Narcissism is the preoccupation with one’s self, self image, and an obsession with how they are perceived by others. One of the downfalls of increased use of social media is an increase in the number of people putting themselves “out there” to the world. Feeding off the reactions and praise of others can be good for self-image and self-worth, but it can also have a negative impact on one’s emotional health and well-being.
Today’s infographic points out some of the signs and signals of narcissism and the negative impact that social media (focusing on Facebook and Twitter) is having on many. [VIA]
If you think that social media started with Facebook and Twitter (or even MySpace, remember that?) then you don’t know the half of it!! Both of today’s social media giants are relative newcomers to the game. From Arpanet in 1969 to billions of mobile users today, social media is constantly changing and evolving and doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. Today’s infographic was designed by Karim Benyagoub (@karim_designs) for Cendrine Marrouat and originally published on Creative Ramblings. If you’d like to chat about it, I have my original ICQ number around here somewhere! 🙂
Having an iPad in your classroom can be one of the most tools in your arsenal as it’s a veritable Swiss Army Knife of technology. Today’s infographic takes you through the many ways you can use this great device, even if you only have one for yourself. Explore different ways to use the iPad as well as useful apps (many of which are free) that can help you use this technology in your classroom immediately! [VIA – Learning in Hand with Tony Vincent]
Show: A New Way to Look at the World is a fantastic interactive site that takes demographics and societal data and displays it in a unique way for the United States, Japan, and the world as a whole. Show would be a great resource for not only history and social studies classrooms (It’s a sociological goldmine!) but also geography and math classes as you can use the data, correlations, and spatial relationships to interpret the maps.
Begin using Show by choosing the region you wish to view, either the United States or Japan (divided by states and prefectures, respectively) or a world map that will deal with countries. You can then choose a category for study, whether they be broad concepts such as basic demographics (population, language, religion, etc.), more specific concepts like natural resources, GDP, and education, to the more unique categories like distribution of Wal-Marts and number of UFO sightings.
Take some time to explore before you try using this unique resource in class or have students use it during a free period or as a different way to research. I got lost in the maps on Show for quite a long time myself and still haven’t seen half of it!
The Griffith Institute at Oxford University has put together the definitive database of artifacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt in an exhibit called Anatomy of an Excavation. From its discovery in 1922, the tomb of “King Tut” has fascinated the world because of the unprecedented completeness of the tomb, the fact that it lay undisturbed by tomb robbers and archaeologists alike for over 3000 years, and that because of both of these gives us the most complete picture of Ancient Egyptian funeral rites and practices.
Browse the Anatomy of an Excavation‘s database through either the catalog cards or through the original photographs of the artifacts, both in situ and after their removal from the tomb. This photography and cataloging was also unprecedented in a time when archaeology was more of a treasure hunt than a scientific endeavor. Also available are the scanned journals and diaries of Howard Carter, the head of the excavation and the discoverer of the tomb.
Anatomy of an Excavation is a treasure trove (pun intended) of information for studying archaeology, Ancient Egypt, or funerary practices around the world.
Today’s video from the PBS Digital Studios series examines the affect music has on us biologically. Learn about the evolutionary advantage music had for humans, how emotions are tied to and come from music and other sounds and situations that may do the same. Also included are different psychological experiments conducted with music that are very interesting.
All videos are owned by their respective YouTube channels and users and are embedded here for your benefit to use in class in compliance with the appropriate copyright provisions.
Daily Video — “Fan Art: An Explosion of Creativity“
Today’s video from the PBS Off Book series takes you through the concept of fan art — where artists take established characters from TV, movies, video games, cartoons, etc. and either create their own visual pieces of fiction that includes those characters in new or unique situations. Learn how many artists got their start drawing fan art or writing fan fiction and how it provides a very unique and creative outlet for them that is also accessible to the masses. It is interesting to see what is the evolution of a subculture among artists and fans of the subjects as well as some of the unique pieces and “mash-ups” created.
All videos are owned by their respective YouTube channels and users and are embedded here for your benefit to use in class in compliance with the appropriate copyright provisions.
Daily Video — “Mysteries of the Vernacular: Miniature”
Today’s video from TedEd focuses on the origin of the word miniature. Learn about its roots and how did it came to refer “to all things wee”.
All videos are owned by their respective YouTube channels and users and are embedded here for your benefit to use in class in compliance with the appropriate copyright provisions.
From PBS Off Book, learn about computer coding and programming from an artistic point of view. Many artists are now emerging with very creative ideas, designs, and applications for computer programming and coding. Today’s video walks you through a few of the programming platforms they use and the applications and artwo0rk that has been created using them.
All videos are owned by their respective YouTube channels and users and are embedded here for your benefit to use in class in compliance with the appropriate copyright provisions.
On April 26, 1607 English settlers set foot on dry land for the first time in five months on what is now Cape Henry, Virginia. They would continue to explore around the Chesapeake Bay and then up the James river, eventually choosing Jamestown Island as the site for their settlement on May 14, 1607. What did they face and what were the conditions like for these first settlers? America in 1607 from National Geographic helps to explain that.
America in 1607 is a fantastic interactive lesson and exploration of not only the original Jamestown Fort and subsequent residential colony, but also of the surrounding area called Werowocomoco and the native Powhatan people. Students can explore both areas in depth with America in 1607 learning about the daily life in the fort and in Werowocomoco as both developed and adapted to new neighbors. They can continue learning about the subsequent archaeology to discover the sites and modern perspectives on Indian relations and the impact of the Jamestown Colony.
America in 1607 provides many excellent images and videos that explain the histories of Jamestown Fort and Werowocomoco thoroughly. In addition, there are external links for more sites and potential webquest stops for you to build off of.
Also of Interest:
On the Trail of John Smith– An interactive adventure game from NatGeo Kids for younger students. Short cartoon videos tell the story of John Smith and each is accompanied by a mini-game to play such as a puzzle to build the fort, a matching game with Pocohantas, and a boat race.
Historic Jamestowne – This is the official website of the modern archaeological site. Learn about events at the site as well as updates on the ongoing excavations of the fort and settlement areas.
NJBiblio 