Best College Rankings

Top 10 Weird and Zany College Rankings You Should Probably Ignore

admin — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:00:07 +0000

For some, a college ranking means nothing at all, while others heavily rely on a university’s “rank” for getting into graduate school or making their resume stand out in a pile of job hopefuls. Blame the economy, but those standard college rankings are meaning less and less to employers, which has caused the higher learning industry to resort to weird and zany college rankings that may draw headlines, but do little else.

Smartest guys and girls. This isn’t so weird or zany, but it is rather pointless. Being surrounded by smart guys and gals will force you to up your game, but it won’t necessarily make you smarter. In some cases, being around highly intelligent people can make you feel inadequate, especially if you’re adjusting to other things like a new environment and making new friends. Who cares if the smartest guys and girls are at your school? What matters is the school is a wise fit for your learning style.
Girls. Yep. One of the strangest college rankings is plain ol’ girls. We all know there’s a bevy of college comedies that portray campuses as being the easiest place to get laid, but in reality, most girls are there to learn. Collegeprowler ranks schools on girls and those with a high rank means there’s a plentiful supply of attractive, friendly girls on campus and the ration of women to men is high.
Off campus housing. This is a silly college ranking because off campus housing varies depending on how far or close you’ll live to the school and your budget. While this ranking from Collegeprowler does take into account things like cost of living and traffic you’ll encounter getting to campus, it’s still such a general .
Weather. Sure, the weather makes a difference, but would you really choose a school based on it? It may be something to take into account when choosing a school, but it should hardly be sited as a means of ranking a university. If you’re from a very cold or very warm climate, it may be difficult to adjust, but we suggest looking into specific programs and career counseling before taking weather into account.
Party schools. This isn’t so weird anymore, as PR has given the title a major boost in the past decade. Playboy magazine has dished out the title in recent years, taking into account female to male ratio, alcohol consumption and the medicinal medicine facility nearby. This results in tens of thousands of students lighting up on April 20th. Talk about new traditions.
Worst housing. This isn’t usually the first thing you look at when examining which school to commit to. Housing is bad across the board when it comes to living on campus, but for safety purposes, many schools are requiring freshman to live on campus. This means you may have no choice but to live in a tiny space that’s been around for decades. This is common for older universities where renovations might have been done in the 1980s. You’re there for school, not to improve your interior design skills (unless your major is interior design, of course).
Worst parking. Unless you’re living off campus, you shouldn’t have to worry about parking too much. Many of the colleges ranked are in New York City, which begs the idea – learn to use the subway! There’s nothing that says you can’t truck it to school on foot, especially if you’re living on campus. Even if parking is an issue, you can always learn the ropes and park your car in a specific spot through the week while you attend classes and then you can limit the parking song and dance to weekends.
Worst food. When you’re cramming for exams, you have to eat. If you’re a freshman or anyone living on campus, you may have a meal plan which forces you to eat at the various school cafeterias or food vendors throughout the school year. Some of the worst food can be found at pricey colleges, which means you may want to think about stockpiling Cup O’ Noodle before signing up for a year long meal plan.
Greenest campus. It’s no wonder that the majority of these campuses are small schools. This means less of everything, making them more green. Beyond that, these schools are actively making changes or building with the planet in mind. For students who love the environment and want to be involved with organizations that focus on environmental issues, this may play a large role in choosing a campus.
Best performance venue. Unless you’re a drama major, this probably doesn’t mean much to you, but it still exists as a strange college ranking. For best performance venue, acoustics and lighting are taken into consideration. We aren’t sure how this matters for anyone other than a drama professor who becomes a possessed director for seasonal plays, but it’s something to take into account if you plan on seeing your name in lights.

These unusual and strange college rankings may make you chuckle, but never let them dictate your decision on where to go to school. Meeting with a school counselor and getting a feel for the campus and extra curricular activities is the best way to envision yourself at that learning institution and see if it’s the right fit.

What are the 15 Oldest Colleges in the World?

admin — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:21:32 +0000

The word university is derived from the Latin “universitas magistrorum et scholarium,” which translated into English means “community of teachers and scholars.” Now referred to as university for short, the origin of institutes of higher learning are as old as the language they are based on. Thought to be in some circles as a place where the privileged go to earn even more of an edge, the actual history of colleges is far more complex and diverse.

To see for yourself, check out the below list of the 15 oldest colleges in the world. Although history can be a difficult thing to nail down, we have listed the schools mostly by date of alleged foundation and have even included a few that have unfortunately ceased to exist.

The Academy of Plato
The world famous and often quoted philosopher of the Greek era needs no introduction. However, his academy, which can also be referred to as a university, was founded around 387 B.C. and is definitely worth mentioning. Plato himself was thought to have resided over the academy, which was devoted to research and instructions in philosophy. The academy stood until 529 A.D. when the Christian Emperor Justinian declared it a pagan establishment.

Nanjing University
Located in China, this university is thought to have been founded in 258 A.D. It has seen six dynasties and was formally classified as a university over 100 years ago. However, during its founding it was more of an informal school but still contains much of its history, and some of it still stands today. This site has more on schools in China.

Nalanda University
This university was founded in Northeastern India in 427 A.D. Close to Nepal, it survived until 1197 and the ruins still remain to this day. The college was devoted to Buddhist studies, but it also trained students in fine arts, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, politics, and the art of war. There are currently discussions as to whether or not to rebuild the university.

Al Karaouine University
This combination mosque and university dates all the way back to 859 A.D. To add to its diversity, it was founded by a wealthy Tunisian woman, Fatima Alfehri, who was the daughter of a rich merchant. Acknowledged by the Guinness Book of Records, various sultans have studied there and it remains an institute of Islamic higher learning.

Al-Azhar University
Located in Cairo, this university opened in the summer of 972 A.D. Since then it has become one of the most well-known mosques in the whole Muslim world and the oldest university ever for both religious and secular studies. It first originated as a mosque but soon grew to become and still is an institute of higher learning. The site is even open to visitors in certain areas and with certain dress codes.

University of Bologna
In the first of European entries, this university is located in Italy. Founded in 1088, masters of grammar, rhetoric, and logic devoted themselves to the law and formed the university. Seventy years later the university was declared a place where research could develop independently from any other power, a founding principle for the many universities of today.

University of Oxford
This is the oldest college in the English speaking world. Located in England, teaching began here in 1096. The student population predictably grew in 1167 after King Henry II banned students from studying at Paris-Sorbonne University, which was called the University of Paris. In 1214, the university had its first chancellor and almost 20 years later, Oxford was recognized officially as a university.

University of Cambridge
What do you do when the policies over at Oxford are too much for you? Scholars taking refuge used the opportunity to found the University of Cambridge in 1209. By 1226, the scholars were numerous enough to have an official organization, a chancellor, and even regular courses of study. There are now currently over 17,000 students studying everything from art to the physical sciences.

University of Timbuktu
With a founding date of sometime in the 12th century, this is the oldest college in Africa. The educational foundation states that the attendance even back in those days was 25,000 students in a city of 100,000. On graduation day, the students were given turbans, which symbolize divine light. It even offered four degree levels: primary, secondary, superior, and circle of knowledge.

Paris-Sorbonne University
Although the exact date is unknown, this French university is thought to have been founded sometime in the 13th century at around 1250. Still the biggest complex in the country, it is dedicated to literature, languages, civilizations, arts, humanities, and the social sciences. There are currently over 23,000 students studying under 1,300 teachers and research professors.

University of Montpellier
Another European university, it was officially founded in 1289. It was one of the chief centers for teaching the practice of medicine and marked the high point of the French city’s prominence. It is currently host to 26,000 students in seven departments: law, economics, business, pharmacy, odontology, sports, and of course, medicine.

University of Coimbra
The history of the University of Coimbra dates back to the century subsequent to the very foundation of the Portugal. It is thought that the university was established in the 13th century, in 1290. Just two years prior, a supplication was made to then Pope Nicholas IV and other leaders requesting the foundation of a general study. It remains home to various students in the humanities, law, medicine, science, and more.

Charles University
Named after Czech and Roman king Charles IV, he founded the university in Prague by a deed on April 7, 1348. It was the first university to the north of the Alps and to the east of Paris. It followed the example of the Bolognese and the Parisian universities and in a short time became internationally famous for four faculties: theology, arts, law, and medicine. Over 51,000 students are studying at CU (which is roughly a sixth of all students in the Czech Republic), in more than 300 accredited degree programs and 660 study disciplines.

