Free Technology for Teachers

This website is actually a blog by an educator who is also a Google Certified Teacher. There are lots of useful tips and applications to enhance the classroom experience.

Galaxy Zoo

Don't have a PhD in astrophysics? Not a problem. You can still do astronomical research by joining a project called Galaxy Zoo. This project enlists volunteers to classify the shape and nature of galaxy images collected by "robot cameras" in satellites. In many cases the images will have never been seen before by a human observer. The human brain has proven more effective in classifying galaxies than any computer program so far. If you want to volunteer, see this page.

National Film Board

 The National Film Board (Canada) has made over 900 of its English language films available for viewing free of charge in streaming video. There is even an  iPhone applet for personal viewing. NFB films have won over 5,000 awards, including 12 Oscars and 79 Oscar nominations.

Science Daily

Science Daily offers an excellent summary of the latest discoveries in all fields of science. The site also provides a useful searchable archive of past articles.

The Big Picture

This site links the latest news stories with some amazing photographs of the events. See the collection of the Olympic opening ceremony images for example.

What the Future Looked Like in the 1940's

Looking at old advertisements is a fun way to study cultural history. In the 1940's Life magazine ran a series of ads predicting future technology. Some of them were amazingly prescient, others, not so much.