Research and Education
http://www3.brookings.edu/comm/policybriefs/pb160.pdf
Throughout the years, the United States has always been on the lookout for ways to improve the country's image overseas. Early in the 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on a round-the-world journey, and by the 1950s, various jazz ambassadors (such as Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman) were spreading that unique American musical idiom from Islamabad to Moscow. As it turns out, several Brookings Institution staff members have some rather fine ideas about how to share the best of America with the world. Written in March 2007, this policy brief authored by David L. Caprara, John Bridgeland, and Harris Wofford talks about the inherent possibilities of a program they call "Global Service Fellowships". The program would have American volunteers serve abroad with qualified nongovernmental organizations, faith-based group, and universities that are "committed to advancing peace and development." In the brief, they also suggest that Congress and the White House should work together to double the Peace Corps and increase support of other related efforts designed to enable global service. It's a very intriguing policy idea, and the paper is well worth a look. [KMG]
Based at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, the Physics Education Research Group is committed to performing "rigorous research into science education, cognition, and learning." One of their more recent projects was the "Assessing-to-Learn Physics" initiative, which was designed to look at the ongoing process of learning physics in the classroom. As such, this site provides public access to a large library of questions and problems that can be used in the classroom. First-time visitors may wish to look over the "About" section, and then proceed to the "Items Library" section. Within this area, users can select an educational level, pick several keywords, and then look at the items that are returned from the database. If any of this is confusing or unclear, they should make use of the "Library Help" area, which usually can answer any queries that might come up about using the database. [KMG]
http://mathdl.maa.org/mathDL/3/?pa=content&sa=viewDocument&nodeId=404
Discussing functions can be a tricky endeavor, but having a handy interactive way to talk about functions can relieve a great deal of stress. As part of the Mathematical Sciences Digital Library, this Functions Grapher application is designed to let users enter one or two functions. After doing so, users can trace along either one with coordinates shown dynamically changing at all times. The application was created by Professor Barbara Kaskosz of the University of Rhode Island, and it can be used by students in algebra, pre-calculus, or calculus courses. Of course, educators may wish to use it in their classrooms for illustrative purposes and they can also pass along to students who might find the very idea of functions and their operation a bit puzzling. [KMG]
http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/main.htm
From Wenatchee to Orono, the USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is looking into everything from colony collapse disorder to hop cultivation. Of course, their work doesn't stop there as they also coordinate science partnerships with a wide range of businesses and government agencies. Visitors to their website will be presented with a list of "I Want To….", where they can find an ARS location, locate an ARS employee, search for a research project, or just even ask a question. The "Spotlight" area on the homepage is a great place to learn about some of their latest work, which has included research on high-quality corn, and a national research action plan for investigating colony collapse disorder. Moving on, the "Products & Services" area includes the archive of their monthly magazine and links to their newsletters, which address nutrition and animal health-related matters. [KMG]
http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM225&page=teacher
Teaching economics at the high school or college level can be tremendously interesting, and at the same time, it can be difficult to find high-quality classroom resources for this particular discipline. The EconEdLink website (created by the National Council on Economic Education) is a great place to find just such resources, including this recent lesson plan and activity. Written by Stephen Buckles of Vanderbilt University, this lesson deals with the world of the gross domestic product (GDP). The goals of this particular activity are to provide teachers and students with access to easily understood monthly announcements of rates of change in real GDP, along with questions and activities that will help reinforce understanding of relevant concepts. The site includes access to teacher materials, key economic concepts, and basic explanations of what is included within the GDP and how it is tabulated. [KMG]
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/2005/17/
What’s a mineral deposit? How is it formed? These and many other questions are answered between the pages of this useful and informative teacher's guide dealing with the life cycle of a mineral deposit. This 40-page guide was written by Dave Frank, John Galloway, and Ken Assmus and published first in 2005. Created under the auspices and direction of the US Geological Survey, the guide covers topics like the use of mineral resources in everyday life, and how minerals are mined. Within the guide, teachers can also make use of ten different activity-based learning exercises that can be used to educate students on basic geologic concepts and the processes of finding and identifying resources from any given mineral deposit. The guide is rounded out by the inclusion of an appendix of key terms. [KMG]
E.O. Wilson may be the best-known academic working on the biology of ants, though it is likely that most myrmecologists will find this site rather helpful and interesting. The site and its database are maintained by staff members at the American Museum of Natural History and the Ohio State University. As their website proclaims, they are moving "Towards the 12,000 species!", and visitors can search the database by taxon or author, and visitors can also avail themselves of the help feature. The site also includes a very helpful collection of ant-related websites, along with links to related blogs. For casual visitors, the site also provides an answer to the question "How many ants are there?" and actual lists of the ants of the world. [KMG]
Harvard doesn't have a formal journalism program per se, but they do have the world-famous Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Along with their celebrated fellowship programs, they also have a strong web presence, and the Nieman Watchdog site is just one important part of that presence. Operating under the motto "Questions the press should ask", the Watchdog project helps the press ask penetrating questions. On their homepage, they offer up some of their highlights, including recent commentaries on issues that may not be receiving enough critical coverage in the media, along with links to compelling blogs. The "Showcase" section is quite a tour-de-force, as it features best practices and innovative features across the news media. Recent features here have included a primer on US detainee policy and links to extended investigations on the restructuring of the FBI after 9/11. The site is rounded out by a search engine and by the inclusion of their own in-house blog. [KMG]
