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Top 100 Language Blogs: Whether you teach a foreign language or English as a second language, you’ll want to pay a visit to these language blogs. You’ll find useful info about food, travel and culture. And, you know, words too.

50 Tips and Tricks to Create a Learning Space in Second Life: Second Life, that online realm where you can interact with semi-realistic avatars of folks from around the world, can be a powerful educational tool if you know how to use it right. Read up on these strategies and turn Second Life into a virtual classroom.

40 Places for College Students to Find Free Unabridged Books Online and 20 Best Websites to Download Free EBooks: I like free books. You like free books. Now you don’t even have to go to the library to get books for free thanks lists that are pretty much what they sound like.

50 Useful Blogging Tools for Teachers: Still thinking about jumping into blogging? If you’re itching to get started, check out this list of useful blogging tools for teachers called…well, you get the idea.

Photo credit: zen on flickr.

15 Awesome Tutorial Websites You Probably Don’t Know About
A couple weeks ago I decided to take up juggling. Right away I was amazed at the high quality tutorials I found online. If you have a random hobby you’d like to try, or you’re looking for a project during these summer months, check out this list of sites.

100 Unbelievably Useful Reference Sites You’ve Never Heard Of
Here’s a great big list of sites you can use to find everything from literature to library references to health care. You can also find fun stuff like the Dialectizer, which can translate your text to sound like Elmer Fudd. Who doesn’t need that?

10 Brain Training Tips To Teach and Learn
Keep your brain fit for optimum learning potential. The folks at SharpBrains have these ten tips to turn you and your students into efficient thinking and learning machines.

Video Toolbox: 150+ Online Video Tools and Resources
Need to edit a class video project? Want some advice on how to create a video podcast? Or do you need to convert video to a different file format? Mashable has all that and more in this great post. -BILL FERRIS

Photo credit:  zen on flickr

The summer movie season is in full swing. For a lot of your students, the last thing they’re thinking about right now is reading books. It may be too late to reach them this summer, but when they return you’ll definitely want to point them toward Digital Booktalk, a site that creates movie-style trailers for books.

Digital Booktalk was created by the University of Central Florida’s Department of Digital Media. Their goalwas to entice reluctant readers to try books they may not have given a chance because they’re, you know, books. Works like Mutiny on the Bounty look pretty action-packed in trailer form, even by today’s standards. Want some intrigue? Have a look at the trailer for Counterfeit Son.

If you want to do a class project, or if some students need a little nudge to get involved in your discussion of MacBeth, Digital Booktalk also accepts student-produced trailers (you may want to read up on producing videos for class first).

Though you and I still love a good book, movies have become our culture’s entertainment medium of record. With Digital Booktalk you can bridge the gap between the page and the silver screen. -BILL FERRIS

Digital Booktalk

Related Stuff:

Produce an Educational Video in Your Classroom

Sure, your phone plays music, surfs the Web, sends email, and has GPS capability (and you can, you know, talk to people with it, too). That stuff is cool, don’t get me wrong, but we’ve only scratched the surface of what these handheld powerhouses can do. Now, with one simple download, you can give your phone some extra power you can use in the classroom thanks to gWhiz.

gWhiz is a suite of mobile learning tools that includes a powerful graphing calculator, a personalized reference library, and a flash card application. If Little Johnny wants to email his friends the graph of a tricky equation, he can do it straight from his phone. Create custom reference guides for an upcoming test on state capitals. Students will be able to get a lot of mileage from these apps, and they’ll always be within easy reach.

Now, the bad news. Right now, gWhiz is only available for BlackBerry phones. They’re working on adding more phone compatibility, though, including Google’s upcoming Android mobile phone platform. Maybe by the time summer vacation is over I can add gWhiz to my Motorola Razr (or maybe not). If you don’t have a BlackBerry, you may want to check back in a few months to see when gWhiz will be compatible with your phone.

