·http://www.hhmi.org/educational-materials

Science teachers looking to enhance their curriculum with stimulating online content will be sure to find the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Educational Materials website quite useful. One of the main offerings here, HHMI's Biointeractive, provides a wealth of resources including animations, videos, interactive resources, teacher's guides, podcasts, and more. Topics include health, anatomy, genetics, biotechnology, and careers in science. As if that weren't enough to entice instructors, the full text of the HHMI bulletin is also available on the main section of the site. Back issues date to 2007 and may be viewed online or downloaded in PDF format. Overall, this is an excellent website with many useful and interesting resources for researchers, instructors, and students alike. [AHT]

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·http://hbswk.hbs.edu/

What can Harvard Business School (HBS) do for you? Quite a bit as it turns out, particularly for parties with interest in business practice. The Working Knowledge site is "a forum for innovation in business practice, offering readers a first look at cutting-edge thinking from HBS faculty." Every weekday the site offers new work from over 200 HBS faculty, and the reports, updates, and commentaries include pieces like "Five Imperatives for Improving Health Care" and "Is your iPhone Turning You into a Wimp?" First-time visitors should note that they may browse by topic, industry, or geography. Moving on, the New Working Papers section brings together helpful new scholarly works like "Helping You Help Me" and "Cumulative Innovation & Open Disclosure of Intermediate Results." The conversational aspects of this site come to life in the What Do You Think? area, which encourages curious parties to comment on pieces such as "What are the Limits Of Transparency?" The site is rounded out by a place where visitors can get a "First Look" at new faculty working papers and case studies before they enter mainstream practice. [KMG]

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·http://www.chicagofed.org/webpages/education/econ_classroom/

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has crafted a wide range of educational resources designed for economics and finance educators. This site is updated frequently, and it includes webcasts, lesson plans, blogs for educators, and so on. First off, visitors should take a look at the Making Learning Economics Fun student workbook and teacher's guide. This helpful resource is designed to help "consumers make better decisions with their money." The site also includes ten different Federal Reserve Education guides, including Federal Reserve Consumer Help, Role of Monetary Policy at the Fed, and Current Economic Indicators. Also, the site includes the Marginal Thoughts blog, which offers commentary on economic matters from Cindy Ivanac-Lillig. [KMG]

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·http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/

For many years, WGBH - the PBS member station from Boston - has provided excellent programming and online content on many different topics, and NOVA has been one of their most popular offerings. Now WGBH presents NOVA Labs, a series of interactive online science activities that would be a wonderful addition to secondary science curriculum. Users should create a free login, which will allow them to track and save their progress through the labs. On the main page, users can click on My Progress to see which labs have been completed. The site currently has three labs available: cloud lab, energy lab, and sun lab. Visitors may also check out a list of planned upcoming labs, which include topics like RNA, cybersecurity, and the brain. [AHT]

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·http://www.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=570

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, or UN-HABITAT, is the organization's agency for human settlements. The group's main objective is to "promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all." More specifically, the Sustainable Urban Development Network, or SUD-NET, works to reduce poverty and encourage the creation and development of "livable, productive and inclusive cities." Those interested in globalization and urban development worldwide will find much of interest here, including the group's key activities, thematic focus areas, partnerships, and reports. "Cities and Climate Change Initiative," a 2009 report, is currently featured on the website, and is available for download as a PDF. [AHT]

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·https://www.masshist.org/features/boston-abolitionists

The Massachusetts Historical Society provides this online exhibit on the abolitionist movement in Boston, both prior to and during the Civil War. The website includes seven distinct sections, each highlighting manuscripts, photographs, and artifacts. One section touches on William Lloyd Garrison's Liberator, an important antislavery newspaper; visitors can read the entire first issue of the newspaper, which was published in 1831. In addition, the Historical Society has provided a number of scans of pamphlets, broadsides, signage, and other ephemera, which are both historically and visually interesting. This collection would be useful for anyone interested in the abolitionist movement or Massachusetts history. [AHT]

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·http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/bellagio-center/gather-art-science-effective

