Blog Smith

Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Design and Development of Educational Technology

Assignment 1

http://youtu.be/fitTn23tFTU

Iconoclast1967

Rubrics

 Very knowledgeable about chosen current technology and provided an insightful and in-depth analysis.
 Very knowledgeable about chosen earlier technology and provided an insightful and in-depth analysis.
 Thoroughly described the differences and similarities between the two technologies and used each to highlight aspects of the other.
Utilized multimedia and technology in a creative and inspiring but also relevant presentation format.

My goal is to express myself knowledgeably about current technology in order to provide an insightful and in-depth analysis of both current technology, and older technology. In terms of the older technology I want to consider 8mm films and in so far as the new technology is concerned, a website: iCivics. The civics game has as its goal to provide a fun and educational experience for the next generation of citizens. They want to demonstrate that participation is important and they promote the ideas of democracy. Although the age range is essentially K-12 they do seem to overlook some of the intricacies and complexities of the actual government. For example, the three branches of government are not precisely three equal branches currently. I would have preferred that they demonstrated the concept of the Imperial presidency and how the two other branches, the legislative and the judicial, have been superseded.

The student has some choice however and can move through various aspects of the site at their own pace and by choice. The site does seem to favor the view that participatory democracy is the ideal political state. Not surprisingly, it has been endorsed to promote Common Core principles as funded by Bill Gates. The site states:. "Overview:The Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) initiative, provided grants to 19 organizations for implementing proven and emerging technology-enabled instructional and assessment materials to improve students’ mastery of Common Core-aligned content for grades 7 through 9." In addition, the "Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contracted with the nonprofit research institute SRI International for an independent evaluation of the NGLC Wave II grants." Along these lines, one other site examined, the Khan Academy, also complies with the politics of Common Core: "We're working hard to ensure our math content rigorously and comprehensively covers the Common Core Standards, a set of math standards that most of the states in the U.S. have adopted." In short the iCivics site is a very engaging site in that the design is clean and clear and indeed bright colors and interesting graphics are sprinkled throughout. The student will learn because not only are they memorizing facts and reading they are actually experiencing the dynamic process of democracy. They state their intention clearly enough: "democratic action," which is code for progressive politics.

What do you think are some of this technology’s goals?
The goal of the technology is to allow the student to manipulate the data in such a way that they actually understand the promoters of the living Constitution and the progressive ideals advocated by the organizers. In the exercise to Know Your Rights clients come in to interact with the lawyer who may or may not have the expertise needed and then go to trial: it's an interesting approach.

What does the user “do” when s/he uses the technology?
The student may choose four main exercises in which they have to interact and think through the issues within that module. It means they have to think while making decisions based on their understanding of the Constitution.

Does the technology direct the learner toward a specific goal or is it more open-ended?
The learner is directed towards participatory, direct action progressive politics. It is similar to the Greek notion of direct democracy, as the Founders had written a Constitution to head off such a direction.

How does it seek to engage and/or motivate the learner?
The learner is engaged and motivated by moving through various modules. The student is given a semblance of choice in that they could move from preselected silos and categories of thinking.

How might the learner learn from it?
The learner might see themselves as oppressed (Pablo Freire) and the learner may raise their consciousness. The designers of the site seemed to intend that the learner understand that activism is the route to pursue.

Who was/is its intended primary audience?

The audience of the older technology was school-age in high school kids. I will anticipate part three by contrasting it with the newer technology.

The intended primary audience of young people are those without a knowledge about American history and a constitutional background. There is no discussion of America as a Republic, or a description of the Res Publica.
What were/are its goals?

The older technology had as its goal to stimulate thought and to encourage conversation and discussion

The new technology goals are to be engaging and relevant while acquainting a student with the living Constitution as one that can be interpreted and expanded upon.

Based on your personal experiences with it, did the technology meet its goals? Why or why not?
Yes, the older technology met its goals because it is very memorable even after several decades.

Yes, the new technology meets its goals in that it is well-designed, attractively arranged, and well laid out to involve a younger, impressionable student to enjoy.


Did it have other potentially unintentional effects (either positive or negative)?

The older technology had unintentional effects in that it was bombastic and it turned some students off.

Insofar as the new technology is concerned the following is one of the more intriguing passages in the game. The game actually shows you how to violate the Constitution of the United States of America. It is an unabashed appeal to the unbridled use of tyrannical power. The site states:
"Do you like running things? Branches of Power allows you to do something that no one else can: control all three branches of government! You'll have the power to write any laws you want about issues you choose. Careful, though, there's a lot to juggle when you're playing all three branches. Good luck!"

There is no instructive background to explain a figure like George Washington for example who actually refused the title of Excellency. It appears to take the history out of its context and with no readings or learning objectives that have to do with the times and the culture of the day it is difficult to really grasp why the Founders wrote the document that they did.
Are their approaches similar or divergent?
The approach of the older technology is to provoke thought and enjoyment because films in the old days were technologically challenged but very exciting for the day and age. At this time the newer technology is striving to keep up with the better produced more highly commercial products that students have access to already.

Pick one aspect of the experience across both technologies and contrast them.
One aspect of the experience across both technologies can be contrasted since the older technology, although not technologically sound, provoked a great deal of excitement and expectation among students. The newer technology by contrast does not enlighten and inform. It appears to titilate but not engender fun and the joy of learning and reading seems missing.

How do they compare? Did you find one more engaging? More thought-provoking? More memorable? More playful or structured? More motivating?
They compare in the sense that both want education to be fun. The older technology involved us because it was something very different and out of the ordinary. The newer technology is something that kids experience every day because they've grown up with and have been surrounded by technology. There's no question that the newer technology is more engaging in that the older technology was a more passive medium. We were excited by it since we really had to socialize and discuss the content to make sense of it. But considering the question of which is more thought-provoking I think you can still make a case for the older technology. I have retained the memories of Mr. Deeds and those history classes over several decades but I doubt if students today will remember technology in the same way after several decades. The older technology is more memorable because it really stood out in a day when there was much less technology. It was really something out of the ordinary. I think the newer technology is both more playful and more structured and does not allow for the freedom of thought as the older technology did. You also do not interact and socialize in the new technology. In the older technology there are no limitations of thought. You were free to think of the material as you saw fit including as I suggested in my video presentation. Some students simply laughed at how ridiculous the propaganda was. The newer technology is more structured in that there are silos of thought confining the student to certain pathways to learn. In the case of motivation they probably are just about equal in that the older technology allowed students to think what they wanted. The newer technology motivates students to be activists.

Why do you think this is the case for you? Is it likely the case for other users as well?

I see the technology as I do more simply because of the culture of the time and my age. The country is much different and therefore what is most likely be the case is that other users will have a very different experience.

What other differences or similarities struck you about these tools?