University of Santo Tomas
This Philippine college was established through the initiative of Bishop Miguel de Benavides, the third Archbishop of Manila. On July 24, 1605, he bequeathed the starting funds and his personal library for the establishment of a seminary-college to prepare young men for the priesthood. Still in operation today, the school offers programs in ecclesiastical studies, medicine, civil law, and others. Although there are older universities, this one stands out for being one of the first seminary/universities.

St. John’s College
St. John’s College traces its origins to King William’s School, the then Maryland colony’s “free”school”, which was founded in 1696. The term free referred to the school’s purpose: to make students free through liberal education, an aim that still holds today. The school officially became St. John’s College in 1784 after numerous failed attempts to receive a charter.

Bonus: TakshaShila University – Also known as Taxila University, this institute of learning is said to have existed over 2,700 years ago, putting it hundreds of years before entry number one. According to Human Intelligence to solve Xtreme Problems, over 10,500 students from across the world came there for higher studies. It was located in what is currently now Pakistan.

40 Awesome Android Apps for College Students

Linda — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 23:51:36 +0000

Are you sad that you have an Android phone instead of an iPhone because of the lack of apps? Never fear — just a little patience and you’ll have all the apps you need. This list of 40 awesome Android apps for college students provides examples of some high-class apps that will help you float through that undergraduate or graduate degree with confidence.

Books & Reference

Aldiko Book Reader: Browse huge catalogs of ebooks including best-sellers, new releases and classics (many for free) or import your own ePub and PDF files.
FactBook Ad-Free: This is the ad-free version of the popular FactBook reference app, offering fast + easy access to the CIA World Fact Book and United Nations data and statistics.
Goodreads Droid: This download by Hactar Software is a fully featured Android client for the social book website Goodreads.com.
Grammar Guide: This is an easy to use, quick reference guide with general rules, helpful hints and reference for using grammar.
Moon+ Reader for Android: Read tens of thousands of books for free, supports multiple online book sites. Read local books for nice experience with real-time smooth scroll and tons of innovation functions.
Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus: Developed by Handmark, the Oxford American Dictionary and Thesaurus combines a full dictionary and a full thesaurus, offering users access to the power of words.
Read It Later Pro: Read It Later downloads all of your articles for offline reading. You can view your articles even when away from an Internet connection, which is perfect for reading on the plane, train or your daily commute.
Wikidroid: View all of Wikipedia’s articles formatted perfectly for your device. Never be without the answer to an argument again! With the Plus version, you can even save articles to your SD card for viewing offline.
Wolfram|Alpha: This download provides free online access to the Wolfram|Alpha computational knowledge engine. Answer questions, get calculators, create plots and visualizations and much more with this versatile tool.

Productivity

Advanced Task Manager Pro: Kill tasks, free memory, speed up phone and save your battery with this one simple application.
AndroZip Pro File Manager: AndroZip File Manager is the leading Android Platform productivity application aimed to simplify management of files and handling of compressed file formats.
Document Scanner: Document Scanner allows you to scan documents with your phone camera, convert them into PDF, and email the PDF document to anyone, all from your mobile phone.
Due Today: Due Today is designed to help you get organized. Create tasks and assign them to projects and contexts. You can also set reminders to help you remember those important things.
ezPDF Reader: This incredible PDF reader plays video and audio from PDF. Also comes with annotation feature — activate with a long click on any place in PDF.
CamCard: CamCard (Business Card Reader) is an Android based application. It can capture business card images with phone-based camera, and recognize the card image content, and the recognized result is automatically organized as a contact and saved into phone address book.
CircleLauncher: You can add some frequently used apps, contacts or bookmarks to this launcher and start those apps, contacts or bookmarks with one click from a circle, a horizontal or a vertical line.
gFlash Android: Create flashcards with a two column Google Spreadsheet and share with friends or upload Excel to Google Documents. Download cards from gWhiz Catalog & your Google account and auto-shuffle cards on subsequent passes with a focus on the cards you missed (like Leitner method with better scoring!).
Grades: Student Organizer: Keep track of your classes, school assignments, homework, and exams with ease using the Grades: Student Organizer from Android Infinity Software.
Image Transfer: Wirelessly transfer your photos and videos to any computer with the click of a button. Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux computers with a shared folder on the same network.
Note Everything: Note Everything is a very feature-rich note (notepad) application for android. You can organize your notes in folders and subfolders.
RepliGo Reader: RepliGo Reader for Android is the highest fidelity PDF viewing solution available and the only solution available that supports PDF annotations.
Touch Calendar: Touch Calendar makes viewing your calendar as easy as using Google Maps. No more flipping between different calendar views. Touch Calendar works with Google Calendar and any other calendars your phone supports.
Whiteboard Pro: Write and draw notes on your home screen. Fully customizable home screen widget.

Specific Studies

Android apps by Vincent Programming: You have a multitude of choices here for help with physics, numbers, chemistry and other science formulas, all costing less than a cup of coffee.
Android Language Classes: Right now Spanish Class, Portuguese Class and French Class are available. German, Dutch and Italian Class are in the pipeline as well. Each “class” offers complete offline courses for their particular language, together with interactive verb and vocabulary exercises.
Grammar Express: Grammar Express is the complete course in mastering the use of variety of expressions in writing English. It’s a valuable exercise for it teaches you how to introduce variety in writing English.
Human Anatomy: How many bones are in the human body? Which is the longest muscle in the body? Biceps bracii extend the arm during a pull up? Can you answer these questions and more in this fun anatomy quiz?
Math Ref: This application includes over 1,300 helpful equations, notes and more from algebra to chemistry. Network access only needed for sending feedback.
Math Reference: Created by Quizmine, this tool is useful for quick and easy access to math formulas for arithmetic, algebra, geometry and measurements. Quizmine also produces apps for physics, chemistry, biology, MBA references and more.
MathScript — Complete Toolbox: Try out this app or other math apps created by Math School. MathScript is a “must have” app for any one interested in mathematics and/or programming.
The Elements: The Elements gives you quick access to the information you need, when you need it. Not only do you get properties of the 118 elements, but you get other information that is commonly used in a chemistry class.

Tools

Backup to Gmail: With Google phone, you can sync your Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Picasa Albums with Google’s Service.
ClearRecord: ClearRecord brings the unique feature of suppressing Ambient Noise, inadvertently captured while recording. ClearRecord also features the ability to control play-speed without modifying pitch quality and allows for background recording.
DocumentsToGo Full Version Key: This key unlocks premium features such as editing, Google Docs & Adobe PDF.
Folder Organizer: Group items according to labels and create fully customizable folders and widgets. You can organize apps, bookmarks, contacts and shortcuts.
Job Search: Find jobs from your Android phone with Indeed.com, the most comprehensive search engine for jobs. In a single search, Indeed offers free access to millions of jobs from thousands of company websites and job boards.
PrinterShare Mobile Print: Print documents (DOC, DOCX, XLS, XSLX, PPT, PPTX, PDF, TXT) from SD card and Google Docs, Gmail, photos, contacts, agenda, sms/mms, call log and web pages directly from your phone to a printer right next to you or anywhere in the world.
Quickoffice Pro: This app takes mobile productivity to the next level with the most comprehensive suite ever for Android smartphones.
Resume & Cover Letter Guide: This app will download a manual to your phone’s files in pdf format for easy viewing on your Android device.
WebSharing File/Media Sync: Transfer files over Wi-Fi between your phone and computer. Bulk upload/download: transfer entire folders/albums; stream music to computers; view photos/videos; WebDAV Server (Beta feature: must enable in settings).

Portable.Edu: 51 Productive & Petite Apps Every Student Should Put on Their USB Drive

Linda — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:44:41 +0000

Petite USB drives, already handy for carrying data, are becoming more useful and powerful. The open-standard platform of the U3 smart technology from a company called U3 allows users to securely run U3-compliant applications without leaving a trace of data on the host computer. This new technology is available for any PC, and apps for this utility, in addition to regular USB drives, are included in our list of 51 productive and petite apps that every student should put on their USB drive.

