Blog post: Genuine compliments matter
Why it's worth sharing: Vicki A. Davis reminds us about how important it is to give genuine compliments to our students and colleagues every day. I certainly try to follow this advice in my day to day work. Remembering to thank people for their effort and acknowledging their success is a simple gesture that can make a big impact. After all, we all want to be good at what we're doing and to know that what we do is meaningful, don't we?
Challenge: Do Nothing for Two Minutes
Why it's worth sharing: It's a simple website with a simple idea: relax and do nothing for only two minutes. Easy, no? Well, it turns out it can be quite a challenge if you're used to constantly check your e-mails, Facebook, Twitter and what not. It's certainly a nice idea that encourages to stop and relax, even if it is just for our couple of minutes. Perhaps we'd all felt a little bit better if we passed this simple challenge every day. (via @mashable)
Idea: Standing desk
Why it's worth sharing: Gina Trapani's blog post Why and How I Switched to a Standing Desk provides a nice overview of the transition from a traditional "sitdown desk" to a standing desk and working on your feet. As someone, who tends to sit behind the computer desk in awkward positions all day long, I find this idea quite intriguing. I admit - I haven't decided to make the switch yet, but at least the post reminded me that I should get up and stretch more often during the day.
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Showing posts with label Sharable Bits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sharable Bits. Show all posts
Sharable Bits: Heroes in Our Lives, Clickers, Search Zeitgeist
Photos: Superhero Therapy for Grandma
Why it's worth sharing: French photographer Sacha Goldberger managed to help his grandma overcome depression by dressing her up as a superhero and making some amazing photos along the way. I love the photos - the fact that they helped the photographer's grandma smile again, and as a reminder that it only takes a little imagination to make those we love feel special. After all, we all need a little attention now and then, and the knowledge that we matter to someone, don't we?
Tool: Clickers, a simple technology for classrooms
Why it's worth sharing: Mobile clickers provide a great example of how much we can do with simple tools that are applied in the right way. You don't have to invest a lot of money to buy expensive tools with limited use. Instead, focus on more versatile tools, like clicker mobile apps that will work on students' existing equipment.
Video: Google Zeitgeist 2010: Year in Review
Why it's worth sharing: With the year ending, everyone is making lists and recaps of the main events of the year coming to an end. Google's video Zeitgeist is my favorite recap so far. It reminds us of the challenges we face, the tragedies, but also of the achievements, things that made us smile. I guess I'd just like to thank Google for all the successful searches in the past year and for helping me find my way around the web. How the hell did we find anything before we had Google? :)
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
More photos and info at My Modern Metropolis
Why it's worth sharing: French photographer Sacha Goldberger managed to help his grandma overcome depression by dressing her up as a superhero and making some amazing photos along the way. I love the photos - the fact that they helped the photographer's grandma smile again, and as a reminder that it only takes a little imagination to make those we love feel special. After all, we all need a little attention now and then, and the knowledge that we matter to someone, don't we?
Tool: Clickers, a simple technology for classrooms
Donald Clark provides seven simple uses and advantages of using clickers in his post Clickers: mobile technology that will work in classes
Video: Google Zeitgeist 2010: Year in Review
Why it's worth sharing: With the year ending, everyone is making lists and recaps of the main events of the year coming to an end. Google's video Zeitgeist is my favorite recap so far. It reminds us of the challenges we face, the tragedies, but also of the achievements, things that made us smile. I guess I'd just like to thank Google for all the successful searches in the past year and for helping me find my way around the web. How the hell did we find anything before we had Google? :)
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Labels:
(E)Learning,
Google,
Mobile technologies,
Sharable Bits
Sharable Bits: The Mystery of Life, Firefox Cuteness, Winter Running
Discovery: Life built with toxic chemicals
Why it's worth sharing: When NASA announced a press conference about a new discovery related to astrobiology, many were hoping for a confirmation of extraterrestrial life. The actual news wasn't as huge as expected - they found a bacteria living on arsenic right on our home planet - but it's still significant because it shows how little we actually know about life and how much we tend to assume. I certainly hope the discovery encourages us to keep looking further into space and deeper into our own planet.
