Got+a+minute?

===If you've only got a minute to check our wiki site, hopefully you'll find this page to be worth it. We'll post tips, tricks, ideas, suggestions, etc. that you might find helpful no matter what your subject area or technology goals. Items will be posted with the newest at the top of the page and at the end of the month we'll archive that month's postings to another page and start fresh.===

If you've //got a minute//!
//Now we've all got a G.ho.st of a chance...// Imagine the convenience of being able to access a free, completely web-based Virtual Computer service that includes a personal desktop, files, and applications anytime from anywhere. Imagine how great it would be to know that all of the stuff we need for learning is available from **any browser**, **any time, any where**. It might sound a little spooky, but teachers and students needn’t be afraid of the user-friendly [|G.ho.st].
 * May 29. 2008**

//Guaranteed to warm every librarian's heart//
 * May 22, 2008**
 * media type="custom" key="782919"

May 21, 2008** //Getting with the Program(ming)// First there was [|Logo]and then [|MIT]’s kid-friendly [|Scratch] but have you heard about [|Flaming Thunder]? Well, if a programming language could be a superhero it would probably be [|Flaming Thunder]. Why? Consider the following: a mild-mannered programming language that was apparently designed for scientists, mathematicians and engineers has an exciting alter-ego as __a student-friendly tool that even elementary school pupils can use__. Though it may seem unbelievable, [|Flaming Thunder] is a simple way to begin exploring the wonders of programming. Thanks to its free subscription to [|DPGraph] (the world’s most powerful software for dynamic 2D to 8D [|math and physics visualization]), having learners tinker with [|Flaming Thunder] can lead to high levels of student engagement resulting in beautiful chromatic representations of mathematical concepts. Up, up, and away!

//There's a Great Big Google World Out There// Location, location, location! That mantra applies in education nearly to the extent it does in the business world. [|Google for Educators] understands this and is passing along the secret via its [|Geo Education site]. This robust site is rich with resources and ideas designed to help teachers and students make better use of engaging tools for learning such as [|Google Maps], [|Google Earth], [|Google Sky], and [|Google Sketchup].
 * May 12, 2008**
 * NOTE: While you're probing the site, make sure you take a explore all** [|**the classroom posters**]**.**

//Mapping Literature? Hmmmm.. neat idea.// Here’s a resource for teachers and students of literature that ought to come in handy for generating summer reading lists. It’s a simple way for a High School Literature teacher to integrate technology while simultaneously creating a springboard for literary discussions and exploration. [|Literature-Map] is a “tourist map of literature” that allows users to input favorite authors as a means of automatically visualizing similar writers. The closer two writers are on the resulting map, the more likely readers will like both of them.
 * May 7, 2008**

//Adding perspective and relevance to events// 21st Century teachers and students should have the resources to create, share, and tag web-based content-specific timelines. You do - if you use **[|Dipity]**.
 * April 29, 2008**

If you teach Environmental Science or topics related to ecology, - or if you just think it's important that citizens of the planet become more aware - get a dose of upsetting dta by wisiting [|Superfund365]. //__Be forewarned__//: learning what’s in the water we drink, the air we breathe, and the earth we walk on can be frightening. And be sure to check out the Pennsylvnia sites. What's in your backyard?
 * April 16, 2008**

//The World Moves to the Web (one app at a time) ...// On March 27, [|Adobe], the maker of the renowned photo-editing software, **Photoshop** launched a **FREE** basic version of the program online. [|Photoshop Express] is completely web-based, so consumers can use it with any computer, operating system, and browser. Once registered, users can get to their accounts from different computers. After signing up for the free service, users can upload photos and then edit them with [|Adobe]’s simplified set of //point-and-click// controls for removing “red eye,” cropping, adjusting the brightness and color saturation, and other functions. Users can group photos into online albums and can post them to popular social-networking sites, all from within the web-based program. //The Web: it just gets better and better.// ;-)
 * April 2, 2008**

//Where'd I put that key?// Just how speedy and accurate are those digits your students are running across their computer keyboards? [|Keybr] is a **FREE**, online typing 'test' that'll give them feedback on their skills. Although it doesn’t actually teach typing, this web-based resource does give users a scored typing test, rating them on typing speed and accuracy.
 * March 18, 2008**