The Rockefeller Foundation, along with the Monitor Institute and Monitor Deloitte, provides this new guidebook for the purpose of assisting groups who are in the beginning stages of planning a convening, an event which asks groups of people to come together for a short time to accomplish a shared goal for an organization, or for the greater good. The guidebook, which is available as a PDF, outlines the detailed thought processes and planning that should be done before deciding to organize such an event. This material would be invaluable for a group looking to design an event like this for the first time, large or small. The website also includes a short introductory video clip. [AHT]

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·http://www.nbmg.unr.edu/

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, part of the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, is an active and interesting source for studying mining and geology in the Southwestern United States. The Bureau's website includes quite a bit of information that would be of interest to students, researchers, and laypeople alike. Users will find information about current research projects on a variety of topics, an archive of presentations, and many different geologic maps of Nevada. Under the site's Data/Imagery/Indexes section, visitors will find interactive maps with data on geothermal resources, mineral resources, quaternary faults, and more. Most of the information provided pertains to the state of Nevada, but would also prove useful for instructors who could use the state's rich mining and geologic history and resources as teaching examples. [AHT]

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·http://mashable.com/

In a matter of speaking, Mashable brings together the good, interesting, strange, and "other" of the web together in one place. With its easy to use interface, Mashable brings together the top-trending new stories from the world of social media, business, technology, and entertainment. Visitors can use one of the three tabs on the top of the homepage to get started, and they can also look at the top stories from specific social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. On any given moment, stories on Mashable might include pieces like "Your Smartphone May Soon Alert You When You Get Snail Mail" and "Samsung To Hold First Developer Conference." Additionally, visitors can sign up to receive updates from the site in a highly customized and personal fashion. [KMG]

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·http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/placesinhistory/

What do Missouri and Virginia have in common? They are both two of the places profiled on the Library of Congress' "Places in History" site. This remarkable site brings together maps and other primary documents to profile interesting places across the broad span of American history. Currently, there are six entries, including First Battle of Bull Run, Rich Mountain and Vicinity, and Gulf Coast. This last feature is a great place to begin, as it includes several key maps and charts that document the Gulf Coast in Florida around the beginning of the Civil War. Along with these items, there is a listing of related resources at the Library. Visitors shouldn't miss the Extra Session of Congress area as it provides some great historical background on the extra session of Congress called by President Abraham Lincoln for July 4, 1861 that would discuss the Civil War. [KMG]

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·http://digital.library.temple.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15037coll15

The story of American cities can be told in its waves of new immigrants and arrivals throughout the past several centuries. Philadelphia is no exception to this rich brocade of human existence and this digital collection from Temple University tells part of the fantastic story. This offering brings together photographs from the Philadelphia Jewish Archives and other agencies, including the Association for Jewish Children Records, the Levinthal Family Papers, and the Hebrew Sunday School Society Records. All told, there are almost 2,700 images here and visitors can perform detailed searches across the entire archive as they see fit. First-time users may wish to get started by keyword searching for "rabbi," "greeting cards," "architecture," or "celebration." [KMG]

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·http://www.npr.org/sections/education/

NPR's coverage of educational topics is equal parts current and thought provoking. The organization's education blog collects current news articles pertaining to education, school administration and reform, funding, and more. Users may read each story individually, or add the audio reports of individual stories to a playlist, which launches an interactive media player. Another option allows visitors to listen to all recent audio stories on the topic or add all of the most recent stories to a playlist. Towards the bottom of the page, one can find links to podcasts and RSS feeds on education and U.S. news. [AHT]

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·http://www.aaanet.org/

The website of the American Anthropological Association is an essential resource for anthropology instructors and students, and it also provides interesting content for anyone curious about current events and culture in the United States. Under Publications, guests will find a link to Anthropology News, an online offering featuring opinion pieces and articles on a variety of anthropology and culture-related topics. Anthropology News currently features a piece titled "Trayvon Martin, Race and Anthropology," which looks at the complicated case from an anthropologist's perspective. Back on the main section of the Association's website, visitors will find links to listservs, career and professional development resources, podcasts, current news, and much more. [AHT]