I found the older technology more engaging in that it is open-ended. Contrast the more narrowly focused iCivics site. The student has only one of four areas: Lawcraft, Election Resources, One Big Party?, or Citizen Me. What if the student had other ideas about civics? There are only four choices to pick from. If you pick Lawcraft for example, you can only be a Democratic or a Republican. Thus, you only have two choices. The student may pick from numerous characteristics to advocate within the confines of those two parties. The provided definition of liberty is misleading. In politics, liberty is freedom from government coercion; however, in the game, it is defined as "people have the freedom to do things that they want to do." Generosity is defined that "the government is providing large benefits or services to citizens." Can non-government NGOs be generous? Perhaps institutions such as churches, synagogues, or non-profits are providing benefits or services too. The difference, not mentioned in the game, is that government is collecting taxes first. The NGOs are simply generous. 

Common Core References

Lawcraft and the Annenberg Foundation

To be posted:
March 28, 2015
Liberty Beats Common Core
https://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=xBPhNUkBAAA.90JQYy3n40_pLZzMVQvqMA.z9qg37U9oJCeIFdKJU0J6Q&postId=889523697381562301&type=POST

March 24, 2015
Rare to Common Core: College Degree Over 40 Years

January 29, 2015
How to Make Math Hard: Common Core
Harder Math Harder Subtraction

December 31, 2014
Conform Common Core

December 22, 2014
Governor Jindal Sues Feds Over Common Core

November 30, 2014
Common Core History Nonsense
Enochs High School principal Deb Rowe in charge in California, social studies teacher Janeen Zambo read from a breakup note to the students ab Nonsense

October 29, 2014
10 Catholic Facts Against the CommonCore
http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/Portals/0/Mail/Renewal%20Report/pdf%20for%20web%20Final.pdf

Media Fawned Over Common Core
http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/10/media-fawned-over-common-core.html#axzz3GoFkxdc0

Common Core Promotes Islam
American Common Core Pro-Islamist
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/10/common-core-promotes-islam.html#ixzz3GoG5thci

Common Core Toxic
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/07/04/public-school-teacher-has-some-harsh-words-for-common-core-and-the-toxic-culture-of-education/

PA Against Common Core
http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/08/common-core.html#axzz3GoFkxdc0

Iowa Ditches Common Core
http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/08/iowa-ditches-common-core.html#axzz3GoFkxdc0

Catholics Battle Church Officials Against Common Core
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/18/catholic-parents-clash-over-common-core/

10 Reasons to Oppose Common Core
http://youtu.be/na-JmnHdlZw

Common Core Data Collection of Every Child
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/05/22/Study-New-Technology-Development-Pushed-By-Feds-Allows-For-Data-Collection-on-Every-Child
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/05/common-core-data-collection-of-every.html#ixzz3GoHHhbNk

Common Core Motivator: White Privilege
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tom-blumer/2014/05/21/teacher-involved-common-core-development-my-white-privilege-motivated-me http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/22/listen-to-the-audiences-reaction-when-teacher-reveals-why-he-helped-write-common-core/

Common Core Government Propaganda
https://mobile.twitter.com/ColetteMoran/status/395967716382629889/photo/1

Feds Threaten Indiana Over Common Core
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/07/federal-govt-issues-warning-to-state-that-wants-to-opt-out-of-common-core/

Comedian Comes Out Against Common Core, Standardized Testing – See If You Can Get the Answers to His Kids’ Homework
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/04/28/when-the-famous-comedian-who-once-said-i-really-love-barack-obama-says-this-about-common-core-it-makes-news/
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/04/comedian-comes-out-against-common-core.html#ixzz3GoHnA0a6

Another Common Core Progaganda Site
opened.io

Common Core Opponent Suspended
http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/04/common-core-opponent-suspended-for.html#axzz3GoFkxdc0

Teacher Tearfully Describes Bullying and Intimidation She Suffered for Opposing Common Core
Speaking before the Missouri Senate Education Committee, Susan Kimball said she has been “strongly discouraged from saying anything negative about Common Core by my administration and some school board members.”
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/04/teacher-tearfully-describes-bullying.html#ixzz3GoIpTjSx
http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/04/teacher-tearfully-describes-bullying.html#axzz3GoFkxdc0

SAT Dumbing Down for Common Core: Gov't to Put Companies Out of Business
SAT test prep companies out of business and aligning the test to the Common Core Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/sat-test-prep-makeover-104291.html#ixzz2v81LnhTc
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/03/sat-dumbing-down-for-common-core-govt.html#ixzz3GoIxbi2K

Common Core Principal Against Common Core
http://nepc.colorado.edu/author/burris-c-c

Click the "play" arrow for the Common Common Core audio report
Common Core audio report http://www.grassrootsaction.com/201105/offer.asp?Ref_ID=25183&p=1&CID=201107&RID=41539123 See more at: http://www.grassrootsaction.com/201105/offer.asp?Ref_ID=25183&p=1&CID=201107&RID=41539123#sthash.v8WrYqgf.dpuf
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/03/click-play-arrow-for-common-common-core.html#ixzz3GoJBcZLj

Common Core, Wrong
http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/02/common-core-wrong.html#axzz3GoFkxdc0

Panelist at Podesta Think Tank on Common Core: 'The Children Belong to All of Us' - See more at: http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/panelist-podesta-think-tank-common-core-children-belong-all-us#sthash.g7hUMfGo.dpuf
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/02/panelist-at-podesta-think-tank-on.html#ixzz3GoJRWMxV

Catholic is Our Core, Not Common
Catholic Schools Standards Project known as the Common Core Catholic Identity Initiative (CCCII)
http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicIsOurCore/CatholicIdentityConcerns.aspx
http://ohioansagainstcommoncore.com/2013/08/catholic-school-parents-your-revolt-is-way-overdue/
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/common-core-commotion-is-new-curriculum-catholic-school-friendly/
http://www.cccii-online.org/images/Resources/CCCII_Project_Overview_Ozar_June_2012.pdf
http://www.catholicschoolstandards.org/
http://www.cccii-online.org/images/Resources/Guidelines/CCCII-Guidelines-01-15.pdf
http://www.ncea.org/events/common-core-catholic-identity-initiative-conference
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/02/catholic-is-our-core-not-common.html#ixzz3GoJXPfty

FreedomWorks Common Core Course
Course: Activist Involvement: Common Core
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/01/freedomworks-common-core-course.html#ixzz3GoJdQir9

Fed-Up Mother Tackles Common Core in Viral Video: ‘Parents Have No Voice’
Karen Lamoreaux, an Arkansas parent who appeared in a viral video tackling some of the issues associated with the Common Core, appeared on the Glenn Beck Program Wednesday to discuss the “dumbing down of American kids.”
Read more: http://blogsmithconsulting.blogspot.com/2014/01/fed-up-mother-tackles-common-core-in.html#ixzz3GoJkWDGl



The following are some current educational technologies you are welcome to explore:

 Assignment 1.1: Ed Tech Then and Now

INTRODUCTION

As we begin our explorations of the theory and design of educational technologies, we start by developing a framework for considering and discussing educational technology.  As we continue through the weeks together, our models of individual learners and the contexts in which people learn will develop. But it’s useful to see some concrete examples right away to start analyzing the designs of existing technologies built for learning and teaching.