Free USB Flash Drive Utilities

7-Zip Portable: This portable file archiver compresses 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, RAR files and more.
Avast Virus Cleaner and Worm Removal Tool: This free tool can be installed to and launched directly from a portable USB device. Also available in the U3 version.
CodySafe: Carry your computer programs with you, launch them on any PC and leave no footprint behind.
Eraser Portable: Eraser Portable is a secure file-deletion and data wiping utility that runs directly from your USB or thumbdrive.
FileZilla Portable: This is the popular FTP client configured as a portable app. Also available in a U3 version.
KeePass Password Safe Portable: Put all your passwords in one database, which is locked with one master key or a key-disk.
Microsoft USB Flash Drive Manager: Use this application to backup and restore files from and to USB Flash Drive devices and take them with you.
Predator: Lock and unlock your PC by simply removing or inserting a USB flash drive.
PStart: You can start anything runnable from USB key devices or removable disks.
SoftPerfect File Recovery: SoftPerfect File Recovery recovers accidentally deleted files from hard disks, USB flash drives, CF and SD cards and other storage media.
Total Commander: This app is a shareware file manager for Windows with a built-in FTP client with FXP and HTTP proxy support.
Toucan: Synchronize, backup and secure your data with more options than the built-in suite utilities.
Truecrypt: This app creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk on the USB flash drive.
xPortClone: This utility will automatically copy all files, including protected or hidden files to the specified folder (requires Java).

Free USB Flash Drive Programs

12Voip: 12Voip is free Portable Voice Over IP software that you can use to call landlines and mobile phones for free from any computer with an Internet connection.
AbiWord: This is a free word processing program that allows you to collaborate with multiple people on one document at the same time.
CDBurnerXP: Use this app to burn a CD anywhere, anytime without gaps between tracks.
Foxit Reader Portable: Insert in any PC and open a PDF file without worrying whether the PDF reader is installed. Also available in the U3 version.
GnuCash Portable: This is an open source financial management software packaged as a portable app, so you can take your financial data with you.
Google Chrome Portable: Take your Google browsing with you in an app that integrates easily with the PortableApps.com Suite (see below).
IrfanView Portable: This app supports every image format you can dream up and includes a fast and stable thumbnail viewer.
Mozilla Firefox Portable: Take your favorite browser with you along with all your favorite bookmarks and extensions. Also available in the U3 version.
Mozilla Thunderbird Portable: Take your email, address book and account settings with you. Available in the U3 version, too.
Notepad++ Portable Edition: Take a reliable, highly-versatile and easy-to-use notepad with you wherever you go.
OpenOffice.org Portable: Take your complete office suite with you so you can work on the road. Also available in the U3 version.
OperaTor: This is a portable software bundle that allows you to browse the Web anonymously by combining the power of the Opera Browser, Tor and Polipo.
Pidgin Portable: Take your IM settings and buddy lists with you for instant messaging on the go. This app also comes in the U3 version.
OperaTor: This is a portable software bundle that allows you to browse the Web anonymously by combining the power of the Opera Browser, Tor and Polipo.
PortableApps.com Suite and Platform: This app includes Web browsers, email, calendar, antivirus, IM, PDF reader and more — all in one app.
Pwytter – Portable Twitter Client: This is a stand-alone Twitter client that can run from a portable USB device.
VDownloader: Watch your favorite videos whenever and wherever you want.
VLC media player: This is a highly portable multimedia player and multimedia framework that can read most audio and video formats as well as DVDs, audio CDs and various streaming protocols.
XMIND — Portable Mind Map: This is an open source mind mapping software utility that can be shared online, shared internally or kept as a personal mind map.

Free Utilities and Programs for U3

1-2-3 Spyware Free for U3: Regular online updates ensure protection against future threats, and real-time protection prevents viruses from infecting your PC.
Accomplice: Accomplice lets you pull together scattered to-do items and related information, prioritize and break them into actionable steps, coordinate them with your teams, and focus on doing what’s critical.
AppSnapper Lite: Launch only the applications you want on your U3 smart drive and never leave anything behind on a host computer.
ArmorSurf Private Browser for PC: ArmorSurf is a private web browser, encrypted file manager, Flash downloader, media player, and video DVD burner that keeps your information safe and secure.
EditPad Lite for U3: You can open as many files at a time as you want, with no arbitrary file size limit and no arbitrary line length limit with this utility.
Evernote for U3: Use Evernote to take notes, organize tasks and to-dos, clip web pages with the text, images, and links, keep snapshots, record audio, write with digital ink and more.
myPodder: This app manages your podcast subscriptions and can be used free of charge in conjunction with the www.podcastready.com website.
Opera for U3: Opera’s widgets keep you on the cutting edge, while the pop-up blocker, tabs, and other innovative features keep you productive and organized.
Personal Finances Lite forU3: Similar to a home accounting system, this program tracks all your expenses, logging regular ones automatically.
Personal Knowledge System for U3: This is an extended trial copy of the Personal Knowledge System.
Portable Vault Lite — U3 Edition: This app encrypts, hides and password protects your private files and folders from others on your Portable USB Device.
Recover Lost Data — U3 Edition: Recover files from an emptied Recycle Bin, a virus infection, an unexpected system shutdown, or a software failure.
RoboForm2Go For U3: Siber Systems has implemented RoboForm2Go software on U3 platform. Use it to fill out forms from any PC.
SIW — System Information for Windows for U3: A utility that includes detailed specs for Motherboard, BIOS, CPU, Devices, Memory, Video, Drives, Ports, Printers.
Webaroo: This free software service provides you with the power to search web content offline on your laptop, PDA, smartphone and U3 drives.
WinSCP for U3: This open source SFTP and FTP client for Windows uses Secure Shell (SSH) and supports, in addition to Secure FTP, legacy SCP protocol.
Xtraveller for U3: Use this utility as a start manager for important documents, folders and programs on the go.
Zinio Reader for U3: The Zinio Reader allows users to read and interact with their digital publications in ways they can’t with traditional paper publications.

The Educator’s Guide to Using Google Buzz

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:24:55 +0000

One of the latest social media applications that has been getting a great deal of buzz is…Google’s Buzz. Google rolled out Buzz not too long ago, with the hope that it would become the next be social media thing. Google is hoping that the fact that Gmail users automatically access Buzz will help it continue. Also helping is the fact that Buzz makes it easy to connect Buzz to other social media feeds, creating a hub of sorts for your various social media accounts, including Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and your Blogger profile.

All of this connectivity had an initial downside. Almost immediately, outcry over privacy on Google Buzz was raised. Private information was widely available, and that caused immediate concerns. The good news is that the widespread panic caused Google to make changes to its set-up, and now Buzz can be adjusted to rectify most of the privacy problems. Now that Google has done its tinkering, and many social media mavens have had their say, Buzz is being considered for its usefulness. While Google Buzz isn’t for everyone, it can be a helpful tool in a number of settings, including education.

If you are looking for an innovative way to connect with students, especially in an online learning situation, here are some ways that you can take advantage of the features offered by Google Buzz:

Create Education Groups

Google Buzz allows you to create different groups, based on shared interests. It is also possible to set up private groups on Buzz so that you are not sharing group information with outsiders. This is one of the most useful features of Buzz for educators. You can create individual groups for each course you teach. Additionally, if you are working on class projects, you can set up small groups and monitor how they are working together. Here are the steps to creating a private group and sending messages using Google Buzz:

In your Gmail account, go to “Contacts”.
Click on “New Group” and create a name for the group.
Add members’ emails to this group.
Go to Buzz and click in the message box.
Look below the box to see the drop down. Switch from “Public on Web” to “Private”.
Click on “Post to a group” and check the appropriate box.
Write your message and click “Post”.

Of course, the major drawback is that all of those in the class group or course have to have their own Gmail accounts and access to Buzz in order to coordinate projects and discuss class items using this social media tool.

Collaborate on Projects

Using the ability to set up groups in Gmail and in Buzz, it is possible to use Buzz to collaborate on education projects. Indeed, Buzz is set up so that conversations can take place on a variety of subjects. This allows students to collaborate with each other, sharing files and information. Google Buzz allows for the sharing of pictures, documents (Google Docs can be used easily with Gmail and Buzz), and research links with each other. This can make collaboration fast and easy.

On top of this, it is possible for others in the group to easily follow the thread of conversation, something that can be quite difficult on Twitter when you have groups of people trying to read what others are saying. Buzz keeps related conversations together, so it is easy to see what other group members have contributed to class projects. Every post has the option to insert a link or photo. With Google Docs, you receive a link that you can put in this section (or just share the doc with everyone in your group).

