Tag Archives: Databases

==   I N   T H E   S C O U T   R E P O R T   T H I S   W E E K  ========

====== Research and Education ====
1.  African Union
2.  Demos
3.  Committee of Concerned Journalists
4.  The University of Chicago Martin Marty Center
5.  Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives
6.  National Geophysical Data Center
7.  Online Journal of School Mathematics
8.  The Electronic Clearinghouse for Exemplary Engineering Technology
Resources

====== General Interest ====
9.  The Human Factor
10. William James
11. ARTscape
12. Frank Loesser
13. Poetry Daily
14. American Routes
15. National Recreation and Park Association: Sports & Health Network
16. The Rehab Guide: Roofs

====== Network Tools ====
17. Loki for Firefox 1.1.0.12
18. Activism Network 3.1.2

====== In The News ====
19. To reduce its carbon emissions, a Vermont college draws on the power of
cows

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====== Research and Education ====

1.  African Union [Macromedia Flash Player, Real Player]
http://www.africa-union.org/

As visitors enter this site, they will be presented with a collage of
African nations coming together to form the entire continent, accompanied by
the words “Africa must unite.” It is a visually stimulating image, and one
that sets the tone quite nicely for the content within. The site is the
homepage of the African Union (AU), which was created in 1999 as part of a
declaration from the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).  While their
mission is complex to say the least, their primary goal is to promote the
“…accelerated socio-economic integration of the continent, which will lead
to greater unity and solidarity between African countries and peoples.”  The
site presents a cornucopia of material on their work, contained within
sections titled “Member States”, “Conferences & Events”, and “Documents”.
One of the best places to start is the “News and Events” area, which
contains a sampling of information on their recent work on gender equity,
sustainable development, higher education systems, and so on. As might be
expected, visitors can also browse through many of these materials in
Arabic, French, and Portuguese. [KMG]

2.  Demos [pdf]
http://www.demos.org

Many policy think tanks and advocacy organizations are formed to respond to
a broad set of issues, and the Demos group is just such an organization.
Based in New York, Demos was founded in 2000 and is dedicated to “a
democracy that is robust and inclusive.” Getting down to specifics, visitors
can look into their four primary issue areas, which include economic
opportunity, public works, long-range challenges and their democracy
program. Along with these specific sections, visitors should definitely look
into their “Publications” area, which include their briefing paper series,
and their commentary pieces which have recently appeared in a host of
newspapers, such as the Boston Globe and The New Republic.  One rather nice
highlight is the area titled “Democracy Dispatches”, which track and analyze
democracy issues across the United States such as redistricting, voting
regulations, and campaign spending. For those visitors who are looking for
specific materials, there is also a search feature on the homepage, and an
option to sign up for their RSS feed. [KMG]

3.  Committee of Concerned Journalists
http://www.concernedjournalists.org/

In the summer of 1997, a group of well-regarded journalists and editors
gathered for a meeting at the Harvard Faculty Club. They met because they
had concerns about the future of journalism and about the public’s general
impression towards journalists. Over the following two years, they examined
the state of journalism throughout the country, and they began to call
themselves the Committee of Concerned Journalists. After publishing a well-
received book on their research, they developed this elaborate website which
contains commentaries on the state of contemporary journalism, blended with
rather relevant information for the general public, such as the “Citizens
Corner” and their “J-Tools”. In the “Citizens Corner”, visitors can read
suggestions on how to get an issue covered by the local media or how to
write a letter to the editor.  The “J-Tools” area is quite splendid, as it
provides an “A-Z” index that covers journalism topics such as standards for
education reporters and a very fine primer on understanding polling. [KMG]

4.  The University of Chicago Martin Marty Center [pdf]
http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/

The idea for establishing an institute for the advanced study of religion at
the University of Chicago originated in the early 1970s, and it seemed to be
a natural fit for the school. After all, the oldest part of the University
was the Divinity School. Just such an institute was established in 1979, and
in 1998, it was renamed after Professor Martin Marty, who had served as a
professor in the Divinity School since 1963. On the site, visitors can learn
about their various programs, including public conferences, publications,
and faculty research projects. Within the publications area of the site,
there are two important initiatives that should not be overlooked. The first
is “Sightings”, which is a bi-weekly email report on the role of religion in
public life. Visitors can view the current edition here, or peruse the
archive all the way back to April 30, 1999. Also, there is the Religion &
Culture Web Forum, which presents a series of online dialogues with scholars
about such topics as the religious identities of Latin American immigrants
and intelligent design. [KMG]

5.  Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives [Macromedia
Flash Player]
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/eyewitness/

