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The Scout Report
January 26, 2007
Volume 13, Number 3


====== Research and Education ====

1.  Seaturtle.org [pdf]
http://www.seaturtle.org/

Sea turtles are fascinating creatures, and they have a lovely online home
here at the Seaturtle website. It is an ambitious site that contains
everything from the latest scientific research on seaturtles to a blend of
materials designed for the more casual visitor as well. From the homepage,
visitors can read the Marine Turtle Newsletter, view recent news headlines
about these animals, and also view updated announcements about job
opportunities in the field of marine animal research and advocacy. The
"Tracking" section is a true gem, as visitors can look at an interactive map
that shows the location of tagged sea turtles and also learn more about the
status of sea turtles who are in marine hospitals. Additionally, the
"Multimedia" area contains some fine podcasts that deal with sea turtle
conservation efforts and rehabilitation. [KMG]


2.  vPlants
http://www.vplants.org/

Starting in 2001, three institutions in the Chicago region began to create
the vPlants database, which allows interested web-surfing parties to browse
through various data from 90,000 plant specimens. Even more impressive is
the fact that users can also view digital images for almost 50,000 of the
specimens.  Currently, these institutional partners are also in the process
of adding 12,000 fungus specimen records. From their well-designed homepage,
visitors can search for plant names by family, genus, or common name.
Additionally, visitors can also browse a glossary of terms and a set of
external links. The database brings the plant life of the region to life
through its mix of visual materials and well-written descriptions. Neophyte
botanists will appreciate its accessibility, and more experienced persons
can find items of use here as well. [KMG]


3.  NetSerf
http://www.netserf.org/

Created by Professor Andrea Harbin in 1995, NetSerf is a way for websurfers
and dedicated medievalists to find out about various online resources that
deal with many aspects of the medieval world. Over the past eleven years,
the site has grown significantly, and first-time visitors will want to
browse through the subject headings on the site's homepage to get a sense of
the wide range of material covered here. On the left-hand side of the page,
visitors can select a site at random, or view a list of the top ten NetSerf
sites. After looking over some of the sites, visitors will probably want to
turn to the online glossary provided here, which defines words from abbey to
zupan. [KMG]


4.  Poynter Online
http://www.poynter.org/

Founded in 1975, the Poynter Institute was created by Nelson Poynter, who
served as chairman of the St. Petersburg Times and the Congressional
Quarterly. Over the past three decades, the organization has worked to train
new cadres of journalists through a variety of intensive seminars and
educational formats. Poynter Online provides interested parties access to a
wide range of articles and columns created by well-regarded members of their
organization and other working journalists from around the United States.
Visitors can view job postings in the field, look over career columns, and
even submit questions to columnists. Along with this vocationally oriented
material, there are sections such as "diversity", "photojournalism", and
"ethics", which contain insightful pieces on these subjects. As might be
expected given the general trends in media, there are a number of helpful
blogs here that address writing for general audiences, ethical
considerations for journalists, and so on. For aspiring journalists and
those currently working in the profession, this site is tremendously useful.
[KMG]


5.  National States Geographic Information Council [pdf]
http://www.nsgic.org

With the exponential growth in geographic information systems (GIS) across
the United States, there are a number of organizations with an interest in
coordinating a variety of activities around the sustained growth and
management of these various systems. One such group is the National States
Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). With members drawn from the federal
government, academia, and the private sector, the Council is committed to
advocating on behalf of these state GIS agencies in the interest of creating
efficient and accessible databases. A good place to start on their website
is the "Hot Topics" area, which provides access to their blog and
information about some of their latest initiatives, which include those that
address homeland security and topographic accuracy. Additionally, visitors
can also learn more about their events and conferences, and also about
membership opportunities. [KMG]