Class Discussion

For distance education, Google Buzz can be great for facilitating class discussion. It is easy for online educators to upload class materials so that class members can see them using Buzz. Then it is possible to discuss the materials with class members. Class members can comment on their own time schedule as well, easily pulling up what they are looking for by post discussion, and seeing what others have said. Then they can add their own comments.

Google Buzz also makes it easy to answer questions students might have. A student can post a question, and the teacher can answer it — allowing everyone in the group to see the answer. This can be an effective way for those who might have similar questions to have them answered quickly and easily without having to email the instructor separately. Filtering improvements should help increase the efficiency of this process.

The fact that you can do this with more than 140 characters (as with Twitter), and the fact that you don’t have to enter individual “friends” for each message (as with Facebook) make Buzz quite convenient. Comments, questions and explanations can be as long as necessary, and illustrative media is readily available.

Course and Assignment Updates

It is possible for you to quickly and easily send out course and assignment updates to everyone in your class using Google Buzz. If you need to make changes to an assignment, cancel a class meeting, or set up a special online class chat, you can use Buzz to quickly let everyone in your group know. You can also post information on extra credit assignments, or let students know when their grades are available.

You can also notify students when you have a new video lecture up. The “Insert Link” feature allows you to insert a link from YouTube and have the video show up as something playable immediately. You can also connect your YouTube account to Buzz, so that every time you upload a new video, it is automatically disseminated to all of your followers.

Drawbacks to Google Buzz

Even with the privacy upgrades to Buzz, there are still some concerns. One of them is that in some cases there is an “all or nothing” approach, making it difficult to make some things public and some things private. Another downside to Google Buzz in terms of privacy is that when you use Buzz on mobile devices, it can show your location to followers. You might not want classmembers knowing exactly where you are.

And, of course, in order for Google Buzz to be effective in education, all of those taking your course must have a Gmail account and use it regularly. That’s no real hardship, since it is free, but some online students may not be too keen on getting a new email account just to take a class.

In the end, though, Google Buzz offers some interesting possibilities, especially for those looking to beef up their online education offerings.

Top 50 Online Education Blogs

admin — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:50:44 +0000

Thanks to the Internet, learning and education are becoming possible to nearly anyone. No longer is it necessary to sit in a classroom or follow the accepted methods of teaching that many of us are familiar with. Instead, it is now possible to learn what we want, when we want and at our own pace. Additionally, it is possible to use the Internet to complement more traditional forms of learning and supplement what is learned in school. If you want to get into online education and learning, here are 50 blogs that can help you find your way:

General E-Learning Blogs

If you have a passion for learning, you can take advantage of these e-learning blogs that offer tips, techniques and valuable resources for those who are interested in self-directed learning using the power of the Internet.

Moving at the Speed of Creativity presents information and helpful podcasts on more effective e-learning.
Internet Time Blog provides helpful e-learning resources. This is especially geared at business e-learning, but is useful nonetheless for all online learners.
Clive on Learning offers an insightful look about learning, and provides helpful hints to improving the way you engage in self-directed learning.
elearnspace looks at the way people learn, and offers resources and news about e-learning.
Learning and Technology offers an interesting look at how technology can help us be better learners. This blog includes information and resources, as well as discussion, on e-learning.
E-Learning Queen focuses on how it is possible to use the Internet as a learning tool and resource.
Stephen’s Web contains a number of interesting resources and information on e-learning and self-directed education.
XplanaZine provides a contemporary look at education and learning online.
Learning Reflections presents thoughtful posts and analysis on e-learning, and offers resources and help.
Online Education Blog is a resource that provides information on online colleges, degrees and learning.

Learning Theory

Technology has allowed us to advance in the way we think about learning. The reason that you learn differently from someone else may have bearing on how you perform. Online learning allows you to learn in a way that suits you best. Here are some blogs about learning theory and e-learning.

Informal Learning Blog is just what it sounds like — a blog devoted to helping those learn informally.
Random Walk in Learning focuses on the ideas behind learning, and how to apply thoughts on learning to self-directed education.
2 Cents Worth provides insight into how the current landscape affects learning.
Learning Curves offers insight into the different ways that we learn, and how to learn according to our individual needs.
abject learning looks at social learning and the impact it can have on how effectively we receive education.
Learnlets provides interesting observations on information processing and other issues related to online education.
The Stingy Scholar offers information and resources on how you can learn on your own, for free, using the Internet.
McGee’s Musings focuses on learning innovation and how to improve the way we learn.

Technology and Online Education

Technology offers amazing opportunities to enhance the way we learn. Even more traditional learning set-ups can use technology to engage in online education. Here are some blogs about online education technology.

Remote Access offers some helpful information on technology that can help any number of people access education resources, no matter where they are.
Ed-Tech Insider provides helpful information for those who are looking for ways to incorporate online education into the learning environment.
Weblogg-ed focuses on how online learning can complement other types of learning.
Derek’s Blog looks at how technology can impact learning, and how it can enhance education.
The Tech Savvy Educator contains a wealth of information on integrating online education with offline learning.
Beth’s Thoughts on Technology in Education offers a great deal of information on learning and how online education tools can help increase the efficiency.
A Teacher’s Life follows a teacher in her efforts to use online learning and technology to enhance learning in the offline world.
The Thinking Stick provides information on online technology and how it can improve the classroom learning experience.
Infomancy offers tips on how to find learning tools and information using online means.
Techlearning Blog contains resources and insights into online education and learning.

Internet Tools and Online Education

If you are looking for Internet tools that can help you better employ online education and learning, you can visit these blogs to find out more about what’s available to you.

Bionic Teaching offers information on Internet tools and resources that you can use in your e-learning efforts.
learning.now provides excellent tools and information focused on online education. Hosted by PBS.
Leigh Blackall focuses on offering up Internet tools that can help with your online education.
absolutely intercultural! is a blog/podcast focusing on intercultural issues in education, and providing great tools and resources for e-learners.
Infinite Teaching Machine contains tools and resources for online learning and education. Indludes multimedia.
Full Circle Interaction Blog looks at the skills and tools necessary to collaborate for online learning, as well as offline learning.
Digital Writing, Digital Teaching focuses on using the Internet for learning about writing and redading. Offers a number of tools and resources.

Online Education Help for Teachers

Teachers often need help when preparing lessons. Whether teaching Internet courses, or teaching in the “real” world, online education resources can be very helpful for teachers.

The Open Classroom provides insight and information on online learning and teaching methods.
Wicked Decent Learning offers tips and techniques for using technology and the Internet for more effective teaching.
A Difference focuses on making changes to math education, providing a great online resource for teachers.
Infocult contains information on trends in education and tips for teachers on how to implement learning strategies.
Artichoke provides helpful information and insight education, and includes some great online tools for teachers.
Cool Cat Teacher Blog offers information on how to use new tools and methods as a teacher.
Teachers Teaching Teachers is a place where educators can meet online to share information, tools and methods.
dougbelshaw.com provides education technology tools and information, as well as resources for teachers.

Education Policy and News

Find out the latest goings on in education. These great blogs offer insight into education policy and news — including some of the latest happenings in online education.

D-Ed Reckoning offers a look at instruction practices and education policy.
Practical Theory looks at the way things are in classrooms and offers insight on how some education problems can be fixed.
Change Agency focuses on reinventing education — including how it can be changed by the Internet and other technology.
Education Intelligence Agency provides a look at different influences in education, including the impact of online education.
Schools Matter looks at the issues that affect education policy. It even explores the purpose of schools and even suggests different alternatives.
This Week in Education offers regular updates on what’s going on in the world of online, and offline, education.
Eduwonk follows the latest education developments and provides commentary on policy.

Top 100 College Football Blogs

Linda — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:43:43 +0000

The college football season is just around the corner. After all, EA Sports’ NCAA Football ’10 comes out next week! Are you looking for a great college football blog to follow? Thousands of great college football blogs vie for your attention on the Web. But, we managed to narrow those numbers down to the top 100 college football blogs, categorized below.

We tried to avoid corporate or media blogs, concentrating instead on individually-owned blogs or blogs owned by groups of NCAA football fanatics and that are unaffiliated with any college or football team. We also narrowed down the pack by choosing those blogs that posted in late December 2008 and early 2009. This last criteria eliminated a lot of great blogs, but helped to narrow the field. Finally, we didn’t include all teams, simply because not every team carries an “unofficial” blog. So, we chose what we thought were the funniest, most obsessive or most unusual college football blogs on the Web now for your enjoyment.

