100 Useful Social Sites for Every Kind of Job Seeker

Whether you’re out of a job, a college student just starting out in the real world, or an old pro looking to make the switch to a new field, finding a great job opening in an economy where unemployment is skyrocketing is a tough task indeed. While finding a job may not always be easy, you can help pave the way to success by using some of the great tools and forums the web offers for those on the hunt for employment. Here you’ll find a list of 100 sites that let you connect with employers, others in your field and potential clients to help get your job search off the ground and your career back on track.

General

These sites cover a lot of ground when it comes to networking and finding a job, so they’re a great place to start.

1. Jobster: Sign up through this site to create a free career profile, allowing you to search for jobs and for employers to find you.
2. JobFox: JobFox is a bit like a dating site, but for jobs, not singles. Create a profile and it will match you up with the job listings you’re best suited for.
3. Monster: As one of the largest job sites on the web, Monster is a great place to start seeing what kind of work is out there.
4. CareerBuilder: Sign up with this site to create and share your resume, search for jobs, and get help and tips with your search.
5. Ning: With Ning, you can search for social networks that meet your interests or if you don’t find one, create your own.
6. FD Career: With this site you’ll create a profile, learn about companies, find helpful articles and join a lively community of professionals.
7. SimplyHired: This site lets you search for jobs from all over the web, then quickly and easily send your stored information to listings that you find interesting.
8. Beyond.com: Find loads of niche career communities on this site, as well as a powerful job search tool.
9. BrightCircles: Stay in touch with your coworkers and business connections using this social network.
10. Koda: Use this site to contact employers you’re interested in working with, look through listings and meet others looking for work.
11. Jobirn: This insider referral network helps give you a leg up in the job search by hooking you up with someone who can actually put in a good word for you and get you job interviews.
12. indeed: Search for jobs worldwide on this site and use it to share and store your work information.
13. Climber.com: If you’re already doing well at work, check out this website that will put you in touch with recruiters and companies looking to hire.

College Grads

These sites cater to those who have their degrees, connecting them with alumni and setting up helpful recruiting connections.

14. Alumwire: Join this online community for information about jobs and career fairs as well as useful tools for getting in touch with alumni in your field.
15. MyWorkster: Go through your college community to find out about job and networking opportunities in your area using this site.
16. Doostang: Those with an Ivy League education can make a variety of useful alumni and business connections through this grad-focused site.
17. Alumni.net: Connect or reconnect with those you knew in school to turn acquaintances into business opportunities through this social network.
18. Brazen Careerist: Young professionals can create a profile, find jobs, network and meet potential collaborators through this site.
19. Zumeo: Join this online network to get connected with internships and find loads of networking opportunities.
20. iHipo: This site is a great place to search for work near home or even a bit more far flung, with networks connecting you with internships and jobs alike.
21. AfterCollege: Sign up for this site to get access to listings and networks for loads of entry level positions.

Resume Help

Make sure your resume is in top shape and accessible to potential employers with help from these social sites.

22. Razume: Upload your resume to this community site and you’ll get access to help and criticism from others who can help you create a better resume.
23. VisualCV: Join this site to make a better, more technologically savvy resume you can send and share with anyone.
24. Emurse: Use this social site to create, store and share your resume as well as enjoy networking and job search opportunities.
25. ResumeBucket: Need a place to store your resume online? This site does just that and more.
26. ResumeSocial: Post your resume to this community and you’ll be able to get free, and hopefully helpful, feedback on improving how you look on paper.
27. Ziggs: This site lets you take control of your online presence, from how you appear in searches to the state of your resume.
28. YaaZe: Create a resume using this site, publish it, and you’ll get updates when jobs that meet your needs become available.

Job Prep and Research

Learn more about companies, job search sites, pay and more through these helpful sites.

29. InterActive Applicant: Join this site to get access to recruitment that lets you not only show off your resume but who you really are as well.
30. InterviewBest: Use this great site to make sure you’re prepped and ready for your next interview.
31. JibberJobber: This site lets you easily manage your job search, with great online tools and opportunities for networking.
32. Job Board Reviews: Find out if the job board you’re visiting is legit with reviews found on this site.
33. Salary.com: Are you being paid what you deserve? Find out from this site.
34. VirtualJobCoach: Job seekers can join this site and get help organizing and managing their job search.

