10 Free Online Resources for Science Teachers

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A group of scientists based at the University of Nottingham added some character to the static periodic table of elements by creating a short video for each one.

Hydrogen, for instance, seems much more exciting after you’ve seen what happens when you hold a match to a balloon that is filled with it, and it’s easier to remember the name Darmstadtium after you have seen Darmstadt.

The group also puts out a non-YouTube version of the site for schools that have blocked the site.

The Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College has compiled just about every fathomable resource for geoscience educators. By serving as the portal to helpful web pages from dozens of independent project websites, the site provides visuals, classroom activities and course descriptions for everything from oceanography to “red tide and harmful algal blooms.”

Stellarium is a planetarium for your computer. Just input your location and explore the sky outside or the view from any other location. The program offers up information on stars, nebulae, planets and constellations according to 12 different cultures.

In addition to being ideal for classroom astronomy lessons, Stellarium’s open source software is also used to light up the screens of a number of real planetariums.

Even though Google Sky won’t give you a view from a specific location, it will direct you to specific galaxies, planets and stars or to a map of the moon that notes where each of the six Apollo missions landed.

“What happens when you put Cesium in water?” is a question that in some cases is best answered by YouTube. YouTube’s archive of demonstrations have the advantage of being safe, clean and unlikely to catch on fire.

You’ll find experiments for most concepts just by using the search bar. But if you’re in a browsing mood, check out this list of the 100 coolest science experiments on YouTube.

Most schools that block YouTube allow access to educational alternatives like TeacherTube and School Tube.

NASA has lesson plans, videos and classroom activities for science subjects ranging from Kindergarten to university levels. The best part of this resource gold mine is that it’s easy to search by keyword or to browse by grade level, type of material or subject.

Check out the Be a Martian Game, the interactive timeline and the NASA Space Place for some smart fun.

These resources for learning about genetics by the University of Utah’s Genetic Science Learning Center include interactive visualizations, 3D animations and activities. Student activities include taking a “tour” of DNA, a chromosome or a protein, building a DNA molecule, or exploring the inside of a cell.

The university is also building a sister site, Teach.Genetics, with print-and-go lesson plans and supplemental materials for some channels on the Learn.Genetics site.

The Concord Consortium is a non-profit organization that helps develop technologies for math, science and engineering education. Their free, open source software is available for teachers to download to use in their classes. They include visualizations and models for a broad range of topics.

Some examples include: The Molecular Workbench, a free tool that creates interactive simulations for everything from cellular respiration to chemical bonding. Geniquest introduces students to cutting-edge genetics using dragons as their model organisms; Evolution Readiness is a project designed to teach fourth graders about evolution concepts using simulations; and The ITSI-SU Project provides lab-based activities involving probes, models and simulations.

To search for classroom activities across all projects, teachers can use the site’s Activity Finder to browse by subject, grade level or keyword.

The ChemCollective, a project that is funded by the National Science Foundation, allows students to design and carry out their own experiments in a virtual laboratory and provides virtual lab problems, real-world scenarios, concept tests, simulations, tutorials and course modules for learning basic chemistry.

The project recently won a Science Prize for Online Resources in Education from Science Magazine.

Scitable is both the Nature Publishing Group’s free science library and a social network. Teachers can create a “classroom” with a customized reading list, threaded discussions, news feeds and research tools. There’s also an option to use the material on the site to create a customized e-book for free that can include any of the more than 500 videos, podcasts or articles on the site.

Topic rooms combine articles, discussions and groups related to one key concept in science and make it easy to find material that is relevant to your class and connect with people who are also passionate about the subject.

What resources did you find most helpful, or what great science tools did we miss? Let us know in the comments below.

Want to see how a particular projectile from space would affect the Earth? With this tool that was developed for Purdue University, your students can enter the projectile parameters, angle and velocity to calculate what would happen if the object were to actually hit Earth. You can also get the details on the projectiles that caused famous craters.

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Image courtesy of iStockphoto, rrocio

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A Call for a Federal Office to Guide Online Privacy

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A Commerce Department task force called for the creation of a “Privacy Bill of Rights” for online consumers and the establishment of an office within the department that would work to strengthen privacy policies in the United States and coordinate initiatives with other countries.

