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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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

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

Pingram - When Instagram meets Pinterest

Fans of Instagram and Pinterest can now have the best of both worlds with Pingram which allows you to save your Instagram photos on a Pinterest style interface. When you sign up you get your own "vanity" url and you can upload your Instagram photos directly to your Pingram account. As with Pinterest and Instagram, people can follow you and pin your photos to their account just as they do with Pinterest. With Pingram you can enjoy all the features of Instagram with the clean look of Pinterest.

Picfull - Fast and easy photo editing

Picfull is an easy to use photo editor that requires no sign up and is free. The site offers a wide range of standard photo editing tools which even a novice can manage. Once you are satisfied with your work you simply save your picture and you can share your picture on your favorite social media site. If you want a quick and simple way to edit and share photos, you can't go wrong with Picfull.

Boxnutt - Explore and Share the Web

Boxnutt is a new social media site, with a Pinterest like theme, where you can share and discover cool and interesting things from the web. You can browse their categories or you can search a topic using their search bar. Upon signing up, you choose the categories that interest you and pictures and videos from those categories appear on your screen. If you like a particular picture/video you "rebox" it. If you like discovering new and interesting things found on the the internet then why not give Boxnutt a try.

In Case You Missed it

Just in case you missed it, here is a recap of the last 7 days.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Last Sunday featured one of my all time favorite finds 870,000 vintage pictures of New York City. What a great resource for teachers, history buffs of fans of old photography. Sunday's post also featured the humor site Pleated Jeans and Movie Cutouts site where you can buy card board stand ups of just about anything historical.

Monday, January 21, 2013

On Monday, the site CK-12 was featured and it is an amazing educational site with a huge library of resources for teachers and students. Monday's post also included Pongr, a site for people to share their favorite products and Gentlemint, a site similar to Pinterest but with a more masculine theme.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Tuesday's post started with History World, a site that contains historical information about people and places from around the globe. There were two other history related site on Tuesday, both centered around the 1960's. The 1968 Exhibit which was dedicated to the events of '68 and a site remembering the Discount Stores of the 1960's.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Wednesday featured two of my favorite resources from this past week. One was Earth Cams, a site where you can find live web cams from famous and interesting places all over the world. My mid-week post also had a great Denver Post photo blog about the Berlin Wall and there was  Television Tunes a site with a collection of T.V. theme songs.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

On Thursday, the first site shared was Overlap Maps, a cool site that allows you to compare the sizes of nations, states, bodies of waters and objects with each other. There was also 101 Questions, a site where you write a brief reaction to a picture or video and Headslinger, a site where information and news junkies can share their favorite stories with their friends and family.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Friday's post began with the American Civil War Photo Gallery, a site with over 1400 photographs from the Civil War period. There was also another photograph site, Beauty in Everything, which featured the best pictures found on Flickr. Last was the Infographic Directory, a collection of the web's best infographics.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Yesterday began with World War II Pictures in Color, a site that contains over 30,000 pictures from World War II. Saturday's post also shared another hilarious video from the folks at Bad Lip Reading, this one about the recent inauguration. Last was a site called Diagrammr, a site where you can create diagrams by writing sentences.

Comparison Maps, Questions, and Headlines

Overlap Maps is a website by Sunflower Education that allows you to compare the sizes of nations, states, bodies of water, man made features and objects from nature. You simply select from two columns, click the green arrow, and presto, you get a picture with the two selections overlapped. Below you see an overlap I did between Texas and Germany. It is easy to to, it is fun, and it is educational for everyone.

101 questions is a website I found out about from Doug Brunner on Diigo Education. Go there and you will see a picture or video above the words "What's the first question that comes to your mind?." If you wish to respond you type your question in the box, if not click "skip it, I'm bored.". The site is simple but it could be a great way to challenge students to think.

Headslinger is a social media site that focuses on articles found on the web. After signing up (it's free) you begin by choosing a news site you like. You are shown the top headlines from that site for the day. If you like an article and wish to share it you simply click the "sling it" button. As you add favorite sites, suggested site appear on the left. You can choose up to 17 different categories to explore such as news, sports, humor, or entertainment to name a few. Headslinger is a great source to find and then share interesting stories with friends and family.

Education Resources, Brand Names, and Social Media for Men

CK-12.org is a non-profit organization dedicated to education. Their website offers a large collection of resources for students and teachers like Brain Genie which I recently shared. While the bulk of their resources are math and science centered, they do offer resources for other content areas as well including history, English, and SAT prep. Their website is free to join and offers a wealth of learning resources and activities. Students can keep track of their learning as they complete lessons and activities and members can upload their own resources to the site as well. If you are a teacher or a student then do yourself a favor by going to this website and signing up.

Pongr is a social media site where users upload and share pictures of their favorite brand name products. People simply snap a picture and send it to Pongr where it is posted on a page that features pictures from other people who also enjoy the same thing. (see the Mt. Dew page below) Pictures can be from advertisements, t-shirts, fan drawings, and of course the actual product itself. Users earn rewards by accumulating points for every upload. Share your passion for your favorite soda, chips, or technology by joining Pongr.

Gentlemint is a social media site similar to Pinterest but with a manly twist with the tag line " a place to find and share manly things." The pictures and subject matter that members post to Gentlemint are more than just guns, sports and cars, there are many posts sharing recipes, fashion, wine, and travel. If you enjoy using Pinterest, you will likely enjoy Gentlemint as well.

Maps, Historical Markers, and Hoaxes

Google maps has become such a powerful tool and is being incorporated into other websites in a variety of ways. One of those sites is Wayfaring.com, a mapping website with a social media twist. Wayfaring allows you to create your own personal maps and then share your maps with friends. You can explore maps made by other people or collaborate with others and create maps together. Find maps, create maps, and explore your city, your region, your world with Wayfaring.

One of the most overlooked parts of any roadside is the historical marker. People drive past them every day without ever taking the time to stop and read them and you may not even realize how many you pass in a single day. This website, the Historical Marker Database, helps you to identify their location and their significance. If you want to find markers in your area, then go to this site. If you want to know the history behind the markers then this is the site for you.

The Museum of Hoaxes has been around for quite awhile and I imagine it is unknown to many of you. The site is the home to the celebration and debunking of myths, deception, and misinformation. The Museum explores hoaxes throughout history as well as current ones found on the internet. The site is both a learning site and an entertaining diversion and worth checking out.