Lesson 9: Tutorial on Mango

I have hopes for this tutorial.  One is to make it available to all the foreign language and ESL teachers in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District this summer so they can play with it, then use with their students this fall.  I'm actually going to propose an inservice on it for August to the Curriculum department. This might also be something the school librarians would want to attend.

I'm going to ask if the Noel Wien librarians would like a demo, although if the wireless there doesn't work, it would be hopeless to try to do an inservice for them.  I've tried before on Thomas.Net and some other databases while I was getting my MLIS,  and it was a disaster not being able to use my computer and show things from the big screen to the group.

I don't understand about Clarify-it.com's website - will it be there forever so this can be an actual link?  It says it's free, and I've my URL, but ?

http://akilbourn.clarify-it.com/d/zmjhq7

Please let me know what  you think.  Is there a way to improve?  I've tried to shorten the 25 slides, but don't know how else to make it clearer with fewer slides so it stays visual.

I have totally enjoyed this class, although it has been disappointing to not be able to read many of the participants' blogs as nothing has been posted there.  I so appreciate all the frustration "Barbie" did getting to finally try Clarify-it and introducing me to the program.  I love it!  Thank you too all you who created this class!  Hope you'll offer more!

Lesson 8: Alaskana

That's a great bit of knowledge to pass on about the permanent link to your community summary.

I was amazed that Wrangell has a 7% sales tax, and of the five (+ Sitka seasonally) that have a 6% sales tax.  In such small communities, that's a heavy hit to the locals!

What I wondered was in looking at communities that don't have a sales tax, if you don't have "no taxing authority", does that count as not having a sales tax, or only those listed as None?

I loved being able to look up census counts.  I was surprised that in 1920 Anchorage had enough population to be double that of Cordova, as well as still being bigger than Fairbanks, which was also smaller than Sitka by only 25 inhabitants.  That Juneau was the biggest with a working mine there didn't really surprise me, but I was surprised that Ketchikan was next with the most inhabitants.

What I wish was at the end of the communities that there was a total population in Alaska for that census count.

My question about the "old Glory Hole" photo from the Michael Z. Vinokouroff Photograph Collection, ca. 1880's-1970's, is how can one determine if this is still under copyright or it's public domain? Was this photographed for the government?  Was it photographed for personal use?  Was it photographed for the mine owners? How do you find out restrictions on the collection the photograph is from?

With Alaska Digital Archives, I get frustrated when hunting for photographs of specific items, like road houses along the Fairbanks-Valdez Trail.  Part of that stems from whomever catalogs the photos.  Unless the rules for cataloguing have changed, there are only four options to list.  If you're hunting for examples of parkas, you rarely find photos with that keyword.  Students try to find things, using specific items like dog sleds or baidarkas or sod roofs when they're doing a class project.  They come up with nothing.  Yet random browsing will often find photos that contain the specific items, and that's inexplicable to me and to them.

The Alaska & Polar Periodical Index can be a useful tool but it doesn't contain full text, which can be annoying when you want specific information.

The Alaska State Museum Collection Search might be useful;  I think one would need to know more about the collection to use this much.

I love Project Jukebox because it has so many wonderful memories stored there, many by individuals I know or have known before they passed.

Discovery Exercises:
Two categories in SLED are Hot Topics (Current Fire Information <http://forestry.alaska.gov/fire/current.htm> where you can see maps that outline where the active fires are currently.) and Genealogy <http://sled.alaska.edu/genealogy> which gives both Alaskan and General links to other sites.  I found the the Alaska/Yukon Pan for Gold Database fascinating.

Using the Alaska FAQ,
I know that President Reagan met Pope John Paul in Fairbanks because my family and I were there in 1984 on a cool, cloudy morning.

I have taught the Alaska Flag song to so many students that I'm sure I don't need to look up the words that Benny Benson wrote.

At AVO, <http://www.avo.alaska.edu/volcanoes/about.php>, it says "The volcanoes in Alaska make up well over three-quarters of U.S. volcanoes that have erupted in the last two hundred years."  Whether that actually answers the question presented, I'm not sure.  This is one of the all-time best websites I've ever found for great information.

Under Daily Living, Recreation & Sports, official breakup dates and times of the Nenana Ice Classic lists 1942 - April 30.......1:28 p.m.

Under Native & Indigenous Peoples, Alaskan Natives did not become citizens until 1924 by a U.S. Congressional Voting Act; what was offered in 1915 was an enabling act by the Alaska Territorial Legislature that was similar to the Dawes Act - The Dawes Act provided that citizenship could be obtained by Indians who "severed tribal relationship and adopted the habits of civilization."  Essentially, Native Alaskans had to stop acting "uncivilized" if they wanted to get U.S. citizenship and thus be eligible to vote before 1924.

3.  Comparing Eek and Fairbanks,

COMMUNITY	LAND	BOROUGH	NEW HOUSE	NEW SENATE	JUDICIAL DIST	WATER OPERATOR	SEWER OPERATOR	LANDFILL OPERATOR	ELECTRIC UTILITY
Eek	0.9	Bethel Census Area	38	S	4	City/Village	Individuals City/Village	City	AVEC
Fairbanks	31.9	Fairbanks North Star Borough	9; 10	E	4	College Util Golden Heart	College Utilities Golden Heart Util (Private)	Borough Ft. Wainwright	Golden Valley Electric Association

4. Using Alaska's Digital Archives and Fairbanks in the search box, 3313 results showed up.
I liked the Celebrating 4th of July at Fairbanks, Alaska 1904
http://vilda.alaska.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/cdmg11/id/2422/rec/14
because it's really amazing that our town has grown so much in 100+ years!

But I certainly didn't look at all 3313 photos!


5.  Says OPAC not available.  Try later.  ?
5/28/12 - first item to show is from Candy Waugaman's collection of Alaskana, [Front page of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on August 16, 1935 reporting the death of Will Rogers and Wiley Post the evening before in an airplane crash] 
There are 50 items, ranging from a photo Jimmy Bedford took of the Rogers-Post monument in Barrow, and published in (Alaska magazine 1982, V. 48 (NOV. 1982) P. 29)
to a review of Gordon Connelly's One Man's Polar Odyssey to the book by Jim Ruotsala, The Last Flight of Will Rogers and Wiley Post (1992).

I did a search on Nick Begich, the father of current U.S. Senator Mark Begich.  144 items showed up, but just browsing, I don't know that all of them are totally relevant.  His name obviously shows up in the personal subject category, but the work topic/title just seems irrelevant if one is trying to find out about Nick Begich.

6.  Halibut hook II-B-1644 "Carved wooden halibut hook. Raven figure. Hook lashed on with leather thong. There is an 18" strip of leather attached to the top section"

7. Project Jukebox
The Fairbanks Jukebox: The Interior Experience
Many interviewed; I watched the one of Judy Shiffler, done in 1995 about her early memories (1968) of first living in Fairbanks.  She was my older two boys' 4th grade teacher at old UPark school.

Katmai National Park Project Jukebox
I looked at the South NakNek project, which has five interviews.  I listened to Frederick Theodore (Ted) Angasan, Sr.'s interview, done by Pat Partnow and Mary Jane Nielsen.  It is in two parts, as Ted remembered much and wanted to add more information.

