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"What is constant multi-tasking doing to teens' brains? That's the question NewsHour Science Correspondent Miles O'Brien set out to answer as he interviewed teens and neuroscience experts around the country. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health are currently studying whether teens' addictions to technology are wiring their brains differently than those of their parents and earlier generations. During adolescence, brain connections are "pruned" - those that are used a lot are strengthened, while those that are rarely used fall off. According to a scientist at UCLA who also studies the effects of technology on teens' brains, the brain's release of the chemical dopamine has a lot to do with why technology can become addictive for young people. When the brain experiences something pleasurable, like connecting with others via social networking, it is hard-wired to want more of it by releasing dopamine. Yet other researchers say multi-tasking and playing intense video games can actually help develop some skills like better vision and improved short-term memory. Because modern technology is still in its infancy, scientists are only uncovering the beginnings of how it will affect the human brain functions of tomorrow.

Girls and Games: What's the Attraction? Games are increasingly recognized by educators as a way to get kids excited about learning. While the stereotype of a "gamer" may evoke the image of a high school boy holed up in a dark room playing on a console, in reality 62 percent of gamers play with other people either in person or online, and 47 percent of all gamers are girls. Game developers and academics who have been studying the elements that go into making games more attractive to girls found that those very same qualities are also important components of learning. For instance, girls are more drawn to games that require problem solving in context, that are collaborative (played through social media) and that produce what's perceived to be a social good. They also like games that simulate the real word and are particularly drawn to "transmedia" content that draws on characters from books, movies, or toys.

categories include: animals, the arts, history & biography, literature & languages, mathematics & computers, reference desk, science, social studies

Discovery News' "Discovernator" - generates a series of interesting facts.  Just reload the page to see what crazy fact comes up next.  This would be great for generating discussions in science and social studies.  Mind the comments below the generator - as with all sites that allow commenting, there is little control over what people contribute.

Create fake text message conversations. Useful for Social Studies and English

This experiment asked summer internship candidates to allow the organization to post three questions to their friends on their Facebook wall. 

Mike Farley has created a fantastic resource for teachers of social studies here. Under the headings: Energy, Environment, Global Poverty, Global Conflict, Migration & Civic Action, he has provided links to 'serious games', together with downloadable worksheets that aim to help students get the most out of the game.

You HAVE to check out this website! It would be great for our G5 unit Through the Eyes of a Child, and Energy, the G3 unit on Migration, G6 on Natural Disasters - and that's just a start...

"witter seems to be here to stay. As one of the most popular ways for teachers, students, and the general public to communicate, it's becoming a must-have tool in almost every teacher's toolbox. However, numerous recent studies have shown that education in general has been slow to adopt social media."

The center for social media contains resources on copyright, media design and impact.

History Tech website chooses 15 virtual field trips. Useful for Humanities?

some okay games for language arts and math

Good article illustrating the need for students to develop a positive digital presence.