More about the discovery:
News: Mozilla project protects the open web and endangered species with cuteness
Why it's worth sharing: Helping the open web and the insanely adorable red pandas all at once - what's not to like? :) Great initiative by the Mozilla Project that uses cuteness to remind us about the importance of preserving biodiversity on our planet. So, hop on to FirefoxLive.org for a good dose of cuteness and help spread the word about this awesome project!
Idea: Walking and running on snow made safer
Winter arrived early this year with a big bag of snow. Sure, it's a nice view from the window when you don't have to go out, but snow quickly turns into an issue if you're planning on running outdoors throughout the winter. Luckily I found the perfect solution: YakTrax Pro ice grips that help prevent slipping on packed snow and can be worn on any regular shoe.
Why it's worth sharing: The most simple ideas can sometimes make a big difference. Not as big of a news as the NASA discovery or endangered species preservation, but nonetheless a great tool that will help me stay fit and healthy during the dark, cold winter. Staying in and being cosy is so tempting that I welcome anything that makes going out a bit easier. I'm actually looking forward to all the snow runs now!
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Mono Lake Research area (source: NASA)
Why it's worth sharing: When NASA announced a press conference about a new discovery related to astrobiology, many were hoping for a confirmation of extraterrestrial life. The actual news wasn't as huge as expected - they found a bacteria living on arsenic right on our home planet - but it's still significant because it shows how little we actually know about life and how much we tend to assume. I certainly hope the discovery encourages us to keep looking further into space and deeper into our own planet.
More about the discovery:
- Arsenic and Old Space: A Key to Life on Other Planets? - TIME
- NASA-Funded Research Discovers Life Built With Toxic Chemical - NASA
News: Mozilla project protects the open web and endangered species with cuteness
Why it's worth sharing: Helping the open web and the insanely adorable red pandas all at once - what's not to like? :) Great initiative by the Mozilla Project that uses cuteness to remind us about the importance of preserving biodiversity on our planet. So, hop on to FirefoxLive.org for a good dose of cuteness and help spread the word about this awesome project!
Idea: Walking and running on snow made safer
Winter arrived early this year with a big bag of snow. Sure, it's a nice view from the window when you don't have to go out, but snow quickly turns into an issue if you're planning on running outdoors throughout the winter. Luckily I found the perfect solution: YakTrax Pro ice grips that help prevent slipping on packed snow and can be worn on any regular shoe.
Why it's worth sharing: The most simple ideas can sometimes make a big difference. Not as big of a news as the NASA discovery or endangered species preservation, but nonetheless a great tool that will help me stay fit and healthy during the dark, cold winter. Staying in and being cosy is so tempting that I welcome anything that makes going out a bit easier. I'm actually looking forward to all the snow runs now!
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Labels:
firefox,
Running,
Science,
Sharable Bits
Sharable Bits: Healthy Computer Use, Technology in Education, Magic iPad Fiddle
Blog post: Eye health in a digital world
Why it's worth sharing: A good reminder that there are several tools and approaches we can use to avoid health issues related to the use of digital devices. And as someone with several vision problems, I pay extra attention to what we can do to protect our vision. The blog post provides great starting tips, especially the one about taking regular breaks and remembering to blink (sounds obvious, but it isn't when you are engaged in an epic game battle or get caught in the flow). A tool I often like to use is Time Out, a simple break reminder app for Mac OS X.
Blog post: Technology in Education
Why it's worth sharing: A great showcase of technology use in education that work and are simple to understand. Always handy to have such lists ready when talking to technology skeptics, who think of anything digital as pure evil. Especially with the media habit of presenting the digital risks before the benefits. The recent NYTimes article Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction does explore both sides, but the headline is still all about distraction. Isn't it time to challenge that perception?