Each blog is listed alphabetically by blog name under each category. With this methodology, we try to show that we don’t favor one college football blog over another. You might notice a proliferation of blogs under the SportsBlog Nation layout. We think this is a great idea, as SportsBlog Nation offers an easy-to-use blog format so the writers can concentrate on content. This, perhaps, is one reason why so many unofficial college football blogs are gaining attention. With that said, we are not affiliated with that Web site in any form.

Overall

The following blogs carry news and information on all college football teams, or teams by divisions or by geographical area.

BCS Frenzy: Bowl Championship news brought to you by frenzied football fanatic, Allison Boyer. Follow all the college football teams on their quest to the BCS Championship.
Broken Cowboy: This site is focused on sports views with “a West Coast bias.” You’ll discover interviews, great posts and a ton of linkage to all things West Coast.
Busted Play: Find updates on a large number of college football teams here. Not the most informative blog, but a great way to stay on top of recent news about your team.
College Football Blog: Another blog that brings college football news to the forefront. Few images, but it’s the words that count, right?
College Football by the Numbers: This blog provides updated information on college football, some funny snide remarks, bowl results and hopes for a BCS makeover.
College Football Guys: Visit this blog some of the funniest, most entertaining college football writing and podcasts on the Web!
College Football News: Also known as “Fumbled.org,” this site is very professional-looking, but it’s an unofficial and unaffiliated news source for college football. Easy on the eyes and just as easy to find information.
College Football Place: Mitch is an avid football fan who happens to also posses the memory of an elephant. Mitch, who has written about college football for years, also is a die hard Miami Hurricanes fan who bleeds Orange and Green; but, he’s proven in the past he can be objective, so why should he stop now?
College Football Resources: This blog has won a few awards, and you might see why when you visit. They have the best collection of college football links aroung, a popular blog, forums and more.
College Football Talk: Sure, the site design is a bit outdated, but c’mon — how can you pass up the Rumor Mill? From their sermons to what’s wrong with college football to links that take the reader to daily articles on the Division I-A teams, this unofficial college football site eliminates editors and agendas, they don’t owe anyone anything and they don’t care.
College Game Balls: CollegeGameBalls.com is directed, produced, written and edited by me CGB. I’m a graduate of Virginia Tech (2005), but I’ll be covering all the college football world within these virtual walls. Aside from decadent blog posts CollegeGameBalls.com is home to the biggest and best collection of signs from ESPN’s College GameDay.
Fanblogs: Started in April 2003 by Kevin Donahue and Pete Holiday, Fanblogs.com is a group weblog dedicated to college football. This site is exciting — they cover every team, invite active participation from readers and provide a base for a true knowledge bowl.
Football Fresh: This blog provides debatable material (good debates) in blog entries and articles and links to other blogs.
Heisman Pundit: ESPN’s Bruce Feldman stated, “Always entertaining. He takes the Heisman more seriously than probably 99% of the Heisman voters themselves.” The pundit is Chris Huston, a former assistant sports information director at the University of Southern California where, among other things, he conceived and directed the successful Heisman campaigns of both Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.
In the Bleachers: This is another all-around college football site and podcast. What makes this site different is that it has won a few awards from peers.
Smart Football: The site looks a little dated, but the information is totally up-to-date. Look for analysis, strategy and “details upon details.”
Southern Pigskin: These bloggers love college football in general, but have a special place in their hearts for the ACC, SEC and Southern Conference.
Statistically Speaking: This site might look like a Goth’s version of college football, but the information is good and current. Matt Melton pours on the strategy, just in case you need his perspective.
The 323: Enjoy attitude, polls, and a perspective based upon the philosophy that “if you don’t want to fight, it’s impossible to win.”
The ACC and SEC Blog: This blog includes coverage of the SEC and ACC from a “non-degenerate gambler’s perspective.”
The Wiz of Odds: A very popular blog about college football “for winners.” This site is filled with all things college football, looks somewhat like a comic book and it’s filled with great writing.
Unofficial BCS Fann Poll: Unofficial BCS Fan Poll believes that the fans should be involved in deciding what team is crowned national champion and the teams selected for the top bowls. Why are only the head coaches and selected sports journalists allowed to make this selection? There are several million fans that can and should be allowed to participate.

ACC

ACC Football Report : Marcus brings “manic-depressive observations on Atlantic Coast Conference football,” which many people can relate to on many different levels.
Block C: Block-C is run by Clemson graduates Chili (’06) and Willy Mac (’08). They focus on Clemson college football, happenings, news, and other information. This is an edgy blog, so if you want family-friendly Clemson coverage, go to Tigernet.
Carolina March: Any site that has “Aye Zigga Zoomba Zoomba Zay” as its tagline has to be worth a second look. This North Carolina sports blog carries enough content to keep any Tarheels fan happy.
Dave Sez: Sports fan and computer programmer, Dave, focuses on the ACC and regional sports, but any sport is fair game.
Digital Headbutt: Digital Headbutt is the brainchild of Mike White, a graduate school journalism student in North Carolina. Although he’s a Tarheels’ fan, he also “is a card-carrying member of Red Sox Nation.” No real focus except all sports, all the time.
Eagle in Atlanta: A Boston College sports blog capturing the highs and lows of being a BC fan living 1,000 miles from Chestnut Hill.
Hall of Canes: No, this isn’t a home for old folks…it’s the blog for the ACC team Miami Hurricanes, by ‘Canes and for ‘Canes. This is a fairly new blog, so expect some action for the 2009 season.
Oklahoma State Fansite: This is your typical “fansite” layout, but it’s great for those who want to seek different ‘unofficial’ perspectives on their teams. Oklahoma State is no different — everything you want to know about the Cowboys is right here.
Scalp ‘Em: In its fourth incarnation, this Florida Seminoles blog averages 200,000 pageviews each month, and over 1500 unique visitors each day. Anything and everything you want to know about this team is covered here.
Statefan’s Nation: The best of the best North Carolina State independent sports blogs. The Wolfpack crowd couldn’t ask for more.
The Sabre: Also known as “The Good Ol’ Blog,” this site is not affiliated with the University of Virginia, so you can enjoy the rants, raves and general spot-on commentary by Rob Mahini without censure.
Turtle Waxing: This Maryland alumnus, class of 1996 football fan waxes eloquently and unabashedly on the Terrapins.

Big East

Best Big East College Football Blog Ever: JP Girouard is a software engineer by day, college football junkie by night. He has a small ego, big thoughts on Big East football.
Big East Sports Blog: All things Big East including links, news and observations.
Card Chronicle: There’s nothing as fanatical as a Louisville, Kentucky Cardinals’ fan. And, this blog reflects the colors, demeanor and downright slavish fan worship that you can see televised during any Card’s game. We dare you to be as obsessive about your team.
Cincy Jungle: Get a dose of your unofficial observations on the Cincinnati Bengals here. This is a great resource for fan and player links, great writing and more.
Orange 44: This is an out-of-the-box Syracuse University fan blog, slightly irreverent and totally supportive.
Pitt Blather: All the links you’ll ever need to gain access to University of Pittsburgh sites. Oh yes — and great commentary, too.
The House Rock Built: Enjoy podcasts, commentary, rants and more from these Notre Dame fans.
Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician: This site is a college football site amongst college football sites. great writing, stirring commentary and a Syracuse blessing.
West By God Virginia: Three guys wanted to start their own blog about WVU and the Mountaineers, “gratuitous pictures of hot chicks, unneeded cursing, and verbally (and pictorially) killing our opponents’ players, coaches, and fans.” They’ve succeeded with the help of their readers. You might want to visit The Smoking Musket as well, where the mottos is, “West By God, Vulgar By Choice.”

Big Ten Blogs

One of the most popular Big Ten blogs around is one that belongs to a Michigan fan, the MGoBlog. But, Michigan is filled with great blogs, so we added a few more below. Iowa, Ohio, Indiana and Penn State, among others, also made the cut.

