Matapihi
Just a quick note about another visual/oral history website. Matapihi is rather similar to the New York Public Library archives and Timeframes.
Matapihi is your window onto the places, events and people of Aotearoa New Zealand. You can search around 50,000 pictures, sounds and objects...
Search through thousands of images on many topics, look through the Matapihi showcases or take a lucky dip!
Visit Site
National Library of New Zealand
The National Library of New Zealand is one of the most helpful places to go to when you are researching a topic for school. The National Library provides a variety of services to help students and teachers with school work and research.
Perform a search using the
catalogue and you will be provided with a list of the different resources that the library has available on your topic.
One of my personal favourite resources is
Timeframes. This enables you to search through thousands of images which can be used for free in academic stuations, and the best part is you don't actually have to go to the libary to get them. You can simply download them straight from the website, alternatively you can order high quality reproductions.
If you are having difficulty finding the information or items you are after you can ask a librarian personally. The National Libary provides links to
AnyQuestions and
AskNow!, both of which allow for real time internet chats with librarians to help you.
Whatever you are looking for, the National Library of New Zealand is a great place to start. And don't be put off if you don't live near the National Library, they can get any books you need to you via your local public library. Or sweet talk your teacher and they might get them for you!
Visit Site
Unlock Google's Full Potential
The other day I had to help my brother do some research for his homework. It was during this that he told me that he didn't really know how to use Google to find what he needs on the internet. So I thought that I would compile a bunch of tips and hints to help you when you are using the internet to search for things.
First you need to decide whether you are looking for specific hard to find information, or just information on a certain topic. If, for example, you were asked to research the small nation of Liechtenstein rather than type Liechtenstein into Google's search engine, you could just use Answers.com and everything you need would be displayed before you. Using Answers.com is very similar to using an encyclopedia such as Encarta.
If Answers.com does not uncover the information you are looking for then you need to use a search engine. For a list of the best search engines, click
here. Searh Engine Watch has a helpful
article on which search engine is best for each task.
If you decide that a search engine is the best tool for the job, you sometimes can't just type something in and see how you go. Occasionally you must pry the information you are looking for out of the internet. Sometimes 'asking' Google a question works, other times you must search one item or key word in order to uncover what you are actually looking for. This is not always the case, a simple search for Christmas cake
recipes will reveal just that. There are a range of helpful sites out there that provide information on how best to use Google, to find what you are looking for, and unlocking secrets. But first off, try Google's own
help page.
The Virtual Chase teaches legal students how to do research and as such has a helpful Google
hints page.
For additional reading I suggest discovering Google's Top 20 Secrets in this PCMag
article.
But by far the best and easiest to use Google tips come from Googleguide.com and can be found
here. All the Google shortcuts, tips and search tools are listed in a handy table with examples and links.
My last word of advice is to actually take my advice. I know of someone that when asked to research something will type in what he wants into the address bar of his browser, say
www.davidbeckham.com, and if a relevant website is not displayed he then moves onto a different topic and keeps changing his topic until he gets a website. Doing this only works about 10% of the time, and if it does work it is usually only an irrelevant link advertisement site. So, please, use Google and if not Google at least another search engine.
Best viewed with...
...Firefox! Recently I had a look at the Pool of Knowledge on two different computers using Internet Explorer and what was displayed was not very pleasant looking. For some reason this blog does not display properly in Internet Explorer, which is why the Pool of Knowledge heartily endorses Firefox.
Firefox is a great customisable web browser that is more secure and less vunerable than Internet Explorer. Also, when it comes to doing work on the internet, tabbed browsing makes flicking from page to page a breaze!
That is until Internet Explorer 7 comes out, and then I might be singing a whole different tune. But we shall have to wait and see. Until then, if there is someone out there who can help me make the Pool of Knowledge 100% viewable in IE that would be great.
It's Election time...
For most students in New Zealand this is of no concern, but for the highschool students that are over 18 and for tertiary students it should be a big deal.
