Resource Centre
ICT-WEB Alert

September 2009

  1. The Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education: Resources

    Located at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, The Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education is primarily interested in creating resources for educators working on these topics. First-time visitors should definitely start by looking through the "Resources" area, as they will find classroom tested exercises that cover basic topics in algebra, trigonometry, and a number of related fields in math. Moving along, the site also features teaching modules that will help educators explain different concepts in technology, which can be most useful, particularly for beginning students. Finally, if visitors to the site have questions, there is a contact form and a place to make suggestions about material that might be covered in future projects and modules.


  2. Physics 620D: Electricity, Teacher Investigations

    Stephen T. Thornton, a professor in the department of physics at the University of Virginia, has created this website to bring together a number of lesson plans for teachers in the field. Within this "Teacher Investigations" section of the site,visitors can look over three different classroom activities. The investigations include explorations into the world of light bulbs, the workings of circuits, and so on. Each activity includes a number of helpful diagrams, instructions, and questions for group discussion. Additionally, the site contains a list of recommended readings for physics teachers


  3. The World Bank: An Online Atlas of the Millennium Development Goals [Macromedia Flash Player]
  4. The World Bank established a set of Millennium Development Goals as both a challenge to poor countries to demonstrate "good governance" and to wealthy nations as a spur that would hopefully encourage them to support economic and social development. Recently, the World Bank created this visually engaging and sophisticated interactive atlas to track those eight goals, which include the promotion of gender equality, combating disease, and reducing child mortality. Visitors can click on any of these eight goals and they will be able to view maps of the world that document the progress that has been made in each nation. Clicking on each nation individually brings up clear and easy-to-read tables that chart additional changes within each separate goal. Visitors can export the data for their own use, and they can also resize the map to demonstrate the changes made over the past few years.


  5. Darwin Correspondence Project

    Started in 1974 by the American scholar Frederick Burkhardt, the Darwin Correspondence Project has been scouring the globe to find all of the letters written by (and to) Charles Darwin. So far, they have collected over 14,500 letters and they have placed transcripts of thousands of these letters online on this very fine site. Currently there are about 5000 digitized (and searchable) letters available here. They include all of the surviving letters from his rather momentous voyage on the Beagle and all of the letters from the years around the publication of Origin of Species in 1859. The site also contains thematic collections of letters that deal with Darwin's evolving thoughts on religion, science, ethics, and the very boundaries of science and religion. Without a doubt, this is a site that will warrant several visits and for anyone with a penchant for the history of science this site is one that will be most welcome.


  6. Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art [Macromedia Flash Player]

    Rothko, Picasso, and Kapoor are but some of the many artists covered in the delightful online course on the world of modern and contemporary art offered by the Tate Online website. Developed as part of their educational outreach efforts, this course offers a brief primer on some of the developments in this field of art, and for those who might find themselves intimidated by such a subject, this is a perfect place to start learning. Utilizing materials from the Tate Modern museum and a variety of other visual materials, this online course contains eight units, including "Art and Materials", "Art and Everyday Life", and "Art and Politics". After registering on the site, visitors can proceed through these units at their leisure, and they can also download complementary brochures for each unit.


  7. Earth Day: Climate: Electronic Resources [pdf, Macromedia Flash Player]

    Started by the late Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, Earth Day has become a world wide event in its over thirty years of existence, and educators will find this site most helpful as they begin to develop lesson plans and exercises around this event. Created by the American Chemical Society, this site contains links to online resources that deal with the climate, various climatic regions, and ongoing changes in climate. The links are organized into three sections, and visitors can also read brief descriptions of the materials they can find on each site. There are some very fine links here, including one to NASA's Earth Observing System and the Global Climate Change site offered by The Exploratorium Museum in San Francisco


  8. Teaching Engineering [pdf]

    Purdue University has one of the strongest schools of engineering in the United States, and they remain committed to providing new and interesting materials about the art and science of teaching engineering to their students. Professors Phillip C. Wankat and Frank S. Oreovicz recently created this very helpful textbook to aid engineering educators in the classroom, and it is exciting to see that it is available online here for free. Visitors can download the entire book, or they can just browse around through some of the seventeen chapters. These chapters include "Problem Solving and Creativity", "Lectures", and "Learning Theories". Additionally, there are several helpful appendices, such as "Obtaining an Academic Position" and "Sample Teaching Course Outline". Overall, it's an exemplary resource, and one that will be most useful to engineering educators. These materials can be used in a variety of engineering courses, including those that deal with chemical and mechanical engineering.