Networking

Why not use social networking for what it was designed to do–network? These sites make it easy to connect with colleagues, fellow workers and potential employers.

35. LinkedIn: This business networking site is a must for those trying to connect with others in their field or just make it easy for people to find out what they do.
36. Facebook: Facebook can be fun for talking to friends, playing games and posting funny pictures but it can also work for business if you create a serious, professional profile.
37. Twitter: Send out daily updates and follow those in your field or who have job openings using this tool.
38. iMantri: Need a mentor to get you on the path to success? This networking site will hook you up with someone who can show you the ropes.
39. Company of Friends: As one of the oldest business social networks, this site has an extensive network of contacts for you to use.
40. Ecademy: With this site you can make connections, share what you know and build your personal brand as you go.
41. Meetup: Find out about professional events, networking opportunities and more through this great social tool.
42. Plaxo: Create a listing of contacts on this site so you can carry your business connections with you everywhere.
43. Xing: Manage your existing business contacts and make new ones through this site.
44. Networking for Professionals: If you’re a professional looking to expand your immediate circle of contacts, give this great networking site a try.
45. WorkNT: Find jobs and employers, post your information, and talk with others on this great networking site.
46. Cofoundr: If you’re more of the type who wants to start their own business, consider using this site as a way to make a myriad of great, useful connections.

Freelancing

If you feel like freelancing is a direction you’d like to go, then check out these sites to find great opportunities and connections.

47. Elance: Find employers looking to hire freelancers for a variety of different projects through this helpful social site.
48. Guru.com: This site is not only a good place to find a job but a great place to get answers to all your freelancing questions as well.
49. Sologig: If you’ve been working in your field for quite some time, you can use this site to find great job listings that require your level of experience.
50. Go Freelance: Through this site you can find work, read articles and promote your skills as a freelancer.
51. MeetingWave: With this online tool you can find people who are interested in your business and decide whether or not you want to meet them in person.
52. iFreelance: Create a portfolio on this site and use it to find employers who are looking for freelancers with your skills.
53. FreshWebJobs: Those who freelance on the web can find programming, development and design jobs on this site.
54. Freelancer.com: Join this site and browse through the listings to find a job that suits your needs.
55. ContractedWork: There’s all kind of short term work to be found through this site, just register and start searching.
56. PowerLance: This freelancer-focused site allows you to search for projects and bid on ones that you’re interesting in pursuing.

Creative

Those working in a creative field can find art- and writing-focused jobs and communities on these sites.

57. Coroflot: Post your portfolio on this design site to showcase your work and help you find jobs.
58. Media Bistro: Connect with others in the content development and media industries on this site, as well as get updates about jobs.
59. Krop: With blogs, a database, and job listings on this site, it’s a great resource for designers looking for work.
60. PoeWar: The Writing Career Center is a great place to find career advice and also find jobs that will advance your career.
61. DesignCrowd: If you want to gain some recognition and even earn a few cash prizes, use this site to find and enter design contests from around the globe.
62. WriterLance: Writers out there who love what they do but also want to make a living can use this site to hook up with and work with potential buyers.
63. Authentic Jobs: Find both full-time and freelance creative jobs on this site or just read what the blog has to say.
64. AltPick: Promote your creative talents and find those looking to pay for them on this community-based site.
65. FreelanceWriting.com: Find links to contests, events, jobs and more on this writing site.
66. CreativeHeads: From animation to programming, you’ll find a wealth of creative-oriented jobs through this site.

Business

Get your foot in the door to the corporate and entrepreneurship world with these resources.

67. Jigsaw: Find a huge collection of B2B contacts on this site that you can use to find work and promote your business.
68. Ryze: Create your own homepage and start networking with other business professionals on this site.
69. Fast Pitch: Got a great business idea? Pitch it to potential investors on this site.
70. Meet the Boss: Those in upper management can make great business connections that can be useful in working collaboratively or changing jobs.
71. Spoke: Using this site you can share your professional info and get hooked up with people that might be good to know in your line of work.
72. NetParty: Those who are young and want to make valuable business connections should consider using this site. It lets you know where and when networking events are being held.
73. InboundMarketing: Find marketing news, training and an online community on this helpful site.
74. JaseZone: Try out this site to create your own personal profile and share your business expertise with others.

Technology

Put your IT, programming and computer knowledge to good use through the job offers found on these sites.