//A Date That Will Live ...// Good Morning Mr. & Mrs. America and all the ships at sea... [|**Google Calendar will now sync with Outlook**]! What does this mean to you? Well, it means that many people can now have [|their cake] and eat it too. Some of us have avoided using [|Google Calendar] - one of the very best calendar services available - because their offices/schools/companies use MS Outlook. Now we can use __**both**__ without manually creating multiple events. [|Google Calendar] has a lot of powerful features, such as the ability to share a calendar with others (read only or collaboratively) and display multiple calendars at once - overlapped! You can have a calendar for sports, a calendar for personal events, a work calendar, etc. and compare them as needed. **Google Calendar also automatically embeds maps to destinations and displays weather information**. Plus, it’s __**free**__. Google Calendar also works well with many Web 2.0 services. For example: [|Jott.com] allows you to use your cell phone to [|call in an event to your Google Calendar]. You heard that right - pick up your phone, call Jott (you'll need a **free** Jott account of course), and send a message to create a Google Calendar event. With its new sync ability, that event now shows up in your Outlook Calendar too. Enjoy!
 * March 11, 2008**

//The View From (Above) The Top!// Treat yourself to a Sneak Preview of the Microsoft Worldwide Telescope at[| http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/224] The actual site will be at [|http://www.worldwidetelescope.org/]but it’s not up and running yet. But it’s certainly worth checking out the preview at the TED link above for now. And while you're there you might want to check out other fascinating presentations on the TED site.
 * March 3, 2008**

//Creatively UN-Common!// Tired of the same old resources for students in need of audio and images for projects/presentations? Looking for resources that are free of copyright restrictions? Visit [|Creative Commons] and you'll find all kinds of media that you and your students can legally "share, remix, and use" in classroom projects. Be sure to [|check out the search feature].
 * February 26, 2008**

//Sometimes, "Piling On" can be a good thing.// If you haven't visited [|Stack] you're in for a treat. It’s one of [|the goodies from Digg Labs] that animates and visualizes popular stories from [|Digg]. If you’re a teacher who likes keeping up with current events, this is like //info-candy for your brain//. It’s a safe bet that your students already know about this so, check it out.
 * February 21, 2008**
 * Related links**:
 * For those who like their content fresh and visualized, [|Newsmap] has been around for a while. It puts story popularity into perspective.
 * [|Mappedup.com] is another addictive news visualization tool worth using.
 * Those who are concerned about a free and open press will want to swing by [|NewsCloud].

//Pollinating Young Minds...// Attention:Life Science/Biology teachers! Here's a great technology integration tool that's sure to capture the interest of the fertile minds in your charge. Curiosity is at the root of all learning so what better way to cultivate it?! Watch the dendrites bud as students experience the time-lapse images you can harvest from the plentiful garden known as [|Plants In Motion]. A handful of these neuron germinations is worth a bushel of worksheets. Site creator, [|Roger P. Hangarter] has pictorial produce that’s sure to yield thought-provoking explorations into why plants do what they do. AND, maybe, just maybe, you've got some amateur videographers in your midst who might want to tackle the challenge of producing their own time-lapse offerings. Now, THERE's a CFF project in the making! Hmmmm....
 * February 6, 2008**

//This just in...// The use of video in the classroom - and specifically, the use of YouTube video is a subject that makes school tech coordinators quiver (for now). Attached is a "How-To" guide for making use of the wealth of resources available from YouTube (and other online video sites) without circumventing school filtering systems or plaguing your tech folks for 'exemptions'. Click the following link: [|YouTube is School-Friendly.doc]
 * February 4, 2008**
 * Teachers Use YouTube Video in Classroom - Students Engaged and Motivated (**film to follow**)**

//SpeedyMarks to the rescue// Here’s a great tool for speeding up a web-based lesson in your classroom. [|SpeedyMarks] makes it easy for you to generate visual bookmarks for your favorite instructional web sites. Just click ADD, provide a web address and you’re ready to go. Combine this with an interactive whiteboard during instruction and you’re ready to optimize a lesson. SpeedyMarks is also handy for students who haven’t mastered reading but can recognize a site by its visual attributes. //Biology for "Feather"weights// Attention, Biology teachers interested in integrating more technology. In the event you have students who find birds intriguing, take them under your wing and introduce them to [|the Feather Atlas]. It’s an engaging site maintained by the [|U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Forensic Laboratory]. It's an excellent tool for learning a host of things such as species identification, [|scientific classification], and more. [|The Feather Atlas] graciously shares detailed digital images of flight feathers of many prominent [|North American birds]. And, while your class is all agog ogling the fantastic finds at [|the Feather Atlas], be sure to remind students to participate in [|the Great Backyard Bird Count] (February 15th-18th).
 * February 1, 2008**
 * January 31, 2008**