The department’s Internet Policy Task Force, in a report released on Thursday, said the “Privacy Bill of Rights” would increase transparency on how user information was collected online, place limits on the use of consumer data by companies and promote the use of audits and other forms of enforcement to increase accountability.

The new protections would expand on the framework of Fair Information Practice Principles that address data security, notice and choice — or the privacy policies many users agree to on Web sites — and rights to obtaining information on the Internet.

“The simple concept of notice and choice is not adequate as a basis for privacy protections,” said Daniel J. Weitzner, the associate administrator for the office of policy analysis and development at the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Consumer and privacy advocates said they were encouraged by the idea to expand on the fair practice principles. The report comes at a time when Internet privacy is a big priority in Washington with the release of a similar report by the Federal Trade Commission this month, the establishment of a White House subcommittee on privacy and Internet policy and the pending revision of the privacy directive of the European Union.

The F.T.C., in its report on online privacy this month, also called for improvements to the practice principles, but focused on installing a “do not track” mechanism that would allow computer users to opt out of having their information collected surreptitiously by third-party companies.

That recommendation caused concern in the online advertising industry, which has said that such a mechanism would hamper the industry’s growth and could potentially limit users’ access to free content online.

The task force report made little mention of a “do not track” option, but its members did recommend the creation of voluntary codes of conduct that would address emerging technologies and issues not covered by an expanded set of practice principles. The codes would be created by technology companies in the industry and would be approved by the Federal Trade Commission.

The new Privacy Policy Office proposed by the task force would work with the administration, the F.T.C. and other agencies on issues surrounding international and commercial data privacy issues. The office would not have enforcement authority.

“America needs a robust privacy framework that preserves consumer trust in the evolving Internet economy while ensuring the Web remains a platform for innovation, jobs and economic growth,” the commerce secretary, Gary F. Locke, said in a statement. “Self-regulation without stronger enforcement is not enough. Consumers must trust the Internet in order for businesses to succeed online.”

During a conference call after the announcement, however, representatives from the World Privacy Forum, the Consumer Federation of America and other organizations said they were concerned that a privacy policy office would be part of the Commerce Department and not an independent agency.

The report recommends that the F.T.C. remain the lead enforcement agency for consumer privacy issues. It also recommends that the United States continue to discuss privacy frameworks with other countries.

“Today’s report is a road map for considering a new framework that is good for consumers and businesses,” Mr. Locke said. “And while our primary goal is to update the domestic approach to online privacy, we are optimistic that we can take steps to bridge the different privacy approaches among countries, which can help us increase the export of U.S. services and strengthen the American economy.”

Mike Zaneis, the senior vice president and general counsel at the Interactive Advertising Bureau, said he was encouraged by the report. “It gives us an opportunity as an industry to prove that we can continue to move the ball forward on consumer privacy,” Mr. Zaneis said.

According to a statement issued by the department, global online transactions are estimated at $10 trillion a year. Data from a 2009 study commissioned by the Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that interactive ads were responsible for $300 billion of economic activity annually.

The department will seek comment on the report through Jan. 28 and will publish questions from the report next week. No date has been set for the publication of final recommendations.

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OWN It Online How Digital Will Oprah's Latest Attack on the Media Landscape Be [BoomTown]

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That would be “a destination to tell your stories and express your passion through video.” Apparently, according to one of the OWN videos, about 10,000 videos have been uploaded using its tools.

One video was titled, “Auntie Bernie’s Cinnamon Stick Fried Chicken,” while another posited, “There Is An Answer To Every Question, You Just Have To Find It.”

Indeed, although BoomTown thinks all answers are in cinnamon stick fried chicken.

Here is a sizzle reel for OWN, as well as another promotion for the cable channel.

Multicolored balloons and a whole lot of hope seem to be the big themes.

As well as a whole lot of Oprah, natch.

