Explore the National Archives through social media

The National Archives is a fantastic resource for learning about our nation. Their collection of historic documents, photographs, film, recordings and other materials is no less than the history of our nation. The internet has made accessing their records so much easier but did you know the National Archives is also a participant in social media? You can visit their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter but they don't limit themselves to these two social media giants. Below are links with brief descriptions of what you will find in their other social media ventures.

Flickr
The National Archives on Flickr has over 12,000 pictures arranged into over 200 photo sets. Their extensive collection features historical images, documents, and political cartoons.

______________________________________________

You Tube
The National Archives You Tube channel contains over 1000 videos with all sorts of topics. There are old news reels, debates, and many other types of educational videos to explore.

_______________________________________________

Pinterest
The National Archives Pinterest page contains  44 boards that are overflowing with great images, teachers resources and other great educational material.

____________________________________________

Tumblr
Overall, the National Archives has twelve Tumblr pages which you can discover here. The main Tumblr page of the National Archives reports on the news and current activities of the Archives.

___________________________________

My favorite National Archives on Tumblr is Our Presidents which features photographs and information from past U.S. Presidents.

_____________________________________

Another great Our Presidents resource can be found here at their Pinterest page. With over 1000 pins on 67 boards, it is an excellent resource for Presidential history.

______________________________________________________________

Google +
If you are a fan of Google+ then why not try out the National Archives Google+ page which has both news and historical information.

_______________________________________________

Wikispaces
The National Archives also have a site through Wikispaces. Their page has pictures, documents and other historical records covering 13 major topics including the Revolution, Civil War and immigration.

__________________________________________________

Blogs
The National Archives boasts 13 blogs that range from Black History to declassified military documents.

_________________________________________________

History Pin
The National Archives History Pin page currently has over 1000 images on 18 collections and 9 tours.

_______________________________________________

Storify
Finally there is the National Archives at Storify which currently has 7 stories.

10 very handy websites and tools you may not have seen

1- Publisher to PDF
Publisher to PDF is a website that allows you to convert a Publisher document to a PDF file without scanning and without any cost to you. You simply upload your file and submit your email and the site emails you a link with your PDF file. The final step is to download the file to your computer but please be aware that the message that explains this final step is below a more pronounced advertisement. While  Publisher to PDF does take a few steps, it is well worth it because it works and it is free.

_________________________________________

2- Book RX
Here is a very cool web tool from Northwestern University called Book RX. This website will generate a list of book recommendations by analyzing your Twitter activity. The site works best if your primary language is English and it does tend to recommend best sellers over more obscure books. Book RX could be good way to come up with book ideas for yourself or you could use it to find gift ideas for friends and family who love to read.

_____________________________________

3- Make Use of Guides and Tip Sheets
Make Use Of is one of my favorite sites and one of their great features is their collection of tips sheets, guides and shortcuts for popular programs and websites such as Gmail, Twitter, You Tube, Drop Box, Evernote, Google Drive, iTunes, and Facebook and that's not all. As of this post they have 42 of these help guides and best of all they can be downloaded for free. So you certainly should take advantage of these free help guides but be sure to check out Make Use Of, you'll probably become a devoted follower like me.

________________________________________

4- All My Favs

There are many ways for you to keep all your favorite websites in one location but there is none quite like  All My Favs. This free website turns your bookmarks into your home page by allowing you to store all your favorite sites onto one all encompassing, visually impressive, web page. Creating your page is simple to do and when you are done you can share your page with others. All My Favs is a handy site that provides quick and easy access your favorite websites plus the sharing feature makes it a useful tool for anyone who wants to share resources with colleagues,friends and family.

___________________________________________

5- BAM Radio
BAM Radio is the largest radio network dedicated to education. They have a wide variety of shows for just about anyone involved in education. There is a parents channel, an educators channel, and a leaders channel. They also have shows for school nurses, education technology, after school help, music, and the list goes on and on. They even have a "Quick Scan" section in case you are too busy to listen to full broadcasts. Their website is free to join and membership gives you unlimited access to their library of shows and podcasts. All of their shows are accessible through iTunes and are free to download to your device. BAM Radio offers great information and discussion about topics that everyone in education will find valuable.