//Cue the prompter...// Where was this tool when we were giving those speeches in Speech Class? Here's a **free**, easy-to-use utility that will give you and your students the practice it takes to get things "just right" for that speech, podcast or video production. [|CuePrompter] is so delightfully simple to use that it easily qualifies as __Utility of the Month__ for schools.
 * January 24, 2008**

//More tools, more options...// Whatever your discipline, take a look at [|Project Draw]. When you or your students need to make a quick drawing anywhere, anytime there's no need to fire up the Office suite or other utility. [|Project Draw] will get the job done quickly and accurately. Users can easily create any number of drawings without a great deal of exasperation or training. Teachers can also consider using this resource in tandem with an interactive whiteboard, and, illustrations created with [|Project Draw] are easily annotated and exported for offline storage. //KEWL!//
 * January 21, 2008**

//Diggin' for data?// Whatever your discipline (or interest) if you're looking for data on any village/borough/town/city (any place with a Zip Code) in the U.S., you've gotta check this one out. [|City-Data.com] When you get to the site, simply enter the Zip Code or use the State links to drill down to your area of interest. Here are just SOME of the categories available: weather, hospitals, schools, libraries, houses, airports, radio and TV stations, zip codes, area codes, air pollution, latest unemployment data, time zones, water systems and their health and monitoring violations, and MANY MORE. Really!!! And, while you're there be sure to check out the [|Top 100 Lists].
 * January 16, 2008**

//I want my Mappio!// If it's Tuesday, we must be mapping. If you've got mapping on your mind, [|mind mapping] is the order of the day. Share the thrill of [|Mappio–the Mind Map Library] with everyone you know. Enjoy! If Mappio interests you, consider checking out [|TopicScape’s equally snappy, Mindmap Directory].
 * January 15, 2008**

//Life is not fair// Find out just how unfair with the [|UC Atlas of Inequality]. Categories such as **Income**, **Gender**, **Cause of Death**, **Disease**, **GDP**, **HIV/AIDS**,**Trade** and more are detailed in an interesting, graphic and easily navigable (and customizable) format. So, the next time someone says, "That's so unfair.", you'll be ready to give them a little bigger perspective.
 * January, 7, 2008**

//And, this week, coming in at #1...// [|Billboard] is a name synonymous with meeting the information needs of the entertainment business. It ought to be. Why? For starters, [|Billboard has been in the entertainment data business for a long time]–since [|1894]! As a matter of fact, on this day in [|1936] the innovative periodical published its very first list of tunes. However, it took another four years before the magazine’s trademark Music Popularity Chart was calculated. Since that time, Billboard has been closely following [|trends in the music and entertainment industry]. What can educators learn from [|Billboard]? For one thing, it’s [|an excellent example of how compiling data and interpreting statistics can be fun and, ultimately, profitable]. Secondly, Billboard and its subscribers rely upon technology to get and analyze real-world data. Finally, using Billboard as an example, what might students be interested in graphing over time? Who knows, a whole new industry could spring from such an endeavor.
 * January 4, 2008**

//Presidential Election - Ahead!// Okay, Political Science enthusiasts and Civics/Government teachers, just in case you’ve been feeling neglected, here's a resource that’ll allow you to integrate technology in your content area. [|Presidential Watch 08] is a site that generates a map of the political blogosphere. After all, //can we __ever__ have too many opinions//?
 * January 2, 2008** ** HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

