Monday, November 29, 2010

EBSCO... it's useful, not useless!

Recently I've shown some of our secondary school classes how to use databases that the school subscribes to. If you are a Harrow student or parent, you can use these resources from anywhere you have internet access. To get the login details, just visit the library.

You can find a link to the login page on the Harrow website electronic resources page.

What is this EBSCO database anyway?
Well, it is a service that we subscribe to, filled with useful and authoratitive* information. Lots of it is full text (that means you get to read the whole piece) but you may also find abstracts (you only get a blurb describing the content of an article).

The database contains items from magazines, journals and newspapers.
Most of the content is assessed by real people and assigned appropriate subjects so that it will come up when you search for it.

*What is authoritative? This means that you can trust the information inside to come from sources which have been verified and are more likely to provide accurate information. Please make sure you assess any information you find before you use it.
I'll write more about how to do that another day...

While you can use Google to find things, it's only one tool in your choice of many!
Using EBSCO will give you the edge over other students who don't. And you'll need to use other tools like this when you're at University, so it's great practice!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Creativity day

Today is creativity day. We have many students coming in to make chocolate truffles, create collage, write fantastic newspaper poems, do fun things with i-pod touch and make their own stories with Storybird. We're really looking forward to seeing all the great stuff that students can make and do!

Here is a poem I wrote because it is creativity day.
Can you guess what it is about?

Home of aliens, paperclips, a person and an octopus
A flock of cranes
Bulldog clips, Cookie Monster cup
A solitary poppy
Tissues
Books (and more books)
A stick with a pointing finger
A sprinkling of glitter
A computer is under there somewhere

Friday, November 19, 2010

Harrow fair, Loy Krathong... exciting weekend!

Tomorrow is the Harrow fair - there will be all kinds of fun stuff to see and do. You can even eat candy floss (delicious and sugary!) I'm not sure if there are toffee apples (or as some would say candy apples) but I really hope there are! That's my favourite thing to eat at a fair. Or anytime I can get one.

Sunday is Loy Krathong. And for those of you at Harrow, we've had a whole day of Loy Krathong celebrations. It was a fun day and everyone looked amazing.

If you have time over the weekend, why not sit down with your toffee apple or candy floss and read a book or e-book? The perfect thing to unwind after a busy weekend. Just be sure not to get it all sticky :)

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Britannica Online trial


Right now we are trialling Britannica Online. So if you are doing some research and want to check it out, just ask us for the password. For those of you who haven't seen it before, Britannica is a well known and trusted encyclopaedia. A great authoratitative source for your school projects!

The Red Pyramid

I've been reading (again!) and have discovered another fantastic book for adventure lovers in the secondary/prep section.

The name of the book? The Red Pyramid.

This book is great for those of you who like Egyptian things/history/fantasy and Rick Riordan. Written by the author who bought you the Percy Jackson series, this is an exciting, action packed story. I had a lot of trouble putting it down, and finished it in only two days!

The story focuses on a brother and sister who have spent most of their lives living apart. They are reunited after their father (a world reknown Egyptologist) takes them to the British museum where he asks to see the Rosetta Stone. Things only get weirder, with the children's father unleashing several ancient Egyptian gods (some of whom have their mind set on world domination). After their father is imprisioned, it is up to the children to deal with the gods and save the world...

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Mysterious Benedict Society

I don't usually write blog posts about books that I'm reading, but I've just stumbled across a really good one in the Prep and Secondary library collection.

Have you heard of a book called The Mysterious Benedict Society? I started reading it the other day and I have been finding it really hard to stop reading and do other things I know I should be doing. It's an exciting adventure story with some fantasy elements - worth a read if you like spies and unexpected events.

The book follows the adventures of four children who are drawn together after answering a mysterious newspaper advertisment looking for brilliant and gifted children. All of the children have different talents which are essential for the dangerous mission they are asked to complete.

If you like CHERUB and H.I.V.E books then why not give it a try? If you like Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket and Spiderwick there are lots of similar elements (but I won't tell you what they are - it will spoil the story!) If you're looking for adventure give this book a try!