Schools can really benefit from enhanced phone technology, since these devices are small, increasingly powerful, and within the price range of many students’ families. Applications like gWhiz can leverage this technology to create a powerful learning tool within the palm of every student’s hand. -BILL FERRIS

gWhiz

Welcome to the Carnival of Education Career Fair! We’ve retracted the bleachers and set up the booths on the gymnasium floor so these brave teachers can see what they might be doing if they weren’t teaching (perish the thought).

Motivational Speaker
Mr. D at I Want to Teach Forever agreed to sport a freaking mohawk as long as his students worked hard, which was about three weeks. Sadly, his motivational experiment has concluded. Long live the mohawk.

Camp Counselor
As a kid, my wife got to go to Space Camp and Marine Science Camp. Had Tisha Kulak and American Consumer News been around back then to point out how to save money on tuition to summer research camps, I might’ve been able to go, too.

Productivity Consultant
Instructify-favorite studenthacks.org has some great tips for students who want to learn how to write a research paper.

Pro Athletes
The Jose Vilson uses Derek Jeter as an example of how nurturing students’ talent and leadership ability early on can reap great results.

And over at Jay P. Greene’s Blog, the author talks about the importance of identifying students’ talents, whether they’re a left tackle or potential honor student.

Economist
ESL teacher Larry Ferlazzo knows that money is the international language.

Translator
Melissa B. at The Scholastic Scribe provides a handy-dandy English-to-Eduspeak dictionary.

Director
Mathew Needleman at Creating Lifelong Learners takes a proactive approach to managing disruptive students during a class movie project.

Advice Columnist
Let’s Play Math! has some advice on teaching math to a struggling student.

Detective
OverwhelmedMom gets to the bottom of problems that gifted students face.

Investigative Reporters
The proprietor of a voice from the middle knows the means to discovery is asking the right questions.

In addition, eduwonkette responds to a Wall Street Journal article about the criteria used to evaluate teachers.

Game Developer
Alvaro at SharpBrains shares a few games to stimulate your temporal lobe.

Diplomat
Coach Brown tries to reach an understanding with hostile parents.

Nutritionists
At Homework. Dinner. Life. Angela points out that good nutrition habits ought to be maintained year-round, not just a few days before the test.

Meanwhile, Chanman at Buckhorn Road says all that caffeine students drink can’t be good for them.

Cartographer
Dan Callahan, a.k.a. geek.teacher, harnesses Google Maps for a lesson in community mapping.

Librarian
@EDU takes the work out of student research by pointing them toward Google Alerts.

Politician
Jane Artabasy at Golden Apple Teaching Excellence Network unloads the loaded word of the day, “elitism,” showing it’s nothing to be frightened of - especially in schools.

The folks at Golden Apple also mull over the differences in races and learning styles.

Astronaut
HowDoWhy asks, what is a solar system, anyway? Furthermore, just how big is ours?

Human Resources Specialist
Over at Right on the Left Coast, Darren discusses the sticky situation of a teacher dating an 18-year-old student at a different school.

Mentors
Allison Jones at Entry Level Living wants to revamp the way young people think about leadership.

The folks at the Efficient Leadership Files have some ideas on that as well.

Statistician
Lead from the Start crunches the numbers about the disconnect between teachers and EdSector.

Strategist
Seth Pearce at NYC Students Blog has an intriguing idea on how to overcome schools’ non-stop test preparation.

Lobbyist
PZ Meyers at Pharyngula has some news about a disturbing bill in the Oklahoma legislature regarding religion in schools.

Road Grader
As the great homework debate rages on, Shabam School makes a good case for grading homework.

Kindergarten Teacher (sorry, I couldn’t come up with anything else)
Kiri at Elbows, Knees, Dreams shares her thoughts (and asks for others’ opinions) about early entrance to Kindergarten.