I'm not certain why the instructions say "try a search for an Alaska related project."  Did I miss something - they all deal with some aspect of Alaska.

I'm interested in the Ted Stevens Papers Project, which is in its infancy of construction. My husband would like to submit a personal Stevens experience when in Washington, D.C. over the d-2 lands debate:
"In more than 40 years of service to the state, Senator Ted Stevens touched the lives of many Alaskans. Did you have a personal interaction with the Senator? Did he visit your community? Share your Ted Stevens stories and images here"

Lesson 6: Mango Languages

You have to set up an account first.  If you think you did, but can't get in, sometimes it's quicker to just open a new account.  And sometimes, like with Noel Wien, you must start over with a new account, as now all Alaskans can access Mango, not just Noel Wien patrons.  Someone else commented that they couldn't get in without going to the library itself, but I've had no problem accessing Mango while traveling, at home, or at Paxson (however slow!).

intro:
"Mango uses real-life situations and actual conversations…By listening to and repeating after material designed from native conversations, you'll not only learn the individual words and phrases, you'll know how they're used in practical situations and conversations…

Going to Courses, I selected French.

French
There's an introduction about the language.

Basic
Mango Basic teaches simple, practical skills for common, polite conversation situations in only a few short hours.

Complete 2.0
Mango Complete 2.0 teaches in-depth and comprehensive language and grammar skills.

Spoken by:
about 77 million (native), 390 million (non-native) speakers.
Spoken in:
France, Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina, Faso, Niger, Senegal, Mali, Belgium, Guinea, Chad, Haiti, Burundi, Benin, Switzerland, Togo, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Djibouti, Luxembourg, Vanuatu, Seychelles, Monaco.

I thought this was really useful as a reference.  I once had a kid ask me where in the South Pacific was French spoken (he was heading that direction with his parents).  This actually lists the countries, although there is a comma between Burkina and Faso, and that's one country, so maybe it's not totally a  useful reference.  But at least a start!

You must have a current javascript and Adobe Flash player loaded onto your computer before it will operate.

I worked all the way through the French chapter 1.  Generally, I totally was in agreement with what I would say, based on what I already know about French.

Next, I tried German, which I don't know except for a couple of expressions like Guten Tag and Gesundheit.
Interestingly, the conversation and actual topics are different, which impressed me.  No language translates exactly the same, and the meanings in English are often different from what we think we'd say.  For example, in English, you say "I miss you."  In French, "you are missing to me"  - Tu me manques.  I thought it was interesting that there are masculine, neuter, and feminine nouns in German, and there isn't really much way to tell except to learn them with the der (masculine), das (neuter), and die (feminine), which is essentially "the."

I really like that by logging in, Mango retains what I've done already (I don't have to remember).  Also, any time I want to go back and review, I can.  It's very easy to move back and forth in a lesson when I don't remember something.  I also like that I don't have to listen to the audio if I don't want to, but I always can, to get a better grasp of the particular word or phrase.  There is a button that lets a person turn off the narrator completely (lower right of screen).  I also can plug my earbuds into the computer and listen if I want to.

The inclusion of little grammar tidbits helps too.  The Keyboard controls can be turned on and are good for only using the keyboard.  E.g., if you are taking a test or quiz, type the space bar to see the answer.  You can extend clock time during tests and quizzes by using the Shift+arrow up buttons.  Left or right arrows will give you the previous slide or go to the next slide.  And the Return key will replay the current slide from the beginning.

There's also the Feedback button, which would be to share an idea with the creators of Mango, contact Customer Service if you are having problems, or reporting an error you discover in the program info.

Sometimes, you want to say something in a language, but the course info doesn't give that.  There's a translation tool in the main menu for all languages.  Generally I'd use Google translator and check what it says with a few other translator options.  For example, I might check BabelFish, but it says "Je vous manque" instead of "Vous me manquez!" or "Tu me manques!"  It is essential to always check when doing translations.

The Support given by Mango is really quite good - it will actually check that you have the correct versions of Adobe Flash and Javascript, and if you don't, gives good explanation on how to update your computer.  Even Font display issues are addressed.

Under Courses, you can work with the basic language, or you can advance to Complete 2.0.  At least with the French, I think it takes you through approximately the end of a high school 2nd year book.  I'd say at the college level that the French is more like 1.3, although in a couple of items you might reach into 2.1; it is definitely  not a full 2nd year of the language at the collegiate level.  That said, I think I could get along well as a tourist in Italy by working through the complete Italian Course 2.0.  Sure, I wouldn't know everything, but I'd have basic language skills and using my iPhone app iTranslate Voice when needed in country, I could make it, I think, and really enjoy the experience.  In a foreign country, it is always appreciated that an American will try to speak the local language, even when s/he "butchers" the pronunciation or puts the words out of order.

I see Mango as an excellent reinforcer for all foreign language teachers in Alaska as well as for the tourist or someone who is just interested in learning the basics to a particular language.  There is a good selection of languages from which to choose.

7b: Small Engine Repair Reference Center

Yamaha
1997-2002
off season storage - things I never knew to do:
flush cooling system; when refilling, check for deterioration of hoses or cracks, make sure hose clamps are tight
change the oil chaincase oil
clean the machine; get rid of dirt, grease, etc. from front to back (don't get water into engine area)
check frame, skis, etc for cracks and other damage; paint all bare metal surfaces so rust doesn't occur
check all fasteners; tighten or replace as needed
  lubricate all pivot points with low-temperature grease
check all electrical connectors and clean both halves with electrical contact cleaner; check for damage or looseness, repair or replace as needed

We just park the machines on top of wooden pallets, cover them, and they sit all winter.  They always start up the next winter with a few good pulls.

However, I got hit by another snowmachine while I was riding in early April.  My summer/fall project is to fix the damage.  There is a complete set of instructions for replacing the trailing arm that was damaged, with diagram.  I'm sure I will need help from some stronger males to untighten some of the bolts; not sure if we have anything electric that I could use for that.

I also checked Outdoor Power Equipment and looked at snowthrowers, with only pre-1990 showing.

I did find information on an MTD 600 or 650 model, but since I don't know how long we've had the thing, I wouldn't know for certain about this set of instructions.  It doesn't have the full layout of parts that my manual has, so I really can't tell if this is useful or not. I'm in agreement with other class members that without a good deal of mechanical understanding, I'd take the snowblower to get repaired by someone else.

The Marine/Boat Motors has a good Service Fundamentals for older outboards and Design Fundamentals for older outboards.  I found a Mercury 100 HP but could never get it to download.

The problem I see with this whole assignment is the idea that we can generically come up with directions for do-it-yourself "fix-its" or projects.  Everything I look at you have to know the maker and the model #, and they are not the same directions.  I can't see how to even direct someone who can't tell me the model # and make of the item they're interested in investigating to fix.