Black Heart, Gold Pants: Spencer Hall from The Sporting News states that this blog is a “strange journey of Iowa football through the Kirk Ferentz era — and the equally strange collection of dialogs, third-grade quality Microsoft Paint art, and outright dementia that is Black Heart Gold Pants.”
Black Shoe Diaries: This blog has won a “Best Big Ten Blog” award, and that isn’t surprising. Penn State Nittany Lions fans can be proud.
Boiled Sports: Purdue must focus on sports in person or education, as this was the best of the best found on that college’s sports. That said, the writers are realistic and the news is up-to-date. And, to pass the grade, the site is a bit irreverent.
Buckeye Commentary: Ohio actually carries several great blogs (see also Men of the Scarlet and Gray and Eleven Warriors below), so the Buckeyes have an overdose of great commentary, news and linkage.
Eleven Warriors: Three grown men break down and share their insights on sports — particularly Ohio State athletics, but with an eye toward Buckeye.
Ground Zero East Lansing: Ground Zero East Lansing (G0EL) is a blog dedicated to Michigan State Sporting events, and “does not in any way condone or advocate burning East Lansing to the ground, no matter how flammable that couch looks on your porch.” If you want even more Spartans action, visit the Spartans Weblog.
Illinitalk: Billed as “the only comprehensive Illini sports blog on the web,” and they’re spot on. Great commentary, good links and a great place to participate if you’re an Illinois fan.
Lake the Posts: Northwestern fans chillin’ in Illinois can find warm comfort in this blog. The writers crave tips, truths and taunts, so take them on to see what happens.
Maize and Blue Nation: Here’s a great blog for Michigan Wolverines, along with links to other Big 10 blogs, stats and more. Or, you can switch between Maize and Blue to Maize and Brew, another Michigan blog.
The Daily Gopher: This is your Minnesota Golden Gophers football site, but you can catch hockey and basketball here as well. Yes, they have it all, including extensive links to more Big Ten bloggers.
The Hoosier Report: Want unofficial Hoosier news, reports and information straight from Indiana? This is where you can find it.
The Rivalry, Esq.: Big Ten news, all around commentary, quick pics and videos and a few pokes at rivals just to rile them up. What more could a Big Ten fan hope for?
Zombie Nation: Penn State commentary from Mike Pettigano, a graduate from Penn State in 2006 with a B.A. in Journalism. He founded this blog in May 2007 as a Penn State football blog. It is dedicated to “(somewhat) ethical journalism/blogging, and will do everything possible to provide solid analysis, un(sort of)biased opinion, and uphold a commitment to honor the Penn State football tradition.” Expect some potshots, too.

Big 12 Blogs

Baylor Fansite: This Baylor college football site has lists of blogs, link and news that would sate any Baylor fan. While this page acts more as a directory to Baylor information, it still remains unofficial.
Big Red Network: This site is great — a group of guys got together and created a site for the Nebraska Cornhuskers just because they could. It’s very professional, smart, witty and readers get a dose of Husker football every day, as “there is no off season” at this site.
Bring on The Cats: Kansas State Wildcat fans have a home with this college football and sports blog. This is an active site with some fascinating information about the team and Big 12 rivals.
Buffs.tv: Buffs.tv is an independent publication and is not affiliated with the Colorado Athletic Department or University of Colorado. So, opinions expressed on this site are the opinions of true-blue Buffaloes’ fans.
Burnt Orange Nation: Get your Texas on with this Big 12 blog. Enjoy commentary, recaps and more as you interact with other Burnt Orange fans.
Clone Chronicles: Previously known as the CrossCyed blog, this site focuses on the Iowa State Cyclones.
Crimson and Cream Machine: A site for Oklahoma Sooner fans by Sooner fans. Enjoy fan posts, photos, archives, stats and news.
Double T Nation: Texas Tech Red Raiders fans can get their Double-T’s on with this blog by and for Red Raider fans.
Double Extra Point: A little Nebraska humor along with interesting blog entries, stats and plenty of links. Good site to bookmark, and we had to add it even though the Huskers already have a note here.
Husker Mike’s Blasphemy: Husker Mike has been a life-long Husker fan, totally obsessed with University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Omaha football. You also can find his commentary at Corn Nation.
I am the 12th Man: The 12th Man has been elusive lately, as he left his previous landmark site for a home at SportsBlog Nation. But, he’s back with commentary, news, and award-winning observations on the Texas Aggies.
Longhorn Nation: We couldn’t stay away from this site after we read that it was a combination of “MySpace meets Facebook meets Rivals message board for Texas fans.” This site is fun simply because it’s all over the place.
Mizzourah: A sleeper site that is gaining attention, this Missouri site is gaining momentum. Enjoy polls, speculation, great linkage and awesome images.
Phog Blog: Kentucky University fans line up for this blog, where Mark provides his perspective on Wildcat successes and failures.
Rock Chalk Talk: Jayhawks fans can rock it, chalk it and talk it at this site for this Kansas team. As with many other SportsBlog Nation sites, the concentration is on content.

SEC

And the Valley Shook: An unofficial Louisiana State University athletics blog with a great following. Football lives on, even in January and beyond!
Conquer And Prevail: Conquer and Prevail is run by Vanderbilt senior Jarred Amato, formerly of The Sports VU, and the rest of his semi-respectable crew. Commodore fans can expect the same great commentary in a new blog format.
Deep South Sports: Ah, he’s only one man, but Erik does a bang-up job of carrying on about SEC college football teams and anything to do with those teams.
Every Day Should be Saturday: Heavy on the SEC, humor and stats, this site is a must for any SEC fan.
Garnet And Black Attack: The South Carolina Gamecock teams should thank the folks behind this unofficial blog for their work, commentary, linkage and stats. Just saying.
Hey Jenny Slater: By day, Doug Gillete is a “mild-mannered, latte-swilling pinko liberal.” He then dons his red #4 jersey and becomes the “drunk, obnoxious Georgia fan memorialized in song.” Want Bulldog humor? You got it. He’s won a few awards for the funniest college football blog around.
Insomniac’s Lounge : This guy can’t sleep for his obsession over SEC teams and beautiful women. Stay up and tune in.
Losers With Socks: This blog is a favorite across the board, even if you’re not a Tennessee fan. The writers specialize in content, commentary and comedy about the Tennessee Volunteers and their SEC rivals. They constantly seek “satirical” writers.
Razorback Expats: Two Arkansas expatriates examine Razorback sports from the outside-in. John and Stephen are true Razorback fanatics.
Roll ‘Bama Roll: Alabama fans can get their humor, ‘Bama facts and a perspective knocked around a bit by the delirium surrounding this “Champagne of Bama Blogs.”
Saurian Sagacity: In the old days, long before Urban Meyer roamed the sidelines at The Swamp, “even before Steve Spurrier was slinging touchdowns and kicking game-winning field goals,” some sports writers gave the University of Florida’s football team a long-forgotten nickname: the Saurians. Today, two Florida alums pay tribute to those scribes of old as they enjoy the present and look toward the future of the Gators.
SEC Football: This blog covers all the SEC teams with great commentary, forums and videos.
Third Saturday in Blogtober: We had to include this blog, as it’s an odd one — a couple of Alabama Crimson Tiders teamed up with a Volunteer or two from Tennessee to build this SEC-heavy blog. Their tagline? “Rivalry has its mail sent here.”
Track Em Tigers: Auburn‘s Tiger fans are all over this blog, where Jay Coulter leads the pack on commentary about football and all other sports at this Alabama school.

Pac-10

Addicted to Quack: Is Oregon special? You betcha. At least, the writers of this college football blog think so, as they’re addicted to the Ducks — or at least to Duck noise.
Bruins Nation: “Blog Of The Bruins, By The Bruins, For The Bruins.” We don’t need to say much more other than to point you to their true love for UCLA sports.
Building the Dam: Oregon State Beavers have SC’s number, and they’re “not giving it to you.” Despite that slight, you can enjoy a site by Beaver fans for Beaver fans.
California Golden Blogs: California‘s Golden Bears bring it on, with “ethos,” of course. This Cal fan blog is substantial.
CougCenter: This blog’s writers believe they have 28-for-28 in funny blog taglines. In the process of searching for those taglines, you might find a ton of great writing, cocky attitude and great resources for the Washington Cougars.
House of Sparky: At the end of college football season, many college football sites will turn to basketball to stay alive and well. House of Sparky has done just that this month for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
UW Dawg Pound: Washington Husky sports fans are treated to John Berkowitz’s perspectives as he writes about University of Washington and Pac Ten Sports daily during the Football and Basketball Season. Yes, he’s a professional journalist, but the UW blog carries its own weight.

Non-BCS Blogs

These sites belong to college football teams that aren’t part of the Bowl Championship Series.

