http://www.rle.mit.edu/

As one of the most well known research laboratories in the world, the Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) at MIT has produced important innovations in nanoscale science, multiscale bioengineering, quantum computation, and atomic physics. Visitors with an interest in their work can use their homepage to start looking over the "News Links" and "Press Releases". These two areas are just a small portion of their work, but they offer a nice sampling of the recent projects and successes of the RLE. Most people will want to look over the "videoRLE" area, which features profiles of the scientists working at the laboratory. Moving on, the "Research" area contains specific websites designed to focus information on their major research themes and their collaborative efforts with the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation. The “Services” area, which includes material on available job openings at RLE and a helpful “How Do I” section, rounds out the site. [KMG]

http://www.mediainstitute.org/

Created in 1979, The Media Institute exists to foster three goals: "freedom of speech, a competitive media and communications industry, and excellence in journalism." As part of their work, they publish books and monographs, convene conferences, and also prepare regulatory filings and court briefs. On their homepage, visitors can read their blog, and also look over their "Perspectives" series and "Speaking Freely" opinion papers. Some of the more recent pieces here include "Collapsing Copyright Categories", "Defining Away the First Amendment", and "A Taboo Topic: Government Subsidies for the Media". Also, visitors can view their "Press Releases" area for up-to-the minute news on the Institute's activities and their upcoming conferences and luncheons in Washington, D.C. The site is rounded out by a set of external links to organizations like the Media Coalition and the Society of Professional Journalists. [KMG]

http://www.ctcfl.ox.ac.uk/

The Institute for Chinese Studies is located at Oxford University, and their website for the Centre for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language has a multitude of links to aid students who are learning Chinese and “focuses on the development of online and multimedia language teaching." Visitors will find that there are elementary, intermediate, and advanced level exercises, and they cover everything from pronunciation guides, listening exercises, newspaper reading, Chinese culture, and Chinese character writing. Students will appreciate the "Student Diary" at the top of the homepage, which lists the current schedule for undergraduate classes, and the accompanying assignments that are due for each class. There is also an "Archive for Listening and Interpreting Exercises" in the Student Diary section, and it is broken down by topic, such as "Science and Technology", "Trade”, and "International Relations". At the bottom of the list of topics visitors can find a link to watch and read the news, on Chinese Central TV Channel 9 News. [KMG]

http://www.kcc.org.nz/

For over 20 years the Kiwi Conservation Club has been teaching New Zealand children about plants, animals, conservation, and respect for nature. Their website is loaded with several fun ways for kids to engage in learning. The "Wildlife and Wild Places" link has four colorful squares, each with a photo on it, and when scrolled over, the topic of the square is revealed. Visitors will find the following topics: "Wild Places", "Wildlife", "Plant Life", and "Threats and Impacts". The Threats and Impacts square informs visitors of the numerous non-native animals that have been introduced to New Zealand and caused harm to native populations since the 1700s. These "Pest Plants" and "Pest Animals" are explained in further detail by clicking on yet another series of squares, or on the left hand menu. Visitors will definitely enjoy the "Games and Quizzes" section of the website, where there are "Spotlight Games", "Quizzes", and "Match Puzzles". The subject of the Match Puzzles include "Who's My Cousin?", "Where Do I Live?", and "What Puts Me in Danger?" [KMG]

To find this resource and more high-quality online resources in math and science visit Scout's sister site - AMSER, the Applied Math and Science Educational Repository at http://amser.org.

http://appliedsportpsych.org/home

The three interrelated focus areas of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) are health and exercise psychology, performance psychology and social psychology. The aim of the Association is to see how "participation in sport, exercise, and physical activity may enhance personal development and well–being throughout the life span." Visitors will find that the "About" section of their website has a "History" link, as well as links to "Awards & Grants", "Fellows", and "Special Interest Groups". The "Publications" link has position papers published by the AASP in PDF format at the bottom of the page; topics of the papers include unethical behavior, choosing a sport psychology consultant, and human diversity. Visitors can check out the "Resource Center" link for information for parents, coaches, and athletes, which cover such topics as mental skills training information and how to teach and apply sport psychology skills. [KMG]

http://www.documentcloud.org/home

Cloud computing is gaining currency, and this new project is just one of the many initiatives that will make people sit up and take notice. The Document Cloud nonprofit began in 2009 with funds from the Knight News Challenge, and the idea behind the group is that journalists, researchers, and archivists can use the DocumentCloud workspace to upload documents, share them with teams of colleagues, and also conduct structured searches and analyses based on extracted entities (also known as the people, places, and organizations mentioned in the text). The group is in the process of releasing some of their work as open-source projects, and visitors can use the "FAQ" area to learn more about these projects. The site also includes a blog, a "Latest Updates" area, and profiles of the founders over at "Who We Are". [KMG]

http://apps.carleton.edu/digitalcollections/mediaarchive/

Carleton College has a wealth of archives related to events that have taken place on their campus, and they are now in the process of offering these materials online. The materials found here include recordings of convocations, lectures, news broadcasts, symposiums, interviews, and commencement addresses. Currently, there are over 60 items, and new materials will be added in the future. Visitors will find items like President Barack Obama's address to the campus on politics and race from February 5, 1999 and a talk by Professor Linda Clader on the "Scott of the Antarctic and Other Failures". One very neat item is the Knights of Carleton's recording from 1989 which feature songs from Carleton's first fifty years of existence. [KMG]

http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/all_current_exhibitions/book_of_the_dead.aspx

The Book of the Dead was not a single text, but "a compilation of spells designed to guide the deceased through the dangers of the underworld, ultimately ensuring eternal life." This remarkable digital exhibit from The British Museum is designed to complement an in-situ exhibit at the institution. Visitors to the site can view a video introduction to the collection, and then look at some highlighted items from the exhibit. The site has an excellent blog with posts from the exhibition curator John Taylor. Also, the site includes information for teachers, some of which can be used without visiting the physical collection. [KMG]