Deciding who to vote for can be difficult, and depending on which party you vote for you could get a good or bad deal. Having said that, every politician lies to get voted in and then rarely ever does what they said they would.
A topic that is sure to heat up as the election draws near is student loans and debt. Currently, the student debt stands at $7.4 million with a projected total of $14.9 million by 2020. Not only is it draining tax payers money, but it also puts a strain on the individual who received a student loan to pay it back. Read this Green Party
speech to find out the 'detrimental' effect on people that student loans have. I couldn't quite finish the article as I have a hard time taking the Green Party serious. The Ministry of Education website has all the
figures on student loans that you would ever want to read; stuff like how much certain loans are, how long different genders and ethnicities take to pay them back, etc. For example, this repayment
estimator says that I could be 41 by the time I pay back my loan. Well, that's what they think. I have heard that if you die with a student loan debt that it is cleared and your surviving family does not have to pay it. If that's the case, when I'm an old man I'll die oweing the government millions!!!
That's where politics come into it. Labour, who has been in for what seems like ages, has not yet revealed what their student loan gimmick will be for the election. Not that I will take notice, if they wanted my vote that much they should have changed their scheme a
long time ago. National have already released their plan to lure in the votes of the youth of New Zealand, read this New Zealand Herald
article about their student loan scheme. Interestingly though, National introduced the student loan scheme in 1992.
To find out the latest news, views and politics regarding the upcoming election be sure to visit the New Zealand Herald
election site.
Also, you might want to read up on
democracy, or the New Zealand system of
government.
DON'T FORGET TO ENROL FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION!And remember, if you're able to vote and don't - you have no right to complain about the result.
Film studies
At school I take Media Studies and English, as well as a bunch of other classes. In each of these classes we have done a film study of sorts, and the great thing about the internet is that you can find all sorts of information about the films you are studying.
The first stop for anything regarding films, or TV shows for that matter, is the Internet Movie Database or
IMDb. The IMDb is
the place to go to if you need information on anything regarding the film industry. On the front page there is film news, trivia, quizes and recent releases. If you are looking for information on a film, simply search the IMDb website and a list of possible matches are displayed depending on what title you typed in. When you click on the film you want, a vast amount of information is displayed. Everything from the movie poster and tag line, to characters and actors, film soundtrack, goofs, and trivia. Clicking on anything that is underlined will take you to other films and TV shows that are connected by means of theme, song, director, actor, character, reference, to the film you are searching. Register with IMDb and you can participate in the IMDb poll and post in the forum. This really is the place to go, and this blog post is not doing it justice. You must go and view this site. Not only is it great for school, but I find myself going onto to it whenever I watch a film to see who was in what else, and reading any trivia that might be available.
Some information will not be available on IMDb such as film themes and similar information you need when studying a film in school. To remedy this, try posting in the films forum on IMDb, or better yet - Google it! You will be surprised with what you will find.
Studying
It sucks, but it must be done if you wish to acheive well in your exams. I recently stumbled over a Barnes & Noble service called SparkNotes which offers study guides and notes for various topics; English, History, Maths, Science, and a host of other subjects. The best part is that you can view these online for free, or you can pay a small fee and download them to keep. I have had a quick look over some of these notes and they seem quite good. For example I am studying Othello in English this year and found that SparkNote have a character overview, a plot summary, and all the actual play itself. Maybe Shakespeare isn't your thing, the history notes are quite good too. You can find topic overviews, study questions, and tests on a variety of history and other subjects. Also, you must visit the SparkNote community, and if you take media studies or study films in English you can find notes of films aswell.
Virginia Tech University has an excellent site that offers some study tips, and although it is a university site the information contained can certainly be applied to high school studies. Tips and skills offered include how to read a
difficult book, the use of
acronyms, and how to
make notes.I will certainly be using these websites in future. Let me know what you think, or if you have other study tips or resources that should be listed here.Don't forget - if you're taking NCEA to check out
studyit.org.nz for some excellent help on maths and science.