PART 1: CURRENT TECHNOLOGY

So as a starting place, we’d like you to jump right in, find a new piece of current educational technology and try it out yourself. Some examples you might want to consider are listed on the next page. We’ll get the most variety as a class if everyone chooses something they find or know about independently, but if you’re stuck for ideas feel free to work with one from the list. We’ll refer to this as your “current technology”. Spend some time using the technology as a learner would - you don’t need to become an expert in it, but work with it until you feel like you have accomplished something cool, and you could explain to a friend what the technology is all about.
Now do some critical thinking about the technology and your experience with it. There are many ways to analyze and reflect on this experience, but as a start, consider these questions:
  • What do you think are some of this technology’s goals?
  • What does the user “do” when s/he uses the technology?
  • Does the technology direct the learner toward a specific goal or is it more open-ended?
  • How does it seek to engage and/or motivate the learner?
  • How might the learner learn from it?

PART 2: EARLIER TECHNOLOGY

Now, think back to a technology which made an impression on you in your own learning experience. This can be positive or negative, and can be from the recent past or something from your childhood. We’ll refer to this as your “earlier technology”. It can be anything you’ve used in an educational context - for example Speak and Spell, a filmstrip, laserdisk, PC software, Excel, etc.
Give a quick description of the technology for those who might not be familiar with it. Then describe your recollections and impressions of this “earlier technology” and its impact on your learning.
  • Who was/is its intended primary audience?
  • What were/are its goals? 
  • Based on your personal experiences with it, did the technology meet its goals? Why or why not? 
  • Did it have other potentially unintentional effects (either positive or negative)?  

PART 3 - COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Finally, compare and contrast your experience using the “current technology” with your experience with your “earlier technology”.
  • Are their approaches similar or divergent?
  • Pick one aspect of the experience across both technologies and contrast them.
  • How do they compare? Did you find one more engaging? More thought-provoking? More memorable? More playful or structured?  More motivating?
  • Why do you think this is the case for you? Is it likely the case for other users as well?
  • What other differences or similarities struck you about these tools?

DELIVERABLE FORMAT

Your actual turn-in for this assignment may vary from student to student, but the important thing is that it include background information about your chosen technologies, and your responses to the questions (or similar ones) in each of the 3 sections. We imagine that most turn-ins will take the form of a written document, in which case it would also be helpful to include images or screen shots of the technologies being discussed. If you would prefer to create a presentation, video, or other multimedia deliverable, that’s great too. Choose the format that you think best conveys what you want to communicate, and that you will have the most fun with.

TURN-IN AND EVALUATION

When you’re ready to submit your assignment, go to the last unit in this ribbon, which is the peer assessment. Since the platform does not conveniently allow document uploads, you will need to post your work online somewhere then paste the link(s) and any special instructions into the submission form. (See these tips on posting shareable documents online.) You’ll then be prompted to evaluate some of your classmates’ work, and in turn some of your classmates will also evaluate your work. The evaluation will be based on the criteria in the rubric, which can be found on the next page. So you will want to look through the rubric ahead of time and keep those criteria in mind as you work on your project.

Due Date

Technically the only due date is to submit this assignment by the end of the course. However, to get the benefit of peer feedback, we stronly suggest you submit it by the end of Week 1: October 21st. After that time the majority of course participants will be moving on to Week 2 work and won't be focused on this specific topic.

Share (External resource)

If you’d like to share the technologies you looked at and your analysis of them, we encourage you to join in the discussion of this assignment on the forum! From the main forum homepage, go to Week 1 then find the "Ed Tech Then and Now" discussion.

Part 2
Mitch Resnick and Ricarose Roque describe the inspiration for Scratch and how it makes programming easy for kids to get into. They talk about the goals for Scratch as making programming more tinkerable, meaningful, and social.

The Turtle Art gallery shows how complex and artistic Logo creations can get - definitely worth a quick browse.
Start here for a basic step-by-step tutorial.
Turtle Academy has lessons and sample programs if you want to delve deeper. Just create an account and go to the Playground to get started.
It seemed redundant to “create” things that were already created. Then, I tried to mix and match to make something original but the coding was too glitchy for me and my skills were not up to par. As a result, I went back to a simple tree but I couldn’t get a screen shot on the computer I was using at the time. I did attach Logo Interpreter.htm though.
Logo Interpreter.htm: Sorry, this file type is not permitted for security reasons.
This browser-based logo compiler lets you write and run your logo programs quickly and easily on the web site.

Activity Break: Turtle Time
Hal Abelson's bio
MIT App Inventor, one of Logo's descendants, originated by Hal.
The Logo Tree Project showing the descendants of Logo.
"But the real magic comes when this [computation] is combined with the conceptual power of theoretical ideas associated with computation (p. 353)." Herein lies the rub. Most of the technology so far outstrips the conceptual power of the student to explore their own ideas. You can not let the technology dazzle you into submission.
Papert's Teaching Children Thinking paper
Papert video
Part 3
Part 2
History of Logo
Piaget, Childhood
Papert
Piaget
Zone of Proximal Development

11.132x: Design and Development of Educational Technology

This project-based course explores educational technologies and the theories underlying their development through interviews with experts in the field.
  • Starts: 8 Oct 2014
  • Instructors: Eric Klopfer
  • MITx
http://youtu.be/hiU2d0GUN1M
Video
About this Course

To be effective, educational technologies must be designed based on what we know about how people learn. Through interviews with multiple experts in the field, this course examines educational technologies, outlines the theories that influenced their development, and examines their use. The course leads up to a final project – a kickstarter style pitch for a new educational technology - which is worked on iteratively across the weeks. It involves active weekly participation.

In week 1, we’ll talk about the history of educational technologies and how they change the way we learn. We’ll also discuss two important educational theories that focus on student-centered learning.

In week 2, we’ll explore what it means to learn something and examine several different approaches to deepen learning. We’ll begin by introducing a specific framework for thinking about learning. We’ll then take a close look at how educational software developers are more deeply engaging learners and even providing feedback to students as they learn.

Week 3 will focus on forms of Active Learning, where students choose and pursue activities based on their own interests. We’ll also talk with experts about designing to help build important non-cognitive skills, like persistence and developing mastery.