It’s hard to get close to General George Washington or peek inside the mind
of President Harry S. Truman, and not just for the obvious reasons.
Fortunately for the web-browsing public, there is this interactive exhibit,
which is designed to complement an in situ exhibit at the National Archives.
Simply titled “Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives”,
the exhibit allows visitors to explore remarkable photographs and primary
documents from the massive collections held by the National Archives.
Currently, visitors can view just over a dozen such documents and
photographs on the site, but there are plans to expand in the near future.
Within the General Washington section, visitors will learn about his concern
with a potential smallpox infection during the Revolutionary War,
accompanied by scanned letters in his own hand and several pieces of visual
ephemera. The site is very well-designed and users will enjoy looking
through the first-hand accounts offered by other personages, including
George H.W. Bush and John Lewis. [KMG]

6.  National Geophysical Data Center [pdf]
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/ngdc.html

To say that the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) brings a wide range
of scientific materials together in one location online would perhaps be a
bit of an understatement. This site brings together over 300 digital and
analog databases, which include those that deal with marine conditions, lake
cores, seismic reflection, and ecosystems. Visitors can feel free to browse
around in this list of databases via the “Data and Information” tab located
on the top of the site’s homepage, or they can also perform a more detailed
search as well. It is worth noting that there are six featured types of
databases on the homepage, which include solar events, geomagnetic data, and
natural hazards. Additionally, a good way to keep abreast of new materials
on the site is by looking at their “News and Features” area, which profiles
data sets of note. [KMG]

7.  Online Journal of School Mathematics
http://my.nctm.org/eresources/journal_home.asp?journal_id=6

Since its creation in 2002, the Online Journal of School Mathematics (ON-
Math) has strived to offer high-quality, peer-reviewed articles on teaching
mathematical concepts and principles to a wide range of students and their
varying skill levels. With an editorial panel of eight members, ON-Math
considers submissions on a regular basis, and visitors can view those
articles selected for publication on this site. Visitors to the site can
read a brief introduction to the journal, and then begin by browsing the
contents of the current issue, or just moving on to some of the back issues.
There truly are a number of very fine pieces here, including “Transforming
Spreadsheets into Dynamic Interactive Teaching Tools” from the Winter 2003
issue and “Going Around in Circles: Connecting the Representations” from the
Winter 2004-2005 issue. [KMG]

8.  The Electronic Clearinghouse for Exemplary Engineering Technology
Resources [pdf]
http://www.neteconline.org/

The Electronic Clearinghouse for Exemplary Engineering Technology Resources
(or NETEC) is a site created with substantial funding from the National
Science Foundation. Drawing on the teaching experiences and resources
developed by many concerned persons in industry and academic settings, the
Clearinghouse contains everything from course materials for material
engineering to journal articles that deal with the science (and art) of
teaching in the subfields of engineering. First-time visitors may wish to
register on the homepage, and then proceed to browse through the
“Clearinghouse Resources” area. Here they can click on an alphabetized list
of terms, such as digital electronics and skill standards, and look through
the available materials. Of course, there is a great deal more available
here than the very fine educational resources, as visitors can also look
over online job boards and mentorship opportunities. [KMG]

====== General Interest ====

9.  The Human Factor
http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hf/

Inspired by “…the courage, industry and intelligence required of the
American working man”, two colleagues from the Harvard Business School
(Donald Davenport and Frank Ayres) sent out a call to leading businesses in
order to develop a visual collection that could be used in the classroom.
During the 1930s, they received over 2,100 photographs that documented “the
human factor” embodied in the interactions between worker and machine.
Recently, the Baker Library at the Harvard Business School created this
online exhibition to showcase a selection of these remarkable images.
Visitors should begin by reading the introductory essay; they should then
proceed to the exhibition, which is divided into nine sections. Each section
begins with a short preface, and then continues on to a sampling of images,
which include workers monitoring massive wheels of Swiss cheese in 1933 and
a photograph of women assembling parts for Philco radios in 1926. Each
photograph can be viewed in great detail, and it is worth noting that the
site also contains an exemplary bibliography. [KMG]

10. William James
http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/james.html#odds

Created by Professor Frank Pajares of Emory University, this site serves as
an omnibus of information about the 19th century philosopher William James.
Visitors only need to scroll down the site to examine all of the materials
available here, which include a detailed chronology of James’ life, an essay
on James’ time at Stanford by Albert Bandura, and of course dozens of essays
and transcribed speeches by James himself. Perhaps one of the best features
on the site is the complete text of James’ much-celebrated work “Talks to
Teachers”. Of course, visitors will also find such favorites as “The
Principles of Psychology” and “The Meaning of Truth”. [KMG]