What I also don't like is that there isn't a product on the digital pipeline like Thomas.Net that lets you find products and services.  For example, I need to write a complaint letter to Nutone over how they redesign so I must spend hundreds of dollars to replace the entire vac hose/beater bar/wand when all I needed was a small metal part to fix the old beater bar that is maybe 15 years old.  Everything works except that part.  I was able to find the exact place to write to using the company name search box.

You can also find CAD drawings of items.  For example, I've used this previously to find a drawing of the wiring of the compressor for my subzero refrigerator and for a drawing of the internal workings of the charbroil grill we have that also has a rotisserie unit.

Often times, what one needs is a parts diagram and some instructions to take apart/put together and trouble shooting issues.

Lesson 7a: Auto Repair Reference Center

The date tab goes back to 1954 but doesn't have such makes as Chrysler (currently 5-7% of today's market), which is what my parents drove from the 1950s to well into the 1990s.

Today's makers that might be found in the US and should be listed for all years even if no info on them!

Acura
Audi (USA)
BMW of North America
Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
Chrysler
Dodge
Eagle
Ferrari
Ford
General Motors Corp.
Global Electric Motorcars, LLC
GMC
Honda
Hummer
Hyundai
Infiniti
Isuzu
Jaguar (USA)
Jeep
Kia Motors America
Lamborghini
Land Rover of North America
Lexus
Lincoln
Lotus
Mazda (USA)
Mercedes-Benz (USA)
Mercury
Mitsubishi Motors USA
Nissan USA
Oldsmobile
Peugeot
Pontiac
Porsche (USA)
Regal (Buick)
Saab
Saturn
Subaru
Suzuki
Toyota (USA)
Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Volvo of North America

Having watched Dukes of Hazards and played with the model cars with my brother, General Lee was a Dodge Charger (1969) used by the Dukes of Hazard brothers, considered a muscle car.  It had two doors, known as a coupe, and had a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.  While approximately seventeen still exist, over 250 were used to film the series (various sources - 256 to 321 total used).  Over time, the car changed styling somewhat to keep up with the Chrysler styles, but kept the same colors.  This caused extreme amounts of fan mail, but was thought to be okay because that meant people were watching both the movie and the tv show.  (Google search - variety of sources)

Next I tried one from the list (The 50 Most Famous Cars Of All Time), the car from Back to the Future (1985) that when traveling 88 mph could time travel.
That was a DeLorean DMC12.
Again, DeLorean is not listed as a make in 1981, 1982, 1985.
I could find with a Google search the following info:
It is considered a sports car, two doors, a coupe, has a V6 engine with a 130 HP and 2849 cc displacement.  It came with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 3-speed automatic transmission.  It was only produced in 1981 and 1982 by the DeLorean Motor Company.
Noel Wien has a book on John DeLorean and several other books on cars that mention this car.


My car, a 2001 Chevy Suburban 1500, shows up with a V8 engine, 5.3. liters (inside the cylinders) displacement, fuel injected and uses gas.  Tech bulletins and recalls include:
Vehicle - General (105)
Accessories (102)
Body (108)
Brakes (23)
Drivetrain (72)
Electrical (1)
Engine (110)
HVAC (30)
Restraints (12)
Steering (15)
Suspension (53)
The problem with this listing is that it doesn't necessarily apply to my car.  Might be any models made:
Subject: Cold Engine Idle Misfire Or DTCs P0171 P0174 - keywords 4.8 5.3 6.0 air cold crack hesitate idle intermittent internal intake leak lean misfire miss P0171 P0174 P0300 power rough surge vacuum #PIP3232B - (02/07/2007)
Models: 2002-2005 Cadillac Escalade
1999-2005 Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe, Trailblazer
1999-2005 GMC Savana, Sierra, Yukon
2003-2005 Hummer H2

Generally, I think if you were looking for something specific, e.g., lifter noise, or air conditioner, or fuel pump, you could hunt for that.  I've received recalls in the past and taken the car in.  At this point, I don't get them.  It's too old of a vehicle.


My husband drives a 2009 GMC Sierra SLE pickup.  It has a V8 engine, 5.3 liters displacement in the cylinders, is has a flex fuel capability which means it takes gasoline or ethanol.
It had all of these listed for technical bulletins and recall notices:
Automatic Trans, Coolers, Torque Converter (28)
Aux Equip, Phone, Jacks, Trailer Hitches, Towing (42)
Brakes, Power Brakes, Traction Control (5)
Chassis Electrical, Wiring, Fuses & Breakers, Wipers, Motors (8)
Chemicals, Antifreeze, Additives (3)
Cooling, Water Pump, Drive Belts, Pulleys (1)
Diesel Engines (2)
Drive Axles, Shafts, U-Joints, CV-Joints (3)
Electronic Devices, Computers, PROMS, Sensors (22)
Emission Controls, Vacuum Hoses (1)
Entertainment: Stereo, Radio, Cassettes (29)
Exhaust System (5)
Finishes, Body Structure, Frame, Bumpers (10)
Fuel Sys, Driveability, Filters (Air & Fuel) (9)
Gasoline Engines (24)
Glass, Doors, Hood, Decklid, Tailgate, Liftgate, Locks (5)
Heating, A/C, Ventilation, Defogger (5)
Identification, Models, Labels, Etc. (4)
Instruments, Dash Cluster, Warning Lights, Mirrors (10)
Labor Times, Manuals, Warranty, Aids (40)
Lighting, Horns, Turn Signals, Steering Column (5)
Manual Trans, Clutches, Linkage, MTX (1)
Seats, Belts, Interior Trim, Carpets, Air Bags (17)
Starting, Charging, Battery (9)
Steering, Suspension (7)
Tools, Equipment (4)
Wheels, Tires, Wheel Bearings, Seals, Hubs (20)

Many of these relate to 2008 models, rather than a 2009 model.  Seems like maybe GMC figured out there were problems and fixed them when making 2009 models.

This is certainly a useful database, assuming you find the car you're looking for!

Lesson 5 Oxford Reference Collection

English Dictionaries and References:
The Oxford Dictionary and thesaurus
I tried to find all the words possible to use other than promote, foster - not a lot of help, at least with words that would work in the context I would use it for.

The Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion

Gives the most commonly used allusions with a modern English explanation.

Interestingly, it was only first published in 2001, and is in its 3rd edition.

I tried hurdy gurdy man, floosie, steeplechaser, Jacobite

First to show up with any results was Luddites, "A group of early 19th-century English textile workers who believed that the introduction of new machinery was threatening their jobs. They responded by breaking up the machines. The name derives from a workman called Ned Ludd, nicknamed King Ludd, who …"

I kind of expected to have a complete explanation, which didn't happen.

I next tried The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology

and looked to find out about the word plebiscite;  It brought up plebeian, from Roman times.

Next I tried the American Dictionary of Current English and put in plebiscite.  Three responses, the first being "the direct vote of all the electors of a nation, etc., on an important public question.  But the other two were explicable and applicable, which made no sense to me why they popped up.

Next I tried quotations, using all of the offerings
Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations
The Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations

If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?  (Albert Einstein)

When a great adventure is offered, you don't refuse it. (Amelia Earhart)

"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." (Winston Churchill)

No results for any of the quotes, all of which I've found easily online.  However, these books of quotations are another means to locating a quote you're hunting for, and sometimes that means really digging.

