Online profiles vs. resumes

With the new age of social media, it seems like a change may be on the horizon. Will online profiles take the place of resumes? In mentioning online profiles, I am thinking about networking sites such as Facebook or Linkedin (used mostly by the business community).

With summer, approaching many of you are thinking about applying for a summer job or even a full time job if you are graduating and moving on to the next chapter in your life. In a recent survey done by Office Team, a staff service that questioned approximately 500 human resource managers, 63% of respondents said that it is not likely that the resume' will be replaced. They did suggest there could be a real benefit to having an online profile, but emphasized that you should be careful about what you put on your Facebook page. If you are communicating on Facebook with mostly friends, you may want to start thinking about changing your posts to be more professional. You may also want to untag yourself in certain photos and set privacy setting to control who can see certain parts of your profile. Other suggestions included listing beneficial qualities related to your achievements as well as as posting appropriate hobbies and interests.

Source: Creators Syndicate; Office Team Staffing

Xtranormal: The place to make movies

I happen to be watching a student in the library working on a class project. He had done research on a common disease and was looking for a new, inventive way to present his research. When I asked about what he was doing, he showed me the movie he had made on Xtranormal.com. It was really quite cool. Then he went on to tell me that with a mic he attached to his home computer, he was able to narrate the movie using his own voice. Being the researcher that I am. I went right out and researched Xtranormal. What I found is that it can be a great tool for student projects. Below is what Xtranormal says about themselves.

Xtranormal says they have a mission. They want to bring movie making to the people. We all watch movies, right; Xtranormal believe everyone can make movies. Movie-making, short and long, online and on-screen, private and public, will probably be the most important communications process of the 21st century.
Their revolutionary approach to movie-making builds on one of the most universally held skills—typing. You type something; we turn it into a movie. On the web and on the desktop.

Check it out. It is free for the starter version. If you want extra bells and whistles, there may be a fee.

College Access & Opportunity Guide

The College Access & Opportunity Guide put out by CSO College Center is a fantastic new guide we just added to our library collection. It features a section related to planning for college as well as high school timelines with a checklist for things to do during each year of high school. It also includes advice from college students and other experts as well as a section on why you should find a mentor and how to go about finding one. The best find in the book would be links to a wealth of information about how to apply for college scholarships and other grants.

The last part of the book has profiles of colleges and universities from all fifty states. Most of the UT campuses throughout Texas are listed. Look below are sites that are affiliated with this publication. These would be a great place to start, or stop in at the FHS Library to check out the print edition of this guide. If you are looking for other resources on college planning, don't forget to look in the college and career collection in the library.

http://www.csocollegecenter.org/

http://www.knowhow2go.org/

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Tory Brennan and her friends are exposed to a canine parvovirus when they rescue a dog from a medical testing facility and soon realize they have heightened senses, which they use to solve a cold case murder.

A fantastic mystery read!

Writing a Paper? Try These Research Tips

Maybe you have already been hit with or soon will be hit with a major research project. Below is the FHS Research Wiki. It is just a beginning and more content will be added later. But right now it has tips on how to be an effective researcher and includes survey information that I conducted with some local college professors and former high, now college students. I hope it includes some tips and information that will guide you in researching and completing your next research project. Just click on the link below:

Research--High School and Beyond

If you need further assistance, always remember I am available as a resource. Just stop by the library.

Original Recipe Revealed?

Many news outlets from ABC News to CNN to others are reporting that the National Public Radio show "This American Life" has come across the original recipe for Coke. If you link to the text above, you can read the article, read the recipe and even vote whether you think it is the original formula. Coke of course denies that it is their original recipe. Stating that it is probably a knock off. I guess only Coke knows for sure. Although, NPR did say that really any food chemist has the ability to deconstruct the formula if they really want to make the attempt. Coca-Cola Company archivist Phil Mooney says the NPR stated recipe lacks the "bite and burn" of the real thing.

But, here is the point of this post. By reading the article on "This American Life", it is evident that the show did their research. How would they have come across this recipe if they didn't keep digging? Something led them to want to get to the bottom of this. To see if maybe they really did stumble upon the original recipe. That's what research is. It is having the persistence and desire to want to get the answer, solve the problem, find the evidence to support or dispute whatever question you are answering. Don't just scratch the surface and think that you have answered the question. If you dig deeper what you find is the real interesting, important and unique finds. In this case, NPR not only discovered a mystery that others have been trying to uncover for years. It also brought exposure and attention to their radio show and website. The big news guys picked up their story. Is it the original recipe, who knows? Just get in on the fun by voting on their site and following the tally.

Sources:

http://www.coke.com/

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

Beatles or Stone? Which are better?

Recently I came across a great online tool called aMap which I think students can make good use of. aMap stands for argument map. It is based on informal logic, When you think about it, essentially we are use logic to argue and debate in everyday life. aMap started as a research project between a research organization and an economics foundation and has grown ever since.

To check it out and see how you can use it in a class or with a group, just go to the aMap website and link to 'Start an Argument'. Once there, you will need to set up a free account, but after that you are off and running. To 'start an argument', add the overarching question you're arguing about, and then state your position. A simple example is below:
Overarching question: Beatles or Stones?

Your position: The Beatles are way better than the Stones.

Once you have done this, post it to aMap and watch for the debate to begin.

Think about the times you need to come up with a thesis statement, decide which side of the issue you are on and then find evidence to support your argument. This seems like a great tool for starting an argument and then looking at the position others take on the topic. Try it out and let me know how it works for you. Did you find it a worthwhile tool?