11. ARTscape [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.pem.org/artscape/index.php

Located in Salem, the Peabody Essex Museum is well known for its very
diverse collections which include 18th century American decorative art,
Korean paintings, and their wide selection of maritime art, including
scrimshaw. With over 2.4 million pieces in their collection, it is no
surprise that they also have developed ARTscape, an online multimedia tool
that allows visitors to create their own themed collections. After
registering, visitors can begin to browse through the different collections
(or perform a keyword search) and pick out objects as they see fit. It’s
also worth noting that these collections include video and audio clips as
well, so visitors will truly be able to create a unique collection of their
own. [KMG]

12. Frank Loesser [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.frankloesser.com/

Frank Loesser was able to use his remarkable songwriting talents to create
such classic Tin Pin Alley songs as “Once in Love with Amy”, “Standing on
the Corner”, and of course, “Luck Be a Lady Tonight”.  His career spanned
four decades, and he was responsible for crafting a number of fine musicals
(including “Guys and Dolls) and songs for film and television. This website,
which features some of Loesser’s music, provides a nice introduction to his
work and legacy, complete with a biographical sketch and a listing of his
awards and nominations.  The site is rounded out by a “Fan Community” area,
where visitors can talk about the late composer and also look over some
related show souvenirs and products. [KMG]

13. Poetry Daily
http://www.poems.com/

Some might say that a poem a day isn’t nearly enough, while the skeptical
might say that it is quite enough already, thank you very much. Regardless
of that debate, Poetry Daily is a splendid resource that brings visitors new
poems from books, magazines and journals currently in print. Visitors to the
site will find themselves looking straight at “Today’s Poem”, which of
course features the daily poem, along with links to other works by the
author. If one poem is simply not enough, the site also contains an archive
that goes back approximately one year. Additionally, the site also contains
a “News, Reviews, & Special Features” section, which digests recent news
stories about the world of poetry. [KMG]

14. American Routes [RealPlayer]
http://www.americanroutes.org/

In the past year or so, it would seem that many musical artists and
impresarios are making quite a show of coming back to support the Big Easy
in its time of need. One particular two-hour radio show has been doing just
that (and other things) since 1998, American Routes. The show’s website was
created and is hosted by Nick Spitzer. Each show truly runs the gamut of
American music, and in any given week one might find gospel, soul, roots
rock and rockabilly featured during their program. Visitors can make their
way through the online archive here and listen at their leisure, or learn
about upcoming shows and guests. It’s quite easy to see how the program
might be incorporated into a musicology course, and educators may wish to
consider using some of the shows in the classroom.  While not all of the
music from each show is available (due to copyright restrictions), the
delightful interviews with people like Les Paul. Abbey Lincoln, and Rosanne
Cash may be listened to in their entirety.  Finally, visitors will want to
view Spitzer’s multimedia lecture, “Rebuilding the ‘Land of Dreams’:
Expressive Culture and New Orleans’ Authentic Future”. [KMG]

15. National Recreation and Park Association: Sports & Health Network
http://www.nrpa.org/newsletter/templateViewer.aspx?templateId=3

The restorative powers of America’s parks, byways, and wilderness areas are
of course well known. One rather frail young man entered into this world in
the late 19th century, and came out the other side as a confident politician
who would assume the office of the chief executive. That man was President
Teddy Roosevelt, and countless others have had other transformative and
therapeutic experiences as a result of various outdoor activities in
America’s parks. Practicing recreation therapists and others cut from the
same cloth will appreciate the resources provided within the virtual pages
of the Sports & Health Network online newsletter. Created by the National
Recreation and Park Association, the various issues contain updates about
how to apply for free (or low-cost) recreation equipment and also offer
suggestions for new and innovative outdoor programs. While it is not
possible to perform a full-text search through the archive, visitors will
enjoy looking through the newsletters as they see fit. [KMG]

16. The Rehab Guide: Roofs
http://www.pathnet.org/sp.asp?id=1032

Anyone who has been on a roof on a hot day can attest to the difficulty of
performing basic maintenance on that particular part of a building.
Fortunately, this time-consuming process can be made simpler with this handy
online guide to rehabbing a roof. Created by the PATH Group, this 99-page
document covers major roofing systems, “…as well as protective strategies,
energy and air filtration issues, roofing materials, and gutters and
downspouts.” Throughout the document, users can rely on drawings and
photographs that illustrate various rehabbing techniques. Much is revealed
here, including timely information on low-slope and metal roofing, along
with suggestions on installing moisture barriers. [KMG]

