and GED students. If you have relied on scavenger hunts, book-finding assignments or other activities which would be affected by the renovation, I would be more than happy to work with you to create information literacy, research or general library skills activities/assignments to meet your
from dozens of countries and languages for the news updates. Spanish language Google Noticias, for example, brings a reader stories from El País, Europa Press and Univisíon among others.
students needs and the learning outcomes of your classes.
new in the library This month we’re putting the spotlight on a relatively new addition to our series of readers for new literates: Junkyard Dan from Nox Press. This set of 14 books follows the story of Dan Corbett, a once-powerful and respected stockbroker whose life takes a sudden and dramatic turn. Each short book (most titles are 88 pages long with large print) has Dan solving a new mystery or uncovering a new crime that has landed on his junkyard’s doorstep.
Reluctant readers will enjoy the larger-than-life characters, crime-story plots and easy-to-read language. Junkyard Dan books, and other readers from Nox Press, are available in the new Graded Reader call number area: PE999.
Found a resource you’d love to have in the Library? Request it for the collection!
Schedule a Library tour, orientation, activity or librarian visit for your class-- just contact Jenn
Visit the ESL and ABE/ GED Research Guides for student and faculty resources
Jennifer Kelley, ESL/ABE/GED Librarian * kelleyj@cod.edu * SRC 3043A * 630.942.2383