6.  International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning [pdf]
http://www.georgiasouthern.edu/ijsotl/

More and more journals start their lives not as paper entities, but as
electronic publications, and scholarly interest in these electronic
publications is growing. This particular electronic journal is published
twice a year by the Center for Excellence in Teaching at Georgia Southern
University and is designed to be "an international vehicle for articles,
essays, and discussions about the scholarship of teaching and learning." As
a way to learn about various perspectives on teaching and learning, it will
be greatly appreciated by educational theorists and practitioners. Visitors
to the site can learn how to submit manuscripts, learn about the review
process, and read details about the editorial review board. Some of their
recent articles include "Dialogic Communication in Collaborative Problem
Solving Groups" and "What's It Really All About? The Scholarship of Teaching
and Learning as an Authentic Practice." [KMG]


7.  A Portrait of "Generation Next" [pdf]
http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/300.pdf

Over the past few decades, a number of well-known writers such as Robert
Coles, Alex Kotlowitz, and Allan Bloom have weighed in on the lives of young
people, often generating meaningful dialogues (and controversy) along the
way. This recent 45-page report from the Pew Research Center for the People
and the Press may spark such conversations as well, for it offers a portrait
of the so-called "Generation Next", which applies to those young persons
between the ages of 18-25.  Based on phone interviews conducted in the fall
of 2006 where Pew researchers spoke to approximately 1500 individuals, this
report asked participants about their political beliefs, their use of
technology as a form of social communication, and their thoughts on
immigrants. It is an interesting and compelling report, and one that will
pique the interest of sociologists and those who work with young people.
[KMG]


8.  Government Innovators Network [pdf] (Last reviewed in the Scout Report
on December 16, 1997)
http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/

Since its first review in the Scout Report almost ten years ago, the
Government Innovators Network has grown exponentially, and remains a
delightful example of the power of well-organized web portals. Produced by
the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard, this website is a "marketplace of ideas and
examples of government innovation." From their homepage, visitors can take
advantage of this buzzing marketplace by looking over some of their recent
news stories, a "What's New" feature, and their general topic list. Within
each topic, visitors will be directed to another list of subtopics, which
includes a listing of relevant policy documents, events, and news stories.
Finally, visitors can also sign up to receive their newsletter, titled
"Innovators Insights" and also view multimedia features on faith-based
housing developments and woman leaders in criminal justice. [KMG]



====== General Interest ====

9.  Washington As It Was: Photographs by Theodor Horydczak, 1923-1959
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/horydczak/index.html

While other photographers of the area such as Dorothea Lange may be more
well-known to the general public, Theodor Horydczak's body of work is one
that deserves equal attention. Relatively little is known about his
background, though most people agree that he was born in Eastern Europe and
that he may have been a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. What is known
is that he documented many aspects of the Washington metropolitan area from
the mid-1920s through the 1950s. The American Memory Project at the Library
of Congress has created this online archive of his work, which includes
around 14,350 photographs. In the database, visitors can look through
photographs that document commercial buildings, playgrounds, street scenes,
and the 1933 World Series. Visitors can also read several short essays about
his work and an even shorter essay about what is known about the man
himself. [KMG]


10. Smart City [iTunes, Quick Time]
http://smartcityradio.com/

People interested in urban affairs have a number of fine ways to find out
about the latest developments in the field, and one of them is right here at
this website. Hosted by Carol Coletta, Smart City is a public radio talk
show that brings on experts to discuss topics such as affordable housing
initiatives and economic development strategies. The program started in
2001, and visitors to the site can listen to programs from 2004 to the
present day. Visitors can also sign up to receive their newsletter and their
podcasts. Additionally, visitors can also take a look at a list of links
related to recent presentations on the show. [KMG]


11. The Circus in America: 1793-1940 [Quick Time]
http://www.circusinamerica.org/public/welcome

For over a century and a half, the circus was at the forefront of Americans'
minds when they thought of large-scale entertainment. To be sure, there were
other ways to experience crowds in a shared setting, but with their movement
through towns both large and small, the circus seemed to captivate both
cosmopolites and more rural folk. Designed by the staff members at The
Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities at the University of
Virginia, this multimedia site brings together a range of primary materials
(including video clips) that tell the stories of six major American circuses
from 1793 to 1940. At the top of the homepage, visitors can elect to learn
about the acts in each circus, the animals that delighted both young and
old, and the transportation methods used to move these enormous productions
from Nyack to New Bedford. There is also a circus timeline of events here,
and some "Special Attractions", which include essays on various aspects of
circus history and a selection of sounds of the circus. The site is rounded
out by some video clips of restored circus wagons on parade and itineraries
for the six featured circuses which give users a sense of the exhausting
schedules they often had. [KMG]


