Research and Education
http://www.clintonfoundation.org
Former President Clinton, like President Jimmy Carter before him, has embarked on an ambitious program of humanitarian work through the William J. Clinton Foundation. On the Foundation’s website, visitors can learn about the various partnerships and programs, which are centered on the themes of health security, economic empowerment, and leadership development, among others. From the homepage, visitors can learn about these programs, and also read from President Clinton’s travel diary. For those looking to learn about the Foundation’s work in greater detail, there are themed sections which provide successful case studies in each area, along with video clips of the initiatives at work. Finally, visitors can also read press releases from the Foundation, and peruse transcripts of Clinton’s speeches given on behalf of the Foundation. [KMG]
http://www.pewoceanscience.org
Established in 2003, the Pew Institute for Ocean Science is “dedicated to conducting, sponsoring, disseminating, and promoting world-class scientific activity aimed at protecting the world’s oceans and the species that inhabit them.” As part of their ambitious mission, the Institute has established this website to provide open access to information about their research and findings. This information includes material on various projects, such as the Pew Global Shark Assessment as well as their work on fishery yields around the world’s oceans. The projects area is well organized, as visitors can see what types of media are available for each project, such as images, videos, audio programs, press coverage, and publications. The events calendar here is a nice feature, and is worth consulting to find out about conferences that address deep sea corals and local approaches to marine conservation and management. [KMG]
The Center for Teaching Excellence [pdf]
http://www.lansing.cc.mi.us/cte/
Del Mar College-Teaching and Learning Center [Real Player]
http://www.delmar.edu/tlc/home.html
A number of colleges and universities have excellent sites dedicated to helping professors and other educators learn more about effective teaching methods. In recent years, more than a few community colleges have also adopted such techniques, creating a plethora of websites geared towards assisting educators. The first site profiled is from the Lansing Community College’s Center For Teaching Excellence. From their page, visitors can take a look through a number of useful documents, such as “Classroom Strategies for Fostering Student Retention” and “Essays on Teaching Excellence.” The site also contains their biannual newsletter, “Spotlight on Faculty”, which features a number of teaching tips and techniques developed by faculty at the college. The second site will take users to the Teaching and Learning Center at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. Here visitors can find helpful “technology tips” designed for incorporating technology into the classroom, and a number of podcasts of interest. These podcasts deal with a number of themes, ranging from mental health crises on campus to resource challenges facing community colleges. [KMG]
Located at Harvard University, The National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy (NCSALL) draws on numerous scholars and experts to investigate the practice of educational programs around the country that serve adults with limited literacy and English language skills. Their various outreach efforts include disseminating their research findings through journals and policy reports, along with the leadership provided by their Connecting Practice, Policy, and Research initiative. The “Research” section of the site is a good place to start, as users can learn about their most recent research projects and also read publications authored by researchers working at NCSALL. Beyond this section, visitors will also appreciate the “Publications” area, which includes research briefs, reports, and selections from their occasional papers series. One highlight here is the “Focus on Basics” quarterly publication, which presents best practices and current research on adult learning and literacy. Visitors can view the current issue, and also scan through the archives, which date back to 1997. [KMG]
http://www.futureofchildren.org
There are a number of fine journals that deal with policies oriented toward children in the United States, and The Future of Children is certainly one of the best. The journal is a publication of The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and The Brookings Institution. On this site, visitors can read the current issue of the journal, and also browse their previous issues dating back to 1991. Each issue has a general theme, and past years have featured issues dealing with adoption, health insurance for children, caring for infants and toddlers, and domestic violence. For visitors who may be pressed for time, each issue contains an executive summary and article summaries. Additionally, users may also wish to sign up to receive their free e-mail newsletter. [KMG]
Global warming and climate change have been a top priority for a number of international organizations, and in recent years, a number of states have also become profoundly concerned about these transformations. Not surprisingly, the state of California has been interested in these subjects for some time, and this website is an initiative of the various agencies working in this area of research. On this site, visitors can learn about various initiatives sponsored by different agencies within the state and also peruse a list of FAQ’s on the subject. First-time visitors will want to start at the “Background” section; they may then proceed to the “Policy & Program” area, where they can learn what the state is doing to combat this situation. Some of these programs include a voluntary greenhouse gas emission registry for California companies and a research program to spur environmentally-friendly energy alternatives. Finally, the site also includes a very nice glossary of terms used in discussing global climate change. [KMG]