Week 4 will move from individual learning to collaborative learning in a range of forms, from apprenticeships to communities of practice. We’ll speak with experts about the many ways learning in groups can manifest itself. No matter what the medium, collaborative learning has a lot to teach us.

Week 5 focuses on assessment. All the clever educational technology design in the world isn’t very useful if we don’t know whether students’ learning is being enhanced by it or what changes need to be made to increase its effectiveness. We’ll talk with teachers, students, and assessment experts who will provide an overview of the different types of assessment and how technology is changing the field of assessment.

Finally, in week 6, we’ll talk about design-based research, a methodology for research and design of educational innovations in which you create projects that embody the educational change you wish to study.

Week 0 of this course is a 'ramp-up' week for participants to introduce themselves to one another and become familiar with the forums and other course platform features.

This course is part of the EdTechX series from the MIT Education Arcade. Build your understanding of the use and design of technologies for learning. Check out the other course modules.


Reading List
Behaviorism (or behaviourism), is an approach to psychology that combines elements of philosophy, methodology, and theory. It emerged in the early twentieth century as a reaction to "mentalistic" psychology, which often had difficulty making predictions that could be tested using rigorous experimental methods. The primary tenet of behaviorism, as expressed in the writings of John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner, and others, is that psychology should concern itself with the observable behavior of people and animals, not with unobservable events that take place in their minds. The behaviorist school of thought maintains that behaviors as such can be described scientifically without recourse either to internal physiological events or to hypothetical constructs such as thoughts and beliefs.
From early psychology in the 19th century, the behaviorist school of thought ran concurrently and shared commonalities with the psychoanalytic and Gestalt movements in psychology into the 20th century; but also differed from the mental philosophy of the Gestalt psychologists in critical ways.[4] Its main influences were Ivan Pavlov, who investigated classical conditioning although he did not necessarily agree with behaviorism or behaviorists, Edward Lee Thorndike, John B. Watson who rejected introspective methods and sought to restrict psychology to experimental methods, and B.F. Skinner who conducted research on operant conditioning.
In the second half of the 20th century, behaviorism was largely eclipsed as a result of the cognitive revolution. While behaviorism and cognitive schools of psychological thought may not agree theoretically, they have complemented each other in practical therapeutic applications, such as in cognitive–behavioral therapy that has demonstrable utility in treating certain pathologies, such as simple phobias, PTSD, and addiction. In addition, behaviorism sought to create a comprehensive model of the stream of behavior from the birth of a human to their death (see Behavior analysis of child development).
In psychology, cognitivism is a theoretical framework for understanding the mind that gained credence in the 1950s. The movement was a response to behaviorism, which cognitivists said neglected to explain cognition. Cognitive psychology derived its name from the Latin cognoscere, referring to knowing and information, thus cognitive psychology is an information-processing psychology derived in part from earlier traditions of the investigation of thought and problem solving. Behaviorists acknowledged the existence of thinking, but identified it as a behavior. Cognitivists argued that the way people think impacts their behavior and therefore cannot be a behavior in and of itself. Cognitivists later argued that thinking is so essential to psychology that the study of thinking should become its own field.
Constructivism is a theory of knowledge (epistemology) that argues that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. During infancy, it was an interaction between human experiences and their reflexes or behavior-patterns. Jean Piaget called these systems of knowledge schemata. Constructivism is not a specific pedagogy, although it is often confused with constructionism, an educational theory developed by Seymour Papert, inspired by constructivist and experiential learning ideas of Piaget. Piaget's theory of constructivist learning has had wide ranging impact on learning theories and teaching methods in education and is an underlying theme of many education reform movements. Research support for constructivist teaching techniques has been mixed, with some research supporting these techniques and other research contradicting those results.
The Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education
Writing Learning Objectives: Beginning with the End in Mind

























































Total Pageviews

Popular Posts

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Feed/Site Meter

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Map

Where From?

site statistics

Search This Blog

Reading since summer 2006 (some of the classics are re-reads): including magazine subscriptions