Photo credit: ou_ags on flickr

As if you don’t already have a tough time getting students to read, schools keep banning the books kids actually like. Young adult literature is a frequently challenged genre, probably due to the fact that the teenaged protagonists often act like, you know, teenagers.

If you’re passionate about kids being able to access books they love, you’ll want to check out BANNED in the Bookhenge on Monday, March 31. In the young adult lit corner will be Frances Bradburn, Chair of the American Library Association’s first Printz Committee. She’ll speak about censorship, intellectual freedom, and how to advocate for banned and challenged young adult books.

BANNED in the Bookhenge is a virtual conference that will take place in NC State University’s Bookhenge in Second Life (if you’re unfamiliar with Second Life, it’s a 3D online virtual world that’s both cool and well beyond the scope of this article). If you’re not ready to jump into Second Life’s virtual playground, you can still listen in via Internet radio.

Getting kids excited about books is part of a teacher’s job. Help make sure they’ll be able to read the books they enjoy. -BILL FERRIS

BANNED in the Bookhenge

Related Stuff:
Banned Books Week Roundup

Photo credit: Thomas Hawk on flickr

When I was in library school, professors talked about a widespread fear of librarians among the general populace. Library users have questions, my professors said, but in many cases are too afraid to ask them. Huh. I looked around at my fellow librarians-to-be, mystified. As a group, librarians are the least intimidating, most approachable people I know. We like comic books, cats, and vigorous games of four-square.

In any event, there’s no reason for burning research questions to go unanswered, stifled by librarian fear (or by the fact that it’s 4:00 a.m. and there’s not a library open this side of Fiji.) Chat services from a growing number of libraries are available 24/7, and this article from studenthacks.org will help you find them. The list also includes libraries that offer quick research help via email. Timely help from a librarian can make all the difference in your students’ research – or in your own.

And, as the studenthackers note, “you never need to visit a library to talk with them.” I hope a few brave souls still will. -EMILY JACK

Where to Find a Librarian 24/7 via studenthacks.org

Welcome to your romantic and eerily educentric Valentine’s Day date. But will it end in love, tears, or possibly food poisoning from an undercooked Valentine’s dinner? These kind educators were gracious enough to share their Valentine’s Day experiences:

Dinner and a Movie: Benjamin Baxter at On the Tenure Track invites you to a live recreation of Saving Private Ryan in his own classroom.

Dining by Candlelight: Larry Ferlazzo at In Practice and Eric at Teachers Call say teachers should include more modern means of illuminating young minds.

Set the Mood with Music: Alvaro at SharpBrains says musical training stimulates the brain. Meanwhile, Creating Lifelong Learners tells you how to make the most of your iPod in class.

Send a Valentine’s Card: Ms. Cornelius says principals who care, trust and lead by example are sooo her type.

Like Romeo and Juliet, Minus the Suicide: The Bard Blog knows there’s no better way to woo someone than with poetry. Learn how to read Shakespearean verse like a true Romeo.

Even More Poetry: Eduwonkette has the same idea. Send your Valentine a funny poem.

On a Budget: American Consumer News has tips on how to get great books for cheap. Speaking of books, Money Blue Book talks about a few things you didn’t know your library could do.

On a Budget, Part II: Uncle Joe’s Leadership Blog tells parents and students how to get a free college education. And Thursday Bram at Wise Bread tells students where to shop when they have to start buying their own textbooks.

Propagating the Species: GrrlScientist at Living the Scientific Life has the skinny on a guide to teaching evolutionary theory.

Lovers’ Quarrel: Mr. Walker, The English Teacher, prompts a heated discussion on tracking.

Kiss and Make Up: Resolve conflicts with colleagues by employing these strategies, courtesy of Pat at Successful Teaching.

Share a Few Laughs: Scenes from The Battleground pokes fun at the idea of blaming the victim in education.

Spend Some Time with Your Kids: TutorFi’s Colleen Palat asks, “Does My Child Need a Tutor?“If so, not to worry. The kid can still excel in school.