====== Network Tools ====

17. Loki for Firefox 1.1.0.12
http://loki.com/

With Wi-Fi networks popping up like earthworms after a heavy rain, more and
more people want to get out and use their laptops anywhere they can. And
with the use of Loki, they can also turn their Wi-Fi enabled laptops into a
type of global positioning device, effectively integrating their current
location into Internet searches and communication. Some uses for such a
program include locating the nearest blues club, public library, and perhaps
the town hall. This program is compatible with computers running Windows XP
and Mozilla Firefox. [KMG]

18. Activism Network 3.1.2
http://www.activismnetwork.org/developers/

Getting together with old friends and new online is relatively easy these
days, what with all the various social networking sites out there.  Not many
of the sites give users the leeway to create their own activist networks,
but this application does just that.  With this application, visitors can
create different online event resources, email updates, and profiles, all of
which can be used for a wide range of organizational purposes. Additionally,
the site offers documentation for the program and examples of groups that
are currently using the program. This version is compatible with computers
running Windows 2000 and newer. [KMG]

====== In The News ====

19. To reduce its carbon emissions, a Vermont college draws on the power of
cows
College taps the power of cow manure
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/cow.power.ap/

Green Mountain Becomes First Campus Powered by Vermont Dairy Cows
http://www.greenmtn.edu/gmcjournal/pop_102306_cow_power.asp

Local farm leading way for green power
http://www.addisonindependent.com/?q=node/295

CVPS Cow Power [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.cvps.com/cowpower/Cow%20Power%20home.html

The Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy
http://www.ashdenawards.org/

Vermont is a state that is known for its passion in developing alternative
farming methods and independence in its political thought. Now it can lay
claim to another important recent development in its long history. As of
this week, Green Mountain College in the town of Poultney is believed to be
the first college in the United States that will be powered by cows. To be
accurate, however, it should be noted that the energy that will be shipped
to Green Mountain via the Central Vermont Public Service’s “Cow Power”
program. Power will be created from burning biogas created from cow manure.
Initially, the college will derive approximately fifty percent of its energy
needs for the main campus from this new energy source. It is estimated that
this will allow the college to reduce its carbon emissions by approximately
3500 metric tons per year. There’s a great deal of interest in this program,
and the school’s provost, Bill Throop recently commented that “We want our
students learning how to support sustainable communities right here in
Vermont and this helps us lead by example.” [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a CNN news article on this recent
development in creating a sustainable energy source on the campus of Green
Mountain College. Moving along, the second link leads to a press release
from the Green Mountain College Journal which provides some nice details on
this new initiative. The third link leads to an article from this Monday’s
Addison Independent, which reports on the efforts of the Foster Brothers
Farm in Middlebury, Vermont to create a new company that will allow them to
sell electricity produced, on farms across the United States. The fourth
link will take users to a very fun and informative site provided by the
Central Vermont Public Service which explains the niceties of their “Cow
Power” program, and also includes a great segment on “How Energy Happens”.
The last and final link leads to the homepage of The Ashden Awards for
Sustainable Energy. Here, visitors can learn about these rather interesting
awards, which honor organizations that have made commitments to developing
practical sustainable energy technologies. [KMG]

======                        ======
==   Index for November 3, 2006   ==
======                        ======

1.  African Union [Macromedia Flash Player, Real Player]
http://www.africa-union.org/

2.  Demos [pdf]
http://www.demos.org

3.  Committee of Concerned Journalists
http://www.concernedjournalists.org/

4.  The University of Chicago Martin Marty Center [pdf]
http://marty-center.uchicago.edu/

5.  Eyewitness: American Originals from the National Archives [Macromedia
Flash Player]
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/eyewitness/

6.  National Geophysical Data Center [pdf]
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/ngdc.html

7.  Online Journal of School Mathematics
http://my.nctm.org/eresources/journal_home.asp?journal_id=6

8.  The Electronic Clearinghouse for Exemplary Engineering Technology
Resources [pdf]
http://www.neteconline.org/

9.  The Human Factor
http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/hf/

10. William James
http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/james.html#odds

11. ARTscape [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.pem.org/artscape/index.php

12. Frank Loesser [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.frankloesser.com/

13. Poetry Daily
http://www.poems.com/

14. American Routes [RealPlayer]
http://www.americanroutes.org/

15. National Recreation and Park Association: Sports & Health Network
http://www.nrpa.org/newsletter/templateViewer.aspx?templateId=3

16. The Rehab Guide: Roofs
http://www.pathnet.org/sp.asp?id=1032

17. Loki for Firefox 1.1.0.12
http://loki.com/

18. Activism Network 3.1.2
http://www.activismnetwork.org/developers/

19. To reduce its carbon emissions, a Vermont college draws on the power of
cows
College taps the power of cow manure
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/31/cow.power.ap/

======                                ====
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==
The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published every Friday of the year
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