In the Bi-lingual Dictionaries,

In the Oxford Business French Dicitonary (English-French), I put in computer, which brought up ordinateur, a masculine noun, the correct term.  I wasn't so certain about the pen-based computer, whatever that is, being ardoise électronique and was a feminine noun (?)


In the Oxford Business Spanish Dictionary (English-Spanish), it gives computadora (feminine and used in the Americas) and it gives ordenador (masculine and used in Spain). It also has pen-based computer, fifth- generation computer, and Teletex output of price information by computer.

Logging into the Oxford Visual Dictionary, I tried the following without results:

patents
kites
horses
housing

I did se some interesting things to view using the following words

rodents
backpackers gave me camping equipment which had illustrations of things you'd take camping with you
rainbow gave me precipitations: stormy sky, but it did have an illustration that included a labeled rainbow

In the Oxford World Flags, I looked at Morocco, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Yemen, Uzbekistan, each of which shows the flag and generally, has information about that flag.

In the Oxford World Maps, it says "This title now includes over 775 maps, with locator, physical and political maps for each country, over 120 island maps, state maps for North America, Canada, and Mexico, and more than 100 city maps."  However, I tried the following cities, and I didn't hit a one that was in the database!  (Venice, Saigon, Durbin, Adelaide, Seattle, Dallas, St. Louis, Orlando)

One thing I don't like in all of these, is that the default for the Quick Search boxes is always the whole of Oxford reference, not the specific data base. As a result, all searches would bring up much but irrelevant information because I'd be quick to hit the go button and not change the default button to instead "Search this book."  Annoying!

I would have liked Timelines to use with history classes.  I didn't find, on short perusal, anything I'd say was missing from the five I looked at (ancient world, art and architecture, early America, United States and Australia).  I liked the aspect that clicking on the event took you to another database with detailed information about the event, along with an author's name, and the citation information (this is such a good thing to have for students!).

Under Encyclopedias, there is a link to the A Guide to Countries of the World.  This is useful because the state library no longer is subscribing to Gale's Facts on File Countries and Cultures, and will be discontinuing the Gale Facts on File World News Digest in July which covers the past 70 years of news worldwide. Students who have to do country reports could utilize both of these, and now I know where to send them if need be.

I did a quick search on Eleanor of Aquitaine, something a normal encyclopedia should have an individual description.  The only things that came up were Louis VII (her first husband), Louis VI (her father-in-law), Henry II (her second husband), and Anjou (which Henry ruled after his marriage to Eleanor).  I wasn't impressed!  and when I clicked on Links for this Subject, assuming I was going to get other places I might more likely find information on Eleanor, I got a list of totally unrelated places like Amnesty International Annual Report, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Chatham House, CIA The World Factbook, etc.  To me, this link should not be labeled as it is, rather, it should say something like Full List of Links for Encyclopedia - Other Databases

Discovery Exercises:
1.Go to the H's and find the entries for the term habeas corpus. How many dictionaries have entries for this word?  six
2. What is the purpose for these links? Go to the link for the Guide to Grammar and Writing. What popular song is used to illustrate nouns?
According to the Help explanation:
The Links button is context-sensitive. If you are on a book-level page for The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, or if you are looking at an entry from this book, the links page will take you straight to a list relevant to that book.

If you are on a subject-level page, the Links button will take you to the relevant subject-level links page, showing a list of relevant links for that subject.

To move back from a book-level links page to the subject-level links page, or to the global links page listing all subjects, use the Subject or Global links on the green second-level menu bar.

Oscar Hammerstein II,
lyricist of "My Favorite Things"
from The Sound of Music

Commentary: I don't see how these links connect with the "Book" you are looking at or the subject.  However, there might be things I'd use them for, knowing that they exist, but I'd go to that resource directly as possible.

3. Click on the first link for examples of boats and ships. How many examples are given? Fourteen

4.  …the link for English Language Reference. How many titles are offered in this category? Eighteen

5. …click the link to the Bilingual Dictionaries. Choose one of the dictionary titles. Enter a word in the search box. List the options available to process the information on the results screen.

The Pocket Modern Welsh Dictionary (English-Welsh)
search term:  computer
cyfrifiadur (plural -on ) masculine
(From The Pocket Modern Welsh Dictionary (English-Welsh) in Bilingual Dictionaries)

OPTIONS to process the information?  I'm guessing at this because the request makes no sense to me as worded:

Reorder these results alphabetically (might help with a very long list)
Help
how many results per page do you want to see at one time?
Print Search results
Email Search results
Widen Your search
Search Tps

6. Enter the word "abolish" in the search box. What is the quote from John Locke?
The end of law is, not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.

Browse to the word "abolish." Follow the links for abolish and describe how these results differ from the general word search results.
abolish: abolish or restrain - Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
link takes you to more quotes by John Locke but not necessarily having anything to do with the word abolish per se.  There is a quote on serfdom, on how men can error, on how experience gives knowledge, and sixteen others.
On the sidebar, there are "Read more about " John Locke " in other titles" with a listing of other books you can link to and read more.

7.  ,,,Maps and Illustrations. Do a search for "Syria." What type of maps are available? There is an area map showing Syria in relation to other countries in the Middle East region.  There is a physical map, and there is also a political map.

8.  …Encyclopedias. Do a search on Syria. Explore the links to the World Encyclopedia and A Guide to Countries of the World. Consider the difference between the two resources. The encyclopedia entry is very factual information someone giving the standard country report would use - boring!  The Guide however has much subjective information, like "While Bashar has proved less repressive than his father, he has been no less effective at retaining firm control. The secret police are omnipresent, and human rights workers or dissident bloggers can be imprisoned for ‘weakening the national spirit’. "  Might be true but I'd want to confirm with other sources the comments.  Someone from Syria might totally disagree with this assessment.  It does have some bits of information similar to the encyclopedia.

According to the introduction for A Guide to Countries of the World, what is the purpose of this source?

Each entry gives a brief history and outlines contemporary social, economic, political and religious issues….fully up to date…ideal for students and teachers of geography, politics, economics, world religions, and world history at all levels...

Well, it is the publisher putting out the blurb!

9.  From the Oxford Reference home page click in the Quick Search Box.
Search for the term "recycling." How many entries are in the results screen? one for the verbena,  thirteen just for recycling, and twenty-five total for anything to do with recycling.

Explore a few of the topics from the the Refine by Subject list.  When would this type of refinement be useful?
Sometimes you search because you don't know what exactly you're looking for.  E.g., recycling in the Visual English Dictionary in Maps & Illustrations gives all kinds of words associated with the act of selectively sorting waste at a sorting plant, which is part of the process of recycling.
Sometimes we use the same word for totally different meanings or connotations.  recycling and crustal composition deals with science and the process of the rigid outer layer of the Earth above "the Moho," which separates the underlying mantle from the crust.  (found in the Oxford Companion to the EArth in Pre-History)
Recycling of Deposits (A Dictionary of Finance and Banking in Economics & Business) references a run on a bank, where there is a demand by depositors for their money that's held by the bank.  Wishing to avoid a panic and thus a run on their own banks, the bank that is ailing might ask for help in shoring up its deposits through loans by these other banks.
When you click on this link, recycling of deposits, there are additional entries in the sideboard to look at that might help with more research

10. Using HTML coding, add a search button or some other javascript widget to your blog page:

I added a widget from Goodreads.  Click on Aldean's Bookshelf: Read (top of widget) and you'll see 81 listed.