Say what...?
I have found on a number of occasions that I have needed the use of a translator. Sometimes I got too lazy with my French homework, or sometimes when I was trying to do research the website was in a foreign language. If you have ever had this problem keep reading to find out some easy solutions.
AltaVista offer a translation service called '
Babel Fish Translation' which can translate any text you enter in, as well as websites (provided you enter in a URL), into over 13 languages. For example, using Babel Fish Translation I turned '
take care swimming in the pool of knowledge' into '
Salut la natation dans la piscine de la connaissance'. Or maybe you want to view the
entire pool of knowledge in French?
If you are simply looking for one word translation then go to Answers.com
translation page that lists words like a dictionary, and when a word is clicked the foreign translations of the word are displayed.Google seems to be offering everything today. And the same goes for translation services.
With the Google language
tools you can search in specific languages in specific countries, translate entered text, or translate websites. Also, you can view Google search in any language you like; choices range from English to Zulu or even
Bork, bork, bork!,
Hacker, or
Elmer Fudd.
Of course there are plenty of free translation services out there, but these are the ones that I most enjoy using. Let me know your opinions and which services you use.
Out with the old, in with the new...
In case you're wondering, which you weren't, I have removed the
Pool of Knowledge forum. What's the point in having something that will never be used?The search functionality has been updated so that the Google search box and the Answers.com 'answer' box are right next to each other, making it easy for you to search the interweb.Also, in case anyone actually comes to this website I have added some Google advertisements. So, if you have some free time, why not click on some advertisements?I have started a new section that will become a regular feature in the Pool of Knowledge. Every now and then I will post entirely on one subject, displaying all the best and important links and resources that you would want for the topic.
Have fun swimming in the pool of knowledge!
History
History is by far one of my favourite subjects at school. I don't know what attracts me to it, but I love it so. I enjoy reading and learning about the different people and events throughout history.
Most likely, I will end up becoming a history secondary school teacher. Or, maybe I should try and aim for lecturer?
Anywho, I have compiled a bunch of interesting websites that will be helpful if you are taking history at high school like me, or just have an interest in the subject... like me!
The History Channel website is an excellent start. Sure, the acting on some of the documentaries that air is slightly third rate, but the information's all there. Sometimes I turn on the television just planning to watch a few minutes, but the History Channel must use subliminal messages or something because 2 hours later - I'm still there! This website allows visiters to watch archival and video clips, as well as audio. Combine that with an online poll, History Channel TV guide, and an online store and you have a pretty comprehensive website. Hey! You can even find out what happened on your birthday!
You can't go past
HyperHistory when doing research. It covers over 3000 years of history. Simply click on the era you want and you are presented with a comprehensive timeline. Click on the event you want and you are taken to that article and provided with an abundance of maps, diagrams and timelines.
New Zealand history? Don't forget about
Te Ara! With interlinking text and images Te Ara (
Maori for 'the pathway') will help you to learn and understand about New Zealand's natural environment, history, culture, economics and government.
Or perhaps you need help with American history. The
History Place offers comprehensive information about America's history from the Declaration of Indepence and the US involvement in World War Two to the Apollo moon landings. The topics covered aren't restricted to American history, Nazi Germany and World War Two, and general world history is also featured. Each article is displayed with photos, illustrations, audio clips, and external links to other sources.
In case I have left any good history sites out, which I have undoubtedly done, check out the
Best of History Web Sites. By selecting which period you are researching (
Pre History, 20th Century, American History), the Best of History Web Sites will display the best sites regarding your topic. Also, you can search for web sites for lesson plans, multimedia and research. As as the name of the site suggests, it only displays the
best history web sites.
If you are sitting NCEA history this year, make sure you check out
TKI's
exemplar assesments for levels one to five history. These are great for learning how to write essays that will help you achieve at the end of the year.
