Qualitative+Data

=Qualitative Data =

Print Resources
The following notes were taken while examining the shelves containing books in my curriculum area:

Sustainability of Ecosystems

 * physical condition - books appear to be like new, possible low circulation?
 * relevance to curriculum - focus primarily on the biomes of the earth; fewer titles related to how organisms interact in ecosystems, nutrient cycles; titles that are available support the learning outcomes; some of the biomes listed in the books sorted under different categories than those in learning outcomes (example, chaparral & mountain)
 * level of difficulty - typical book is approximately 40 pages, hardcover, easy to read with lots of images; appropriate level for course
 * appeal to students - good; high image to text ratio; interesting covers
 * currency - up-to-date information
 * typical book:

Chemical Reactions and Radioactivity

 * physical condition - mix of new books and old books, but all in good condition; study guides look well-used, some bindings are in poor shape
 * relevance to curriculum - most books not well-linked to curriculum standards; one great study guide and some old textbooks with good examples
 * level of difficulty - some too easy, a few too hard; very few perfect for the grade level
 * appeal to students - the books with the best information have a lot of text and few pictures, look out of date; unlikely students would pull them off the shelf
 * currency - some books (especially radioactivity) out of date; chemistry basics still up-to-date
 * typical book:



Motion

 * physical condition - good, like new
 * relevance to curriculum - poor; only nine books in the section, three of which are only loosely linked to the curriculum; nothing useful for teachers or students

Energy Transfer in Natural Systems

 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">physical condition - good, like new
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">relevance to curriculum - excellent; information about earthquakes and volcanoes more in-depth and interesting that textbook; climate and climate change, el nino/la nina well represented; plate tectonics and continental drift books offer alternate points of view
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">level of difficulty - appropriate for course content; easy to read; some information too basic to support the course, but may be helpful for weaker students
 * appeal to students - good; attractive covers, lots of images and diagrams
 * currency - some of the examples (major earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions) dated, but information is accurate; climate change books a little out of date
 * typical book:



<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Non-print Resources
I have viewed most of the videos that support my curriculum through teaching the course at the school over the last two years, so my notes combine my physical examination and personal experiences in how students respond to the materials:
 * equal number of VHS and DVD titles
 * DVDs are in good shape - no major scratches
 * VHS tapes are in poor condition - fuzzy picture quality, teacher guides missing
 * Biome and ecosystem DVDs are current (recently ordered to support the new curriculum) - produced for the right grade level and engaging for students; provide visuals that are lacking in their textbook
 * Chemistry titles mostly support Science 9 curriculum - very few relevant to Science 10; radioactivity videos are dated
 * Very few titles to support motion unit (2)
 * Lots of titles for the earth science portion, but out of date (1970's/1980's ministry produced videos) and on VHS; poor picture quality, poor graphics, low student interest; excellent selection for climate and climate change

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Online Resources
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 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">online databases
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">three random searches (earthquakes, carbon cycle, alpha decay) produced multiple hits with relevant, interesting information
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">articles/resources returned from a search were at a range of reading and grade levels
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">good multimedia presence (videos, games, simulations)
 * link to online databases not prominent on library website; easily missed by new staff/students
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">to access databases from home, students need user name and password - this info not available on library website (for copyright?)


 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">video streaming sites
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">as above, difficult to find link on the website, and user name/password needed
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">once logged in, easy to use and search
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">slow download time on school computers
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">excellent content - clips can be sorted by curriculum organizer
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">good variety of clip length (one minute - full movie)

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