I’m very excited to be “guest blogger” for the month while Jenn is away! With help from Gaye, we hope to bring you the same great BRAIN_blog quality you’ve come to expect from Jenn. So read on…and always feel free to tell us what you think!
Yes Dorothy, it certainly seems as though we�re not in Kansas anymore…or winter either for that matter! Spring has finally sprung, and this week on the BRAIN_blog we have an abundance of sites and tips for you to check out! Spring is all about renewal, and taking a renewed interest in life, leisure and the pursuit of all things �e�…okay, so maybe that�s a bit of a stretch, but hey, let�s get motivated!
1) Feed your head!
Here at the BRAIN_blog we do enjoy those �brain-named� sites, and so when I came across Brainboost I just had to check it out! It�s a nifty little site (check out that grooooovy logo!) that calls itself an answer engine � not a search engine, an answer engine. How does it work? Well, type your question in the search…er…answer box, and Brainboost provides you with, well…an answer! Using natural language, I was able to find the answers to a number of burning questions, and pretty darn quick too! Samples? I asked Brainboost the following: �Where is Pikes Peak?� (Colorado Springs, Colorado) Where is the �Around the Bay Road Race run?� (Hamilton, Ontario) and, in keeping with our spring fling, �Why do birds suddenly appear?� Brainboost�s answers to your questions appear first, with what they call the �Regular Search Results� underneath. Naturally, Brainboost can�t answer every question, but they do give it a very, very good try. (I asked Brainboost �What�s it all about?� and received a polite message telling me they weren�t able to find an answer to that particular question. Ah well, I guess we all do need to figure that one out on our own). For other quick info type questions though, Brainboost is definitely worth a look. So why do birds suddenly appear? You�ll have to ask Brainboost yourself for that one!
2) Get help!
More answers to questions you might have � this time of a more technical nature! With free registration, Tech Support Guy answers many of your computer questions. Software and hardware, operating systems, internet issues � the site�s forums cover all this and more. The message board is well organized, friendly and informative � browse through the previously asked and answered questions, or register to ask a question of your own. What�s nice is that Tech Support Guy isn�t just for Windows users. Linux, Unix and Mac issues are discussed here as well. And did we mention it�s free? All in all this is a useful site to bookmark! Thanks to Gaye for the tip!
3) Have it your way!
Ah, Google…is there anything you can�t do? The latest from the Google camp is news customization…it�s easy to have it your way! Just head over to Google News and click on �Customize this Page� for options. You can drag the various sections around to make your page completely your own. Click each section to edit it or remove it completely if you like. You can even customize your customization, as Google allows you to create categories of your own. Under �Add a custom section�, just choose the keywords you want the news stories to contain, and voil�, you�ve created a unique news category that no one else has! Having the news that�s relevant to you right at your fingertips makes Google News one cool tool!
4) Celebrate with free stuff!
Here’s a heads-up about the upcoming National Library Week in the US. This year, it�s the week of April 10-16, and I say, why not celebrate along with our neighbours to the south!? There�s free stuff galore over at Gale during this special week. A list of the databases that will be available free of charge is now on the Gale website where they claim, �The 30 Thomson Gale databases that will be available cover a variety of topics, including those for students who need help with homework or who need to conduct research for assignments; history, biography and literature databases; business, organization and legal databases; and general knowledge, Spanish-language and health databases.� Some of the databases included are, �What Do I Read Next?�, �Times Digital Archive�, �Student Resource Center�, �Testing and Education Reference Center� and 26 others! So start spreading the good news about free Gale databases, and be sure to check them out during the week of April 10-16!
5) And speaking of free stuff…
A fantastic new e-book published by EDUCAUSE is available now on their website. Entitled Educating the Net Generation, it�s an in-depth look at the next generation of students, and the expectations they have when it comes to learning and education. Chapters such as �Using Technology as a Learning Tool, Not Just the Cool New Thing�, �Faculty Development for the Net Generation�, and �Preparing the Academy of Today for the Learner of Tomorrow� are extremely relevant and applicable, and force us to take a good look at the shape of things (or students!) to come! Find it through the link above, or check it out via Class Corner in Facultyspace on The BRAIN
