Tech Tools: I-Lighter

http://www.i-lighter.com/

2/26/08 update: Please check out i-Lighter 2.1, our new release. 2.1 includes upgrades, enhancements, is now totally web based and includes a few features that are particularly beneficial to the Adult Education community:1. Folders and Notebooks: i-Lighter 2.1 allows you to organize your i-lights and iNotes (annotations) into Folders. Notebooks allows users to save i-Lights from various folders into one location.2. iNotes which are annotation notes that you can add to any i-lighted content.3. Export to Word: Export allows you to export your collected data into word documents. With 2.1 you can also print or email your i-Lighted data as well as post to a blog.

They read my mind. Or at least highlighted the important sections. Anyone who knows me and knows how often I hit the Internet would understand why I am making this my tech tool of the decade. Maybe longer. When you spend a lot of time on the ole www highway, you tend to get overwhelmed not just by by the number of Web hits (like 8,943,632...and counting...) but by the fact that you only need portions of the hit pages found. Enter I-Lighter...a free cool tool developed for Internet Explorer and Firefox, that lets you mark content on any Web page and automatically store it, with notes (be still my heart) for access from any location.
I used to print out the salient pages and then use the trusty yellow markers to indicate information I needed, but this allows me to highlight and store said information on the Web, and then access it wherever I go. Why, I was even able to view them off my cell phone browser. Trust me, this is a truly cool tool.

(originating source: Technology and Learning, Vol 27 Number 8)
Also added to the 'Tech Tools Recommended' list on this Blog

Middle School to PhD: Study Curve

http://studycurve.com/ Study Curve

This is an interesting mix of a social networking environment, expert assistance, tutorials, and subject area focus. It targets middle school through PhD, and puts users together with similarly-minded individuals for ongoing help and collaboration. There is also an Expert Rating System, virtual study groups, and the pairing of business professionals and college professors with students. You can also host a private class forum, posting Q & As and locating classes across the country for collaborative projects. There is also a team that controls all content, display and distribution on the site.
For students used to sites like Facebook, finding a study buddy seems a good way to expand their technological expertise, and assist with coursework as well. Once again, it's a good example of how the process of education is changing, and how the emphasis is changing from straight research and design to collaboration. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

Also added to the 'Tech Tools Recommended' list on this Blog

ESL: Writing: Resources

http://academic.reed.edu/writing/esl_resources.html ESL Writing Resources: Doyle Online Writing Lab

Topics include:

English as a Second Language Resources
General Interest sites for ESL students
Basic Tips for ESL Students: Writing for an American Academic Audience (Purdue)
Writing an American Academic Paper (Dartmouth)
Grammar and Style pages for ESL students
ESL Grammar links A few pages identifying the eccentricities of the English language.
ESL Idiom Page Lists, meanings, and examples.
Phrasal Verb Page Lists, meanings, and examples.
Activities and Study Guides
Complete List of English Irregular Verbs (Susan Jones) A list of irregular English verbs with quizzes.
Focusing on Words Learn English vocabulary by studying selected poems and stories.
Grammar Safari (U. of Illinois) Provides ESL students with ideas for practicing the rules of English grammar.
Interactive English Language Exercises Exercises on grammar, vocabulary, and idioms.
Interactive Language exercises on the Web (Ruth Vilmi)
Quiz Center Quizzes on a variety of subjects designed for ESL students: history, people, grammar, slang, writing, world culture, etc.
Self Study Quizzes for ESL Students Quizzes on grammar, reading comprehension, writing etc. geared toward problems frequently encountered by ESL students.

General: Test Anxiety

http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/test_anxiety.html
Some done to earth ideas on dealing with test anxiety for teens and adults.

Additional sites on test anxiety:
http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/Brochures/testanx.htm
http://www.coedu.usf.edu/zalaquett/Help_Screens/Test_Anxiety.htm
http://www.uiowa.edu/web/advisingcenter/aac_curr_stu dents/improving/test%20anxiety.htm

http://thetwocrows.com/ahclem/testanxiety.html
This is a compilation site, which also has a lot of good information about study habits,
techniques, financial aid, selecting a college etc.
Great site!