Category Archives: Teaching – learning materials

Video Portal from Science, the journal

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Science: Video Portal

http://video.sciencemag.org/

“The folks at Science magazine craft a wide palette of audio visual materials, many of which can be accessed through their video portal. In the Featured Videos, visitors can learn about some recent explorations into education reform, deep sea explorations, and the Higgs boson. Scrolling down the site, visitors will notice that the videos are divided into seven sections, including Engineering, Environment, and Medicine. It’s easy to see how these videos could be effectively used in a number of classroom situations to complement existing lectures and presentations. New users might do well to start with the “Alya Red: A Computational Heart” video and the rather thoughtful “California Meteorite Rush.” ”

Source:  The Scout Report (Univ. of Wisconsin)  — May 3, 2013

Fusion Energy Education

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Fusion Energy Education

·http://fusedweb.llnl.gov/CPEP/

“The basics of fusion are deceptively simple: the process powers the sun and other stars, and it all takes place when atomic nuclei collide at high speed. But many questions remain. How can humans develop and exploit fusion energy? Is there a way to convert it more efficiently into useful mechanical, electrical, or thermal energy? This intriguing site, created by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, presents an online fusion course designed to teach students and others about how fusion works and how it might be harnessed in the future. Visitors can try out The Guided Tour to get started, or they can click on one of the Main Topics. These include Energy Sources and Conversions, Two Key Fusion Reactions, and Creating the Conditions for Fusion. Each section contains graphics, explanatory text, and various diagrams. The site also includes charts which can be printed out for classroom use.”

Source:  The Scout Report, University of Wisconsin, May 31, 2013

HHMI Cool Science

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www.hhmi.org/coolscience
  • 4 stars (excellent)
  • Beautifully designed site, content for many age groups
  • Limited resources for children

“Are you ready for some COOL SCIENCE? (Yeah, I thought so.) The Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Cool Science website is an entertaining and informative site that certainly lives up to its name and its mission of “sharing the facts and fun about science with all ages.” There really is something for everyone on this site. For instance, the “For Educators” page includes a number of teaching resources for all grade levels, from kindergarten to graduate education. These resources include books, animations, games and videos, among others. At the other end of the age spectrum, the “Curious Kids” page features a small number of activities that address such questions as “Why are snakes like lizards?” The “Becoming a Scientist” page includes interviews with a number of scientists who give their opinions regarding what it takes to succeed as a scientist, and the “Ask a Scientist” page gives site visitors the opportunity to have their own scientific questions answered.”

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“In each print issue of Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, our Best of the Web columnist Taralyn Tan reviews websites of interest. Taralyn Tan is a web-savvy graduate student in Harvard University’s program in neuroscience.”

*The opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and should not be construed as reflecting the viewpoints of the publisher, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., the publishing house, or employees and affiliates thereof.

Galaxy — platform to facilitate analysis of large bioinformatics data sets

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http://galaxy.psu.edu is the open, web-based venture developed by Penn State and Emory University.  It’s compatible with the Python (open source) programming language.  Multiple tutorials are available for getting started manipulating large data sets.  Registration is free (also).

Source: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, October 15, 2012, p. 62. http://www.genengnews.com

DNA Interactive — A “Best of the Web” selection in genengnews.com

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The reviewer describes DNA Interactive:  “Beautiful site design, fun and engaging material”.  It is a “4-star” site, dedicated to DNA’s discovery and study, from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory — and it’s free.  http://www.dnai.org

Source:   Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, Nov. 15, 2012, p. 50

It can also be found on the web at: http://www.genengnews.com

GEN’s “back page” also offers reviews “Best of the Apps”, too.