Tech Tips for Teaching & Learning

Best of the Web

Some great websites I've come across recently...

• National Geographic Interactives - This site is an amazing example of the power of the web to enhance learning. It is absolutely beautiful, and includes interactives, quizzes and maps on many subjects. Don't miss the More Interactives link toward the bottom of the page!
• Tolerance.org - This site from the Southern Poverty Law Center has won numerous awards. Topics include The ABC's of Domestic Poverty, Bullying, Respond to Hate at School, and my personal favorite, Explore Your Hidden Bias.
• Smithsonian Institution - The name speaks for itself. Don't miss the Smithsonian Channel programs!
• I recently had the opportunity to visit the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Their website includes thought-provoking online exhibitions.

Have some favorites of your own to share? Please comment!

Text Message Dictionary

BTW if UR a NUB NP. TTYL.

Puzzled by text message abreviations? Take a look at this list of the Top 50 Most Commonly Used Text Terms from NetLingo.

Becoming a Literate Educator

David Warlick offers practical, doable ideas in his 2 Cents Worth blog posting A Path to Becoming a Literate Educator. Even if you only try one of his suggestions, you'll make progress in developing the skills needed to be an effect 21st century teacher.

One suggestion is to read blogs. This is a practice I find invaluable and very interesting. These are a few  of the other educational blogs I read regularly (in no particular order):

• Nancy Willard's Weblog (Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use)
• Dangerously Irrelevant (Scott McLeod's blog)
• learning.now (Andy Carvin, PBS Teachers)
• Educational Technology (Roy Schroeder, University of Illinois at Springfield)
• The Top 101 Websites for Teachers
• Ed Tech Journeys (Pete Reilly)

Give one a try! Have favorites of your own? Please comment!

Are older teachers more resistant to technology?

A 2005 survey by CDW-G indicates no inherent resistance to technology based on age. Having worked with a number of experienced teachers who embrace technology to enhance their teaching, I have always questioned this stereotype. So I was pleased to see this blog posting by Pete Reilly: Fact or Fiction: Are older teachers slower to adopt technology?

My own belief is that personality is a better indicator of openness to technology and other teaching innovations. Comments?

MIT offers new website for high schools

MIT's new site, Highlights for High School, includes over 2600 video and audio clips, as well as lecture notes, animations, and assignments from MIT professors and students. Special sections are included for AP Biology, Calculus and Physics, and many of the courses are well-suited to advanced high school curriculum. Check it out!

Websites for fun and teaching...

Random sites I've run across recently...

Next time you receive an email with a shocking "true" story, check Snopes, an index of urban legends and common fallacies. Do this before you forward it to your friends!

Project Gutenberg is a great source for public domain literature, offering over 20,0000 titles, including audiobooks. Speaking of audiobooks, LibriVox offers a collection of audiobooks read by volunteers, and anyone can volunteer (yes, even you or your students!).

The World Bank now offers a mashup of their data with Google maps - great for students researching countries or regions of the world. By clicking on an icon, you can see data for that country or region. Go to http://geo.worldbank.org/

Another clever mashup was created by high school teachers in California. GoogleLitTrips takes pieces of literature and maps locations in the book using GoogleEarth. Clicking on the various markers opens up more information and photographs about the locations. Better yet, it's customizable, so you and your students could contribute to the resources!

Enjoy!