//Give Voice to Student Writing// Part of becoming a better writer is hearing how one’s own words sound once they are read aloud. Being able to listen to a sentence to ascertain whether it does or does not flow is a necessary part of composing text. For students who are unsure of their work or who have trouble reading, asking someone else to read a line of text or a paragraph can be an uncomfortable task. More often than not, classmates read the work silently and respond with vague comments. When their peers do read aloud, clumsy oration may hamper needed feedback. What’s a dedicated teacher to do? Rushing to the rescue to valiantly read each learner’s work is simply not feasible. Thankfully, there is a free, simple way for aspiring writers to audibly review their compositions. The solution is a free site called [|vozMe]. By integrating a modest amount of technology, nascent and experienced authors can efficiently and effectively hone their work and words. The process is simple. Related resources: //It's only money!// When students have tools for exploring and visualizing themes that relate to their own experiences, understanding **big ideas** is more likely to occur. For example, students of all ages (and most people) find the topic of wealth engaging. From kindergarten to high school, learners of both genders are eager to discuss and explore what it would be like to have a great deal of disposable income. This fascination is a useful means of facilitating a deeper investigation of economics and the importance of learning and using mathematics to better manage one’s own wealth. With the availability of technology in the form of interactive websites such as [|the Wealthiest Americans Ever] (via the [|//New York Times//]) and other related resources, students have interesting means of comparing and contrasting wealth.
 * December 17, 2007**
 * 1) Students digitally compose their text, highlight and copy it.
 * 2) They **[|visit the vozMe website]**.
 * 3) Once there, they paste their text into the textbox.
 * 4) They press the **Create mp3** button.
 * 5) A window appears and their words are read back to them.
 * 6) Depending upon what they hear, students refine their work.
 * [|Epressivo] is a service similar to vozMe. Although, users are only allowed to paste 200 characters into the textbox, the synthesized voice is very high in quality.
 * For offline text-to-speech assistance consider using the free version of [|ReadPlease2003]. This nifty, no-cost program reads anything that is typed or copied and pasted into it. An additional plus is that it can also be outfitted with a number of international voices.
 * December 11, 2007**

//Google Maps - to be exact!// Have you ever entered a location into [|Google Maps] and found that it was a bit off? Ever wish you could fix it? Well now you can! [|Here's how...]
 * December 4, 2007**

AND, **Gmail** also has a small update: you can now use [|Group Chat], and [|colored labels]. Yeah!!!

//Food for thought (and action)// If your students are exploring food or food-related topics, consider sending them over to [|FoodPairing]. This //tasty// site provides visualizations for a list of food products with unique flavor combinations. Visitors select a food product and get a **graphic organizer** with the chosen food in the center of the image. The tasty morsel is surrounded by other foods that, according to research, compliment or enhance the flavor of the central item. After that, students can take one of the other food products and try to make a new recipe by combining them. The more flavors food products have in common the shorter the distance between the food products. Imagine combining the power of [|FoodPairing] with the [|World’s Healthiest Foods], where visitors find all kind of useful nutritional information about the healthiest snacks on the planet. Yummy!
 * December 3, 2007**

//The Element(s) of Surprise// Sometimes, the integration of technology allows educators to make well-known information so much more engaging. By taking standard knowledge and infusing it with rich images and links to remote content, what was yawn-inducing becomes an interactive resource that generates new levels of interest in both students and teachers. For example, [|Theodore Gray], one of the founders of [|Wolfram Research] (creators of the ever-awesome //[|Mathematica]//), columnist for [|//Popular Science’s Gray Matter//], and element collector extraordinaire has crafted [|an exquisite Periodic Table of the Elements]. Gray’s craftsmanship and obsession with elements makes his [|Periodic Table] a veritable feast for the eyes that learners and instructors are sure to enjoy.
 * November 27, 2007**

//Become a SketchUp "Artist" in your spare time// No, it's not an ad from a matchbook cover - admit it, you don't remember those anyway. [|SketchUp] is a tremendously powerful piece of FREE software from [|Google]. Most of us barely scratch the surface of what this program can do. Learning the basics is easy, but mastery of the program takes a good deal of time and playing. Luckily, there is a great fan site that will help teach you all the tips and tricks of [|SketchUp]. School ([|www.go-2-school.com]) was founded by Mike Tadros and Alex Oliver - two certified SketchUp instructors and 3D design professionals. It hosts several video tutorials (30+ !!!) for all sorts of projects and proficiency levels. The site also has a robust Forums section for you to talk to other SketchUp users. You can even purchase DVDs of their tutorials for offline viewing.
 * November 19, 2007**

