Research and Education
Sea turtles are fascinating creatures, and they have a lovely online home here at the Seaturtle website. It is an ambitious site that contains everything from the latest scientific research on seaturtles to a blend of materials designed for the more casual visitor as well. From the homepage, visitors can read the Marine Turtle Newsletter, view recent news headlines about these animals, and also view updated announcements about job opportunities in the field of marine animal research and advocacy. The “Tracking” section is a true gem, as visitors can look at an interactive map that shows the location of tagged sea turtles and also learn more about the status of sea turtles who are in marine hospitals. Additionally, the “Multimedia” area contains some fine podcasts that deal with sea turtle conservation efforts and rehabilitation. [KMG]
Starting in 2001, three institutions in the Chicago region began to create the vPlants database, which allows interested web-surfing parties to browse through various data from 90,000 plant specimens. Even more impressive is the fact that users can also view digital images for almost 50,000 of the specimens. Currently, these institutional partners are also in the process of adding 12,000 fungus specimen records. From their well-designed homepage, visitors can search for plant names by family, genus, or common name. Additionally, visitors can also browse a glossary of terms and a set of external links. The database brings the plant life of the region to life through its mix of visual materials and well-written descriptions. Neophyte botanists will appreciate its accessibility, and more experienced persons can find items of use here as well. [KMG]
Created by Professor Andrea Harbin in 1995, NetSerf is a way for websurfers and dedicated medievalists to find out about various online resources that deal with many aspects of the medieval world. Over the past eleven years, the site has grown significantly, and first-time visitors will want to browse through the subject headings on the site’s homepage to get a sense of the wide range of material covered here. On the left-hand side of the page, visitors can select a site at random, or view a list of the top ten NetSerf sites. After looking over some of the sites, visitors will probably want to turn to the online glossary provided here, which defines words from abbey to zupan. [KMG]
Founded in 1975, the Poynter Institute was created by Nelson Poynter, who served as chairman of the St. Petersburg Times and the Congressional Quarterly. Over the past three decades, the organization has worked to train new cadres of journalists through a variety of intensive seminars and educational formats. Poynter Online provides interested parties access to a wide range of articles and columns created by well-regarded members of their organization and other working journalists from around the United States. Visitors can view job postings in the field, look over career columns, and even submit questions to columnists. Along with this vocationally oriented material, there are sections such as “diversity”, “photojournalism”, and “ethics”, which contain insightful pieces on these subjects. As might be expected given the general trends in media, there are a number of helpful blogs here that address writing for general audiences, ethical considerations for journalists, and so on. For aspiring journalists and those currently working in the profession, this site is tremendously useful. [KMG]
With the exponential growth in geographic information systems (GIS) across the United States, there are a number of organizations with an interest in coordinating a variety of activities around the sustained growth and management of these various systems. One such group is the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). With members drawn from the federal government, academia, and the private sector, the Council is committed to advocating on behalf of these state GIS agencies in the interest of creating efficient and accessible databases. A good place to start on their website is the “Hot Topics” area, which provides access to their blog and information about some of their latest initiatives, which include those that address homeland security and topographic accuracy. Additionally, visitors can also learn more about their events and conferences, and also about membership opportunities. [KMG]
http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/
More and more journals start their lives not as paper entities, but as electronic publications, and scholarly interest in these electronic publications is growing. This particular electronic journal is published twice a year by the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern University and is designed to be “an international vehicle for articles, essays, and discussions about the scholarship of teaching and learning.” As a way to learn about various perspectives on teaching and learning, it will be greatly appreciated by educational theorists and practitioners. Visitors to the site can learn how to submit manuscripts, learn about the review process, and read details about the editorial review board. Some of their recent articles include “Dialogic Communication in Collaborative Problem Solving Groups” and “What’s It Really All About? The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning as an Authentic Practice.” [KMG]
http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/300.pdf
Over the past few decades, a number of well-known writers such as Robert Coles, Alex Kotlowitz, and Allan Bloom have weighed in on the lives of young people, often generating meaningful dialogues (and controversy) along the way. This recent 45-page report from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press may spark such conversations as well, for it offers a portrait of the so-called “Generation Next”, which applies to those young persons between the ages of 18-25. Based on phone interviews conducted in the fall of 2006 where Pew researchers spoke to approximately 1500 individuals, this report asked participants about their political beliefs, their use of technology as a form of social communication, and their thoughts on immigrants. It is an interesting and compelling report, and one that will pique the interest of sociologists and those who work with young people. [KMG]
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/
Since its first review in the Scout Report almost ten years ago, the Government Innovators Network has grown exponentially, and remains a delightful example of the power of well-organized web portals. Produced by the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, this website is a “marketplace of ideas and examples of government innovation.” From their homepage, visitors can take advantage of this buzzing marketplace by looking over some of their recent news stories, a “What’s New” feature, and their general topic list. Within each topic, visitors will be directed to another list of subtopics, which includes a listing of relevant policy documents, events, and news stories. Finally, visitors can also sign up to receive their newsletter, titled “Innovators Insights” and also view multimedia features on faith-based housing developments and woman leaders in criminal justice. [KMG]