Block U: This blog is home to the 2008 College Football National Champion Utah Utes. The blog is filled with polls, comments, photos and more.
Hawai’i Football Fan Blog: The fight might be on the college football field, but it appears that this Hawaiian blog might find the fight just about anywhere — even between cats and dogs. Have fun with the humor and with the facts, stats and opinions.
Rakes of Mallow: Notre Dame fans, get your rakes on with this award-winning independent Fighting Irish blog. If you want stats, schedules, great writing, edgy shots and photos, this blog has it for you.
Sea of Blue: Discerning Kentucky Wildcats fans can tune into this independent blog to catch the latest on football and other sports at this school. If you didn’t think a small school could have a big site on their sports, you’re dead wrong. Go see.
Temple Football Forever: This is an independent fan site with no connection to Temple football other than an “intense, borderline fanatical, desire to see the Owls win every game they play.” This site has won a few awards for content, so don’t miss it.
The Birddog: You might learn something about Naval Academy football just by reading the “about” section. Hecklers extraordinaire, this blog’s writers are intelligent, funny and offer a great service to Birddog fans.
The Mountain West Conference Connection: Voted the “Best Non-BCS Blog” by the CFB Awards, this site brings the Mountain West Conference to your desktop or laptop with news, opinion and great writing.
UHND Blog: UHND is the Unofficial Home of Notre Dame football. Go Irish!

Top 25 Off-Color College Rankings: Sex, Drugs and Rock N Roll

Linda — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:02:26 +0000

Do you use college rankings such as The Princeton Review or Peterson’s to learn more about prospective colleges? If you have, you may have missed some significant rankings on the schools of your choice. Rankings that consider your dorm room, food, parties and more — in other words, your social life.

Considering that a college social life is as important as good grades, we offer a list of 25 off-color college rankings. Yes, this list addresses sex, drugs and rock n’ roll, but you also can find information about the food on campus as well as whether or not the weather will suit your lifestyle.

The following student ratings were gathered from The Princeton Review (PR) (you may need to register at PR to see their results linked below) and the CollegeProwler.com (CP). The list is in no particular order, although we’ve tried to keep the “pros” and “cons” together.

Best Beer Bashes: PR students rated DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana as the best college around for beer usage.
No Beer Here: If you don’t like beer, then try Pepperdine University in Malibu, California or Brigham Young College in Utah. PR students rate these colleges low for beer usage.
Pot is Hot: Students at PR ranked Bard College at Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, as the school to attend if you need the weed. CP adds Hamilton College in Clinton, New York for a hot pot spot.
Pot is Not Hot: If you don’t want to inhale, try the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland for the least amount of pot usage according to PR. CP agrees, and also includes West Point Military Academy, which is located on a nearly 16,000-acre reservation about fifty miles north of New York City on the Hudson River.
Party Hardy: Students at PR ranked the University of Florida as the party-hardy school for drugs and alcohol. CP adds ten other schools, including the University of Miami.
Stone-Cold Sober: Brigham Young University in Utah rated the lowest for liquor and drug usage, according to PR. CP ranks four schools as low on this totem pole, including Dartmouth.
Scotch, Not Beer: Hard liquor usage ranks high at Ohio University in Athens, according to PR.
Soda, No Scotch: Once again, Brigham Young University ranks highest in lack of alcohol usage at PR.
Widespread Sexual Discrimination: Students for PR ranked the University of Notre Dame in Indiana as the most sexually discriminatory campus against gays.
Widespread Sexual Acceptance: Gay is good at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, according to PR.
Be What You Want to Be: Pot smoker? Drug user? Vegetarian or gay? You might want to attend Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina, where, according to PR, anything goes.
Get Your Bible On: If you’re a religious soul, you might want to attend Brigham Young University, rated highest for religiosity at PR.
Leave the Bible at Home: Especially if you want to attend Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Students ranked this college high in the least religious students category for PR.
Diverse Students Rule: For a diverse social and ethnic student population, according to PR rankings, you’ll want to check out Providence College in Rhode Island.
Birds of a Feather: If you tend to flock to your own race and social class, pick Trinity College in Connecticut. According to PR, students experience very little socially diverse interaction at this college.
Crappy Food: According to PR, Whitter College in California rates the least favorite among twenty colleges for their food. CP students would rather eat anywhere but Fordham University, Guilford College or the University of Illinois.
Best Food: If you’re a culinary freak or if you have the munchies, then think about Wells College in Aurora, New York. Students at PR rated this college’s cuisine as top-notch. CP students prefer Boston University or Cornell University, among a few others.
Happy, happy: We don’t know why these students are so happy, but Clemson University in South Carolina has nineteen other colleges beat hands down, according to PR.
Emo Sad: If you’d prefer to hang with depressed classmates, consider The George Washington University in Washington, DC. According to PR, these students are not happy.
Hottest Dorms: If you want to live like a king (or a queen), consider Loyola College in Maryland. Students here, according to PR, rate their dorms as palaces. CP ranks Harvard University, Loyola College in Maryland and Scripps College in Claremont, California as the hottest places to reside.
Live in a Dump: If you’d prefer to live in a dump, try the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Students rate this college dorm as lowest on the PR totem pole. CP students ranked Hampton University, located in Hampton, Virginia, as the worst college dorms, hands down.
Guys: CP ranks Texas A&M University and the University of Arizona as the best schools to find attractive, smart, friendly and engaging guys. Don’t expect to find the same at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, however.
Gals: If you’re seeking a attractive, smart, friendly, and engaging girl on campus, CP suggests you try fourteen different colleges, from Arizona State University to Vanderbilt University. To balance this out, you have a CP choice of eight colleges where you’d better concentrate on your studies instead, including Beloit College and MIT.
Beautiful Weather: College is depressing, so enjoy the weather at Pepperdine or anywhere in San Diego, California (like the University of San Diego), according to CP.
Weather Sucks: If you need lousy weather to help concentrate on college studies, then CP suggests the University at Buffalo or the University of Notre Dame.

The Ultimate Open Courseware Toolset: 60+ Directories, Search Engines, and Web Tools

admin — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:44:53 +0000

Open courseware has expanded to the extent that directories, lists, search engines, archives and Web tools are available free to anyone who chooses to learn through the Internet. The following list contains some individual tools, but on the whole, this list is filled with links to sites and pages that offer more links to even more resources. So, if you’re looking for an open source tool to create a video, go under “tools” below to find two links to sites filled with open source software resources.

All links under the categories below are listed in alphabetical order. This alphabetical method of organization also shows that we do not value open courseware project over another.

Directories

The following directories have done the work for you, discovering various open courseware projects from around the world or that are focused on one specific area of study. You can find books, video lectures, teaching tools and more, all labeled with the open courseware tag.

70+ Apps, Search Engines and Resources for Free Learning: You can find many open courseware projects through this directory, which lists search engines and directories, collections and more.
100 Free Open Courseware Classes About Open Source Everything : This list provides links to courses on Linux, Open Source philosophy, legal issues and more.
100+ Open Courseware Resources for Teachers: From educational approaches and theories to Open Courseware resource material, teachers can enjoy the offerings listed in this directory.
101 Killer Open Courseware Projects from Around the World: Ivy League and Beyond: This list of open courseware projects worldwide offered by colleges and universities. Course materials run the gamut from lesson plans to podcasts to video lectures.
236 Open Courseware Collections, Podcasts, and Videos: Online Education Database provides an extensive list of open courseware collections in this directory.
American Memory: This link takes you to the directory filled with eighteen collections within the Library of Congress. This free and open resource contains a great repository of primary and secondary source materials on American history and creativity.
British Academy Portal: This is the British Academy’s directory of online resources in the humanities and social sciences. It is designed as an entry point to available resources for those working in higher education and research.
Free Online Open Courseware Directory in Arts & Humanities: Find dozens of links for open courseware in the arts and humanities here, including design, English, game art, theology and writing.
Free Open Courseware Directory: This list, categorized by subjects such as arts and humanities and health and medical, is offered by College@Home.
iBerry: Based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that states, “Everyone has the right to education,” iBerry offers their Academic Porthole and Open Courseware Directory categorized by main sites, subject and OER (Open Educational Resources).
MIT Open Courseware: Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a world leader in offering open courseware. Their offerings are so extensive that they’ve offered this directory to help viewers find the information they need.
Open Courseware Consortium: The hub for international open courseware members, this site will help you find course materials from across the globe.
Open Learn Learning Space Directory: Categorized by topic, this directory provides a guideline for open courseware provided by the ever-expanding Open University.
Open Video Project: The Open Video Project is managed at the Interaction Design Laboratory, at the School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This directory is building into one of the largest directories of educational videos online.
OpenCourseWare School Rankings: This is a list of twenty-five colleges and universities ranked by the Open Courseware. But, it’s much more: you can click on the links and each link provides more links to the actual courseware or projects.
OpenCourseware Swik: Keep an eye on this page as it’s constantly updated with material that is tagged with the “opencourseware.” You can find many new open courseware resources through this page.
Self Made Scholar: This is a list of all the Open Courseware projects produced by universities and colleges.
Stingy Scholar’s University Podcasts, Webcasts and OCWs: This is a cool way to find open courseware — through a map. Just find a source in the list at left, and the map will zoom in on the resource. The resource itself will have links that will take you directly to corresponding Web sites.
The Academic Blog Portal: This is the main portal page for the academic blogs wiki, a kind of “Invisible College” that is supposed to help make the college more visible. This categorized list provides many links to academic blogs that expound on topics from the arts to social sciences and more.
The Bard’s Song: The Bard’s Song serves as a directory of information on cinema and filmmaking, literature, various forms of music, performance arts such as theater and dance, and visual arts, including photography and drawing.
Top 100 Open Courseware Projects : This large list contains information about open courseware projects, labeled by categories from agriculture to social sciences.
World Lecture Hall: This is your entry point to free online course materials from around the world. Find a course, browse by area, conduct advanced searches and more.