  9. The Mathematical Association of America: Innovative Teaching Exchange

    The Mathematical Association of America has developed the Innovative Teaching Exchange in order to facilitate the exchange of interesting and compelling teaching resources from a wide range of educators. As their site indicates, "The intention is to encourage more experimentation with more methods than the traditional lecture/questions method." Currently, there are about a dozen articles available for consideration here, and they include titles such as "Flowcharting Proofs", "Engaging Students via In-Class Worksheets", and "In Search of the Elusive Matrix". Each article contains information on how to use each exercise in the classroom, and these materials will hopefully inspire readers to submit their own classroom-tested modules or activities.


  10. Digital Classroom Resources: Napier’s Bones [Macromedia Flash Player]

    The Mathematical Association of America has teamed up the National Science Foundation to create an online collection of digital classroom resources. One of their more recent creations is this multimedia feature that teaches students about Napier's Bones. Created by Michael Caulfield and Wayne Anderson of Gannon University, this feature will introduce students to the work of John Napier, a 16th century mathematician who created a procedure for multiplication using sticks or bones. In this presentation, visitors can watch a step-by-step demonstration of this technique and then also enter any two factors of up to six digits each in order to create their own animation of this method. It is a nice way to get students thinking about this rather intriguing way to multiply, and the site also contains several links to other sites about John Napier and his bones.


  11. Digital History: A Guide To Gathering, Preserving, And Presenting the Past On The Web

    The Center for History and New Media at George Mason University has consistently broken new ground with their projects, and this online resource is an important part of their work. Created and written by Professors Daniel J. Cohen and Roy Rosenzweig, this online version of their book serves as an introduction to the web for those "who wish to produce online historical work, or to build upon and improve the projects they have already started in this important new medium." The work is divided into a number of chapters, including "Becoming Digital", "Owning the Past?", and "Preserving Digital History". Leaving hardly a stone unturned, the work covers everything from copyright law to site design, and it is a work that visitors will want to return to more than once.


  12. H-Net Reviews

    Most people who work in the academic world of either the humanities or the social sciences will have heard of H-Net, which consists of a number of electronic mailing lists that disseminate information about upcoming conferences, seminars, workshops, funding opportunities and so on. What they may not know about is the H-Net Reviews site, which is equally valuable. The site brings together all of the individual reviews posted to the different individual H-Net networks in one readily accessible database. On their site, visitors can read some of the latest scholarly reviews, read up on their review guidelines, and also perform a detailed search for reviews dating back to 1993. Visitors will also want to check out some of the other networks, including H-Human-Rights, H-Memory, and H-Material Culture.


  13. Discover Antarctica [pdf, Macromedia Flash Player, Quick Time]

    Antarctica is arguably the continent that most people know the least about, so it is nice to find out that the Royal Geographical Society (in partnership with the British Antarctic Survey) has created this website which explores all aspects of life on this landmass. The "Imagining Antarctica" area is a fine place to start, and visitors can watch a short video clip about the continent, test their existing knowledge with a short quiz, and then participate in a "being there" activity. Other engaging sections include "A Changing Climate", "Living There Today" and "What Future?" The site also lists all of the resources by format, including audio files, video clips, Word documents, and images. Finally, the site also includes a "Teachers' Area", which offers a number of learning activities for students and teacher notes that are correlated to each of the main sections of the site.


  14. The State of America’s Libraries [pdf]

    Released in April 2010, The State of America's Libraries report from the American Library Association offers users a wealth of information about current trends over the past year. Within the 19-page report visitors will learn that investment in e-books at academic and research libraries rose 68 percent from 2002 to 2004 and that school library media centers were hard hit by funding cuts in 2009. The report contains a number of charts that track library use over the past year and the different types of materials contained within the nation's libraries. Moving on, the report also contains brief summaries of the expansion of Google's book digitization project and scholarships awarded to minority librarians. Overall, it is an impressive report, and one that will be of great interest to those interested in the policy issues surrounding libraries and those working in the fields of library and information science.