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·http://railroads.unl.edu/

In the 19th century, the widespread expansion of railroads across the American landscape transformed the lives of millions of people from Maine to California. This digital collection from the University of Nebraska seeks "to document and represent the rapid and far-reaching social effects of railroads and to explore the transformation of the United States to modern ideas, institutions, and practices in the nineteenth century." The site is a tremendous trove of maps, letters, ephemera that help to tell this story in fine detail. On the homepage, visitors can look over sections that include Topics, Views, Data, and Teaching Materials. In the Topics area, visitors can look over thematic collections like Slavery and Southern Railroads and Railroad Work and Workers. The Data area is a real gem, as it features historical railroad systems' GIS files from the 1860s and 1870s, and data visualizations such as some rather elaborate representations of data from historical volumes on railroads. Finally, the Teaching Materials area includes interviews with teachers, an educators' blog, and ideas for teaching with the site. [KMG]

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·http://www.oregonstateparks.org/

What can you do in the great Oregon outdoors? From the world of Cannon Beach to the wild and rugged Snake River, the experiences are diverse, to say the least. The homepage features dramatic vistas, isolated lighthouses, and a whole range of wonderful images to entice visitors. In the Visit area, there is an interactive map of the state that will help plan any trip. Here visitors can select Activities and Facilities to look for specific amenities. Moving along, the Event Calendar area allows visitors to look for upcoming events at a specific park or by category. Policy folks will appreciate the About Us area, as it includes detailed information on the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department's budget, their annual report, information about upcoming initiatives, and construction projects. [KMG]

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·http://feederninja.com/

Are you looking to create beautiful and elegant RSS and social feeds? Feeder Ninja can make this happen in just a few steps. On the Features section, visitors can learn about how to create attractive feed widgets for their site, along with details about how to insert the necessary code. The Examples area contains a host of recently crafted feeds and there's a helpful FAQ area. This version is compatible with all operating systems, including Linux. [KMG]

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·https://www.statwing.com/

For policy folks and others, Statwing will be a most welcome find. Visitors can use the program to analyze data from their spreadsheets in order get compelling statistical analytical reports within seconds. There are some great examples here using the program, including those that use passenger data from the Titanic and the voting records of members of Congress. Additionally, there's a helpful demo included. This version is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]

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All aboard: Rail Centric Construction Gets Back on Track
http://urbanland.uli.org/Articles/2013/Jul/SpivakAllAboard?utm_source=uli&utm_medium=eblast&utm_campaign=072213

Citi grant supports transit-oriented development
http://www.stamfordplus.com/stm/information/nws1/publish/realestate/Citi-grant-supports-transit-oriented-development-in-Fairfield-County20557.shtml

What is TOD?
http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/what-we-do/what-is-tod/

Center for Transit-Oriented Development
http://www.cnt.org/tcd/projects/ctod/

Our Built and Natural Environments: A Technical Review of the Interactions Between Land Use, Transportation, and Environmental Quality
http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/b-and-n/b-and-n-EPA-231K13001.pdf

Regional Transportation Authority: Transit-Oriented Development
http://rtachicago.com/initiatives/land-use-transit-oriented-development.html

The term transit-oriented development (TOD) might be a new one to some readers. In short, it is a type of community development that includes a mix of residences, retail, and other amenities in close proximity to public transportation. For many decades, development was done this way as a matter of habit, particularly before the rise in popularity of the automobile. In recent years, a number of high-profile TOD projects have gotten members of the public and planners rather excited. Recently, the Urban Land Institute reported that the renovation of older train stations has begun in six large urban areas (including Denver and St. Paul) and that residential construction is up significantly in these markets and smaller cities such as Roanoke, Virginia and Normal, Illinois. These are exciting times and the hope is that other cities will follow suit to create dense cores of activities around these transportation hubs. [KMG]

The first link will take visitors to a recent piece from the Urban Land Institute's "UrbanLand" magazine about some of these new TOD projects around the United States. Moving on, the second link will take users to a piece from the Stamford Plus magazine about a new grant from Citi Community Development designed to support new transit oriented development planning studies in Fairfield County. The third link will take interested parties to a great overview of TOD, courtesy of the folks at Reconnecting America. The fourth link will take users to the homage of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development at the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Here visitors can learn more about the organization's work and the value of TOD. The fifth link leads to a recent report from the EPA on the nature of TOD and its possible application in a variety of settings. Finally, the last link will take visitors to the TOD website established by the Regional Transit Authority in the Chicagoland area. Here visitors can learn about the Authority's new TOD projects and read some primers on how TOD becomes a reality.