75. Dice: This site lets you search for all kinds of tech jobs and engage in discussions in an online community to boot.
76. 37Signals: Use this job board to find computer related work that fits your needs.
77. ITLance: If you prefer to freelance, advertise yourself or find existing projects through this site.
78. CoderCaste: Find out about jobs, read articles and join in techie talk in the forums on this site.
79. ScriptLance: This site will help you to connect with companies that are looking for programmers.
80. LimeExchange: Ideal for web developers and programmers, this site is full of great job opportunities.
81. nPost: Find tech-related jobs on this site’s job feed and keep up with the latest news on the blog.

Small Jobs

Whether you need part time work, want to work from home or just need a little extra cash, these social sites will help you find it.

82. Care.com: Find work as a nanny, tutor, housekeeper, special needs caretaker and more through this site.
83. HireaHelper: If you’ve got some skills that can help someone out around the house, you can use this network to find a job in your area.
84. Sitters.com: With availabilities for sitters of all kinds–from pets to houses–this site is a great place to find some part-time work.
85. Book a Lesson: Those who want to share their skills and make a little profit at the same time can use this site to book music, sports and arts lessons.
86. TutorLinker: If you’ve got the skills and expertise to tutor students, why not do it in your spare time? This site offers a wealth of networking opportunities to find you a job.
87. TutorNation: Connect with students in need of a little help in their studies through this site.
88. NannyAvailable: Those looking for a more long-term commitment can find a wide variety of nanny and au pair jobs on this network.
89. OneHourTranslation: If you know more than one language, don’t let your skills go unused. Check back with this site frequently to find quick translation gigs.

Miscellaneous

From niche job sites to helpful job search tools, these sites are well worth a visit.

90. Inovahire: Prefer to interview online? This innovative site gives you the option of meeting with employers right on the web.
91. LayoffSpace.com: Out of work? You’re not alone. This site lets you talk to and network with others who are in the same boat.
92. SkillWho: Show off what you can do with this online community designed to let professionals showcase their years of experience, education or whatever else lets them stand out.
93. TalentSpring: Enter your skills and expertise into this network and it will match you up with employers looking for those qualities and abilities.
94. TwitHire: This site proves that Twitter can be a valuable tool in finding a job, letting you track job listings sent out through the site.
95. WhotoTalkto: Want to work for a particular company but aren’t sure who’s important enough to get you a job? This site will show you the way.
96. FindLaw: Use this site to find law jobs aplenty and learn about lawyers and firms in your area.
97. LatPro: Hispanic job hunters who are bilingual can put their skills to use through the postings found on this site.
98. YourOnRamp: Designed with moms in mind, this social network helps women who want to return to the workforce do it in style.
99. MedHunting: Use this site to connect and search for medical jobs in a wide range of fields.
100. PoliceOne: Not finding police work in your area? Try out this search tool to find where the best law enforcement jobs are and to read more about the field in general.

50 Big Ways that Schools Are Going Green

Despite budget cuts at schools across the nation, colleges are still making the move to become greener, more sustainable institutions. And why not? College students have shown that it’s something that’s important to them when choosing a college. Here are 50 schools that have taken on some projects, both large and small, to lower their carbon footprint, reduce waste and teach students about ecological issues.

Green Energy

These schools have taken some of the first steps in using renewable energy.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology: At Georgia Tech, technology doesn’t just mean gadgetry. The school has launched Green IT, a program that looks at power consumption across the entire computing system, from the PC to the server, and attempts to design them to be more energy efficient.
2. The University of South Dakota: A portion of the needed energy at this South Dakota college will now come from a 51-megawatt capacity wind farm in central South Dakota, making the school one of the leaders in renewable energy in the Midwest.
3. Middlebury College, Vermont: This college has built a biomass gasification plant on site, which is designed to reduce the school’s carbon dioxide by 40 percent and the use of fuel oil by 50 percent.
4. Bates College: Bates College gets nearly all of its energy from renewable sources (95% and growing) and is looking to increase its use of biodeisel in the coming years.
5. College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, ME: This school has the impressive designation of being carbon neutral since 2007, the first school to do so, and it is constantly coming up with new ways to stay that way and conserve more energy with hydroelectric energy and new, energy-efficient buildings.
6. University of California, Santa Cruz: Students at UC Santa Cruz voted to increase their fees so that the school could buy more renewable energy credits, making the school the sixth largest purchaser of renewable energy in the nation.
7. University of New Hampshire, Durham: This university wanted to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels so it turned to an alternative source of energy. Today, the school gets 85% of its gas from landfill gas as well as using energy often lost in most traditional power plants.
8. Arizona State University: Arizona is the ideal place to get solar energy, and this school is taking full advantage of it, getting almost half of its energy from solar panels by the end of 2009. In the coming years, the school hopes to increase that figure to 100%.
9. New York University: This large university buys enough renewable-energy credits to offset all of its electricity use, helping make it one of the most sustainably powered schools in the nation.
10. Grinnell College, Iowa: The geothermal wells below the parking lot at Grinnell College’s Conrad Environmental Research Area help to heat and cool the buildings, saving the university a bundle on energy costs.