Video: Fiddle Quartet on the iPad
Why it's worth sharing: Seeing phones and tablets turned into music instruments with the help of magical mobile apps never stops to amaze me. And I can't wait to get an iPad just to try Magic Fiddle, the latest app from Smule (developers of Ocarina), which turns your iPad into a fiddle. Isn't it great to have a single, affordable device that works as dozens of instruments? I sure do hope it brings the joys of playing musical instruments into the hands of more people.
Related posts:
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Why it's worth sharing: A good reminder that there are several tools and approaches we can use to avoid health issues related to the use of digital devices. And as someone with several vision problems, I pay extra attention to what we can do to protect our vision. The blog post provides great starting tips, especially the one about taking regular breaks and remembering to blink (sounds obvious, but it isn't when you are engaged in an epic game battle or get caught in the flow). A tool I often like to use is Time Out, a simple break reminder app for Mac OS X.
Blog post: Technology in Education
Why it's worth sharing: A great showcase of technology use in education that work and are simple to understand. Always handy to have such lists ready when talking to technology skeptics, who think of anything digital as pure evil. Especially with the media habit of presenting the digital risks before the benefits. The recent NYTimes article Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction does explore both sides, but the headline is still all about distraction. Isn't it time to challenge that perception?
Video: Fiddle Quartet on the iPad
Why it's worth sharing: Seeing phones and tablets turned into music instruments with the help of magical mobile apps never stops to amaze me. And I can't wait to get an iPad just to try Magic Fiddle, the latest app from Smule (developers of Ocarina), which turns your iPad into a fiddle. Isn't it great to have a single, affordable device that works as dozens of instruments? I sure do hope it brings the joys of playing musical instruments into the hands of more people.
Related posts:
- Smule adds Magic Fiddle to its Ocarina and Magic Piano apps (the story behind Smule's success)
- 10 Terrific iPhone and iPad Musical Performances (more iPad/iPhone music magic)
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Labels:
(E)Learning,
health,
music,
Sharable Bits
Sharable Bits: Rethinking Innovation, Attention and Social Games
Idea: Rethink the status quo by looking at the big picture
"Facebook to launch e-mail killer" - a popular headline on tech blogs before this week's Facebook special event dedicated to their Messages service. But luckily, Facebook didn't listen and didn't launch (yet another) e-mail service. They tried to think about the way we communicate in a different way. Let's take a look at the simple idea behind the new Messages with social inbox:
Why it's worth sharing: Revolutionary design of a new product or service usually happens when you look at everything you know with a fresh perspective. It's not about adding a long list of features, it's not about pleasing the tech crowd. It's about figuring out what works and what people need (not say they want). And while Facebook doesn't always get things right, they do have the guts to think outside the box and seem to have a real passion about enabling stronger connections among friends. Kudos for that!
Idea: What are you doing to deserve the attention?
Ewan McIntosh uses a dialog from the movie The Social Network to remind us that we often assume we have (or deserve) the attention of our students, colleagues, and other audiences. Let's take a look at this great clip from the movie:
Why it's worth sharing: Stop assuming people will listen or care about what you have to say just because you're talking. Be prepared to earn the attention, trust and respect from your listeners. And that means not just caring about what you're talking about, but being prepared to present your message in a way that is relevant to the listeners. Want a good case study? Head over to Danah Boyd's blog and read about why “Bullying” Has Little Resonance with Teenagers.
Blog post: Social Games are here to stay
Why it's worth sharing: It's popular to dismiss the success of social games like FarmVille as a fad. But, as Ravi Mehta points out in his Mashable post, social games fill an important niche in the social web and are evolving with new approaches to social fun. And here's my favorite quote from the post:
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
"Facebook to launch e-mail killer" - a popular headline on tech blogs before this week's Facebook special event dedicated to their Messages service. But luckily, Facebook didn't listen and didn't launch (yet another) e-mail service. They tried to think about the way we communicate in a different way. Let's take a look at the simple idea behind the new Messages with social inbox:
Why it's worth sharing: Revolutionary design of a new product or service usually happens when you look at everything you know with a fresh perspective. It's not about adding a long list of features, it's not about pleasing the tech crowd. It's about figuring out what works and what people need (not say they want). And while Facebook doesn't always get things right, they do have the guts to think outside the box and seem to have a real passion about enabling stronger connections among friends. Kudos for that!
