News
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Jul 19, 2010News
The ChemEd Digital Library has released a specialized collection of resources supporting use of their award-winning Periodic Table Live! interactive resource. PTL! includes a graphing and sorting applet that enables comparisons among elemental data; a glossary; information on characteristics; discovery; preparation; uses, animated atomic-scale structure; images, and/or video for elements in the Periodic Table.
The PTL! Resource Pack is a collection of ready-to-use teaching and learning materials that include worksheets, example assessment questions, relevant journal articles from the Journal of Chemical Education (JCE), and online resources from ChemEd DL and other NSDL Pathways, including Teachers' Domain, the Computational Science Education Reference Desk (CSERD), and ComPADRE Physics & Astronomy Digital Library.
The PTL! Resource Pack is incorporated in Chem Ed DL's developing ChemTeacher service, designed to aid high school teachers by featuring a broad range of resources on topics typically included in high school introductory chemistry courses.
John Moore, Chem Ed DL's Principal Investigator (University of Wisconsin), will receive the Merlot Classics 2010 Award on behalf of ChemEd DL and its Periodic Table Live! resource, at the Emerging Technologies for Online Learning Conference in San Jose, July 20-23, 2010.
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Jul 14, 2010News
NSDL’s Science and Mathematics Informal Learning for Educators (SMILE) Pathway has released the first issue of its howtosmile Newsletter. It’s packed with great articles, suggestions, links, and new resources at SMILE, including, in this issue, two features for getting kids outdoors in the summertime:
No child left inside: Outdoor summertime science
Rx for nature deficit disorder
Go here to subscribe, and keep up with new resources and developments from SMILE.
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Jul 14, 2010News
NSDL's Teachers' Domain Pathway has released five excellent training workshops for teachers and users of TD. Collaboratively developed and piloted by WGBH, IPTV, KQED, WNET, and WPSU, the workshops are available on Teachers' Domain -> go to PD: Guides, Tutorials and Workshops, and can also be found under the Innovative Strategies and Integrating Technology interest areas. Check them out!
Introduction to TD: http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdtrg10.workshop.tdintro/
Using TD in the Classroom: http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdtrg10.workshop.tdclassroom/
Technology Guide to TD: http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdtrg10.workshop.techguide/
Using Folders and Groups: http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdtrg10.workshop.foldersgroups/
Creating User-Generated Media: http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdtrg10.workshop.creatingmedia/
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Jul 02, 2010News
The United States Library of Congress has selected the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues (http://alsos.wlu.edu) as a website for inclusion in its collection of Internet materials of historical importance to the Congress and the American people.
Alsos was created by a team of students led by Dr. Frank Settle, chemistry professor, at Washington and Lee University, which also includes Dr. Thomas Whaley, professor of computer science, and editorial consultants Dr. Elizabeth Blackmer and Ms. Judy Strang. It has become a recognized resource for educators, students, professionals and the general public on all matters nuclear.
“I think this reflects the high quality of the content and the excellent work of 50 W&L students over the past ten years,” said Settle. “It also means that our work will be preserved for future generations.”
Alsos can be found at www.alsos.wlu.edu. It provides an annotated bibliography of over 3,000 books, articles, films, CDs, and websites about a broad range of nuclear issues. It covers not only today’s hot button issues such as nuclear proliferation, nuclear waste and terrorism, but also nuclear topics in 25 disciplines including medicine, science, literature, economics, art and music.
Visitors to the website can also locate the nearest library where the publication is stocked, or download it if it is available online.
Alsos has a 27-member national advisory board that includes 14 top academics as well as representatives from the Council on Foreign Relations, Los Alamos National Laboratory, U.S. Army, Natural Resources Defense Council, Smithsonian, American Institute of Physics, George C. Marshall Foundation, Global Security, and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory.
Hundreds of libraries, colleges, schools and research institutes worldwide already provide links to Alsos, as well as normal search engines and Wikipedia.
Alsos takes its name from the U.S. Army mission to assess German progress on the atomic bomb during WWII. The website was funded by $1.2 million in grants from the National Science Foundation and Mr. Gerry Lenfest. It was one of the first collections to be funded by the NSDL program.
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Jul 01, 2010News
Ithaca, NY, 7-01-2010: Today, the DuraSpace not-for-profit organization announced its new Registered Service Provider Program to establish partnerships with companies that provide support services to institutions using the DSpace and Fedora digital repository software.
The new program will establish an network of service providers offering a range of services including customer support, technical consulting, software development, and systems integration. The program will benefit universities, libraries, museums, research institutions, and others that require support in building or maintaining repository-based systems built with DSpace, Fedora, and related open source and commercial technologies.
Registered Service Providers will be easily identified. They will be featured on the DuraSpace web site (duraspace.org) and relevant project websites, with contact information and a profile of their service offerings. Providers will also exhibit their affiliation with DuraSpace by displaying the special DuraSpace Service Provider Logo on their marketing materials and websites.