Search Engines and Archives

Search engines provide a means to find open courseware easily. Archives, like search engines, provide easy access to materials you may need. Both types of search tools are listed below.

Archive Grid: Thousands of libraries, museums, and archives contributed nearly a million collection descriptions to ArchiveGrid. Researchers using ArchiveGrid can learn about the many items in each of these collections, contact archives to arrange a visit to examine materials, and order copies.
Archives Made Easy: Find archives and search materials from all over the globe. Start in Australia and end up in Vietnam if you choose, with stops in Ireland, Mongolia and Singapore along the way. Please note that only archives that have been reviewed will appear on this site.
Directory of Open Access Journals : This service covers free, full text, quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals. They have over 1369 journals searchable at article level through the search engine or by categorized topic links.
Fathom Archive: This archive, provided by Columbia University, offers access to the complete range of free content developed for Fathom by its member institutions. Columbia encourages you to browse this archive of online learning resources, including lectures, articles, interviews, exhibits and free seminars.
Google Scholar: Search for Web information, images, video, news and more through this popular search engine. The difference is that this particular engine is designed for research and scholars.
INFOmine: Search through categories such as business and economics, government information, maps and GIS and more with this search engine. This site is rapidly gaining pace is a comprehensive scholarly Internet resource for collections.
Internet Archive: The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, continuously adds to their digital library. You’ll discover Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, they provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public.
Internet TV Search Engine : Looking for documentaries? Want to find online lectures? Try this search engine, a product of WebTVGuide.
Intute: Intute is a free online service providing access to the very best web resources for education and research. All material is evaluated and selected by a network of subject specialists to create the Intute database.
Irish Resources in the Humanities: Although this site began as a directory, it is growing into an archival search machine. Internet sites are chosen for their information, categorized and listed. But, now you also can use an advanced search feature to discover information.
Librarian’s Internet Index: Categorized by topic, this search engine will help you to find hand-picked sites appropriate for scholarly research. Each topic is defined by subcategories to help you refine your searches.
Open Courseware Finder: This search engine belongs to the Open Courseware Consortium, and it provides an easy way to discover the Open Courseware materials you need.
Repositories of Primary Sources: Use this listing of over 5000 websites describing holdings of manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photographs, and other primary sources for the research scholar.
UK Data Archive: This search engine is an internationally-renowned repository of expertise in data acquisition, preservation, dissemination and promotion. It serves as a “curator” of the largest collection of digital data in the social sciences and humanities in the UK.
Voice of the Shuttle: Started in 1994 as a suite of static Web pages, VoS has now been rebuilt as a database that serves content dynamically on the Web. Users gain greater flexibility in viewing and searching now through categories and subcategories detailed in outline format.
World Public Library: This site provides a full text search of 75,000+ HTML eBooks. Stay tuned, as each year the World Public Library nearly doubles its entire digital holdings.

Web Tools

Open courseware leads to eLearning, which in turn leads to the need for tools that are open source or free to use. The follow list, which by no means taps the depth of online offerings, provides a broad range of Web tools that can help teachers, parents and students of any age. Find teaching hubs, free books and more below.

BBC Learning: Although this tool is based upon a corporate environment, it is open, useful and available worldwide. It is included, as the advice and information available here is useful for parents, teachers and students. And, it’s free.
Curriki: Curriki is a community of educators, learners and committed education experts who are working together to create quality materials that will benefit teachers and students around the world. Help support the development and free distribution of world-class educational materials to anyone who needs them.
Dimdim: Do you need a platform for videoconferencing, live presentations, whiteboards and Web pages? Try Dimdim, a tool that helps you to share voice and video over the Internet without a download.
Docebo: Docebo is an Open Source e-Learning platform (LMS and LCMS) used in corporate and higher education markets. The Platform supports 18 languages and can support different didactic models as well.
e-Learning Centre: Based in the UK, the e-Learning Centre is a free information resource for learning and development professionals and academics and staff developers.
e-Learning Guru: eLearners will have a ball with this site, as it approaches every aspect of eLearning from an open source aspect. Learn news about free Web conferencing services, video phones for virtual test proctoring and more expert analysis, emerging trends and free information.
Edubuntu: Edubuntu’s objective is to create an integrated and usable experience for educational users by enhancing Ubuntu with educational applications, tools, content, and themes.
elearnspace: This site belongs to George Siemens, Founder and President of Complexive Systems Inc., a learning lab focused on assisting organizations develop integrated learning structures to meet the needs of global strategy execution. It has grown over the past year, and it is a great tool for anyone who wants to learn about eLearning.
Global Network Academy: This is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose purpose is the research and development of open source tools that promote distance learning and online communities.
Merlot: Find peer reviewed online teaching and learning materials. Share advice and expertise about education with expert colleagues and be recognized for your contributions to quality education.
Moodle: Moodle is a Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is a Free web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites.
OER Commons: OER content is made free to use or share, and in some cases, to change and share again, made possible through licensing, so that both teachers and learners can share what they know. Browse and search OER Commons to find curriculum, and tag, rate, and review it for others.
Open Book Project: The Open Book Project is aimed at the educational community and seeks to encourage and coordinate collaboration among students and teachers for the development of high quality, freely distributable textbooks and educational materials on a wide range of topics.
Open Source Education Foundation: The Open Source Education Foundation’s purpose to enhance k-12 education through the use of technologies and concepts derived from The Open Source and Free Software movement. They recently gained a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status.
Open Source Living: a community-driven dynamic archive of Open Source software spanning all major platforms. The archive is the backbone of this site, but you can join a community filled with OSS enthusiasts and use the publication outlet as well.
Open-Site: This is a free, trusted online encyclopedia that is edited by volunteer editors. The project is growing, with categories that range from the arts to sports.
Osalt: Open source education thrives on open source software. Use this tool to find open source alternatives to your favorite commercial products. Browse through software categories and compare pros and cons of both commercial products as well as open source software.
Project Gutenberg: No list of Open Courseware tools would be complete without mention of the Project Gutenberg. You’ll find over 27,000 free books in this online library, and a grand total of oer 100,000 titles available.
SchoolForge: SchoolForge’s mission is to unify independent organizations that advocate, use, and develop open resources for education.
SparkNotes: Direct your young scholars and college students to this site, where they can gain access to study notes on topics from literature to poetry. While this site is no substitute for reading a book, users gain insight to their readings through these supplements.
The National Center for Open Source and Education: NCOSE exists to champion the use of Free and Open Source Software in K-12 schools, to empower teachers to be heroes to their students through the use of Open Technologies and to be the vital bridge between the United States and international Open Source and Education efforts.
WikiBooks: WikiBooks is a Wikimedia community for creating a free library of educational textbooks that anyone can edit. WikiBooks began on July 10, 2003; since then, WikiBooks has grown to include over 34,339 pages in a multitude of textbooks created by volunteers.
Wikiversity : This is another Wikimedia project devoted to learning resources, learning projects and research for use in all levels, types and styles of education from preschool to university.