12. The 1916 Rising: Personalities & Perspectives [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.nli.ie/1916/index.html

As a formative and pivotal moment in Irish history, the 1916 Rising has
commanded the attention of many historians over the past nine decades.
Recently, the National Library of Ireland created this engaging online
exhibit about these events. In total, this resource includes over 500 images
drawn from the Library's books, newspapers, drawings, and proclamations. The
actual exhibit itself moves visitors through sections that provide a basic
outline of Irish history, and then move through the events over the
following centuries that would lead up to the Uprising itself.  Perhaps the
finest moments of the collection are contained within the last few sections,
where visitors learn about the fate of those who were arrested due to their
activities during the Uprising. [KMG]


13. Say Brother [Quick Time]
http://main.wgbh.org/saybrother/

A number of public affairs programs of historical interest have found
themselves on the web as of late, and the important African-American show
"Say Brother" produced by WGBH is one of these programs. Started in 1968,
the television program has featured conversations and discussions with
Julian Bond, Nikki Giovanni, Eartha Kitt, and other leaders within the
African-American community. With a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities (NEH), WGBH began the process of preserving the original master
tapes of this program, and they also placed excerpts of each program online
at this website. Here, visitors can view these excerpts and also search all
of the programs by subject, personal name, or program number. The site is
rounded out by an exemplary list of online resources for African-American
history organized under the headings of heritage collections, publications,
and archives and archivists. [KMG]


14. Tutorials and Web Resources for College Mathematics Courses
http://staff.southwest.tn.edu/kfoster/links_4.htm#algtrig

A number of websites provide access to very fine educational resources
designed to assist college students master their subjects of study. This
site, created by Ken Foster at the Southwest Tennessee Community College,
provides a detailed list of links to sites that cover topics such as art
education, accounting, automobile repair, and computer sciences. By clicking
on the "Table of Contents", visitors can also learn more about which
specific subject areas are included within each broader category. The sites
are all basically contained within one extended list, so visitors may have
to scroll around a bit to find what they are looking for, but other than
that, the site is easy to use. For educators looking to provide students
with a way to find supplementary learning materials, this is an excellent
place to look. [KMG]


15. Grand Challenges For Engineering
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/

Where will the next great ideas in engineering come from? What will they be?
These are but a few of the excellent and thoughtful questions being asked as
part of the Grand Challenges For Engineering initiative. Sponsored by the
National Academy of Engineering (NAE), this website is part of their effort
to solicit opinions on this material from engineering experts and members of
the scientific community. Visitors to the site can learn about members of
the initiative's committee and also learn about some of the innovations that
the panel is already thinking about, such as the challenges of landing on
Mars. In the "Hopes" section, visitors can read several essays, including
one from President Jimmy Carter on his own thoughts on future challenges in
this area of human endeavor. It is also worth noting that visitors can offer
their own opinions on all of the material here, and that comments are
moderated along the way. [KMG]


16. mnartists.org
http://mnartists.org/

A project of the McKnight Foundation and Walker Art Center, the mission of
mnartists.org is to "improve the lives of Minnesota artists and provide
access to and engagement with Minnesota's arts culture." Right now
mnartists.org provides an online database of the work of Minnesota artists
and organizations from all disciplines, and hopes to evolve into a market
place and communication forum for artists and supporters. Browse around to
read about current art in Minnesota, like the Art Shanty Project, a 5-week
exhibition that draws dozens of artists, who build ice shanties on Medicine
Lake, near Minneapolis - this year the first shanty (the Postal Shanty) had
to be set up on the beach, waiting for the lake to completely freeze. All
kinds of events take place in and around the shanties, from a Go Fish card
game tournament, to sing-alongs and performances. During regular open hours
visitors can wander through shanties such as the Shanty of Misfit Toys, the
knitting Shanty where you can learn how to knit, and the Postal Shanty,
where you can send a letter. Mnartists.org also provides a wealth of art
news, in the form of pictures, articles, blogs, audio, video and RSS feeds.
[DS]