Green Education

Check out these schools that have great educational programs to teach students about living green.

11. Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA: Not only does this school house a fleet of electric vehicles, it also runs a sustainably managed farm where it teaches courses in organic agriculture.
12. Oberlin College, Ohio: For the past few years, Oberlin has hosted Ecolympics, a four-week series of environmentally themed contests between dorms. Students compete to reduce waste, save energy and volunteer for environmental causes.
13. Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn: This school has created a campus Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education and an organic farm where students can learn about sustainable products while getting college credit in the process. Additionally, the school has eliminated all styrofoam from its dining services.
14. University of East Anglia: At this college, you can major in enviornmental conservation. The school has created an MBA degree in carbon management, so that students will be able to better help businesses large and small manage their carbon output.
15. University of Rhode Island: In addition to programs to reduce the school’s carbon footprint, URI has created research programs on campus to investigate renewable energies, an MBA program in ocean and climate sciences and an undergrad degree in sustainability.
16. University of Buffalo: At U of Buffalo’s Center for Computational Reserach, the research has led to some pretty great discoveries in energy conservation. The school made the move to more energy efficient computing systems saving money and energy and making science more environmentally friendly.
17. California State University in Long Beach: At this school’s College of Continuing and Professional Education, students can take three-hour workshops to help them understand and lower their utlitity bills.
18. Maharishi University, Fairfield, IA: This school has launched a sustainable living degree program through which students take courses on topics like renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green business, eco-architecture and more.
19. Michigan State University: This university’s Department of Theatre is working on producing a totally green play, using natural fabrics, energy efficient lighting and recycled materials.

Green Eating

These schools work hard to reduce waste and offer students healthier options at mealtime.

20. U of Washington, Seattle: You won’t find loads of processed, imported foods in this school’s cafeteria. The college works to bring in as much local, organic food as it can and is currently the pilot site to test the first compostable paper soft drink cups.
21. University of California, Berkeley: UC Berkely was the first school in the US to have its cafeteria food be organically certified, something its environmentally conscious students appreciate.
22. Yale University: Visit this school and you’ll find that almost half of the food in the dining halls is local, seasonal, or organic. This not only means better quality food but fewer chemicals and less energy to transport it.
23. Bates College, Lewiston, Maine: The dining halls at this school are all about buying local, preventing food waste and using renewnable energy to power their serivces.
24. Willamette University, Salem, Oregon: This school believes wholeheartedly in reducing waste from its dining halls. It is a leader in the nation for recycling and composts over 50 percent of its food waste.
25. Warren Wilson College, Asheville, N. Carolina: This school took composting to the next level. They’ve worked to compost almost all food waste from the dining halls and have even recieved the Outstanding College Recycling Award from the Carolina Recycling Association.
26. University of Massachusetts: Here, officials figured one way to cut down on food waste was to make it harder for students to take more than they need, so the school eliminated trays from its dining halls. Additionally, since there are no trays to be washed, the school saves water as well.
27. Emory University, Atlanta, GA: This Georgia school has launched a new sustainable-food initiative, with the goal of replacing 75 percent of its food supply with local products by 2015.
28. Portland State University: The dining facilities at this school are working hard to become zero waste facilities, meaning all compostables and recyclables will be taken care of.
29. Dickinson College: This school has an incredible record when it comes to earth-friendly dining. 25 percent of the food comes from the school’s own organic farm and over 27 percent of the remaining budget is spend on local food. The school recycles and composts all waste that can be reused from the school and is committed to sustainable and organic products in its dining services.