  • Abbot, Edwin A., Flatland;
  • Accelerate: Technology Driving Business Performance;
  • ACM Queue: Architecting Tomorrow's Computing;
  • Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome;
  • Ali, Ayaan Hirsi, Nomad: From Islam to America: A Personal Journey Through the Clash of Civilizations;
  • Ali, Tariq, The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads, and Modernity;
  • Allawi, Ali A., The Crisis of Islamic Civilization;
  • Alperovitz, Gar, The Decision To Use the Atomic Bomb;
  • American School & University: Shaping Facilities & Business Decisions;
  • Angelich, Jane, What's a Mother (in-Law) to Do?: 5 Essential Steps to Building a Loving Relationship with Your Son's New Wife;
  • Arad, Yitzchak, In the Shadow of the Red Banner: Soviet Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany;
  • Aristotle, Athenian Constitution. Eudemian Ethics. Virtues and Vices. (Loeb Classical Library No. 285);
  • Aristotle, Metaphysics: Books X-XIV, Oeconomica, Magna Moralia (The Loeb classical library);
  • Armstrong, Karen, A History of God;
  • Arrian: Anabasis of Alexander, Books I-IV (Loeb Classical Library No. 236);
  • Atkinson, Rick, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945 (Liberation Trilogy);
  • Auletta, Ken, Googled: The End of the World As We Know It;
  • Austen, Jane, Pride and Prejudice;
  • Bacevich, Andrew, The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism;
  • Baker, James A. III, and Lee H. Hamilton, The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward - A New Approach;
  • Barber, Benjamin R., Jihad vs. McWorld: Terrorism's Challenge to Democracy;
  • Barnett, Thomas P.M., Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating;
  • Barnett, Thomas P.M., The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century;
  • Barron, Robert, Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith;
  • Baseline: Where Leadership Meets Technology;
  • Baur, Michael, Bauer, Stephen, eds., The Beatles and Philosophy;
  • Beard, Charles Austin, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States (Sony Reader);
  • Benjamin, Daniel & Steven Simon, The Age of Sacred Terror: Radical Islam's War Against America;
  • Bergen, Peter, The Osama bin Laden I Know: An Oral History of al Qaeda's Leader;
  • Berman, Paul, Terror and Liberalism;
  • Berman, Paul, The Flight of the Intellectuals: The Controversy Over Islamism and the Press;
  • Better Software: The Print Companion to StickyMinds.com;
  • Bleyer, Kevin, Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America;
  • Boardman, Griffin, and Murray, The Oxford Illustrated History of the Roman World;
  • Bracken, Paul, The Second Nuclear Age: Strategy, Danger, and the New Power Politics;
  • Bradley, James, with Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers;
  • Bronte, Charlotte, Jane Eyre;
  • Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights;
  • Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 10 1974-1984: The Marshall Cavendish Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
  • Brown, Ashley, War in Peace Volume 8 The Marshall Cavendish Illustrated Encyclopedia of Postwar Conflict;
  • Brown, Nathan J., When Victory Is Not an Option: Islamist Movements in Arab Politics;
  • Bryce, Robert, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of "Energy Independence";
  • Bush, George W., Decision Points;
  • Bzdek, Vincent, The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled;
  • Cahill, Thomas, Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter;
  • Campus Facility Maintenance: Promoting a Healthy & Productive Learning Environment;
  • Campus Technology: Empowering the World of Higher Education;
  • Certification: Tools and Techniques for the IT Professional;
  • Channel Advisor: Business Insights for Solution Providers;
  • Chariton, Callirhoe (Loeb Classical Library);
  • Chief Learning Officer: Solutions for Enterprise Productivity;
  • Christ, Karl, The Romans: An Introduction to Their History and Civilization;
  • Cicero, De Senectute;
  • Cicero, The Republic, The Laws;
  • Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 1 (Loeb Classical Library);
  • Cicero, The Verrine Orations I: Against Caecilius. Against Verres, Part I; Part II, Book 2 (Loeb Classical Library);
  • CIO Decisions: Aligning I.T. and Business in the MidMarket Enterprise;
  • CIO Insight: Best Practices for IT Business Leaders;
  • CIO: Business Technology Leadership;
  • Clay, Lucius Du Bignon, Decision in Germany;
  • Cohen, William S., Dragon Fire;
  • Colacello, Bob, Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House, 1911 to 1980;
  • Coll, Steve, The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century;
  • Collins, Francis S., The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief ;
  • Colorni, Angelo, Israel for Beginners: A Field Guide for Encountering the Israelis in Their Natural Habitat;
  • Compliance & Technology;
  • Computerworld: The Voice of IT Management;
  • Connolly, Peter & Hazel Dodge, The Ancient City: Life in Classical Athens & Rome;
  • Conti, Greg, Googling Security: How Much Does Google Know About You?;
  • Converge: Strategy and Leadership for Technology in Education;
  • Cowan, Ross, Roman Legionary 58 BC - AD 69;
  • Cowell, F. R., Life in Ancient Rome;
  • Creel, Richard, Religion and Doubt: Toward a Faith of Your Own;
  • Cross, Robin, General Editor, The Encyclopedia of Warfare: The Changing Nature of Warfare from Prehistory to Modern-day Armed Conflicts;
  • CSO: The Resource for Security Executives:
  • Cummins, Joseph, History's Greatest Wars: The Epic Conflicts that Shaped the Modern World;
  • D'Amato, Raffaele, Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC-AD 500;
  • Dallek, Robert, An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy 1917-1963;
  • Daly, Dennis, Sophocles' Ajax;
  • Dando-Collins, Stephen, Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome;
  • Darwish, Nonie, Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror;
  • Davis Hanson, Victor, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
  • Dawkins, Richard, The Blind Watchmaker;
  • Dawkins, Richard, The God Delusion;
  • Dawkins, Richard, The Selfish Gene;
  • de Blij, Harm, Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America, Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism;
  • Defense Systems: Information Technology and Net-Centric Warfare;
  • Defense Systems: Strategic Intelligence for Info Centric Operations;
  • Defense Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Military and Aerospace;
  • Dennett, Daniel C., Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon;
  • Dennett, Daniel C., Consciousness Explained;
  • Dennett, Daniel C., Darwin's Dangerous Idea;
  • Devries, Kelly, et. al., Battles of the Ancient World 1285 BC - AD 451 : From Kadesh to Catalaunian Field;
  • Dickens, Charles, Great Expectations;
  • Digital Communities: Building Twenty-First Century Communities;
  • Doctorow, E.L., Homer & Langley;
  • Dodds, E. R., The Greeks and the Irrational;
  • Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The House of the Dead (Google Books, Sony e-Reader);
  • Dostoevsky, Fyodor, The Idiot;
  • Douglass, Elisha P., Rebels and Democrats: The Struggle for Equal Political Rights and Majority Role During the American Revolution;
  • Doyle, Sir Arthur Conan, The Hound of the Baskervilles & The Valley of Fear;
  • Dr. Dobb's Journal: The World of Software Development;
  • Drug Discovery News: Discovery/Development/Diagnostics/Delivery;
  • DT: Defense Technology International;
  • Dunbar, Richard, Alcatraz;
  • Education Channel Partner: News, Trends, and Analysis for K-20 Sales Professionals;
  • Edwards, Aton, Preparedness Now!;
  • EGM: Electronic Gaming Monthly, the No. 1 Videogame Magazine;
  • Ehrman, Bart D., Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scriptures and the Faiths We Never Knew;
  • Ehrman, Bart D., Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why;
  • Electronic Engineering Times: The Industry Newsweekly for the Creators of Technology;
  • Ellis, Joseph J., American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson;
  • Ellis, Joseph J., His Excellency: George Washington;
  • Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
  • Emerson, Steven, American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Among Us;
  • Erlewine, Robert, Monotheism and Tolerance: Recovering a Religion of Reason (Indiana Series in the Philosophy of Religion);
  • ESD: Embedded Systems Design;
  • Everitt, Anthony, Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor;
  • Everitt, Anthony, Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician;
  • eWeek: The Enterprise Newsweekly;
  • Federal Computer Week: Powering the Business of Government;
  • Ferguson, Niall, Civilization: The West and the Rest;
  • Ferguson, Niall, Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power;
  • Ferguson, Niall, The Cash Nexus: Money and Power in the Modern World, 1700-2000;
  • Ferguson, Niall, The War of the World: Twentieth-Century Conflict and the Decline of the West;
  • Feuerbach, Ludwig, The Essence of Christianity (Sony eReader);
  • Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Principate 27 BC-AD 117;
  • Fields, Nic, The Roman Army of the Punic Wars 264-146 BC;
  • Fields, Nic, The Roman Army: the Civil Wars 88-31 BC;
  • Finkel, Caroline, Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire;
  • Fisk, Robert, The Great War For Civilization: The Conquest of the Middle East;
  • Forstchen, William R., One Second After;
  • Fox, Robin Lane, The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian;
  • Frazer, James George, The Golden Bough (Volume 3): A Study in Magic and Religion (Sony eReader);
  • Freeh, Louis J., My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
  • Freeman, Charles, The Greek Achievement: The Foundations of the Western World;
  • Friedman, Thomas L. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Further Updated and Expanded/Release 3.0;
  • Friedman, Thomas L., The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization;