Lesson 4b Additional Education Databases

Under the Teacher Reference Center:

We were asked to find articles post 2008, but I started with just a simple search, and varied the way I entered the search terms, something many don't do but which will sometimes find new resources.

"Technology Education" +  Alaska - 5 returned from 1994 to 2008

limited results because I could never get the dates to change to just 2009 and beyond

APA citation
LEADER OF THE YEAR. (2008). Technology & Learning, 29(5), 4-12.


Next I tried as simple search but I edited the dates to look at and checked full text before I clicked search:

Alaska AND Technology Education - 9 results from 2008 to 2011 full text

Gordon, D. (2011). REMOTE LEARNING: TECHNOLOGY IN RURAL SCHOOLS. T H E Journal, 38(9), 18-24.
"Particular attention is paid to technology integration at several districts including Kodiak Island Borough School District in Alaska, Eastern Lebanon County School District in Pennsylvania, and Danville Public Schools in Virginia…."

J.R. (2011). On the Edge, in the Center. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(6), 4.
"The article profiles the actions of Grant Kashatok, principal of Ayaprun School in Newtok, Alaska…. It also discusses the role of the Internet and other technologies in teaching students English."

Alaska District Partners with Discovery. (cover story). (2010). Electronic Education Report, 17(18), 1-2.
"The article reports on the partnership between Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in Alaska and Discovery Education to maximize the use of technology for instruction…."

others don't seem to apply but showed:

K12 Grows Revenue and Enrollment in FY 2010. (cover story). (2010). Electronic Education Report, 17(18), 1-4.

Manzo, K. (2009). Former Apple Executive to Lead U.S. Ed-Tech Office. Education Week, 29(11), 15-20.

Partnerships & Acquisitions. (2009). Electronic Education Report, 16(19), 6-7.

Ohler, J. (2009). New-Media Literacies. Education Digest, 75(3), 31-36.


By using advanced search, Technology Education (all text) and Alaska (GE Geographic terms) two showed, the one in Phi Delta Kappan and the one in Electronic Education Report

J.R. (2011). On the Edge, in the Center. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(6), 4.

Alaska District Partners with Discovery. (cover story). (2010). Electronic Education Report, 17(18), 1-2.


Next I tried
"Technology Education" AND Alaska in ERIC
10 results

"Technology Education" AND Alaska; 2009 to 2012 with full text; 1 result

Doblar, D. (2009). Ten Schools and School Districts to Get Excited About. Educational Horizons, 87(2), 116-127.
"…(10) Chugach School District--Alaska. These ten schools and school districts exhibit many of the information-age features one would expect to find based upon changes in society and in other social systems."

Technology Education+Alaska; 2009 to 2012; 120 results
DiPerna, P., & Friedman Foundation for Educational, C. (2011). Alaska K-12 & School Choice Survey: What Do Voters Say about K-12 Education? Polling Paper No. 3. Friedman Foundation For Educational Choice.

Center on Education, P. (2010). Subgroup Achievement and Gap Trends: Alaska. Center On Education Policy. (not sure I'd classify this with Technology)

ACT, I. c. (2011). The Condition of College and Career Readiness, 2011: Alaska. ACT, Inc. (not sure I'd classify this with Technology)

Advanced search - 4 items (2 definitely had info; 1 was possible; 1 not useful)
Technology Education - TX all text
Alaska SU Descriptors
Craig Rushing, S. (2010, January 1). Use of Media Technologies by Native American Teens and Young Adults: Evaluating Their Utility for Designing Culturally-Appropriate Sexual Health Interventions Targeting Native Youth in the Pacific Northwest. ProQuest

Annie E. Casey, F. (2009). KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2009: State Profiles of Child Well-Being. Annie E. Casey Foundation.
(I'm not sure this had much useful info.)

Hall, L. D., & Sanderville, J. (2009). United Sugpiaq Alutiiq (USA) Video Game: Preserving Traditional Knowledge, Culture, and Language. Educational Technology, 49(6-), 20-24




WIth Professional Development:

"Technology Education' AND "Alaska" - no results

"Technology Education" AND Alaska - 98 results with full text and 2009 to 2012

1)Gordon, D. (2011). REMOTE LEARNING: TECHNOLOGY IN RURAL SCHOOLS. T H E Journal, 38(9), 18-24.

2)Guillory, R. M. (2009). American Indian/Alaska Native College Student Retention Strategies. Journal Of Developmental Education, 33(2), 12-38.

3)ASH, K. (2012). ALASKA. Education Week, 31(19), 18.

4)Takano, T. (2009). Connecting with place: implications of integrating cultural values into the school curriculum in Alaska. Environmental Education Research, 15(3), 343-370.

#13
J.R. (2011). On the Edge, in the Center. Phi Delta Kappan, 92(6), 4.

#14
Alaska District Partners with Discovery. (cover story). (2010). Electronic Education Report, 17(18), 1-2.

There are the same articles as from the other searches, but there are also many more that have nothing to do with Technology Education and Alaska.

Limiting which three data bases to search, original search came up with 419; adding full text and 2009 to 2012 left 20 resources to consider.  This way of searching gave me more resources that seemed to fit the topic.

these came up early in the list and appeared related at least:

Chesbro, P., & Boxler, N. (2010). Weaving the Fabric of Professional Development in the 21st Century Using Technology. Journal Of Staff Development, 31(1), 48-53.

Sturgis, C., Patrick, S., & International Association for K-12 Online, L. (2010). When Success Is the Only Option: Designing Competency-Based Pathways for Next Generation Learning. International Association For K-12 Online Learning,

Nelson, S., & Education, N. (2010). Leveraging the Unique Features of Small, Rural Schools for Improvement. Lessons Learned. Volume 1, Issue 5. Education Northwest,

Gordon, D. (2011). REMOTE LEARNING: TECHNOLOGY IN RURAL SCHOOLS. T H E Journal, 38(9), 18-24.


Adams, C. (2009). Digital STORYTELLING. Instructor, 119(3), 35-37.

Coyle, S., Jones, T., & Pickle, S. (2009). e-Learning Programs Come in All Shapes and Sizes: From Alaska to Arkansas, Districts Are Experimenting with Online Learning to Solve Access Problems. Learning & Leading With Technology, 37(2), 12-15.


As with all searching for topic related references, knowing how to utilize a variety of techniques (sometimes specific to certain databases) helps to find what one is looking for.  Additionally, just practice with the various databases helps to know better how to search.

Lesson4a: Live Homework Help

Lesson4a Life Homework Help

I looked at all three, then chose to use
"Can You Pass This Final 8th-Grade Exam from 1895?"

