Research and Education
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/
It seems like there is a never-ending flow of sites about digital media, and it times it can present an overwhelming challenge to decide which ones might be most useful. MediaShift is certainly one of the best, and it is led by Mark Glaser, noted journalist, critic, and media expert. With support from PBS, this site and weblog looks at how new media such as podcasts and citizen journalism are changing society and culture. On the site, visitors can start by looking through “The Week’s Top 5”, which offers a short list of things that have been particularly prominent around the web. Visitors looking for specific topics can look through a topical list that includes “Legal Drama”, “Online Video”, “Satellite Radio”, and several dozen other topics. Finally, visitors can also sign up to receive a RSS feed and also elect to receive updates via email. [KMG]
Based at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families (CJC) is a nonprofit program administered by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism. The CJC is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Freddie Mac Foundation, and a number of individual donors. The CJC provides numerous fellowship and training opportunities for new and experienced journalists, and visitors with an interest in such programs can look over their offerings in the “Fellowships/Training” section. The CJC also gives out an annual award for meritorious journalism, and visitors can read each year’s winning investigative pieces on the site as well. As might be expected, the site contains a “Resources” section for working journalists who write on topics like child neglect, violence, and public support systems. Visitors to these respective areas will find links to statistical sites, brief summaries of relevant data, and links for locating experts and external resources. [KMG]
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Writing-and-Humanistic-Studies/21W-732-1Spring-2007/CourseHome/index.htm
Various OpenCourseWare initiatives at institutions like Kyoto University and the University of Notre Dame have been met with many a “huzzah” from around the globe. MIT’s own OpenCourseWare initiative is quite well known from Peoria to Pretoria, and this particular course is a nice addition to their roster of existing materials. This course was developed and taught by Professor Cynthia Taft, and it addresses the “full range of writings by physicians and other health practitioners.” Their number includes Richard Selzer, William Carlos Williams, and Danielle Ofri. Visitors can look over the course syllabus, check out the reading list, and look at the assignments. Persons interested in the work and art of writing about medicine and public health will derive a great deal of enjoyment from these materials. [KMG]
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/sedimentary/activities/13842.html
The site, Professional Development for Geoscience Faculty, continues to receive high marks and a great deal of praise, and this resource follows in that established tradition. Created by Lawrence D. Lemke of Wayne State University, this exercise helps educators assess the current state of students’ educational background as it applies to sedimentary geology. As Lemke notes in the introduction, he uses this pre-assessment quiz as a way to gauge their knowledge, and it has been quite successful in the classroom. Visitors can read a description of this activity, and they can also download the student survey and a short quiz. For persons working in the field of geology education, this resource will be most useful. [KMG]
http://hlsl5.law.harvard.edu/bracton/
If you are not a student of medieval law, you might not be familiar with the work of Henry of Bratton (Henricus de Brattona or Bractona). Bratton was a judge of the court known as coram rege, which later became known as the King’s Bench, in the 1250's. He is best known for writing the extended treatise, “De legibus et consuetudinibus Angliae”, which translated means, “On the Laws and Customs of England”. This work is referred to in some quarters as “the crown and flower of English jurisprudence”, and it is available here in both Latin and English. Interestingly enough, it is now thought that most of the work was actually written in the 1220s and 1230s by persons other than Bratton himself. Here, visitors can browse through the work as they see fit. The work was digitized by staff members at the Harvard Law School Library, and for persons with an interest in legal history, this work will be useful for research purposes. [KMG]
http://www.policyalternatives.ca/
A number of research institutes are concerned with issues of social and economic justice, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) is perhaps one of the best known institutes working in these fields of endeavor. Founded in 1980, the Centre works “to enrich democratic dialogue and ensure Canadians know there are workable solutions to the issues we face.” A good place to start exploring the site’s contents is at the “New from the CCPA” area on the homepage. Here, visitors will find recent policy statements and reports on everything from Canada’s health care system to the regulation of chemical emissions into the environment. Visitors may also wish to look through the “Research & Publications” area, as it contains editorials, news releases, and selected articles from their monthly magazine, “The Monitor”. [KMG]
http://www.metalproject.co.uk/
Working at the University of Nottingham, Dr. Rebecca Taylor and her colleagues have created this very fine set of resources designed to assist teachers who seek to utilize mathematics in the service of teaching economics. Visitors can learn more about their work in the "About the Team" section, and they can also view a summary of the project's work so far. The real heart of the site is contained within the "Resource Room", which contains streaming videos, teaching and learning guides, and a question bank. Visitors may wish to start with the question bank, which contains files that can be used in problem sheets, assessment exercises and tutorials. The exercises include those drawing on algebra, number theory, and differentiation. Moving on, the site also includes teaching and learning guides that address linear equations, finance growth, and either other topics. [KMG]
http://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/2007/RAND_CF235.pdf
For people interested in the continued dominance of the United States in the worlds of science and technology there is one crucial question: “Is the United States in danger of losing its competitive edge of science and technology?” This was the primary question on the minds of those convened by the RAND Corporation to a meeting in November of 2006. At the request of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, RAND brought together experts in academia, government and the private sector to this meeting. The papers presented at this conference addressed issues such as science policy, globalization, the rise of Asia, and technology diffusion. Edited by Titus Galama and James Hosek, this 162-page document presents these various papers, and for persons interested in the potential policy implications of these matters, this report will be most timely and helpful. [KMG]