Idea: What are you doing to deserve the attention?
Ewan McIntosh uses a dialog from the movie The Social Network to remind us that we often assume we have (or deserve) the attention of our students, colleagues, and other audiences. Let's take a look at this great clip from the movie:
Why it's worth sharing: Stop assuming people will listen or care about what you have to say just because you're talking. Be prepared to earn the attention, trust and respect from your listeners. And that means not just caring about what you're talking about, but being prepared to present your message in a way that is relevant to the listeners. Want a good case study? Head over to Danah Boyd's blog and read about why “Bullying” Has Little Resonance with Teenagers.
Blog post: Social Games are here to stay
"Throughout the history of entertainment media, content has been developed in short and long formats. Five hundred page novels, full-length feature films and television mini-series coexist harmoniously with blogs, 30-minute sitcoms and two-minute YouTube videos. Why? Because each format serves a different purpose and, without subsuming the other formats, manages to engage users in unique ways and for different reasons."
Sharable Bits is a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain in a unique way.
Labels:
facebook,
innovation,
Sharable Bits
Sharable Bits: Living on Facebook, Buildings coming alive, Work smarter
On Sharable Bits: I decided to start a series of weekly posts that will highlight some of the most interesting bits and bytes that I stumble upon. No bad news, just ideas that inspire, touch or entertain.
Video: A life on Facebook
Why it's worth sharing: A life story told through Facebook status updates. Great music, great execution, the video makes you wonder about how our lives are seen through Facebook. On a related note, it's worth reading about why some teens deactivate their FB accounts every time they log out to keep total control of what their friends post about them. Facebook as a perfect, edited record of our lives?
Video: Buildings coming alive with 3D projections
Why it's worth sharing: Though an article on Mashable I came across the amazing work by NuFormer, a company that does incredible life-like 3D projections on buildings. It's mostly commercial work for various corporate clients, but I think their approach to bringing buildings alive is just awesome. It's great how their technology fits right in with the architecture of various building and how it adds another layer of experience to familiar object. I really hope to see/experience one of their projections live someday.
Idea: Working smarter not harder
Clive Shepherd reminds us that working harder is not always better, what matters is working smarter. He also shares the quote by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson from ReWork:
Video: A life on Facebook
Why it's worth sharing: A life story told through Facebook status updates. Great music, great execution, the video makes you wonder about how our lives are seen through Facebook. On a related note, it's worth reading about why some teens deactivate their FB accounts every time they log out to keep total control of what their friends post about them. Facebook as a perfect, edited record of our lives?
Video: Buildings coming alive with 3D projections
Why it's worth sharing: Though an article on Mashable I came across the amazing work by NuFormer, a company that does incredible life-like 3D projections on buildings. It's mostly commercial work for various corporate clients, but I think their approach to bringing buildings alive is just awesome. It's great how their technology fits right in with the architecture of various building and how it adds another layer of experience to familiar object. I really hope to see/experience one of their projections live someday.
Idea: Working smarter not harder
Clive Shepherd reminds us that working harder is not always better, what matters is working smarter. He also shares the quote by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson from ReWork:
"Not only is workaholism unnecessary, it’s stupid. Working more doesn’t mean you care more or get more done. It just means you work more."
(... more exerpts from ReWork)Why it's worth sharing: It's good to remember that recharging your batteries now and then is ok. Don't get caught into the state of super busy, in which never ending meetings, shuffling papers and e-mails keep you busy, but don't allow you to get any real work done. Stop for a minute, think, breath, and figure out how to work smarter.
Labels:
3D,
facebook,
Sharable Bits,
Video
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