//The Thinking Bubble// According to the [|Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning] ([|McREL]) there are [|nine instructional strategies that affect student achievement]. All of the strategies are worth pursuing. However, the use of [|nonlinguistic representations] is an approach to learning that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle of day-to-day teaching. Learners needn’t lack opportunities to to conceptualize complex ideas through means //other than// didactic lecturing. Fortunately, there are a number of web-based graphic organizers designed to help learners see the “big picture” underlying a concept, event, or process. Take, for example [|Bubbl.us]. It’s a free resource that gives users an easy means of creating colorful mind maps online. Students can do much more than sit in a classroom and listen to a one-sided conversation. The more pupils use //both// linguistic and nonlinguistic representations of information, the better they are able to think about and recall knowledge. Clever, nonlinguistic ways of expressing ideas are to be lauded, embraced, joyfully shared, adapted, and adopted.
 * November 14, 2007**

//Presenting ... The Past!// Thanks to technology and web-based materials, Social Studies students have access to an array of extremely useful tools for exploring and explaining history. Forward-thinking teachers of Social Studies understand the value of facilitating student use of 21st Century resources for delving into and interpreting past events. These teachers expect learners to take advantage of the technologically enhanced tools for researching historical topics. For example, [|World History Sources: Analyzing Documents]. This resource demonstrates how leading scholars of history employ a number of successful strategies for analyzing [|primary sources]. By visiting [|World History Sources: Analyzing Documents] students have an opportunity to discover how historians efficiently find and make use of source materials such as images, objects, maps, music, newspapers, official documents, and personal narratives.
 * November 12, 2007**

//For the scientist in all of us// When was the last time you or your students played around with ideas related to [|Physics]? Why not check out [|Crayon Physics] and see how the clever application of [|Newton’s Laws of Motion] and other concepts related to [|motion] can be fun? Don’t feel guilty about enjoying the challenge. When you’re doing fun things, you tend to learn. If you’re successful, [|chalk] it up to the power of playing with ideas. [|Download Crayon Physics here] or check out other intriguing offerings from [|Kloonigames]. For more motion fun (i.e., projectile motion, sans crayon motif) [|fire a few virtual cannonballs] and try to get the longest range for your efforts or tinker with [|Newton’s Mountain Cannon] //. (you'll need Java for this one)// Quasi-physics related link: [|Why does a shower curtain move toward water?]
 * November 6, 2007**

//uGoogle, weGoogle, but do you iGoogle?// Yes,[| iGoogle] has been around for some time now, but if you’re like me and you haven’t taken the time to set up your personalized homepage with tabs, themes, blog feeds, links to your Google Docs, etc, etc, then you really need to stop and do it. I took the time to really explore the capabilities of [|iGoogle] and will be a user from here on. Try it! It’s an easy way to setup your own personalized homepage for searching the web. Set up a few tabs and see how it goes. For example, setup a "Favorite Wikis" tab with all of your favorite sites. Of course, CanwikiTroywiki is the first one on the list! And all of the new posts feed right to my iGoogle page!
 * October 31, 2007**

//It's a (Sound) Snap!// 21st Century educators want to integrate the power of digital content creation in learning experiences. Why? Digital content creation is a useful means of providing evidence of learning. Having learners work together to create multimedia products encourages collaboration. Furthermore, constructing projects rich in images, sounds, and other digital qualities engages students in new ways of thinking. In the course of such activities and experiences, students inevitably want to generate and edit their own sounds. After turning educators and students on to the awesome audio goodness of [|Audacity], a free audio editor and recorder, many of them began asking for sources for copyright-free sounds. Their students need and want access to royalty-free sound effects, loops, and other audio-rich resources. Thanks to [|Soundsnap], they're in luck. [|Soundsnap] is a free online sound library and community for audio designers where people can upload sounds and share them with the world. Learners, educators, and parents have access to a large (think 30,000 sounds!) and growing body of audio resources that are [|tagged]. Sounds good to me!
 * October 23, 2007**

//Testing 1, 2, 3 (fonts, that is!)// Many teachers are increasingly relying on the web to disseminate content. Teachers are also beginning to see the value of having students use webpages for sharing what they’ve learned in class. If you or your students are designing a webpage or site and you want everything to look just right, drop by [|Font Tester]. It’s a free, online font comparison tool that makes it very easy to preview and compare various fonts side by side with various CSS font styles applied to them. Spiffy! //Redefining the dictionary...// [|Erin McLean] presents an entertaining - and thought-provoking talk about the current and future state of the dictionary. From the //ham being too big for the pot// to the Internet being defined as "//words plus enthusiasm//" you'll begin to see the potential for some concentrated DIY word creation. Presented at the TED Talks this [|short video] provides food for thought in any English class**.
 * October 17, 2007**
 * October 15, 2007**