====== Network Tools ====

17. BibDesk 1.3
http://bibdesk.sourceforge.net/

Whether one is trying to import citations from Johann Huizinga's medieval
treatise, "The Waning of the Middle Ages" or just include a few newspaper
references, creating masterful bibliographies can be a trying experience.
Fortunately, there is BibDesk 1.3. With this graphical bibliography manager,
users can create seamless citations and bibliographies, and it also keeps
track of electronic copies of these materials throughout the process. This
version is compatible with computers running Mac OS X 10.3 and newer. [KMG]


18. Google Earth 4
http://earth.google.com/earth4.html

The first release of Google Earth was highly anticipated, and this latest
version contains a number of additional features that will delight anyone
with even the slightest interest in all things spatial or geographical.
Visitors can view various landforms in three dimensions, and also examine a
number of well-known landmarks in great detail. Of course, the application
can also be used for more mundane tasks, such as locating a close-by
drycleaners. This version is compatible with all computers running Windows
2000 or XP or Mac OS X 10.3.9 and newer. [KMG]



====== In The News ====

19. As the initial construction of a massive gas pipeline begins in Brazil,
a number of groups remain concerned about the effects
Vast Pipelines in Amazon Face Challenges Over Protecting Rights and Rivers
[Free registration may be required]
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/world/americas/21pipeline.html

Threatened Amazon tribes fight against the odds
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414383

Indigenous Peoples in Brazil [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.socioambiental.org/pib/indexenglish.htm

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries [Macromedia Flash Player,
pdf]
http://www.opec.org/home/

Woods Hole Research Center: Amazon Ecology Program [pdf]
http://www.whrc.org/southamerica/index.htm

Alyeska Pipeline [pdf]
http://www.alyeska-pipe.com/default.asp

Twenty-one years ago, Brazil's state-controlled oil company discovered a
major source of gas and oil around Urucu, which sits in the Amazon. After
two decades of dealing with a substantial amount of opposition, the company
(with the approval of the Brazilian government) appears poised to begin
construction on the 400-mile pipeline which will bring the gas to the city
of Manaus. As might be imagined, a number of challenges confronted the
project, not the least of which was the potential long-term environmental
impact on the region.  Over the past several years, a number of residents of
the state of Amazonas have been promised a wide-range of economic benefits,
which has diffused certain factions who have opposed the project. Brazil,
like many other rapidly developing countries, is looking for a wide range of
energy sources, and in the past they have embraced hydroelectric projects on
a vast scale. The pipeline is supposed to provide the impetus for a number
of related economic development projects, including a plant that will
process an Amazon fruit, which is used as a health beverage, and a factory
designed to produce organic fibers. [KMG]

The first link will take users to a piece that appeared in this week's New
York Times, and which offers some background on both the pipeline and some
of the larger concerns about the project. The second link leads to a fine
article which appeared online this Tuesday in the Indian Country News.
Written by Jim Adams, the article talks about the ways in which indigenous
groups in the Amazon have successfully fought to maintain control of the
region in which they live. The third link leads to an online encyclopedia of
information about the indigenous peoples of Brazil, created by the Instituto
Socioambiental.  Given the increasing importance of the flows of petroleum
around the world, the fourth link offered may be of great interest, as it
leads to the homepage of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC). The fifth link will take users to the Woods Hole Research
Center's Amazon Ecology program homepage, where those who are so inclined
can learn about the future of the region and also consider some of the
Center's informative and educational material. Finally, the last link leads
to the homepage of the Trans Alaska Pipeline System, where visitors can
learn about how the pipeline works. [KMG]


From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2007.
http://scout.wisc.edu/

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