I started writing this blog on December 16th 2007, as a way to replace the monthly newsletter I used to write for the faculty. That means in a few days, this digital experiment will be two years old, and thinking about that made me pause and reflect. In my debut post, I wrote, “I aim to post articles, videos, and other information that I discover online, and that I believe may be interesting (and valuable) to teachers and students. I also want to create an online presence for our Library Media Center — a place you can turn to for ‘reliable’ links and ‘dependable’ information. I look forward to your feedback and contributions.”
Since then, I have posted 119 times, including this one, and have received nearly 17,000 visitors. I have also been told via email and in person by many, that they enjoy reading the blog and find many of the resources useful. My only request is that more visitors or readers provide feedback in writing on the blog. You can remain anonymous by selecting a pseudonym or pen name to post with. Your comments, and additional information is highly valued and contributes to what I thinks makes for a good blog. I look forward to hearing more from you (all) in the future.
With that said, let me share with you a few more finds that I have been visiting lately … except for the first site, they’re more distraction, than instruction.
- Access my Library: This is not a simulation site, like the other recommendations on this list, but an all-around great resource for accessing magazine and newspaper articles. Hosted by Gale Publications, and in cooperation with local and federal libraries, this web-site gives readers access to full articles and even includes citation information in APA, MLA and Chicago styles. Bookmark this site and recommend it to every scholar in your circle.
- Eating and exercise simulator: Most calorie counters are not as fun to play with as this simulator from the University of Colorado. Plug in some of your numbers and find out how long you can sustain your diet and level of “exercise”. If you’re really honest with the numbers you plug in, you should be able to figure out when you’ll die of starvation (since you underestimate your food intake) or when you’ll weigh around 500 lbs (because you were honest). Watch what happens when you give up that bagel or add 15 minutes of running to your daily routine.
- My Physics Lab: Built by an independent software engineer, Erik Neumann, this very basic lab contains 21 facinating simulations with adjustable variables and a graphing calculator that plots the actions. Now I wish I had paid more attention in my calculus classes.
- Strombolian Eruption Simulator: It’s just as awesome as it sounds and it’s brought to you by our friends from Oregon State University. It’s a very simple simulation that allows you to adjust the height of your volcano and other parameters. You can even place your volcano on other planets or the moon.
- What If Match Ups: I’m not really a big sports fan, especially when compared to the passion New Englanders have for their teams. I don’t do March Madness or college football office pools. I don’t manage any fantasy teams in any fantasy league, and most of the sports trivia I know stops sometime around 1991 … (Pete Rose is still NOT in the hall of fame, right?) I do love thinking about classic match ups between great teams, though. With SimMatchup you can pit your favorite teams against each other and get a “virtual” boxscore and play by play.
Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you find something interesting. Oh, and Happy Second Anniversary to the Thinkers Link blog.
Copyright © henry toromoreno, 2009. All rights reserved.
Thinkers Link 