October 12, 2007** //It'll be here before you know it.// Planning a Halloween party or need ideas grabbing students interest? Try mixing up a batch of gross slime or a bubbling dry ice potion. For a spooky party, turn off the lights and watch the atomic slime and worms glow. Or write hidden messages and make eerie Halloween sounds. Just follow Steve’s recipes for Halloween science fun.[| **Steve Spangler’s Favorite Halloween Recipes and Videos**] **NOTE: this is a commercial site.** The great thing about Steve Spangler’s science experiments is that they are real, hands-on science experiments that are fun and easy to implement. Steve gives us full descriptions, videos of the experiments, equipment lists, and even a breakdown of how the science works. Your kids will have a blast. Even "sophisticated" high school students let the kid in them come out with these discrepant events.

//Easy as Kerpoof// Once in a while a resource appears that allows teachers and students to use one kind of technology while simultaneously gearing up for another. [|Kerpoof] is an engaging site that allows visitors to create a number of colorful products that can easily be incorporated into lessons and learning experiences. While using [|Kerpoof] to create art, stories, and movies, students also gain experience learning the basics of video editing. How? [|Kerpoof] has a timeline feature where users drag and drop music and other content. By playing around with the order and duration of special effects, music, and related goodies, students gain a better appreciation for placing content into sequential order–a skill they’ll need when they eventually graduate to [|Microsoft Windows Movie Maker], [|iMovie], [|Adobe Premiere], [|Cinelerra], and other digital video editing tools. What initially appears to be fun (i.e., tinkering with [|Kerpoof]) also helps learners get a better feel for arranging content in other, non-video applications like PowerPoint, [|OpenOffice]’s built-in presentation feature, and Google Presentations at [|Google Docs], where information must be placed into a suitable sequence.
 * September 26, 2007**

//eSnips to the rescue!// Here’s a solution if you' want easy online storage. [|eSnips] is an excellent, free means of storing rich content. If you’ve never seen [|eSnips] before or haven’t dropped by this boon to educators and other digital content creators, you owe to yourself to check it out and soon. Why? Well, as most teachers know, turning students loose with technology can unleash a tidal wave of digital content–audio files, graphics, movies, slideshows, et cetera. The problem–and it’s a good one–is where to store all of the great work students generate. That’s where [|eSnips] comes to the rescue. [|eSnips] now offers users 5GB of free storage space–online! What’s more, [|eSnips] will generate html code so digital content like movies can be embedded in other resources, such as [|Google Earth] or blogs and wikis! Spiffy!
 * September 25, 2007**

//It's a question of questions.// Barbara Waters, a science teacher whose curriculum is featured on [|The Annenberg Channel], suggests that, “Asking a question is harder than giving an answer. Never answer an unasked question. I think that over half a lesson should be developed from questions that the children ask — if they didn’t ask the question, they really won’t care about the answer.” When asking students questions: Resources that focus on the concept of asking higher-level questions include: A friend once asked Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel Prize winner in physics, how he became a scientist. Rabi replied that every day after school his mother would talk to him about his school day. She wasn’t so much interested in what he had learned that day, but she always inquired, “Did you ask a good question today?” “Asking good questions,” Rabi said, “made me become a scientist.” Have you asked a good question today?
 * September 13, 2007**
 * 1) Ask questions that elicit inferences
 * 2) Ask analytic questions
 * [|Bloom’s Taxonomy Model Questions and Key Words]
 * [|Bloom’s Taxonomy Revision]

//[|“The Golden Record]: Hear what the aliens will hear.// 30 years ago last week, a collection of [|images] and [|sound recordings] engraved on a [|record] was launched toward the stars. The [|playlist] //covers an amazing collection of music, and has been called the// [|Mix Tape of the Gods].” If you or your students had an opportunity to create an interstellar audio-CD (using a free audio-editing resource such as [|Audacity]), what would be on it? What important recordings would be made available to other Citizens of the Universe? What would be the criteria for selection? This has all the makings of an excellent discussion and resulting project.
 * September 12, 2007**

