Okay, so it’s been a while since I blogged on MACULspace, but I have been blogging (check out OneThi…

[Bruce Umpstead]

Okay, so it’s been a while since I blogged on MACULspace, but I have been blogging (check out OneThingMichigan.blogspot.com). But I discovered this very cool feature on the web with which all my ed techie friends would agree (and probably already know about it).

What I am taking about is the “?” feature of the New York Times (www.nytimes.com). I was reading an article, “Tina Fey Returns to Her Thursday Night Not-So-Live Gig,” because I have a thing for Tina Fey (she looks like Gina, my wife, AND Sarah Palin) and I didn’t recognize the phrase “sotto voce.” When I highlight it to copy it into the Google toolbar, up pops the “?” (See picture.)

I clicked on the “?” it takes you to the definition of the word (see next picture). It was like the webpage was reading my mind.

How cool is that? Then I started wondering how powerful this tool would be in the hands of teachers, and well, this blog post is a result. I am wondering if this makes the NYTimes site a little more Universally Designed for Learning.

Hey, if there is a teacher out there using this NYTimes feature or tries to include it in a lesson, let me know the result. I would love to hear about it.

P.S. I’ll try to be better about my techie blogs from here on out.