Don’t have funds for costly word processing software? Can’t use Google Docs because your school system blocks the site–even though you’ve mentioned that Google Apps for Education is free for schools? Keep stressing that point but in the meantime consider using a substitute. If this is the case, there’s a resource you’ll want to integrate into your classroom assignments. It’s called Shutterborg. It’s a nifty composition tool that’ll allow you and your pupils to edit documents online without paying a cent.

Like Wordle? Then you’ll love Wordle Advanced.

This is for kindergarten teachers…oh, what the heck…everyone! Look! New arrivals! Integrate a little technology and check out ZooBorns.

This adorable post comes by way of MetaFilter.

Busy? Want to keep up with current events? If you’re a dedicated reader of the New York Times, consider the New York Times article skimmer.

Related links:

• For those who like their content fresh and visualized, Newsmap has been around for a while. It puts story popularity into perspective.
• Mappedup.com is another addictive news visualization tool worth using.
• Those who are concerned about a free and open press will want to swing by NewsCloud.

Maybe Stevie Wonder had it right when he sang:

Very superstitious, writing’s on the wall,
Very superstitious, ladders bout’ to fall,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin’ glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.
When you believe in things that you don’t understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain’t the way

Well, if you’re going to fret about today anyway, at least read the history of triskaidekaphobia. Find out why superstitious people get upset and suffer from the heebie-jeebies when they think about this day. Find out how stuff like this “bad day” superstition works. I mean, what’s so important about the number thirteen, right? Attaching any importance to an ordinary number like thirteen is a prime example of superstitious thinking. Like Archimedes, the famous Greek philosopher, a fellow who favored reason, we should look for solid examples of rational thought.

Perhaps the the better angels of our nature will help us recall an individual who left us a legacy of brotherhood and unity. It’s Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Take a moment to reflect on his life and what we can learn from it.

Google’s cooking up another exciting project. Big G’s newest example of thinking outside the box (or rather, beyond the grid) is known as Google PowerMeter. If it’s realized, this project could help all of us live in a future where access to personal energy information consumers make more informed, more intelligent energy choices. In the meantime, try implementing some practical tips and get serious about energy conservation.