I selected this question to ask the tutor for help on:
Describe the movements of the earth. Give the inclination of the earth

choices I made on pull-down menu:  10th grade; earth science; discuss the topic

I was able to get on right away and pretended to be a 10th grader doing a pre-class reading activity where I didn't understand the question about movements of the earth.

The tutor Megan worked me through it, asking questions and verifying when I gave back correct answers, like the tilt of the earth being 23.5 degrees to its elliptical plane.  But I think the answers to have been approved in 1895, based on my own online research, should have been labeled rotation and revolution, with a description of each.  What the tutor said was "I believe it is just referring to the general concept of the movement" when I'd ask "I don't find any specific names in this article."  I'd said again "I don't find specific names in this article and that's what the question seems to ask," and she responded " For the moment part, this should be relating to how it spins on its axis (which direction) and how it moves around the sun".

As a tenth grader, the answer was probably fine.  As an adult who's been a teacher, I am not so sure that the answer would have received full credit in 1895!


Then I tried the Job Center.
I uploaded a cover letter I submitted to a job I was interested in applying for.  9:02 PM says you're next; not as fast as the science tutor.  9:30 PM connected to Cheryl S.  Then lost connection. 9:39 PM says thanks for patience; 9:42 PM reconnected with Lindsey B.  We stayed connected, and she was able to give some pointers/tips on improving, although nothing like what I've experienced with the University of Washington's online Writers Help, where they'd work through paragraph by paragraph with you.

The cover letter was instructed to be two pages, explaining how I obtained formalized training in each content area where I claimed expertise and how I utilize that training in practice; what measures do I take to stay current, including specific workshops attended and publications I read; why am I uniquely qualified?

Lindsey spent about 5 minutes skimming the two pages, then had these suggestions:

"My first suggestion is to edit out sections about yourself where you say, "I believe." My stating it, that tells me that you believe it. Including the statement I believe actually weakens the point by making it sound like others do not believe it.

There are also a couple of spots where the sentence runs on a little long and could be made easier to understand by splitting it into two. Let me see if I can find one again...
I'm having trouble finding it in this format. But it only happens once or twice. Look for spots where you mention going to a specific school and what you did there. Turn it into two sentences. The first can list the broad description of the job and the second can list the details.

 The only other thing that caught my eye was a sentence beginning with, "As to why I'm qualified..." You finish this sentence with attending college, graduating, getting married, and moving. It makes it sound as if this is was makes you qualified for the job.

These are really the only trouble spots I'm seeing. For the most part, the letter is a very good listing of your qualifications. Those tweaks will help it seem a bit more polished."


Both times I filled out the survey.

I'm ambivalent about these helps because I think it's the luck of the draw whether you get someone who's really good at responding/helping online or not.

Lesson 3 Reader's Advisory - NoveList & NoveList K-8

3/29/2012


I want a book about science?
Newly released, Novelist Plus offers nonfiction as well as fiction titles for all ages.  Noel Wien doesn't currently offer it, nor does sled, nor does Rasmuson.  However, I was able to preview it at ALA in Dallas this past January and hope we will soon have it in Fairbanks.


Since science is rather a broad topic, I'd want a little more information from the patron, although science does bring up an amazing array of titles that while mostly fiction, a few might be considered more non-fiction, especially for the under age 9 group.


What should I read next? Do you have any more books like this one?  I used myself to answer these questions.

1.Candace Robb who writes Owen Archer mysteries is a favorite author, so I used her name to use the Read-Alike features of NoveList.

I set up a folder, and I added Margret Frazer, who also writes of the medieval times and has a series called Joliffe mysteries.  Joliffe is a medieval actor and part of a traveling troupe.

Charles Todd was also suggested, but I'm not into WWI, so I skipped that recommendation.

Sharon Kay Penman, whose series deal with Henry II and Eleanor of England, their children, and the Crusades, is another author who I added to my folder.

Dorothy Dunnett books were suggested, but I've never been able to get into the stories, although they've come highly recommended.  Steven Saylor writes about Roman times, in which I'm not particularly interested.  I've read some Margaret George,  but I'm not wild about her books.

I tried Miriam Grace Monfredo, another favorite author, but I didn't find Pip Granger's book descriptions what I want to read (I was born in 1951 - do I really have to relive those times?).

I gravitate towards series books - I like getting to know and feel comfortable with the main characters, who become real to me.  I don't like violent / graphically detailed books, but I have become so attached to Aloysious Pendergast in the novels of Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston, that I continue to pick up new ones as they come out.

I also added individual authors/titles, which seemed of interest, and I did check my library to see if they were available:
The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag (1992) (not available; would have to be ILL)
Tides of War by S.K. Tillyard (Just received; not catalogued)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (available as an audio book too!)

3. Figuring out which book to read in which order of the series:

Candace Robb's Owen Archer mysteries, one should start with The Apothecary Rose, then The Lady Chapel, The Nun's Tale, The King's Bishop, The Riddle of St. Leonard's, A Gift of Sanctuary, A Spy for the Reed, The Guilt of Innocents, and A Vigil of Spies.


With Margaret Frazer's Joliffe series, start with A Play of Isaac, followed by A Play of Dux Moraud, A Play of Knaves, A Play of Lords, A Play of Treachery, A Play of Piety, A Play of Heresy

Frazer also has a series called Sister Frevisse Medieval Mysteries.

READERS ADVISORY TOOLBOX
4. The addition of genres and the great "learn about genres" links is a wonderful "present" to reluctant readers as well as those who are great readers.  Most of the recommended for teens are so right on the mark, so appealing to most secondary readers, but with a breadth of difficulty.

I am curious why 315 authors are highlighted with nothing checked (basically all adult) for Author Read-alikes, but when teens are checked, only one is listed, Jim Butcher, by our own Alaskan library Georgine Olson, and no results found for ages 9-12.


HOW TO USE NOVELIST
4.  Recommendations are based on the reviewers (librarians generally) point of view and their research about a book, so they are most likely reliable, but not always on target for all.  While seven out ten might agree that a book fit, there will always be the other three who don't think it met the request.  All you can do is suggest.  When the patron comes back and says, what else do you have like that, it was awesome, then you feel great.  For the one who does return, not satisfied, at least s/he came back and asked for different suggestions.  Many who didn't find the recommendations helpful won't come back.  I don't know that you can solve the problem for them, unless you see them periodically in your library setting and ask what s/he is reading currently.  EBSCO says its recommendations are thorough and the process is detail in the Support Center.

I do think that every time someone asks for a recommendation that a librarian who has access to Novelist should show the patron how to use it.  It is a wonderful tool to just browse with and discover all kinds of new reading directions, even if there are other options too online.  Even just knowing its there is a great tool for a patron, who really is looking for just the right book, finally will take the time to dig into all that Novelist has to offer.


*******
IDEAS FOR OTHER WAYS OF KEEPING UP ON BOOKS

http://www.lifeoptimizer.org/2010/07/22/how-to-find-good-books-to-read/
Amazon.com
Look at Best Sellers or Hot New Releases. Or if you want topic-specific books, try the Best Sellers topics.  Look at Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought section, especially after typing in a book you really liked or were interested in.  Look at the personal recommendations sections too.