Green Building

Check out the strides these campuses have been making in creating greener, more energy efficient buildings.

30. University of Colorado, Boulder: All new buildings on this Colorado campus must meet buildings LEED standards, including a new gold standard dorm, allowing the campus to slowly lower the amount of energy it uses and waste it produces. Additionally, the school supplies all incoming students with reusable shopping bags to encouage sustainable living.
31. University of Florida, Gainesville: A new addition to the Gator football complex is certified LEED Platinum, making it the first athletic building in the U.S. to take that distinction and setting the school up for years of saving on energy.
32. Stanford University:This school has taken recycled materials to the next level. The Carnegie Institute for Global Ecology is faced with redwood salvaged from old wine vats and the majority of the building was constructed using salvaged materials.
33. Santa Clara University: The Harrington Learning Commons, Sobrato Technology Center, and Orradre Library at this school boast construction from almost 70 percent recycled materials and design created to reduce waste and energy costs.
34. University of California-San Diego: The new dorms on U of C, San-Deigo’s campus are incredibly ecologically conscious, containing solar thermal heating, new carpet and furniture made from recycled material, energy efficient lighting, low flow plumbing, green cleaning supplies and much more.
35. Santiago Canyon College: This school has a brand new, energy efficient library. This library used vertical perforated solar fins as a way to cool the new space, eliminating a large portion of the costs and fossil fuels needed.
36. Brown University: At this school, all new buildings must meet at least LEED silver standards. Currently, the school has one completed LEED building and seven more under construction, and the other builidings on campus have been outfitted with energy saving measures.

Green Transport

On these college campuses, getting around is a little friendlier to the environment.

37. University of Vermont, Burlington: This school is home to a fleet of biofuel buses, helping students get around and the school reduce the use of fossil fuels.
38. Colorado College: At Colorado College, cyclists can find a friendly atmosphere. The Russell T. Tutt Science Center houses a shower for bicycle commuters and all university buildings are required to have bike racks out front.
39. University of Wisconsin-Madison: Students at this school put their brains to work, aiming to improve the environmental performance of a Vespa scooter. This freshman class worked to improve the mileage by ten percent.
40. Amherst College: At this school the bus service is free but students who drive can still be environmentally friendly as well with a commercial car-sharing program. Since its implementation, the program has reduced demand for parking spaces by 20 percent.
41. University of Minnesota: Students have a wide range of eco-conscious ways to get around on this college campus. Public transportation is discounted for students and the university is currently sponsoring a bike-sharing program with the city that will make 1,000 bicycles available on campus and at public locations around the area.

Conservation

These schools have launched some pretty commendable conservation efforts.

42. University of California, Los Angeles: UCLA recycles as much waste as it can from its college campus, from paper to dining halls to electronics.
43. Harvard University: Harvard has made a big effort to improve conservation in its buildings on campus. The school has installed CFLs, solar panels, and now has 17 LEED-certified buildings and has institued several policies on campus to reduce energy waste as well.
44. University of South Carolina: At this school, small changes have made a big impact, with new flat screen monitors, efficient washers and dryers, a shift to biofuel and a move-out recycling program for on-campus housing.
45. George Washington University, Washington, D.C: Move-outs and move-ins to dorms are times when a lot of garbage is made. This school has created a solution by instituting a green policy on these dates to help students and the environment.
46. Arizona State University: This school has a major project under way to retrofit interior and exterior lighting so that it’s more energy efficient, saving the Earth and a load of money in the process.
47. Middle Tennessee State University: You wouldn’t think students would want to pay more to attend college, but at this school the students did just that. 90 percent of students approved an $8-per-semester fee hike in order to sponsor environmentally friendly intiatives on campus.
48. SUNY Binghamton: This school turned once-boring parking lots into parks with Operation Green Space over the past few years, transforming 81,860 square feet of paved areas to green space.
49. Univeristy of Hawaii: Here, new construction is using pervious concrete to pave the walkways and areas around some of its student housing buildings. This kind of concrete lets water seep through instead of running off.
50. University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff: The university is completing a project to convert all lighting on campus to energy-saving bulbs, helping them decrease energy consumption by about 40 percent in the first year of use alone.

