Research and Education
http://www.learner.org/resources/series187.html
Getting ahead in the field of biology is important to young scholars, and staying on top of the material is important to their teachers. The Annenberg Media group has created this thirteen part video course for educators, and recently they placed the complete set of videos online here. The programs include interviews with expert scientists, detailed animations that provide a micro-level view of biological processes and techniques, and a number of learning activities. Visitors can take in each program at their leisure and they can also avail themselves of the link to the interactive website designed in tandem with the video series. Here, they are welcome to look over in-class activities, annotated animations, and case studies that will illuminate the materials introduced in the series. [KMG]
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/publications/tnl/tnl.html
From dark matter to the transit of Venus, "The University in the Classroom" has all the astronomical bases covered for educators. This electronic educational newsletter is published by The Astronomical Society of the Pacific and has been published since 1984. Each issue is designed to help teachers learn more about astronomy themselves, and then they can bring this new knowledge into their classroom. On the newsletter's homepage, visitors can read the current issue, subscribe to receive updates, and also browse through the archives, which stretch back to late 1984. Within each issue, visitors can read an in-depth exploration of a certain astronomical subject, complete with classroom activities and links to other related resources. [KMG]
http://www.nmai.si.edu/education/codetalkers/
Throughout World War I and World War II, American Indians were asked to join the United States armed forces. They served in many different campaigns, and in many different capacities, but perhaps one of the best known groups of American Indians were the "Code Talkers". The "Code Talkers" were asked to develop a way of transmitting secret messages using their own native languages, and they were tremendously successful. This beautifully designed and multi-layered site developed by the National Museum of the American Indian presents the voices of the "Code Talkers", along with other voices, all of which are combined seamlessly with historic images, graphics, and songs. Visitors will learn about the "Code Talkers" experiences in the military, their reintegration into society upon their return from war, and subsequent recognition by both the French and United States governments. [KMG]
http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/3/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=1570
The Mathematical Association of America's online Digital Classroom site offers no faint praise for this interactive set of tools, noting that "it is exciting, fast, and fully object-oriented". This is all true, and educators in both mathematics and the sciences can use this application to create their own customized, web-based learning aids. Developed by Doug Ensley of Shippensburg University and Barbara Kaskosz of the University of Rhode Island, these tutorials come complete with an overview, some basic information on its constructs and interactions, and a set of guidelines to follow to create meaningful and compelling learning aids for students. Overall, it's a very fine resource, and one that interested parties will be able to use in a variety of settings. [KMG]
In 1888, the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) was started in Woods Hole, and since then it has served as a place for world-class biologists and ecologists to gather and work together. Their ambitions are very broad and admirable, and visitors should start by reading through the introduction in the "About MBL" section before looking around further. Most visitors will then want to go to the "Education" area. Here they will find such resources as a marine organism database, a number of full-text classic works on marine organisms, and several image databases. Moving on, visitors might also want to look at the "Research" area, which contains materials on their laboratories, research opportunities at the MBL, and an overview of their current research projects. [KMG]
http://www.worldbank.org/africa
The World Bank does a great deal of development work throughout Africa, and it is by far the largest provider of assistance on the continent. As of 2007, their portfolio of projects under implementation was over $19 billion. They are also involved with working with a wide range of government partners on the "Africa Action Plan", which is concerned with everything from reducing and mitigating violent conflicts to promoting private sector-led growth and job creation. Visitors can learn about the Plan on the site, and they can also utilize the drop-down menus on the homepage to learn about initiatives and topics in every country on the continent. Along the left-side of the homepage, visitors can explore a number of thematic areas, such as "Data & Statistics", "Development Topics", and "Partnerships". Additionally, visitors with very specific needs can look under the "Resources For" area. Here there are resources organized for government officials, businesses, youth, and so on. [KMG]
http://www.pewtrusts.org/pdf/NGA_Report.pdf
The Pew Charitable Trusts sponsors a number of research groups, centers, and organizations, and in July 2007 their Pew Center on the States published a 76-page report that might be considered "required reading" for a number of government officials and economic development specialists. Working with the National Governor's Association, they created this report which details how states can effectively attract and retain new types of economic development through smart investments in research and development. For the report, a team of researchers spent six months looking at policy solutions in this area devised in all fifty states. The report contains a number of important findings, but none is perhaps more important than the idea in the introduction which notes that how an individual state spends its money on research and development is crucial. The report goes on to state, "Key to this truth is the notion that R&D efforts must be considered investments, not expenditures." [KMG]
Persons with an interest in public health will want to make a beeline for this rather helpful and well-done journal offered by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). This online-only publication was started in January 2004, and contains a healthy mix of peer-reviewed articles, CDC announcements, and general interest pieces. The journal's interests are quite broad and include reproductive health, oral health, health risk behavior, and the value of policy and legislation in preventing chronic disease. Some of the recent articles in the journal have included pieces on childhood obesity prevention legislation, diabetes and tooth loss, and more specifically, "The Cradle to Prison Pipeline: An American Health Crisis". The site also contains an online archive and information for potential authors, peer reviewers, and information about email updates about new issues. [KMG]
