Technology & Learning November 2007 - (Page 6) » News & Trends By T&L Editors The hype on connectivity, surprising stats on kids and the Net, disaster plans, and more. The Age of the Disaster Plan The recent Southern California wildfires burned nearly 375,000 acres, destroying more than 1,300 homes, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee, and shutting down all schools in San Diego. And scientists say we can look forward to more extreme weather—firestorms, droughts, hurricanes, and flooding—as the consequences of global warming continue to manifest. For schools trying to keep things as close as possible to “business as usual” during shutdowns, e-mail trees, file sharing, online course platforms, data storage and backup, and other technologybased solutions are imperative. Stay tuned for an upsurge in products and services designed for district emergency preparedness. StudyCurve.com We love StudyCurve’s smart combo platter: social networking; subject area focus; experts; tutorials; and a secure environment. Targeting middle school through PhD candidates, this new, free site surrounds users with like-minded members for ongoing help and collaboration on everything from chemistry and bioinformatics to leadership and public affairs. The site prompts users to create profiles around curriculum areas of expertise and those they’d like to learn more about, and also allows users to post pictures and designate “study buddies.” StudyCurve differentiates itself from “query” and other social networking sites with features like interest “tags” that connect users with similar interests, an Expert Rating System, virtual study groups, and the pairing of business professionals and college professors with students. Educators will also find the site a friendly spot for private class forums, posting Q&As, and locating classrooms across the country for collaborative projects. Best of all, adults can rest easy—the StudyCurve team controls all content, display, and distribution on the site. Check it out! PHOTO BY KARMATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO 6 | www.techlearning.com © STOCKBYTE http://StudyCurve.com http://StudyCurve.com http://www.techlearning.com
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