That was something I used to hear pretty often when I taught writing several years ago during free-writing time.   I collected images on index cards, and if kids were stumped, they could choose a card and describe what they saw, imagine they were there, imagine their story was set there, etc.

Here’s a cooler digital idea … Getty Images has introduced MoodStream, which plays a random collection of images, videos, and music to stimulate brainstorming and new ideas.  Need a new mood? Adjust the site’s palette of sliders.

When I took MoodStream for a spin, I found lots of images of summertime - children at the lake, a vintage shot of a couple in a canoe, a Technicolor image of a poolbasker, vintage video of what looked like Miami Beach — plus a field of flowers, a sixties Christmas shot, and more.

The perfect way to spend my first day of vacation … playing around with ideas.

(Found via Ewan McIntosh’s blog)

Even though it’s a really long list, I like Seth Godin’s list of things to think about before sending an email … read it here.

The New York Times reports that O’Connor is working with a team to create a Web-based video game to promote civics education:

Speaking Wednesday afternoon at the annual Games for Change conference held at the New School in New York, Justice O’Connor described the game that will be offered free next year on the Internet. It is one of the main efforts of the Our Courts Project that Justice O’Connor started in conjunction with Arizona State University and the Georgetown Law School. The game is being developed with James Gee, a professor at University of Wisconsin who studies the educational effect of video games.

The first episode of the game will revolve around “a T-shirt with a logo on it that high school students are passing around and want to wear,” Justice O’Connor said. “That will involve some kind of issue that involves a First Amendment question.” (more…)