Excel is the closest thing that educators have to a secret weapon. It can be used for data management, for visual analysis (charts), for data analysis, and for statistical analysis.

Empire State College has created a series of Excel tutorials focused on the use of Excel for these purposes. These tutorials are narrated Flash videos that explain the nuts and using Excel as a tool for interactive learning. The tutorial home page is here.

One weakness in Excel is that there no built-in capacity for the creation of box plots. Empire State College has created an easy to use add-in that students can use to create box plots. A series of web pages explains how to install the add-in, how to create a box plot, and how to interpret the results. A Box Plot Macro for Excel: Create Box plots in Excel

Video Resources

Against All Odds: Inside Statistics - This series of TV shows produced in the mid-90s by the Annenberg foundation. The 26 videos in the series cover the material generally included in a first college statistics course (at a superficial level). The presentation level is termed "adult/college" but there is a special emphasis on professional development for teachers. To view the videos you must first register. The registration is free and does not ask for personally identifiable data.

Scripps Institute: Perspectives on Ocean Science - A series of lectures (several dozen) aimed at general audiences on a variety of topics from oceanography, marine biology, climatology, geology, and astronomy. The videos have been published to Google video.

Simulations and Interactive Resources

PHET: Physics Education Technology from the University of Colorado. A large collection of extremely well-done, fun, physics simulations. You really have to experience these for yourself. But don't do it if you have deadlines looming. It's hard to pull yourself away.

The Leonardo Interactive Science Museum - Like any good science museum, "The Leonardo" is designed to pique a student's curiosity and start a process of exploration. The museum consist of links to over 200 interactive science related activities and exhibits from the Internet. The vast majority of the resources are in the form of Java Applets. In keeping with our goal of providing supporting your use of Internet resources, we've provided a page of help and pointers for students for running applets. We've also provided a page that explains and introduces the library. If you find an exhibit that you want your students to use you can include links to these pages in your course to introduce the museum and instruct students on how to run applets. Java Applets for Students, what you need to know

Molecular Expressions: - Images from the Microscope - This web site, produced by the Optical Microscopy Division of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (Florida State University) brings virtual microscopy to the Internet. The resources on this site are too extensive to list, but include animations, movies, and applets that students can use to see into worlds otherwise known only to researchers at the world's best microscopy labs. Extensive resources, very well presented.

Books and Papers

The Algebraic Calculator as a Pedagogical Tool for Teaching Mathematics: This influential paper made it safe to use algebraic calculators in the calculus classroom. Since it was written a new generation of software, Maple and Mathematica have brought "learning mathematics by experimentation" to an entirely new level.

The Science of Scientific Writing: Insights into the difference between good science writing and bad science writing. If you ask your students to read journal articles you'll want to read this. And they may want to read it too.

The Empire State College online Library provides a wealth of books, journals, and magazines of interest to educators. One of the hidden jewels in this collection are the books about teaching math and science in the eBrary online book collection. You don't need to travel to a distant (or even nearby) research library to explore contemporary topics in math and science education. If you teach for Empire State College you have access to this collection. Many other institutions do as well. For example:

Elearning and Virtual Science Centers by Leo Tan, Information Science Publishing, 2005

Evaluating and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Marye Anne Fox, Washington, D.C. : National Academy Press, c2003.

Perspectives on Adults Learning Mathematics: Research and Practice

For many more, search for "mathematics education" in the Empire State College Library E-Book catalog.