Well, times have changed, and I was in a school yesterday whose library didn’t even have [...]]]> Remember that logo?  For many of us, research began in the library with a trip to the reference section’s gleaming World Book Encyclopedia.  It’s many volumes glistening with gold leaf and promising all the knowledge we needed at our fingertips.

Well, times have changed, and I was in a school yesterday whose library didn’t even have an encyclopedia!  What’s a kid to do when it comes time to write that report (or make that Power Point slide) about African Elephants?  Google just isn’t reliable, and sometimes even NetTrekker doesn’t provide a student with the right websites for the job.

Fortunately, World Book Online is here for students to use.  Lafayette School and middle school students are able to log in (see your teacher for the password) to see not only the core content of the famous World Book encyclopedia but also videos, timelines, research folders, and monthly updates to all sorts of entries.

One of the neatest features is the “My Research” area.  After signing in, students are able to create a space for them to store bibliographic information, notes, and entire World Book articles.

So no more looking at volumes S-Sn and So-Sz!  Log onto WorldBook.com today and try searching for the quality information you need and can trust.

Second Life is great for adults and teenagers, but for the elementary [...]]]> Secret Builders is new to me–I’ve tried to be a part of virtual worlds like Second Life, but have been hampered by a slightly older computer.  Virtual world sites do require a fast internet connection and a late-model computer, but they are worth investigating.

Second Life is great for adults and teenagers, but for the elementary and ‘tween set, Secret Builder is the way to go.  Students can create an avatar for themselves and interact with each other as well as important historical figures such as William Shakespeare and Galileo.

I’ve been walking around, and there are some interesting games.  The Reading Room in one of the houses (saw Charlotte Bronte on the way in) has a neat typing game, Sudoku, and an interesting slingshot game.  Secret Builders must be based on the west coast since “game time” is three hours behind us.

The computing power required for this doesn’t seem to be outrageously intensive, but I’ve had to close the browser three times already because the application stalled, so I’d think twice about getting students involved with this on a large scale.  This might be neat to introduce to them as a center activity or independent activity when they are done early.

Anyway, I’m not a huge fan–yet, but I think it’s worth having a look.  Let me know what you think!