Find a Special Someone where you Least Expect It: Joanne Jacobs dishes on Principal Shimon Waronker, a Hasidic Jew, ignoring potential culture shock to turn around a prominently black and Hispanic school.

Watch the Sunrise: Circle Time “Lead From The Start” discusses teaching with both sides of the brain to usher in a new tomorrow in student learning.

Remembering the Way We Were: The Tempered Radical’s Bill Ferriter asked beginning teachers to remind older colleagues they’re still learning how to do this job.

Stand by Your Man (or Woman): Nancy Flanagan, a Teacher in a Strange Land, sticks up for teachers in the face of claims that the professions isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Get Some Alone Time: Dana at Principled Discovery doesn’t like the idea of the federal government butting in and bossing around local schools.

Remembering it’s the Thought that Counts: Like many parents reared on New Math, NYC Educator struggles to help his daughter at math. But he’s a dear for trying.

Fending off Suitors: Ms_Teacher isn’t interested in ETS’ insultingly low wages.

Dumped: To MasterPapers.com and CustomEssays.co.uk - We both knew this was coming. Selling essays to students is just wrong, wrong, wrong. And your advice on essay writing is pure fluff. I don’t think we should see each other anymore.

Photo Credit: Candy hearts at cryptogram.com.

Teaching Latin? The Classics? Shakespeare? Turn-of-the-century American history? If you are, you’ll find a dizzying array of resources under one virtual roof at Tufts University’s Perseus Digital Library. The library pulls together primary and secondary sources from ancient Greece and Rome, the complete works of Marlowe and Shakespeare with related historical sources, digitized texts from the Library of Congress’ American Memory collection, and more.

The collection of digitized texts about California from 1849 to 1900 would be an excellent place to send history students to gain experience with primary sources. English teachers could use the digitized works of Shakespeare rather than handing out the same old dog-eared, highlighted copies of Hamlet year after year. And although I can’t claim to know a whole lot about “non-literary papyri,” I suspect there are quite a few Latin teachers out there who could use this site as a welcome break from the textbook.

Bonus points to you if you know the story of Perseus, the site’s namesake. (And bonus points to me for not making jokes about parts of this site being “Greek to me.”) -EMILY JACK

Perseus Digital Library

Related Stuff:
Search the World’s Libraries with WorldCat
Check out ibiblio, the Online Library

Every so often, the Instructify staff combs through all the discussions on ask.metafilter.com looking for topics relevant to teachers so you don’t have to. Here are some of the most interesting questions we’ve found recently:

1. Is it usual for school librarians and teachers to have disagreements and conflicts over “appropriate” content and media in school libraries?
2. I am in a search of a program that will help me memorize words.
3. Web communities in conservative/educational climates: what are some good ones?
4. Please recommend informative documentaries or educational videos that can be found on-line.

Got a question that you’d like to ask the metafilter community? Leave us a comment and we’ll ask for you.

When it comes to doing academic research, Google is just not the ideal search engine. It’s like trying to go grocery shopping at a Super Wal-Mart. So if you’re in the market for some information, go some place where there’s not a lot of junk in your way. BookRags.com for instance – a search engine that doesn’t hook you up to the World Wide Web, but rather a collection of encyclopedias, critical essays, eBooks, and other such appropriate sources. Some of the articles and study materials require a “premium” to read, but there’s plenty that’s free for the taking too.

And lo! If your students need a little diversion, they can try their hands at the “Sonnet Shake-Up” – which will lead them through creating their own sonnets using pieces of Bill Shakespeare’s. Here’s an end of the day couplet I concocted from sonnets 71 and 27: “Give warning to the world that I am fled / Weary with toil, I haste myself to bed.” Now everyone go have a restful three day weekend. -MARIELLE PRINCE

BookRags.com

Forget about struggling over getting that Ph.D. or Master’s degree– now you can get all the science knowledge you need from Science U online. The site is actually designed to help younger students understand the many aspects of science through a series of activities and sections in a cartoony online university, but my guess is that it’s just as accredited as Phoenix or  the ilk. Science U is chock full of activities, illustrated and animated explanations, experiments and a Science graphics store if you’re willing to shell out some change for a star chart or something.