//The Big Here// **--** it's all around you. [|Kevin Kelly] is a most fascinating fellow. A noted authority on digital culture, Kelly is working on an amazing initiative known as the [|All Species Inventory]. He’s one of a number of individuals attempting to compile a complete inventory of //all// species of life on our planet. As if that weren’t interesting enough, Kelly also shares gems of wonderful insight. For example, in a recent post on his site, [|Cool Tools], he asks readers to [|answer a few questions about “the Big Here”] in which they reside. If you’re an educator teaching Science or Social Studies, you’ll want to examine the questions that Kelly presents. To say that they are thought-provoking is an understatement. After you read them, you find yourself wanting to know the answers. His queries are paths that to some intriguing revelations. Imagine having your students exploring his questions using digital resources at their disposal–[|Wikipedia], [|Google], [|Google Earth], [|MSN Virtual Earth], the [|U.S. Geological Survey], and [|watershed information], just to name a few. Could they answer his questions? Give it a try. New questions are sure to pop into existentence. For example:
 * September 5, 2007**

//"Without Us..." leaves you **Without Words**// The words //amazing, fascinating, awesome//, etc. are nothing if not overused. In the case of this web site, "[|The World Without Us]", they seem nothing if not __inadequate__! Check it out. And to further explore the idea, see what others think the scenario might be like - here's a series of videos that bring The World Without Us to life.
 * September 4, 2007**

//Collaboration: It's the name of the game// As a CFF teacher you're all about infusing technology in meaningful, relevant ways. Having students use technology resources (such as **Graphic Organizers**) to distribute and refine work in an efficient, digital environment is something that undoubtedly appeals to you. Well, new resources are popping up all over the web. They’re currently __**free**__ so, why not give them a whirl? Need some examples? Try these for starters:: //Bridges are in the news ....// So, why not capitalize on the exposure and introduce your students to the [|West Point Bridge Design Contest]? The 2007 contest ran from January to June and the 2008 contest is set to begin in September and run throughout the 2007-2008 SY. Visit the site to get the details and to download the design software.
 * August 30, 2007**
 * [|Best4cbeta].
 * [|Gliffy]
 * [|Google Docs and Spreadsheets]
 * [|Mindomo]
 * [|FreeMind]
 * August 29, 2007**

//Then, there's the case for Building Better Brains...// Although the reality of standardized testing is always with us, it’s relatively early in the school year and a perfect time to help students accumulate and replenish a reliable reservoir of resourcefulness. Yes, it’s true that there are tons of Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies facts that learners will be held accountable for on any number of examinations; however, **helping students learn** **how to think** creatively and critically is just as, if not more, important than memorizing information for on-demand regurgitation. Twenty-first century learners need to be able to critically and creatively analyze “real- life” problems, opportunities, and other situations where there are no pat answers or solutions. They need to be able to efficiently and effectively synthesize the best responses possible. [|Daniel Pink] and others understand this. Creativity isn’t just something that’s pleasant to explore if there’s time left over from doing academic busy work. Creativity is necessary for success and survival in the 21st Century economy and culture that we’re supposed to be preparing students to enter. Toward that end, a visit to [|CreatingMinds] is in order for teachers who want to help students assemble tools for creativity. AND, if you're interested in involving students in some real-world, real-time, relevant learning opportunities that put their creative skills to work, talk with me about project-based learning and the World School for Adventure Learning. This year's flagship adventure is the [|2008 Ellesmere Island Expedition]
 * August 27, 2007**

//Knowing when to let it Slide.// Earlier this year, folks got all excited when news began to leak out about Google's plans to develop an addition to its popular online office suite of resources, [|Google Docs]. The new feature to the mix, eager users learned, would be an online slideshow/presentation tool. Well, the appearance of the promised feature hasn't happened yet and many [|Google Docs] enthusiasts are hungry for the event. Just so you're in the know, students and others that rely upon [|Google Docs], have been enjoying a temporary fix for their slideshow needs at [|Slide.com]. Granted, there's a definite salacious aura emanating from some of the images that appear on the site. After all, [|Slide] caters to users of Facebook, Myspace, Friendster, Hi5, Tagged, Yahoo! 360°, Blogger, Xanga, and Ebay. However, don't discount the prospect of incorporating some of [|Slide]'s nifty features into some of your educational endeavors. For example, many educators who maintain Blogger accounts and use [|Picasa] Web Albums will appreciate the opportunity to include [|Slide]'s alternative, stylized slideshows.
 * July 18, 2007**