______________________________________________

6- Jump Share
Jump Share is a site that will allow you to easily and quickly share files with other people. To get started you simply type in your name, email address, and password and you are on your way. The next step is to upload your files and the site gives you a link that you can email to anyone who you wish to share your files. The recipients will get an email message and can preview the files before they are downloaded. This site is free to use but the maximum size for any one file is 100MB and the total limit you can send collectively is 2GB. Jump Share supports over 200 different file formats and is a great tool if you have a variety of files to share with many people. It is simple to use and best of all it is free.

______________________________________________________

7- Toogles
You Tube is great but there is so much video clutter on the side that accompanies the video you are watching. These "suggested" videos are distracting at best and can cause an uproar in a classroom full of students if they appear to be inappropriate. While there are options to make the You Tube experience less cluttered, none that I have seen are as good as Toogles. With Toogles, you can search and view You Tube videos with none of the accompanying distractions and you don't have to install any extensions or add ons. So the next time you are using You Tube in the classroom, use Toogles instead, and watch without worry.

_________________________________________________

8- Learners TV
Learners TV is an online resource that provides thousands of videos, lectures, tests, and animations on a wide array of college subjects and disciplines. The website currently has over 29,000 video lectures on topics such as biology, history, law, philosophy, and economics to name a few. This website is an excellent way for college students to support their classroom instruction and best of all it is free to join. If you are a college student, or know a college student, then I would recommend you take a look at a long look at Learners TV. 

________________________________________________

9- Teach Parents Tech
Have you ever had to deal with people who are so technology deficient that you would rather do the tasks for them because it would take too long to teach them? Do you know anyone who has avoided technology for so long that even using a mouse is a challenge? Well Teach Parents Tech has the solution. Teach Parents Tech is a website that can address dozens of the most basic technology problems with one email from you. The site is a standard help form that you fill out by typing the name of the recipient, checking a few boxes, then typing your name and finish by entering your email and the email of the recipient. The entire process takes less than a minute and the person who needs help gets a series of videos that assists them with their problem. The site is great for helping parents, grandparents, or colleagues who have technology phobia or have yet to join the 21st century. I strongly urge you to check out Teach Parents Tech today, it may save you a lot of time helping friends and family.

__________________________________________________

10- Have Fun with History
Have Fun with History is a website for people who love learning about the past. The site contains an extensive library of educational videos on American history topics. You can search either the "History Videos" or the "History Subjects" sections to get to their video collection. There is a third section, titled "History Activities" which has a small selection of fun puzzles and games for kids to enjoy. Have Fun with History's video selection is really impressive and their wide range of social studies topics means that teachers should have no problem finding material that will be useful in the classroom.

Vintage Ads for Modern Products

Hongkiat has this very cool collection of modern products and websites being advertised in vintage looking style. The ads feature such big time names such as Facebook, You Tube, Twitter, and Skype to name four and you really do have to see the ads to appreciate the quality of the work. (see the Twitter example below.)

Curate.us - Clip and share anything from the web

Curate.us is a new online tool that allows you to share your favorite web content. When you find something you want to share you can paste the URL into their website or you can add their clipping tool onto your tool bar and clip whenever you'd like. When you first clip, an image of a large dog will appear (called the Big Shmoo) for about 20 seconds, which means the clip is being processed. When your webpage image appears you can add your own note and then share it via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, email. or embed it into a blog or webpage. The image includes a link to the original web page so anyone who has an interest can go to the original source for more information. Curate.us is a much more useful way of sharing websites because it allows you to share more than just a link. Thanks to Make Use Of for the information regarding this site.

PicMark - Brand your pictures before sharing them

PicMark is a simple tool that allows you to brand your pictures with a custom frame before you post them online. Adding a mark is as simple as uploading your picture to their site, choosing a frame, and sharing it to Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. The site allows you to further enhance your frames by choosing colors, styles, and typing messages on the frame. If you'd like, you can even design your own custom frame to use anytime. PicMark is great for teachers to share class pictures on their class web page or with students in projects. PicMark is free to join and it makes sharing pictures just a little bit more fun.

Book RX - Recommends books from your Twitter feed

Here is a very cool web tool from Northwestern University called Book RX. This website will generate a list of book recommendations by analyzing your Twitter activity. The site works best if your primary language is English and it does tend to recommend best sellers over more obscure books. Book RX could be good way to come up with book ideas for yourself or you could use it to find gift ideas for friends and family who love to read.

