CM Bulletin Board
Contact Center Network
http://www.contact.orgThe Contact Center Network is a nonprofit organization that maintains the most comprehensive directory of nonprofit resources on the Web, with searchable links to over 10,000 nonprofit Websites in 110 countries, as well as a fully interactive database of volunteer opportunities, events and nonprofit services.
The Contact Center Network is launching a new initiative called Action Without Borders - a Global Week of Action and Community. Action Without Borders, planned for October 18-25, 1997, is something that has never been done before: a week of action consisting of thousands of simultaneous clean-ups, workshops, tree-plantings, peace and human rights rallies and any other project you or your organization want to initiate - each organized independently by one or several organizations, and all coordinated and publicized through the Web and other media. Taking part in Action Without Borders is easy. It can be as simple as doing what you do all year, but making a little more noise about it that week. Alternatively, you can use this opportunity to collaborate on a larger project with other groups in your area or around the world, and you can also work with us to help make AWB a success in your community. The initial response to this initiative has been wonderful: Yahoo, one of the most visited sites on the Web, has agreed to provide free banners on its site to help promote AWB, and grassroots organizations from around the world are eager to work together on this project. A partial of list of participants include: -American Citizens Abroad, Switzerland-AUDIES Association, Italy
-CIVICUS, the World Alliance for Citizen Participation, US
-Centro de Investigacion de Tecnologia Integral, Bolivia
-Derechos, Argentina
-Foundation for Limbless Children, Hungary
-Human Service Alliance, US
-I*EARN, US
-University Students for the Environment (INUSESD), Guatemala
-LibertyNet, US
-MUKTI, India
-New Israel Fund, Israel
-South Sydney Community Aid, Australia
-UNAPRO, Spain
-Urban Wildlife Trust, UK
-VICNET-Victoria's Network, Australia
To learn more about this initiative, and about how your organization can participate and benefit from it, please go to http://www.contact.org
From the NOVAE GROUP Teachers Networking for the Future
Education Place
http://www.eduplace.com/This site is produced by Houghton Mifflin Company and is geared towards teachers, students and parents. On this site one can find: Interactive games, professional development articles, online projects, and other educational materials for grades K-8. There are also bibliographies organized by themes and links to other Internet sites. Houghton Mifflin Education Place also has gathered resources that may be of particular interest to parents. This site also gives you the option to order education materials such as picture books or CD-ROM packages.
There are links from the home page into the following centers: Math, Reading/Language Arts, Social Studies, and Technology. These links provide useful articles and activities to help and support the instruction of these specific subjects. The Technology Center provides resources to help take advantage of this teaching tool to enhance various subjects.
From the NBNSOFT Content Awards Ejournal
The Learning Kingdom
http://www.LearningKingdom.com/Requires Java-capable browser Is an educational journey for children of all ages. When we first glanced upon the Kingdom we were intrigued by the site's first question, how is it exactly that Reindeer make it through those long Arctic winters? This and many other mind-stimulating questions are thoroughly examined in the Kingdom's 'Cool Fact of the Day.' And then there's 'The Playground' featuring award-winning educational games, lessons, and puzzles, ranging in difficulty from the primary grades to adult. The Learning Kingdom isn't strictly for the kids, though; educators will find an 'Academy' which contains a variety of usable and comprehensive courses in mathematics, vocabulary, and critical thinking, making this site not only a parent's aide but a teacher's as well!
Constructed Human Languages
http://www.quetzal.com/conlang.html It has been noted that if you point to a red truck, a small child still learning how to speak might reply incorrectly that the truck is blue, but they will not respond with a word that does not denote color. How we learn this most difficult of human achievements is almost beyond comprehension, of course, but that has not stopped humans from trying to improve, or at least toy with, our existing languages. It might surprise you to learn that there are many such new and experimental languages, some of them based on current languages, while others are fictional, such as that used by the Klingons of Star Trek fame. You'll find many of them here, and some, thankfully, include sound samples so you can hear how the words actually sound.
CM News Bulletin Board is a regular column featuring bits and pieces of notable information that have flowed through the CM office in the last few weeks and may be of interest to you.
Any reader who has news for other CM readers can send it to cm@umanitoba.ca under the subject newsbits. All information is subject to selection by CM and may or may not appear in the column. Please note that CM will not accept any direct advertising in its Bulletin Board column.