  • Frontinus: Stratagems. Aqueducts of Rome. (Loeb Classical Library No. 174);
  • Fuller Focus: Fuller Theological Seminary;
  • Fuller, Graham E., A World Without Islam;
  • Gaubatz, P. David and Paul Sperry, Muslim Mafia: Inside the Secret Underworld That's Conspiring to Islamize America;
  • Ghattas, Kim, The Secretary: A Journey with Hillary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power;
  • Gibson, William, Neuromancer;
  • Gilmour, Michael J., Gods and Guitars: Seeking the Sacred in Post-1960s Popular Music;
  • Global Services: Strategies for Sourcing People, Processes, and Technologies;
  • Glucklich, Ariel, Dying for Heaven: Holy Pleasure and Suicide Bombers-Why the Best Qualities of Religion Are Also It's Most Dangerous;
  • Goldberg, Jonah, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning;
  • Goldin, Shmuel, Unlocking the Torah Text Vayikra (Leviticus);
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian, Caesar: Life of a Colossus;
  • Goldsworthy, Adrian, How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower;
  • Goodman, Lenn E., Creation and Evolution;
  • Goodwin, Doris Kearns, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln;
  • Gopp, Amy, et.al., Split Ticket: Independent Faith in a Time of Partisan Politics (WTF: Where's the Faith?);
  • Gordon, Michael R., and Bernard E. Trainor, Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq;
  • Government Health IT: The Magazine of Public/private Health Care Convergence;
  • Government Technology's Emergency Management: Strategy & Leadership in Critical Times;
  • Government Technology: Solutions for State and Local Government in the Information Age;
  • Grant , Michael, The Climax of Rome: The Final Achievements of the Ancient World, AD 161 - 337;
  • Grant, Michael, The Classical Greeks;
  • Grumberg, Orna, and Helmut Veith, 25 Years of Model Checking: History, Achievements, Perspectives;
  • Halberstam, David, War in a Time of Peace: Bush, Clinton, and the Generals;
  • Hammer, Reuven, Entering Torah Prefaces to the Weekly Torah Portion;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Between War and Peace: Lessons from Afghanistan to Iraq;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Carnage and Culture: Landmark Battles in the Rise of Western Power;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, How The Obama Administration Threatens Our National Security (Encounter Broadsides);
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Makers of Ancient Strategy: From the Persian Wars to the Fall of Rome;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Ripples of Battle: How Wars of the Past Still Determine How We Fight, How We Live, and How We Think;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, The End of Sparta: A Novel;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, The Soul of Battle: From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny;
  • Hanson, Victor Davis, Wars of the Ancient Greeks;
  • Harnack, Adolf Von, History of Dogma, Volume 3 (Sony Reader);
  • Harris, Alex, Reputation At Risk: Reputation Report;
  • Harris, Sam, Letter to a Christian Nation;
  • Harris, Sam, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason;
  • Hayek, F. A., The Road to Serfdom;
  • Heilbroner, Robert L., and Lester Thurow, Economics Explained: Everything You Need to Know About How the Economy Works and Where It's Going;
  • Hempel, Sandra, The Strange Case of The Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera;
  • Hinnells, John R., A Handbook of Ancient Religions;
  • Hitchens, Christopher, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything;
  • Hogg, Ian V., The Encyclopedia of Weaponry: The Development of Weaponry from Prehistory to 21st Century Warfare;
  • Hugo, Victor, The Hunchback of Notre Dame;
  • Humphrey, Caroline & Vitebsky, Piers, Sacred Architecture;
  • Huntington, Samuel P., The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order;
  • Info World: Information Technology News, Computer Networking & Security;
  • Information Week: Business Innovation Powered by Technology:
  • Infostor: The Leading Source for Enterprise Storage Professionals;
  • Infrastructure Insite: Bringing IT Together;
  • Insurance Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
  • Integrated Solutions: For Enterprise Content Management;
  • Intel Premier IT: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
  • Irwin, Robert, Dangerous Knowledge: Orientalism and Its Discontents;
  • Jeffrey, Grant R., The Global-Warming Deception: How a Secret Elite Plans to Bankrupt America and Steal Your Freedom;
  • Jewkes, Yvonne, and Majid Yar, Handbook of Internet Crime;
  • Johnson, Chalmers, Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire;
  • Journal, The: Transforming Education Through Technology;
  • Judd, Denis, The Lion and the Tiger: The Rise and Fall of the British Raj, 1600-1947;
  • Kagan, Donald, The Peloponnesian War;
  • Kansas, Dave, The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It: What You Need to Know About the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time--and How to Survive It;
  • Karsh, Efraim, Islamic Imperialism: A History;
  • Kasser, Rodolphe, The Gospel of Judas;
  • Katz, Solomon, The Decline of Rome and the Rise of Medieval Europe: (The Development of Western Civilization);
  • Keegan, John, Intelligence in War: The Value--and Limitations--of What the Military Can Learn About the Enemy;
  • Kenis, Leo, et. al., The Transformation of the Christian Churches in Western Europe 1945-2000 (Kadoc Studies on Religion, Culture and Society 6);
  • Kepel, Gilles, Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam;
  • Kiplinger's: Personal Finance;
  • Klein, Naomi, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism;
  • KM World: Content, Document, and Knowledge Management;
  • Koestler, Arthur, Darkness at Noon: A Novel;
  • Kostova, Elizabeth, The Historian;
  • Kuttner, Robert, The Squandering of America: How the Failure of Our Politics Undermines Our Prosperity;
  • Lake, Kirsopp, The Text of the New Testament, Sony Reader;
  • Laur, Timothy M., Encyclopedia of Modern US Military Weapons ;
  • Leffler, Melvyn P., and Jeffrey W. Legro, To Lead the World: American Strategy After the Bush Doctrine;
  • Lendon, J. E., Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity;
  • Lenin, V. I., Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism;
  • Lennon, John J., There is Absolutely No Reason to Pay Too Much for College!;
  • Lewis, Bernard, The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror;
  • Lewis, Bernard, What Went Wrong?: The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East;
  • Lifton, Robert J., Greg Mitchell, Hiroshima in America;
  • Limberis, Vasiliki M., Architects of Piety: The Cappadocian Fathers and the Cult of the Martyrs;
  • Lipsett, B. Diane, Desiring Conversion: Hermas, Thecla, Aseneth;
  • Livingston, Jessica, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days;
  • Livy, Rome and the Mediterranean: Books XXXI-XLV of the History of Rome from its Foundation (Penguin Classics);
  • Louis J., Freeh, My FBI: Bringing Down the Mafia, Investigating Bill Clinton, and Fighting the War on Terror;
  • Mackay, Christopher S., Ancient Rome: A Military and Political History;
  • Majno, Guido, The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World;
  • Marcus, Greil,Invisible Republic: Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes;
  • Marshall-Cornwall, James, Napoleon as Military Commander;
  • Maughm, W. Somerset, Of Human Bondage;
  • McCluskey, Neal P., Feds in the Classroom: How Big Government Corrupts, Cripples, and Compromises American Education;
  • McCullough, David, 1776;
  • McCullough, David, John Adams;
  • McCullough, David, Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt;
  • McLynn, Frank, Marcus Aurelius: A Life;
  • McManus, John, Deadly Brotherhood, The: The American Combat Soldier in World War II ;
  • McMaster, H. R., Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam;
  • McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 1: Origins and Destinies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
  • McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 2: Persons and Groups (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
  • McNamara, Patrick, Science and the World's Religions Volume 3: Religions and Controversies (Brain, Behavior, and Evolution);
  • Meacham, Jon, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House;
  • Mearsheimer, John J., and Stephen M. Walt, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy;
  • Meier, Christian, Caesar: A Biography;
  • Menzies, Gaven, 1421: The Year China Discovered America;
  • Metaxas, Eric, Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy;
  • Michael, Katina and M.G. Michael, Innovative Automatic Identification and Location-Based Services: From Barcodes to Chip Implants;
  • Migliore, Daniel L., Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology;
  • Military & Aerospace Electronics: The Magazine of Transformation in Electronic and Optical Technology;
  • Millard, Candice, Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey: The River of Doubt;
  • Mommsen, Theodor, The History of the Roman Republic, Sony Reader;
  • Muller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop: Volume III: Essays On Language And Literature;
  • Murray, Janet, H., Hamlet On the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace;
  • Murray, Williamson, War in the Air 1914-45;
  • Müller, F. Max, Chips From A German Workshop;
  • Nader, Ralph, Crashing the Party: Taking on the Corporate Government in an Age of Surrender;
  • Nagl, John A., Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam;
  • Napoleoni, Loretta, Terrorism and the Economy: How the War on Terror is Bankrupting the World;
  • Nature: The International Weekly Journal of Science;
  • Negus, Christopher, Fedora 6 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux;
  • Network Computing: For IT by IT:
  • Network World: The Leader in Network Knowledge;