Project Gutenberg's list - download's free; classics
www.projectgutenberg.com

Bookblogs, like the one Deb Vanasse maintains at
http://49writers.blogspot.com
keeps me aware of Alaskan authors and their books
or
try for your favorite genres from the Book Blogger Directory at
http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/
There are some I don't think are particularly good, but several of the teens that maintain their blogs are good writers and I've enjoyed many of their recommendations.  I compare what they recommend with what the reviews say at Amazon. com and at Barnes and Noble, and then decide to read or not.

some others to try:

AllReaders
http://www.allreaders.com

Book Lists and Bibliographies at Waterboro Public Library
http://librarybooklists.org/

I also just wander in any bookstore I come across.

ARTICLE:  Zmora, Tamar. (2012). 7 Book Recommendation Websites.   The Next Great Generation.

I already had a goodreads account although it is just one more thing to check and I don't use it much.

Most books and authors I tried in WSIRN didn't show anything.  The page would supposedly load, and then the screen would just clear again.  The only one I had any luck with was Longitude by Dava Sobel.

Again, I want the time I have to spend reading, not going online and inputting all this stuff about books I read.  So unless a person has plenty of time on his or her hands, this is a lot of work and takes away from the good reading of a book.  When I go to book group, I get face to face discussions about books to consider, I don't need the internet to connect with my friends.  I am not signing up for Shelfari.

Whichbook.net might appeal to some who have trouble finding books they really like to read.  I don't; I have too few minutes in a day to read way too many books I want to read.  However, the every day world always gets in the way of reading time.

Gnooks.com reminds me of library school and Terry Brooks' 6 degrees of separation assignment. I am curious about the algorithms that create these maps.  For instance, I put in Dava Sobel, and Mary Stewart shows up.  When I clicked on Mary Stewart, she ends up mid-map, alone essentially.

Gnoosic.com is another one I am curious about the algorithms - how do The Stones, Credence Clearwater Revival and Lady Antebellum get me to the Zac Brown Band?  Or Gnovies - how does War Horse get me to 2 Days in Paris or La Vie En Rose?

www.thesttaffrecommends.com has a few books to recommend but nothing that really caught my eye based on the cover.  It might be useful in the future, or maybe not.

Week 2

3/28/2012

Family Trees on the Web by D. K. Kovacs (2003)

The page you requested (http://www.familysearch.org/eng/hom/welcome/frameset_information.asp) has moved or no longer exists. Select one of the following options to find what you are looking for.

This seems to be the new format, which is several short lessons about getting started in family research, rather than "How to Start Your Family History"

http://www.familysearch.org/eng/default.asp?page=home/welcome/site_resources.asp%3FwhichResourcePage=fhlessonseries

While all the 10 web sites are very useful, 

Find a Grave

www.findagrave.com/

is outstanding if you know the person's name and have some idea when died to compare with the tombstone

Vintage Aerial is another great site of aerial photos (currently they've 41 states, and they keep adding daily) of rural America:

vintageaerial.com/

History Is Its Own Rewards Back Home in Indiana by J. Pierce (2003)

Allen County Public Library has amazing resources and amazing librarians/staff to help.  Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I happened to visit there for a couple of hours while heading towards Indianapolis to pick up my mother at the airport.  We were planning to do research in Indianapolis and towns further south (the local county historical societies and county clerks of these towns have great resources too!), as we'd located family mention of living in Nebraska, Indiana and in Columbus, Indiana.

Heritage Online

I was able to discover that Philip Caspar Bowman was living in 1790 (Census data) Pennsylvania, Fayette County, German Township.

Census Tab/Browse Tab

1890 census was consumed by fire in D.C.  There are partials of information in states, but not totally, and not listed as a group of United States Census information.  So a broad search of the U.S. in 1890 will rarely come up with any names.  Alaska is first listed in the 1900 census

Theoretically, by digitizing the information,  records will be preserved Online, but hackers can ruin a website, and I really worry that much of the what is digitized may not also be kept.  One major problem with many census records is that the scanning/copying wasn't a quality job so you have a hard time reading it or can't read it.  But the records don't actually exist anymore.

Another issue I have is the transcribers; they read a G as a T, so the name is found as Tasaway, not Gasaway.  Can't get it corrected, which I think is ridiculous.  Soundex doesn't locate the record spelled correctly.  I just ran into this when looking at my mother's records.  She died in January of this year; the errors include who her husband was (not her brother!), her date of death (obituaries DON"T run before someone dies normally!), etc.  How this can happen is just sloppy work or a program that scans and adds - not good, in any case.

Locally, I've no idea how records are getting preserved except through the Fairbanks Genealogical Society.  They post to their website, and they create hard copy record indices, all through volunteer work. The Family History Center at the Church of Latter Day Saints has back up in SLC.  I keep all my records in one place in a huge old trunk - it's the first thing after all the people are safe that goes out in case of a fire and it's on the second floor in case of a flood.  And I'm hoping to put it up on GenArk as a 100 year old forward that others in the family can add to and look at.

Week1

Business Notes by Daniel

3.21.12

Business Search Interface (Ebsco) is designed to help users research items such as economic or country analyses, investigate market trends or potential, and find current competitive information or landscape analysis information

What I'm not liking about the tutorials is that there's no instruction of "have this link open as you watch".  Just watching isn't enough to familiarize myself with this item.

Clicking on the box labeled Start-Up Information, Browse by State, I tried the Small Business Reference Center State Small Business Start-up Guides.  It very clearly says, "To learn more, click on the state of interest below."  However, you can't click on the blue highlighted "link" - it's a pdf of the page.  Even trying to get the PDF Full Text button to work wasn't an option.  The only way to access Alaska was to click on the menu bar "download pdf".

Also, what shows up is 2008 info (Small Business Start-Up Guide: Alaska.) with comparisons to 2007 and 2000.  Since state information is much more current, I think this is poor information because it is so dated.  There are links to Alaska, which is helpful, but I would think EBSCO would have much more current info, since the 2010 census results came out some time ago.

I tried Business Basics and went to the link of Doing Business on EBay.  Again, dated info, starting with 2008 stuff.  It's 2012.

Interviewing a Candidate - 2008 articles and books.

Is this the best stuff out there, or just no updates by Ebsco?

Going on, at Alaska Local and Regional Information, that's only 2010 info.  At least for the major cities/boroughs, there is more up-to-date info through ACRA or through the borough/city website links.


Discovery Exercises 1

1.Since 2009, Peter Klein has been CFO of Microsoft. From 2006 to 2009, he was the Corporate VP and CFO of Microsoft's business division (MBD).  He joined Microsoft in 2002.  Prior to his working at Microsoft, he worked in the Seattle area, primarily with the communications and technology sectors in corporate finance (senior roles at McCaw Cellular Communicaitons, Orca Bay Capital, several startups including Homegrocer.com)

2. Handicrafts (522 articles, book chapters in Small Business Reference Center search)
American Craft Oct/Nov 2011 article by Meribah Knight; looks at impact that online craft marketplaces like Etsy have had on handicraft industry (brand marketing, developing online presence, kinds of products selling)
Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties, Jan 2011 article by Julie Ritzer Ross about market for Native American-made products at National Parks, but with special emphasis to a few stores and on specifically jewelry, tipi & pottery.
Leisure Market Research Handbook; Jan 2012; only ch 24 is given which looks at the 31 billion dollars spent for crafts and hobby supplies in the US, looks at top craft stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Jo-Ann's.

