Tweetping - See Twitter activity in real time

Tweetping is a website that shows you Twitter activity as it happens. The site is simply a map of the world that lights up in the location of a tweet when one occurs. Since Twitter use is constant, the world map begins to light up quickly. Below the map are the statistics from each continent as well as the overall tweet count. One thing I realized quickly was that this site acts as a modern population map, since the areas with the greatest population also have the most tweets. You can also tell what time of day it is by which hemisphere is tweeting the most. Tweetping is a fun site to watch and it does have the educational value based on the observations I made above. Perhaps challenge students to figure these points for themselves and see what else they can come with.

Zip Skinny - View Your Community's Census Data

Zip Skinny is a really cool site that provides quick and easy access to the census data for any community simply by typing in a zip code. The site also compares the data for the zip code you entered with neighboring communities, it provides a map and it has a section dedicated to schools. Zip Skinny could be handy if you are planning on moving or are looking for a college for your child. Zip Skinny could also be useful for learning about the U.S. Census or for school projects comparing communities, regions, or states.

History, Congress, and Funny laws

We humans are such creatures of habit. We tend to eat at the same restaurants, shop at the same stores, and visit the same websites. I am certainly guilty of being overly "brand loyal." My blog has really opened my eyes to how many amazing websites are out there on the world wide web. I really hope you have found some of the websites I share to be both useful and interesting.

First on the agenda is Congress.org. This website provides daily coverage of issues being discussed by Congress. It provides news and information while making it easy for citizens to find out how their elected officials are voting. If you are unhappy with the direction of our country then start visiting this site and become a more active citizen.

Next is History Pin, an online collection of photographs, videos, audio files, and text that have been shared by people from around the world. Their tag line is "a global community collaborating around history." Users can post their documents or search a map to find things in their area or search by collection, channel, and project. This site is great for educators as well as anyone interested in history.

Last is the lighter side of the law from Lawyers.com. This collection has pages of dumb criminals, kooky court cases, and crazy laws that are sure to entertain. No matter how you feel about Lawyers, you will most likely enjoy these stories from the funny side of the law.