Tagged: BoomTown, Internet, Kara Swisher, digital, entertainment, media, video, audience, book, cable, casting call, channel, content, Discovery Communications, download, event, link, Live, network, Oprah Winfrey Network, Oprah.com, OWN, promotion, Robert Tercek, show, tool, Your OWN Channel | permalink

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Where Is the Online Android Market Google Promised

49" title="Screen shot 2010-12-10 at 10.00.42 AM" alt="" src="http://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/screen-shot-2010-12-10-at-10-00-42-am-e1292008104667.png?w=300&h=200" width=300 height=200> A sneak peek at the online Android Market

With the release of Chrome OS Web Store this week, it got me thinking: Where is that online browser-based Android Market Google promised?

You might recall that almost seven months ago, Google VP Vic Gundotra took the stage at Google I/O and gave attendees a “sneak peek” of Android Market accessible through a browser. No release date was given, but the images shown were promising, revealing an iTunes-like polished marketplace, with various discovery tools and lists. In fact, it looked like what you’re seeing in the Chrome Web Store.

Now, it’s great to see Google is serious about changing the way web apps are sold online through the Chrome Web Store. But what about the more than 100,000 Android apps sitting in the two-year-old Android Market, still only available through a handset? That Chrome Web Store arrived before an online version of Android Market makes me wonder how much emphasis Google is putting on upgrades to its mobile app market, still an acknowledged sore spot among developers.

Android Market just isn’t a great experience right now compared to the App Store, something Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka reiterated Friday. The existing online site is just a list of free, paid and featured apps and offers no way to search or purchase apps. On the handset, Google doesn’t offer the same amount of discoverability options that Apple does with its App Store, which is available on handsets and through its iTunes application. On Android handsets, users get featured and recently uploaded apps, but they don’t get the fuller options for What’s Hot or Genius selections on iOS devices. On iTunes, the App Store also offers Staff Picks, app gifting or sending e-mail recommendations.

Google should definitely improve on Android Market on its handsets but it should also be working hard to get a browser version as well. Currently, consumers have a hard time finding stuff, and developers have fewer ways to stand out. Online stores and resources such as AppBrain and GetJar, which can both deliver apps over the air to Android devices, have turned into popular destinations for app shoppers. in part because consumers don’t get what they need from Google. A solid online store would help users better explore the Android Market catalog and encourage them to open up their wallets, something they do far less than their iOS counterparts. When I asked Google formally about updates to Android Market this week, a spokesman said it has nothing to report.

The thing is Google, which is all about organizing information, is totally capable of doing this. The Chrome Web Store is a solid marketplace with hundreds of apps available. The glimpse Google showed at Google I/O of Android Market online was even more impressive, including not only categories for featured apps, personalized app recommendations, Android Team Favorites and Fast Risers, but also a way to select an app online and have it delivered over the air to a user’s phone with no syncing involved. That would actually one-up the App Store, which could also use a browser-based storefront.

Google vice president Andy Rubin, the “godfather of Android” seems to understand the need for changes. He said at the AllThingsD mobile conference earlier this week that a search company like Google should be able to make discoverability easy. “As a search company, if we can’t help you discover apps, I think we have a problem. We should be very easily able to organize a few hundred thousand apps,” he said according to AllThingsD. So why hasn’t that happened in a more satisfying way?

Google, for it’s part, has steadily been making improvements to Android Market. It’s added a feature for related apps, so users can see similar apps to ones they’ve selected. There’s also better error reporting and other improvements for developers and content ratings for users. Tim Bray, Google’s developer advocate, promised “lots more goodness” coming so it’s quite possible we’ll see the promised online store any day now.

But it’s been way too long for this and the launch of the Chrome Web Store only highlights that. Android, with its soaring sales — 300,000 daily activations — is now a major mobile player now, and heavyweights like VC Fred Wilson are recommending developers start with Android now before iOS. And while developers are getting on board, many are slow to, and with good reason, said blogger John Gruber. But if Google starts applying more focus to Android Market — and a big online presence would be a great sign of it — it would show that it’s prepared to help the Android ecosystem really benefit from the platform’s growth and remove any barriers keeping Android from fully reaching its potential.