Registered Service Providers share the DuraSpace commitment to ensuring that current and future generations have access to our collective digital heritage. Service Providers are active participants in open source software communities and are committed to providing expertise and technical consulting to enable customers to achieve their goals with open technologies.
The program will launch with five initial Registered Service Providers: Atmire (i.e., @mire), CILEA, DiscoveryGarden, Enovation, Media Shelf and Winjit. DuraSpace invites other companies providing services supporting digital repositories and cloud-based solutions to join.
DiscoveryGarden CEO Mark Leggott says, "DiscoveryGarden is excited to be among the first companies working with the DuraSpace community as a member of the Registered Service Provider Program. The DuraSpace family of open source software provides an unparalleled foundation for building a healthy repository ecosystem that can help steward digital assets in any landscape. This new program is an excellent example of how we can both benefit from and contribute to building a vibrant and sustainable DuraSpace community."
DiscoveryGarden provides consulting and software-as-service based around the Islandora open source solution stack. Islandora integrates two best-practice open source software solutions (Drupal and Fedora repositories) to create unique systems for digital asset management and enterprise content management.
Lieven Droogmans, CEO of Atmire (@mire) says, "@mire is proud to be one of the first Registered Service Providers in the DuraSpace program. Through this financial and technical commitment, our company seeks to further extend its relationship with the community and to contribute to the continuity and success of DSpace around the world. DSpace is the key component in most of @mire's projects and lies at the core of @mire's activities. Each member of our technical staff is fully devoted to DSpace customization and development.”
Atmire (@mire) is a company that has a wide offering for institutions running DSpace repositories including installation, customization, add-on modules, training and support services.
For more information about Registered Service Providers, or to join the DuraSpace Registered Service Providers Program, contact Michele Kimpton at mkimpton@DuraSpace.org.
ABOUT DURASPACE
DuraSpace is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. DuraSpace software and services are used worldwide as solutions for open access, institutional repositories, digital libraries, digital archives, data curation, virtual research environments, and more. DuraSpace provides leadership and innovation in the use of open source and cloud-based technologies to serve libraries, universities, research centers, cultural heritage institutions, and other knowledge stewards. The organization’s open source technology portfolio includes the DSpace open access repository application, the Fedora open repository platform, and the Mulgara semantic database. DuraSpace is the home of DuraCloud, an emerging cloud-based service that leverages existing cloud infrastructure to enable durability and access to digital content. The DuraSpace team includes recognized leaders and experts in the management of digital information. The team works with an active and diverse international community committed to the durability of digital resources.The DuraSpace technology portfolio inherently addresses the issue of durability of digital content. Our values are expressed in our organizational byline, “open technologies for durable digital content.”
Carol Minton Morris
DuraSpace
Director of Marketing and Communications
cmmorris@DuraSpace.org
Skype: carolmmorris
607 592-3135
Twitter@DuraSpace
Twitter@DuraCloud
http://DuraSpace.org -
Jun 29, 2010News
NSDL Technical Network Services (TNS) has begun work on a new Application Programming Interface (API) for the NSDL Data Repository (NDR). The NDR is the repository system behind NSDL.org and related NSDL services such as search and OAI, and is available through EduPak as a downloadable repository system software package that can be used for a variety of applications.
As part of the 2010 workplan, TNS is updating the NDR API to add new functionality and make it easier for programmers to manage items in the repository. New top-level methods are being developed that provide high level abstractions to work with collections of objects including metadata, resources, annotations, and primary content.
An outline of the NDR API and proposed changes are available in the NDR API 2.0 Overview slides, and further details provided in the NDR API 2.0 Reference.
Please offer comments and feedback by responding to the NDR API (Community Feedback) forum, or by sending email to nsdlsupport@nsdl.ucar.edu.
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Jun 17, 2010News
NSDL Technical and Network Services (TNS) has initiated a biannual interview process with NSDL Pathways, partners and projects as part of an ongoing evaluation effort. The Spring 2010 interview focused on community opinion about the value, utility, and perceived quality of TNS operations in support of services and tools, and community engagement.
The first set of interviews was conducted in the spring of 2010 and subsequent interviews will take place at six month intervals. The summary report of this evaluation is available on the NSDL Community site at http://bit.ly/TNS-Eval-S2010
Please offer comments and feedback by responding on the Community site, or by sending email to nsdlsupport@nsdl.ucar.edu. If you would like to participate in this process in the future, please contact Holly Devaul at devaul@ucar.edu.
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Jun 10, 2010News
Anyone who has used the Periodic Table Live! (PTL!), freely available through the Chemical Education Digital Library (ChemEd DL), knows how comprehensive and valuable this resource is. Recognizing its value, the Chemistry Editorial Board of MERLOT has selected PTL! for its MERLOT Classics 2010 Award. MERLOT, the Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching, is on the Web at http://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm. Each year MERLOT identifies and honors exemplary online learning resources in several disciplines. Dr. John Moore, PI of ChemEd DL, will be on hand at the Emerging Technologies for Online Learning Conference in San Jose, CA, July 20-23, 2010 to accept the MERLOT Classics 2010 Award. If you haven’t yet explored PTL! and discovered why it is an exemplary resource, head over to the Chemed DL and check it out! (http://www.chemeddl.org/collections/ptl/index.html)
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Jun 09, 2010News
Dear Colleagues,
We are now seeking nominations for the 2010 AAAS Mentor Awards. All nominations are due by July 31, 2010. The two categories of the AAAS Mentor Awards, the Lifetime Mentor Award and the Mentor Award, honor individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in the science and engineering PhD workforce. These groups include: women of all racial or ethnic groups; African American, Native American, and Hispanic men; and people with disabilities.