  15. The Encyclopedia of Earth

    The Encyclopedia of Earth is a very ambitious effort to provide high-quality information on a wide range of subjects related to the Earth, its natural environments and their interaction with society. The "About" section is a great place to start as visitors can learn about the mission, goals, and future direction of the Encyclopedia. From the homepage, visitors can read featured articles, learn about the contributors, as well as learn more about the content providers, such as the International Society for Ecological Economists. Visitors can then browse the Encyclopedia by article title, author, topic, content partner, or content source. For those who are geographically inclined, the "Where in the World?" feature lists article by location. Needless to say, this site is a great resource for anyone looking for excellent information on subjects ranging from acid rain to Vladimir Kosma Zworykin.


  16. Mathematics Resources

    Good resources for mathematics educators can be difficult to find, but fortunately Kathy Schrock has brought together a very nice set of links that will be of interest to those looking for materials on algebra, trigonometry, probability, and any number of other related fields. The links are organized alphabetically, and visitors can also use the search engine that appears in the top right-hand corner of the page. Some of the highlights on the site include links to Ask Dr. Math, Math Forum, and the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics. Visitors may also use an online form to contact Schrock if they have any questions or comments.


  17. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center [pdf]

    With much of the United States becoming interested in the world of organic farming, sustainable agriculture, and related pursuits, it is nice to know that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a very nice online presence dedicated to alternative farming systems here at the Alternate Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC). The site has been recently redesigned, and visitors can jump right in by looking over the "I Want To" area, where they can locate funding resources, explore the world of aquaculture, and even explore alternative farming methods. After taking a look there, visitors can also browse the site's contents by subject area, including organic production, ecological pest management, and farm energy options. One fine gem on the site is the "Community Supported Agriculture" area. Here, visitors can find a farmer's market or local community supported farm in their corner of the United States.


  18. BibMe

    "BibMe is your one-stop source for all your bibliography needs! Don't remember all the information for the source you cited? No problem! BibMe allows you to search from a database of millions of entries to find your source and autofill in the information. Or, if you the source in front of you, you can enter your entries in manually. BibMe also offers resources to help you cite your work properly in the 'Citation Guide' section."


  19. Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching

    Based at the University of Plymouth, the Centre for Innovation in Mathematics Teaching has developed many instructional materials designed to help both novice and experienced math teachers. This particular area of their website provides access to a number of interactive mathematics tutorials. The materials are divided into eight units, including those that deal with factors, mathematical diagrams, proportion, and estimating. Within each unit, users will find a number of example questions and related exercises. All of the materials offered here are quite accessible and easy to use, and users will find coverage of everything from prime factors to the sometimes-daunting Pythagorean theorem.


  20. Digital Library for the Decorative Arts and Material Culture: Image and Text Collections

    The decorative arts and material culture get their full due at this lovely online collection created by the University of Wisconsin's Digital Collections program. With generous funding from the Chipstone Foundation, the staff members at the Digital Collections program have digitized a variety of primary and secondary resources related to the decorative arts, with a particular focus on Early America. The materials offered here for consideration include items from the Chipstone ceramics and furniture collection and a number of important early documents, such as "The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director" from 1754 and Humphry Repton's 1794 work, "Sketches and hints on landscape gardening". The site includes several dozens other works, and visitors can also look through all of the materials via a sophisticated search engine.


  21. Introduction to C Programming

    Computer programming can be both a delight and a challenge, so it is nice to know that there are a number of online tutorials designed to provide information about entering the world of C programming and other such applications. This particular C programming tutorial was created at the University of Leicester and is designed to provide both an overview of this type of programming, along with some introductory materials on the structure of such programs. This online tutorial is divided into eighteen different discrete sections, such as "Control Loops", "Conditional Execution", and "File Handling". A course assessment form and a database of example programs round out the tutorial


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