Repinly - The Pinterest Directory

Pinterest has quickly become one of the most popular sites on the web. Several times I have featured Pinterest boards that have an educational theme on this blog. If you are a devoted Pinner like millions of people are, then Repinly will certainly interest you. Repinly is a directory that identifies the most popular pins, Pinners, and boards on Pinterest. It contains a video section and also has a statistics page that shows things like the popularity of each category and the top sources of the sites pins. The site is free to join by using your Facebook or Twitter account and it will show your Pinterest statistics and your overall Pinterest "score." Repinly is a must see site for Pinterest devotees young and old.

Make Use Of these Free Cheat Sheets

Make Use Of is one of my favorite sites as I have previously mentioned here. If you aren't a regular visitor to their site or don't get their daily "best website" list emailed to you, what are you waiting for? Another great feature fro Make Use Of is their collection of tips sheets, guides and shortcuts for popular programs and websites such as Gmail, Twitter, You Tube, Drop Box, Evernote, Google Drive, iTunes, and Facebook and that's not all. As of this post they have 42 of these help guides and best of all they can be downloaded for free. So you certainly should take advantage of these free help guides but be sure to check out Make Use Of, you'll probably become a devoted follower like me.

Picovico - An Easy Way to Create and Share Videos

With Picovico, you can turn simple photographs into cool videos. Once you sign up (it's free) you begin by choosing a video template and then adding your pictures from Facebook, Flickr, or your computer. You can set the order of your pictures, add captions to them and add text slides if you wish. Next you add music, either from their library or add your own from your computer. Your last step is to add a video title and any additional text and you're done. Completed videos can be uploaded to You Tube or Facebook and can even be embedded into a website or blog. The site does have a 30 picture maximum but that is long enough for most people. If you like making great videos and sharing them with friends and family then give Picovico a try.

Good Films - rate, review, and find movies

If you love movie then you should check out the website Good Films. They believe that critics sometimes are wrong and the best way to find a good movie is from the people you know. Their home page contains a dot graph and each dot represents a movie that has been rated by Good Films members. Members of the site can rate review, and share the films they love with other members. Membership is free and you can invite your Facebook friends and Twitter followers to join you. Discovering a good film to watch has never been easier and Good Films is a good resource to find your next movie.

Did You Stumble Upon Book RX?

I begin today with a very cool web tool from Northwestern University called Book RX. This website will generate a list of book recommendations by analyzing your Twitter activity. It could be good way to come up with book ideas for yourself or you could use it to find gift ideas for friends and family who love to read.

If you would like to impress your friends and colleagues with endless facts and trivia then why not check out Did You Know. This site offers pages upon pages of informative tidbits to read and enjoy. While you won't find the answers to life's big questions, this site does offer a great deal of interesting information.

Stumble Upon is one of my absolute favorite sites. I mentioned in an earlier post that it is one of the ways I discover the websites that I share in this blog. Whether or not you use Stumble Upon, why not check out the Best of Stumble Upon, a blog dedicated to the interesting things found on the Stumble Upon site.

Website hoarding

I have a confession. I am a website hoarder. I am addicted to finding new and useful websites but the problem is that I don't have time to explore them all so I store them in my Evernote account to view at a future date. As of this post, I have 659 "notes", which includes some infographics and blog posts but the majority are websites that I intend to use someday. The purpose of this post isn't for therapy reason but to explain how easy it is to find great websites.

I began my website hoarding addiction with Delicious. I would search the "favorited" websites of other users and was amazed at how easy it was to locate websites that interested me. The next tool I discovered was Stumble Upon. I would spend hours "stumbling" the web and I came across many amazing pictures, blogs, and websites. One site I "stumbled on" was Make Use Of which features a "Daily Cool websites" section. I subscribed to this feature and began to get  recommendation sent to my email. Later, a coworker of mine introduced me to Diigo Education which I have subscribed to and I get excellent resources shared by other educators.

Along the way I have discovered a wide array of blogs such as Richard Byrne's Free Technology for Teachers, and Larry Ferlazzo's Website of the Day to name just two. Occasionally, I will get time to seriously browse some web sites but for the most part my collections keeps growing. My latest source for website collecting has been Twitter. Now all the websites I used to visit are sending their discoveries to me  via Twitter. It makes being a website hoarder so much easier.

I don't recommend anyone become a website collector like me but if you are interested in finding new resources on the web don't bother with Google. Try one of the sites I recommended above and you be amazed at how much great stuff is out there.