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New ProQuest Platform:
Summer 2010 Launch
Never before has the demand been greater for instant access to authoritative content that meets diverse user needs worldwide. Now, your input has led us to optimize the search experience in exciting, new ways.
The all-new ProQuest platform (details) will transform all our highly-regarded platforms into one consolidated search experience.
Coming this summer, ProQuest, CSA Illumina, and selected Chadwyck-Healey products will be available on the new platform at launch, and all ProQuest K-12 products will migrate to the new platform over time.
The new platform is one of the largest initiatives in ProQuest history and we are eager to share the news with you regarding the latest developments. A smooth transition to the new platform for our customers is our top priority. To stay connected with updates on the all new ProQuest platform, click here.
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View cross-search examples on the new platform
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Powering 21st Century Research
Start Here... at ProQuest
"We're creating the best search experience possible for users, while simplifying administration of e-resources for librarians. ProQuest has thoughtfully assembled the right assets and fostered strategic partnerships over the years that allow us to offer not just the right content, but also the best technology. We're taking extreme care to combine the two in ways that are truly meaningful to all types of library users."
— Marty Kahn, ProQuest CEO
The new platform (details) is being built from the ground up based on years of extensive student observations, surveys of more than 6,000 end users, focus groups, and individual interviews, along with ongoing interactions with users, librarians and faculty. Its core is a single platform for all content, with a single content store, single search engine, and consolidated user experience. Ultimately, users will be able to discover more and dig deeper into data. Then, analyze, organize and use the findings more efficiently and with greater precision.
"Customer and user needs are driving the new platform requirements and design. Each element of the new platform has been identified as necessary to meet the needs of today's users - and tomorrow's – and we're engaging users and librarians throughout the development cycle."
— Bipin Patel, ProQuest CIO
With a single, easy-to-learn interface, users will now have simplified access to the broad range of authoritative resources, content, and services that only ProQuest offers. This means a holistic view of complementary content types and formats, including leading journals, periodicals, news content, rare and archival information, dissertations, research reports, ebooks, and multimedia.
Powerful navigation tools will surface the most relevant content of any format, in context, to help guide users in their search. Sophisticated post-search manipulation features will make it faster and easier to refine the most relevant results. Keep reading your ProQuest Solutions newsletter in the coming months for more details! (Archives)
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ProQuest Career & Technology Education
Lesson: 21st Century Education | Reforms
President Obama has made education reform one of the major goals of his presidency. To accomplish this, his first step was to appoint Arne Duncan as his Secretary of Education. Secretary Duncan's initial action was to develop the criteria for the distribution and use of the ARRA education stimulus funding.
These same criteria were also used to determine which States (more than 40 have met the criteria and applied) received some of the $4.35 billion "Race to the Top" funds for developing effective 21st Century plans to improve student achievement:
- Raising standards through college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities;
- Increasing transparency by establishing better data systems tracking student progress over time;
- Improving teacher effectiveness and ensuring an equitable supply and distribution of qualified teachers;
- Supporting effective intervention strategies for lowest-performing schools.
Scientific research has demonstrated that having quality teachers for three successive years is the most important factor in student success and achievement. When you look at the major "Race to the Top" criteria above, you can see that a major initiative is focused on improving teacher preparation, quality, and effectiveness.
This may be the best era of all to plan a teaching career. The commitment to better teacher preparation and more frequent and targeted professional development, combined with the use of a variety of educational technology, has created the potential to raise achievement for ALL students. Merit pay for more effective teachers and fewer restrictions on removing ineffective teachers will create a new era of respect and better pay for the profession.
Learning Activity: Assign students to create a report of at least 150 words (or an electronic presentation), citing at least three resources from the pathfinder search. The report should address at least three of essential questions for critical thinking:
- What are some major reforms that are part of the college preparation of teachers?
- How are these reforms different than what is happening in most schools today?
- How can educational technology help teachers to be more effective?
- Should more effective teachers be rewarded with pay increases—why or why not?
- Would you want to be a teacher under the new Duncan reform agenda—Why or why not?
Pathfinder: Type "Teaching Careers" in the Search box.
Use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.
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ProQuest Professional Education
Lesson: 21st Century Education | Professional Development
Scientific research demonstrates that teacher quality and effectiveness are the most important factor in increasing student achievement and success in the future. President Obama's Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, has developed four criteria that will be used in a new competitive program for States, "Race to the Top."
- Raising standards through college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students with disabilities;
- Increasing transparency by establishing better data systems tracking student progress over time;
- Improving teacher effectiveness and ensuring an equitable supply and distribution of qualified teachers;
- Supporting effective intervention strategies for lowest-performing schools.
The key to teacher quality is improved collegiate preparation of teachers and ongoing and consistent professional development. 21st Century professional development, using technology, has the potential to make dramatic improvements in teacher effectiveness for both veterans and new teachers. How is 21st Century professional development different and better than traditional professional development?
Teacher Challenge Activity: Listed below are some teacher challenge questions designed to help teachers understand how ongoing 21st Century professional development, using technology, can be dramatically more effective than traditional professional development.
- What are the problems with traditional professional development that reduce its effectiveness?
- How much does advanced degree coursework contribute to your teaching effectiveness?
- How can technology improve your teaching effectiveness?
- Should ongoing professional development CEUs count more toward pay increases than advanced degrees—why or why not?
- What are the most important factors in quality professional development?
Pathfinder: Click Topic Search tab > Enter "professional development and technology" > Technology and Professional Development > Narrow by Related Topic > Teachers > View Documents
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Free Online Training Opportunities
Our ProQuest product trainers are standing by to help you get the most out of your subscription. Tap into this month's free training schedules (by class or date) then register for a course. (Get dates via email: sign up here.)
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Grants for Libraries @ Grant Wrangler
Learn how to publish this feed on your site!
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Haiti and Chile Earthquakes 2010
CultureGrams is here to help students learn more about Haiti and Chile.
What challenges continue to face its peoples as they recover from recent earthquakes?
Download our full 2010 country reports (PDF open access) then watch a short slideshow of "Haiti Before the Quake."
Top 3 Websites
Each month, our SIRS team scours the Internet for top-quality websites for classrooms and libraries. Dive into this month's selections: Women in History, Children's Lit, da Vinci.
ProQuest Training Video
Self-paced videos, train anytime...
Let us help you get the most out of your subscriptions with our full training video: Start here. Quickly access the features you want to learn more about in a single click with our super-easy menu. (Approx. 30 min.)
ProQuest Training Video
Student Uses & Tips
Our ProQuest interface saves students time. This short segment provides details on how students can tap into the information they need, quickly and easily. Includes details on mining our backfiles to get a historical perspectives on today's most pressing issues.
ProQuest Training Video
Basics of Search
Conducting a search inside ProQuest is easy. Take advantage of our simple interface icons and pull-down menus to narrow your search by result type, then enter your search terms. The Suggested Topics feature anticipates your needs, saves time, and instantly shows connections to related, relevant content.
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