Related research from GigaOM Pro (subscription req’d):

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U.S. Arrests Online Seller Who Scared Customers

The merchant, Vitaly Borker, 34, who operates a Web site called decormyeyes.com, was charged with one count each of mail fraud, wire fraud, making interstate threats and cyberstalking. The mail fraud and wire fraud charges each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The stalking and interstate threats charges carry a maximum sentence of five years.

He was arrested early Monday by agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service. In an arraignment in the late afternoon in United States District Court in Lower Manhattan, Judge Michael H. Dolinger denied Mr. Borker’s request for bail, stating that the defendant was either “verging on psychotic” or had “an explosive personality.” Mr. Borker will be detained until a preliminary hearing, scheduled for Dec. 20.

The arrest came eight days after The New York Times published a lengthy account of Mr. Borker’s campaign of intimidation against a woman named Clarabelle Rodriguez who had bought a pair of glasses from DecorMyEyes over the summer.

When she tried to return the glasses, which she believed were fakes, he threatened to sexually assault her and later sent her a photograph of the front of her apartment building. He also sent menacing e-mails, one of which stated that she had put her “hand in fire. Now it’s time to get burned.”

In an interview with a reporter from The New York Times in October, Mr. Borker maintained that scaring Ms. Rodriguez — and dozens of other customers in the last three years — enhanced the standing of DecorMyEyes in Internet searches on Google. That was because Google’s algorithm, he claimed, was unable to distinguish between praise and complaints. All of the negative postings translated into buzz, he said, which helped push DecorMyEyes higher in search results and increased his sales.

It is unclear if Mr. Borker was right about the cause of DecorMyEyes’ surprisingly strong showing in online searches. But last week, Google published a post on its official blog stating that it had changed its search formula so that companies were penalized if they provided customers with what it called “an extremely poor user experience.”

For months, Ms. Rodriguez was unable to get much traction with any of the law enforcement entities she had called as she coped with Mr. Borker’s verbal and written attacks. Now, there seems to be a competition to punish him.

He has already been charged with aggravated harassment and stalking by local authorities and is scheduled to be arraigned on those charges on Dec. 22. The state attorney general’s office is conducting its own investigation and could bring additional state charges.

But federal law enforcement seemed eager to partake as well. In a statement released Monday, Preet Bharara, United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said, “Vitaly Borker, an alleged cyberbully and fraudster, cheated his customers, and when they complained, tried to intimidate them with obscenity and threats of serious violence.”

At the arraignment, an assistant United States attorney, E. Danya Perry, argued against bail by claiming that Mr. Borker was both a flight risk and a risk to the community. She said that postal inspectors had carted off boxes of apparently counterfeit eyeglasses after searching Mr. Borker’s home and had also found a handful of guns, including a semiautomatic machine gun.

Mr. Borker’s lawyer, Bruce Kaye, said the weapons were stage props capable of firing only blanks, not live ammunition.

Mr. Kaye argued that Mr. Borker should be released on bail because no one had ever accused him of committing any violent acts. He added that Mr. Borker was family man — he has a wife and a 2-year-old child — and was willing to surrender his passport and post a bond worth $500,000.

Judge Dolinger said that even if Mr. Borker had not physically harmed anyone, he could still be a threat to society given his habit of terrifying his customers.

The complaint against Mr. Borker describes the accusations in detail. A DecorMyEyes customer identified as Victim 4 stated that Mr. Borker’s threats included a phone call in which he said, “I can hurt you,” and, “I know where you work.”

Mr. Borker apparently sent e-mail to the company where Victim 4 worked, stating that the customer sold drugs and was gay. Another customer, identified as Victim 3, said that Mr. Borker had sent her an e-mail that included this warning: “PS: don’t forget that I know where you live as well,” after she mentioned her intent to contact the New York Department of Consumer Affairs. He reportedly later called Victim 3 at all hours of the night, threatening sexual assault.

A far more subdued version of Mr. Borker appeared in court on Monday afternoon. Dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt, he said little. When he was led away by court officers, he turned to look at his wife, who was sitting in the courtroom. He appeared grief stricken and on the verge of tears.

“Sorry,” he whispered to her, as he was escorted through a side door.

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