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The internet is an invaluable resource to self-educated learners. Below is a list of some of the most helpful sites out there including opencourseware materials, free libraries, learning communities, educational tools, and more.

Kids page of the NYC Public Library.

"At Google we have experts on everything from Python to penguins. However, connecting our expert teachers to eager students around the globe can be a complicated business. To that end, we are excited to release our new internal learning platform, CloudCourse under an open source license. Built entirely on App Engine, CloudCourse allows anyone to create and track learning activities. CloudCourse also offers calendaring, waitlist management and approval features.\n\nCloudCourse is fully integrated with Google Calendar and can be further customized for your organization with the following service provider interfaces (replaceable components):\n\n * Sync service - to sync CloudCourse data with your internal systems\n * Room info service - to schedule classes in your locations\n * User info service - to look up user profile (employee title, picture, etc)\n\nCloudCourse has been developed in Python, using the Django web application framework and the Closure Javascript library. Deploying CloudCourse on App Engine is a breeze, and should take less than 5 minutes."

Until recently classes were sent to the library to check out pre-selected books that would have some information about their topic. Allowing students to search for their information on the web makes teachers often uncomfortable. * They can't control the content, students encounter * Overwhelming number of search results * Inappropriate sites * Inaccurate information * Citation All the above mentioned reasons are valid points, but can't be used as a reason to "stick to the book" when allowing younger students to research. We do have to prepare them for research in media that is current for our times and one they most likely will use as as their primary source for gathering information as they grow.

ELIZABETH KNITTLE, technology integration specialist for the Barnstable Public School District in Massachusetts, took her first tentative steps in the 3D online virtual world known as Second Life about two years ago. She wasn't impressed. "I looked around and I thought, this is crazy," Knittle recalls. "I just couldn't see the value of it, so I left. But then people starting blogging about it-- a lot of people-- so I had to reconsider. I decided that if I was going to understand this thing and be able to answer questions about it intelligently, I really just had to suck it up and get in there and participate. Once I connected with people inworld, it made all the difference." That early buzz among K-12 educators centered on Second Life's potential as a learning platform. And in the last few years, many colleges, universities, and libraries have established resources in what has become the preeminent multiuser virtual environment (MUVE). Today, more than 100 Second Life "regions" are used for educational purposes.

"But notably, according to an informal survey of Kindle devotees, 59 percent of people who buy the e-readers are over 55. Meanwhile, as a NEA study pointed out two years ago, people under 25 were already doing most of their reading on the web, with only 7 minutes a day devoted to books."

"It is sufficient at this point to state that the chosen classification for learning objective leads to a set of instructional strategies that have been shown to be successful in teaching that subject matter. This is a critical point because learning is dependent on instructional strategies more than any other variable; much more so than the media or the technology chosen to deliver instruction (Hannifin & Hooper, 1993)."

A Google jockey is a participant in a presentation or class who surfs the Internet for terms, ideas, Web sites, or resources mentioned by the presenter or related to the topic. The jockey's searches are displayed simultaneously with the presentation, helping to clarify the main topic and extend learning opportunities. The "7 Things You Should Know About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning practices and technologies. Each brief focuses on a single practice or technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use "7 Things You Should Know About..." briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues. In addition to the "7 Things You Should Know About…" briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

Online manipulatives suitable for K-12 students. Includes number & operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis & probability. Site made available through Utah State University. A downloadable desktop version is also available.

Just when you think every topic has been covered to the fullest, somehow, talented writers, creative artists, and forward-thinking editors come up with new takes and fresh angles. This is particularly true of the books selected as the best of 2009.

This is a call to action, a call to research and articulate new composition, a call to help our students compose often, compose well, and through these composings, become the citizen writers of our country, the citizen writers of our world, and the writers of our future.

Podcasting / Vodcasting * Podcasting in Education - great resource from a 5th grade teacher in Canada with definition, technical helps, ideas, curriculum links, and how-tos * Podcasting and Vodcasting: Flash Gordon meets iPod ... slideshare slideshow with general information, how to, and sites * Education Podca (EPNst Network) - site which houses podcasts as well as provides some tutorials * Audacity - free sound editing software * Audacity Wiki - Tutorials * Podcasting in the Classroom * Podcasts: a New Twist on Net Radio * Podcasting in Education Wiki * Podcasting Tools * Podcasting - Ann Bell * How to Podcast - nice tutorial with screenshots and graphics * Video Podcasting * Podcasting Software * How to register your podcast in iTunes * Smithsonian Podcasts * Teacher Tube * TitlepageTV * School Tube