The recipient of the 2009 AAAS Mentor Award is Luis A. Colón, of the University at Buffalo (UB), for his deep commitment to advancing diversity in the chemical sciences, leading to an increase in Hispanic American PhDs in chemistry. He joined the faculty at the UB in 1993 as the first Hispanic member of the graduate program in the Department of Chemistry. Soon after, he voluntarily began recruiting talented students, particularly from the Hispanic population, into the program and the sciences. Dr. Colón also initiated and coordinated efforts that have increased the participation of underrepresented minority groups in summer research experiences at UB and has been involved in many activities at the university and national levels, that foster the participation of underrepresented populations in science. Dr. Colón has also been an advocate for women in the chemical sciences, mentoring 15 women during their graduate careers, and is involved in projects recruiting Hispanic STEM students for the entire university. Many of the students he has mentored have gone on to pursue advanced degrees.
The recipient of the 2009 AAAS Lifetime Mentor Award is Diola Bagayoko, Southern University System Distinguished Professor of Physics and Chair of the Department of Physics at the Southern University at Baton Rouge (SUBR), for his extraordinary efforts to significantly increase the number of African American PhDs in Physics and Chemistry. Dr. Bagayoko is credited with the creation and expansion of the Timbuktu Academy based at SUBR, a resource center for encouraging students to pursue PhDs across a wide range of STEM fields and academic levels. Based upon experience gained through years of mentoring, Dr. Bagayoko established the academy, a unique program designed to reach pre-college and undergraduate students in STEM fields. Dr. Bagayoko is also well-known for his ability to reach undergraduate students on a personal level and his efforts to promote the advancement of education and research. In 1996, Dr. Bagayoko became one of the first recipients of the U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring.
For more information and to download the nomination form please visit the website at: http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/awards/mentor/ . The new application PDF can be downloaded and filled out electronically for increased efficiency and accuracy. Enhanced tables and clarifying language help to highlight the spirit of the award, PhD completion and institutional change in underrepresented groups.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact Brittany Taggart at btaggart@aaas.org
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Jun 05, 2010News
Two announcements about Project Tomorrow events at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference in Denver, June 29 -
1) Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc. will release Learning in the 21st Century: 2010 Trends Update, the latest in a series of reports that examines the growing student demand for online learning and how schools are meeting that demand.
During the breakfast meeting, Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will present the new Speak Up 2009 online learning data findings, and the panelists will share their insights about providing online classes and their perspectives about the future of online learning.
WHEN:
Tuesday, June 29, 2010, 7:30–9:00AM
WHERE: ISTE Conference
Hyatt Regency Denver
650 15th Street
Denver, CO 80202
Please RSVP by June 22, 2010! Register for the breakfast. For more information, please contact Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow at jevans@tomorrow.org or 949/609-4660 ext. 17. If you are unable to attend the event, you may request a copy of the report2) Mobile Devices + Web 2.0 = Engaged and Empowered Learners
Join us on Monday, June 28, 2010, 11:00AM–12:00PM, CCC 205/207
While you are at ISTE, please stop by our Speak Up presentation on Monday, June 28th from 11:00AM-12:00PM to learn more about the Speak Up 2009 findings on mobile devices. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, will share the latest Speak Up 2009 data and facilitate a panel discussion with educators who are currently using mobile devices.
Some of the questions we will answer through the Speak Up presentation and panel discussion include:
* What types of mobile devices do students have access to already?
* What Web 2.0 tools and applications are students using in their personal lives? How are they using these tools to help with school work even if they are not allowed or supported by their school?
* How familiar are teachers with these tools and applications?
* How do students and teachers think these devices or tools can be used for learning?
* What are the real barriers or concerns that educators face in implementing these technologies in the classroom?
* What do parents think about the appropriateness of using these tools for learning?
* What expectations do the next generation of teachers have for using mobile devices and Web 2.0 tools and applications in their classrooms? Are our schools ready for these digitally native teachers?
* Where do mobile devices and Web 2.0 tools fit in the ultimate school of the future?
Not to worry if you will not be at ISTE this summer - we will post the presentation and podcast on our website at the beginning of July. Please send us an email to speakup@tomorrow.org and we will notify you as soon as the data is available.
Thank you for your continued support for Speak Up! We look forward to your participation in Speak Up 2010 in the fall.
If you have any questions regarding either of the events above, please contact Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow at jevans@tomorrow.org or 949/609-4660 ext. 17.
Have a great summer!
Laurie Smith
Director, Research & Evaluation