  • Network-centric Security: Where Physical Security & IT Worlds Converge;
  • Newman, Paul B., Travel and Trade in the Middle Ages;
  • Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm, The Nietzsche-Wagner Correspondence;
  • Nixon, Ed, The Nixons: A Family Portrait;
  • O'Brien, Johnny, Day of the Assassins: A Jack Christie Novel;
  • O'Donnell, James J., Augustine: A New Biography;
  • OH & S: Occupational Health & Safety
  • Okakura, Kakuzo, The Book of Tea;
  • Optimize: Business Strategy & Execution for CIOs;
  • Ostler, Nicholas, Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin;
  • Parry, Jay A., The Real George Washington (American Classic Series);
  • Paton, W.R., The Greek Anthology, Volume V, Loeb Classical Library, No. 86;
  • Pausanius, Guide to Greece 1: Central Greece;
  • Perrett, Bryan, Cassell Military Classics: Iron Fist: Classic Armoured Warfare;
  • Perrottet, Tony, The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Olympic Games;
  • Peters, Ralph, New Glory: Expanding America's Global Supremacy;
  • Phillips, Kevin, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in the House of Bush;
  • Pick, Bernhard; Paralipomena; Remains of Gospels and Sayings of Christ (Sony Reader);
  • Pimlott, John, The Elite: The Special Forces of the World Volume 1;
  • Pitre, Brant, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper;
  • Plutarch's Lives, X: Agis and Cleomenes. Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus. Philopoemen and Flamininus (Loeb Classical Library®);
  • Podhoretz, Norman, World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism;
  • Posner, Gerald, Case Closed: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Assassination of JFK;
  • Potter, Wendell, Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR Is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans;
  • Pouesi, Daniel, Akua;
  • Premier IT Magazine: Sharing Best Practices with the Information Technology Community;
  • Price, Monroe E. & Daniel Dayan, eds., Owning the Olympics: Narratives of the New China;
  • Profit: The Executive's Guide to Oracle Applications;
  • Public CIO: Technology Leadership in the Public Sector;
  • Putnam, Robert D., Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community;
  • Quintus of Smyrna, The Fall of Troy;
  • Rawles, James Wesley, Patriots: A Novel of Survival in the Coming Collapse;
  • Red Herring: The Business of Technology;
  • Redmond Channel Partner: Driving Success in the Microsoft Partner Community;
  • Redmond Magazine: The Independent Voice of the Microsoft IT Community;
  • Renan, Ernest, The life of Jesus (Sony eReader);
  • Richler, Mordecai (editor), Writers on World War II: An Anthology;
  • Roberts, Ian, The Energy Glut: Climate Change and the Politics of Fatness in an Overheating World;
  • Rocca, Samuel, The Army of Herod the Great;
  • Rodgers, Nigel, A Military History of Ancient Greece: An Authoritative Account of the Politics, Armies and Wars During the Golden Age of Ancient Greece, shown in over 200 color photographs, diagrams, maps and plans;
  • Rodoreda, Merce, Death in Spring: A Novel;
  • Romerstein, Herbert and Breindel, Eric,The Venona Secrets, Exposing Soviet Espionage and America's Traitors;
  • Ross, Dennis, Statecraft: And How to Restore America's Standing in the World;
  • Roth, Jonathan P., Roman Warfare (Cambridge Introduction to Roman Civilization);
  • SC Magazine: For IT Security Professionals;
  • Scahill, Jeremy, Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army [Revised and Updated];
  • Schama, Simon, A History of Britain, At the Edge of the World 3500 B.C. - 1603 A.D.;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War On Terror;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Osama Bin Laden;
  • Scheuer, Michael, Through Our Enemies Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam, and the Future of America;
  • Scholastic Instructor
  • Scholastic Parent & Child: The Joy of Family Living and Learning;
  • Schopenhauer, Arthur, The World As Will And Idea (Sony eReader);
  • Schug-Wille, Art of the Byzantine World;
  • Schulze, Hagen, Germany: A New History;
  • Schweizer, Peter, Architects of Ruin: How Big Government Liberals Wrecked the Global Economy---and How They Will Do It Again If No One Stops Them;
  • Scott, Sir Walter, Ivanhoe;
  • Seagren, Eric, Secure Your Network for Free: Using Nmap, Wireshark, Snort, Nessus, and MRTG;
  • Security Technology & Design: The Security Executive's Resource for Systems Integration and Convergence;
  • Seibel, Peter, Coders at Work;
  • Sekunda N., & S. Northwood, Early Roman Armies;
  • Seneca: Naturales Quaestiones, Books II (Loeb Classical Library No. 450);
  • Sewall, Sarah, The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual;
  • Sheppard, Ruth, Alexander the Great at War: His Army - His Battles - His Enemies;
  • Shinder, Jason, ed., The Poem That Changed America: "Howl" Fifty Years Later;
  • Sidebottom, Harry, Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction;
  • Sides, Hampton, Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West;
  • Simkins, Michael, The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan;
  • Sinchak, Steve, Hacking Windows Vista;
  • Smith, RJ, The One: The Life and Music of James Brown;
  • Software Development Times: The Industry Newspaper for Software Development Managers;
  • Software Test Performance;
  • Solomon, Norman, War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death;
  • Song, Lolan, Innovation Together: Microsoft Research Asia Academic Research Collaboration;
  • Sophocles, The Three Theban Plays, tr. Robert Fagles;
  • Sound & Vision: The Consumer Electronics Authority;
  • Southern, Pat, The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History;
  • Sri, Edward, A Biblical Walk Through the Mass: Understanding What We Say and Do In The Liturgy;
  • Sri, Edward, Men, Women and the Mystery of Love: Practical Insights from John Paul II's Love and Responsibility;
  • Stair, John Bettridge, Old Samoa; Or, Flotsam and Jetsam From the Pacific Ocean;
  • Starr, Chester G., The Roman Empire, 27 B.C.-A.D. 476: A Study in Survival;
  • Starr, John Bryan, Understanding China: A Guide to China's Economy, History, and Political Culture;
  • Stauffer, John, Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln;
  • Steyn, Mark, America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It;
  • Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories;
  • Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War;
  • Strassler, Robert B., The Landmark Xenophon's Hellenika;
  • Strategy + Business;
  • Streete, Gail, Redeemed Bodies: Women Martyrs in Early Christianity;
  • Sullivan, James, The Hardest Working Man: How James Brown Saved the Soul of America;
  • Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (1) 100 BC-AD 200;
  • Sumner, Graham, Roman Military Clothing (2) AD 200-400;
  • Suskind, Ron, The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11:
  • Swanston, Malcolm, Mapping History Battles and Campaigns;
  • Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
  • Swiderski, Richard M., Quicksilver: A History of the Use, Lore, and Effects of Mercury;
  • Swift, Jonathan, Gulliver's Travels;
  • Syme, Ronald, The Roman Revolution;
  • Talley, Colin L., A History of Multiple Sclerosis;
  • Tawil, Camille, Brothers In Arms: The Story of al-Qa'ida and the Arab Jihadists;
  • Tech Briefs: Engineering Solutions for Design & Manufacturing;
  • Tech Net: The Microsoft Journal for IT Professionals;
  • Tech Partner: Gain a Competitive Edge Through Solutions Providers;
  • Technology & Learning: Ideas and Tools for Ed Tech Leaders;
  • Tenet, George, At the Center of the Storm: The CIA During America's Time of Crisis;
  • Thackeray, W. M., Vanity Fair;
  • Thompson, Derrick & William Martin, Have Guitars ... Will Travel: A Journey Through the Beat Music Scene in Northampton 1957-66;
  • Tolstoy, Leo, Anna Karenina;
  • Trento, Joseph J., The Secret History of the CIA;
  • Twain, Mark, The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today;
  • Ungar, Craig, House of Bush House of Saud;
  • Unterberger, Richie, The Unreleased Beatles Music & Film;
  • VAR Business: Strategic Insight for Technology Integrators:
  • Virgil, The Aeneid
  • Virtualization Review: Powering the New IT Generation;
  • Visual Studio: Enterprise Solutions for .Net Development;
  • VON Magazine: Voice, Video & Vision;
  • Wall Street Technology: Business Innovation Powered by Technology;
  • Wallace, Robert, Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs, from Communism to al-Qaeda;
  • Wang, Wallace, Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won’t Tell You About the Internet;
  • Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome and the End of Civilization;
  • Warren, Robert Penn, All the King's Men;
  • Wasik, John F., Cul-de-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dream;
  • Weber, Karl, Editor, Lincoln: A President for the Ages;
  • Website Magazine: The Magazine for Website Success;
  • Weiner, Tim, Enemies: A History of the FBI;
  • Weiner, Tim, Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA;
  • West, Bing, The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq;
  • Wharton, Edith, The Age of Innocence;
  • Wilcox, Peter, Rome's Enemies (1) Germanics and Dacians;
  • Wise, Terence, Armies of the Carthaginian Wars 265 - 146 BC;
  • Wissner-Gross, What Colleges Don't Tell You (And Other Parents Don't Want You To Know) 272 Secrets For Getting Your Kid Into the Top Schools;
  • Wissner-Gross, What High Schools Don't Tell You;
  • Wolf, Naomi, Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries;
  • Wolf, Naomi, The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot;
  • Woodward, Bob, Plan of Attack;
  • Woodward, Bob, The Agenda: Inside the Clinton White House;
  • Wright, Lawrence, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11;
  • Wright-Porto, Heather, Beginning Google Blogger;
  • Xenophon, The Anabasis of Cyrus;
  • Yergin, Daniel, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power;