American Craft; Dec2011/Jan2012, Vol. 71 Issue 6, p15-21, 4p, 2 Color Photographs; article has a calendar of events in the US in 2011 and 2012 where a person might be able to sell his/her stuff.

online selling handicrafts
SCOTT, GREGORY J.

American Craft; Feb/Mar2011, article by Gregory J. Scott.  Interviews Sarah Sweet and Angela Lessman, who own the urban craft store I Like You in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Points:  why they think handicrafts have become such an important part of popular culture; their approach to selecting merchandise to stock in their store. "When asked about the role of a retail store when so many craft items can be purchased online, Sweet comments on the need to see and feel what she's buying and Lessman comments on the social aspects of shopping."

Search: Handicrafts Internet Selling
Etsy brings handmade crafts closer to home.
Marketing Week (01419285); 2/19/2009, Vol. 32 Issue 8, p29-29, 1p
Older but informative article on the website for handmade goods.


Sharon L. Cohen wrote 199 Internet-Based Businesses You Can Start with Less Than One Thousand Dollars: Secrets, Techniques & Strategies Ordinary People Use Every Day to Make Millions; 2009, p223-229, 7p
Chapter 17 "focuses on Internet crafts businesses which include unusual yarns and handmade candles. It discusses the business overview, skills, tips, and sources of information on each business. It also presents the success story of New England Birdhouse and its proprietor Bill Askenburg."

Under the icon Industry Information by Small Business types, there is a listing for crafts, with links to articles and industry information.  Much of the industry information is 2009 reporting, and what I'd consider crafts doesn't include things like ride-on toys, leisure travel, growth in ad ages, or parties or events, but that's what shows in the 58 sources between 2010 and 2012 .

In the articles links, if someone was looking for crafting beer, there were several articles that seemed applicable, if not to Alaska.

By clicking on the Business Area, business and the Internet, there were links to a wide variety of aspects to using the internet to buy, sell, advertise a craft product, and how to market using the Internet.

The Business Basics icon takes one to links that also seem applicable to someone trying to start a craft oriented business, especially the starting a business from home and with less than $1000.

The start-up kit and business plan are excellent, especially the sample business plans, which gives one an idea of what needs to be thought through before even getting started and understanding where one is planning to go with this "business" idea.  So many businesses fail or at least flounder because they don't have good business plans and they don't stay with them in the process of trying to run the business.


3.  The interface to this is very clunky.  It shows a PDF icon, which you normally would click on to open the resource, but it doesn't do anything.  Instead, you have to know to go up to the green main menu bar and click download PDF.

In the Employer's Legal Handbook, the explanations are simple and easy to understand for the various parts of a contract, but then it says there is a CD-ROM to print out the sample forms.  Finding the appendix where they are also shown was hard to get to because first I assumed the forms described would be at the end of a chapter, but since that wasn't the case, I looked for the appendices at the end of the book.  The "pages" to scroll to don't appear UNLESS one is at the top of the scroll bar.  Since I was at the bottom of the scroll bar, appendix didn't show until I'd accidentally figure out how to navigate.  Just another clunky way to navigate, and not the normal numbers, directional arrows.

Marketing without Advertising looked promising for a home craft start-up too.  Most of the others were too far along to be of much use for a start-up business, although certainly worth looking at if one got a business to the point where it was profitable and growing.

4.  I was surprised that Fairbanks doesn't have a Small Business Development Center.

I thought the Tools (right side bar) were great because the forms were generic enough that they'd apply to most situations very easily.  The FAQ section also had excellent questions and answers.

While all the workshops aren't available in all hubs, still, with some advance planning, a person should be able to arrange to attend any of interest.   Profit Mastery at $395 (limited time it's $200) is a 4 day workshop; Quickbooks and Business Bookkeeping were the more expensive at $195 and $110 for a day's session, but most are either free or under $25, quite reasonable!

One of my favorite businesses is Summit Spice and Teas, and thought the story of how Audrey purchased it from the employer was very interesting.

5.  Landlord responsibilities to a tenant:
• ensure that the tenant’s enjoyment of the premises is not disturbed;
• maintain a fit premises (See section titled “Property Maintenance,” pg. 9);

Frauds and Scams:
2 examples are

Advance fee fraud - want money up front to cover taxes or some other cost; if you send the check, you'll supposedly have the money you won

and

Phishing - an email arrives directing you to what looks like a legitimate organization's website, and it says there is concern about your account.  Never answer these because they're trying to get your account info, passwords, or other personal info.

Consumer reports can be filed through the Attorney General's office; there are forms on the site - choose the File Complaint button in the main menu of the Alaska Consumer Protection Unit.



5. female workers in Fairbanks North Star Borough:  18,669 (but adding men and women doesn't quite equal residents employed - so what else is there?)
top employer is the University of Alaska Fairbnks; I would have said the Hospital

6.  Stages of the business cycle:  think (business idea) / launch / grow / reinvent (going to the next level) / exit (selling the business)
checklist for starting a new business - Tools, right side bar in blue (alphabetically)

7.  Two publications done about broadband in AK in 2011
both by Heather Hudson
ID: 1447
Rural Broadband: Opportunities for Alaska
Heather E. Hudson
November 2011
35 pp.
presentation to the AFCEA ( Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association)
Available online (2.3 MB)

D: 1341
Broadband for Rural Development in Southwest Alaska
Heather E. Hudson
March 2011
28 pp.
Presented at WAISC, Bethel, March 24, 2011
Available online (1.4 MB)


Small Scale Modular Nuclear Power - option or not for AK?
ID: 1336
Small Scale Modular Nuclear Power: An Option for Alaska?
Ginny Fay and Tobias Schworer
March 2011
23 pp.
ISER Brown Bag Lunch Talk Presentation
Available online: Presentation (1.3 MB)
Basically, too much uncertainty;  Fairbanks was seen as most suitable to replace highest cost electricity generation; feasible though very expensive to put in place.

Education is an area of interest to many Alaskans, and ISER hosts CAEPR (Center for Alaska Education Policy Research)
Examines these areas:
Analyzing the supply of and demand for teachers in Alaska
Studying Alaska Native student high-school and college success
Assessing models for providing education in rural Alaska
Evaluating outcomes of grant-funded programs intended to improve teaching and learning in Alaska's schools

You look at ISER's mission:
ISER enhances the well-being of Alaskans and others, through non-partisan research that helps people understand social and economic systems and supports informed public and private decision-making.

It all can be of interest and be relevant.

8.  There's need for the information provided; the question is whether those who could benefit from it will learn about it, seek out information that's applicable.  I can see more publicity about what's available through Greg Hill's columns, if he'd write about it.





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Week 1

I am still trying to figure out how to find the class at UAA so I can register.