Check out the “studio” if you want to add pictures from the site for larger viewing sizes, or sign up for a free “locker” which will keep the files and photos you’ve visited for the next time you log in. In the “library,” you can search the articles within the site, or you can browse the Special Exhibits, where you’ll find things like this neat Fractal Landscape Generator. Science U might not get you that job at Cedar Sinai, but it will at least aide you and your students in finding all the science info you can shake a stick at. –JEREMY S. GRIFFIN

Science U

The library will always be a refuge for cheapskates like me. For as much as I read, I have a pretty lackluster bookshelf at home–mostly just leftover textbooks from college, mangled paperbacks, and my copy of Kent Montana and the Reasonably Invisible Man. Who needs to buy a book when I can read it for free by checking it out from the library? And now that WorldCat is around, I can count on spending even less cash at the bookstore.

WorldCat lets you search by title, author, subject, all that stuff. You also enter your ZIP code. WorldCat will search the catalogs of nearby libraries and tell you where to find the closest copy. If your library isn’t a part of the WorldCat network, mention it to your friendly neighborhood librarian. If you happen to be a friendly neighborhood librarian, WorldCat is a good way to lure bookworms to your library, and the site has directions for joining (I don’t think it’s free, though).

WorldCat is a great way to find free reading near you. Most of the time, anyway. Turns out if I want to read Kent Montana and the Once and Future Thing, I’ve got to drive 176 miles. –BILL FERRIS

Related Stuff:
Check out ibiblio, the Online Library

Virtual Field Trips offers a bundle of web excursions - perfect if you want to break the ennui of concrete walls without actually having to go through the rigamarole of leaving school grounds. The trips are simply step-by-step web seminars designed to educate and fulfill the needs of taking an actual field trip without having to keep everyone in a single file line. There are several subject areas here to explore, including fine arts, science, foreign language, social studies and technology. Each subject has about thirty or so activities and lessons, complete with pictures and links to outside resources.

It’s no substitute for a real field trip, but if your class is tired of that trip to the farm where someone will inevitably lose a retainer or fall in the mud, you might stay indoors once in a while and get all the info from this site without any of the fuss. You can also suggest and create your own virtual field trip so that other teachers can benefit from your expertise. One of my favorite aspects of the site is that all of the lessons are consistent in design and flow, so there isn’t any need to re-program your brain to teach more than one of these lessons. The design isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing thing on the web, but hey, the content is great. –JEREMY S. GRIFFIN

Virtual Field Trips

Ibiblio. It’s the public’s library.

“Wait a minute,” you’re thinking. “Isn’t… uh… the public library the public’s library?”

Well, yes, of course it is. And while this librarian would never advocate replacing the brick-and-mortar library with anything, she will admit that ibiblio can do a lot of things the public library can’t.

Ibiblio is a gigantic collection of freely available information, compiling such disparate resources as the Internet Poetry Archive, the Internet Apiculture and Beekeeping archive, Asian classical music mp3s, a guide to learning Tamil, suggestions for how to incorporate art into math lessons, and something called “Phase transitions on Lattices” (which claims to be about physics, but I’ll never know) under one digital roof. And because there are many librarians behind this project, it’s all carefully indexed so you can easily find what you’re looking for.

The good folks at ibiblio are firm believers in the open source model, so the site also serves as a repository for open source software and recent research on open source communities. They also encourage users to become contributors, by adding critiques or creating their own content.

Bonus: unlike the public library, ibiblio is open 24 hours a day. (But they still haven’t found a way to make it smell pleasantly of old books.) –EMILY JACK

Ibiblio