Computing Reviews

Handy Tools, Links, etc.

This Website is a Belligerent Act

Share |

SmileyCentral.com

Radical Christian

My secure contact form

Choice Reviews Online

techLEARNING.com

CIO and Strategy & Business magazines

Mil-aero info

Defense Systems

Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science

CIO

Choice Reviews Online

SD Times: Software Development News

KMworld

SC Magazine for Security Professionals

Bloggers' Rights at EFF

The Scientist


Missile Defense
33 Minutes

Government Technology: Solutions for State and Local Government in the Information Age

Insurance & Technology

What's Running is a great tool so that you can see what is running on your desktop.

Process Lasso lets you view your processor and its responsiveness.

Online Armor lets you view your firewall status.

CCleaner - Freeware Windows Optimization

Avast is a terrific scrubber of all virus miscreants.

ClamWin is an effective deterrent for the little nasty things that can crop into your machine.

Ad-Aware is a sound anti-virus tool.

Blog Directory & Search engine

For all your electronic appliance needs research products on this terrific site.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Recent Comments

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of this blogger. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but not hostile, libelous, or otherwise objectionable statements. Original writing only, please. Thank you. Subscribe with Bloglines

Blog Smith Headline Animator

Library Thing: Chicks Dig Readers

Blog Archive

National Debt Clock

"Congress: I'm Watching"

A tax on toilet paper; I kid you not. According to the sponsor, "the Water Protection and Reinvestment Act will be financed broadly by small fees on such things as . . . products disposed of in waste water." Congress wants to tax what you do in the privacy of your bathroom.

The Religion of Peace

Portrait of Thinking Hero

Portrait of Thinking Hero
1844-1900

Check out:

Check out:
Chicks dig readers.
@ Blog Smith. Powered by Blogger.