10 Things You Should Know About Your Aging Brain

In the recent economic downturn, many people have decided to go back to school to help themselves find a better job. Others have made the decision in the interest of keeping busy during a layoff or after retirement. No matter your reasons for considering an education, going back to school is an excellent way to keep an aging brain sharp. Researchers have discovered astounding facts about the aging brain, putting an end to any misconceptions about the inability for older individuals to learn, adapt, and grow. Read on to discover ten things you may not have known about your aging brain.

1. Brain plasticity. The aging brain can continue to grow and learn through a process called "plasticity" that is a natural creation of neural pathways in the brain. After age 50, most people’s cognitive function begins to decline. By encouraging brain plasticity, you can help combat that decline. Keeping your brain active and challenging yourself to continually learn new things will promote the natural plasticity in your brain. Some programs are designed specifically for promoting brain plasticity, such as this one from Posit Science.
2. Brain change. All brains experience change with aging. Some of these changes can begin around age 30, with more significant changes setting in later in life. A combination of both natural and age-related changes contribute to brain changes. The brain will naturally eliminate the least necessary synapses, keeping those that are more important. Also, as your brain ages, such factors as injury, stress, and oxidation can lead to changes within the brain. Despite a belief that brain cells die off as the brain ages, this is, in fact, one way the brain does not change. The brain keeps all its brain cells and can even continue to create new ones throughout life.
3. Factors in brain health. There are three areas of influence that contribute to brain health in which scientists have spent time researching. These three factors are emotional, demographic and social, and biomedical and physiological. Scientists have learned that both depression and how well an individual believes he can function are important factors that contribute to either brain health or brain decline. Socioeconomic status and how well-incorporated an individual is in her community contribute to brain health. Physiological contributors such as cardiovascular health and how much exercise an individual gets can also affect how healthy the aging brain is.
4. Plaques and tangles. Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the focus of much Alzheimer’s research right now. The plaques are found outside neurons, or nerve cells within the brain, and tangles are found inside the neurons. It was once believed that the presence of these plaques and tangles were the cause of Alzheimer’s. Scientists now know that all people create these plaques and tangles in their brains, starting in the mid-twenties. It is now believed that Alzheimer’s is caused by inflammation and the resulting calcification in the brain that results from aging.
5. Dementia. Dementia is not necessarily a normal part of aging. In fact, dementia is rare before age 65, with only 1-3% of those aged 65 experiencing dementia. However, by the time those people reach 85, half of them will have dementia. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s, with 60-80% of dementia cases being attributed to Alzheimer’s. Vascular dementia, or dementia caused by a stroke or a series of small strokes, is the next most common type. Diseases, medications, and toxins can also cause dementia.
6. Middle-age brain. Scientists are now learning that the middle-age brain, while once thought to be on the decline, is actually capable of processing the world differently and, in some ways, better than the brain of a younger person. The brain in middle age sees a more comprehensive view, thus being better able to recognize patterns, which leads to the ability to understand significance of events and recognize solutions to problems much more quickly than a younger brain. The ancient idea of wisdom coming with age now has scientific proof.
7. Forgetfulness can be learned. Unintentionally, you may be training your brain to be forgetful. Synapses that are used more frequently are maintained, while those used less frequently are discarded. If you are building synapses that tell your brain to panic when you have forgotten something, that grow accustomed to misplacing items (such as keys) on a regular basis, or that reinforce your belief that you are losing your memory, then you may well be teaching yourself to do all of these things. Instead, try reinforcing more positive habits, such as always placing keys in the same location, make mental connections to things easily forgotten such as people’s names, and focus on the positives of your working memory.
8. Abnormal brain aging. Genetics may certainly have something to do with abnormal brain aging, as does gender (men experience more abnormal brain aging than women), but other more controllable factors also affect the aging brain. Anything that restricts blood flow can negatively impact brain health. Many common ways blood flow is restricted is from high blood pressure, smoking, being overweight, having high cholesterol, and living with high stress. Diabetes can also affect how the brain ages, as can the level of educational or career attainment you have, depression, and head injury.
9. Exercise. Exercise can help keep a brain working smoothly. Walking three times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes each time is enough to maintain and possibly even reverse cognitive decline in older individuals. Researchers have learned that exercise affects the brain in a number of ways. Exercise has shown to improve concentration and attention in aging adults. It also helps create new nerve cells in the brain, strengthen synapses, prevent the loss of gray matter, and increases blood flow.
10. Salmon. There are definitely certain foods that contribute to a healthy, aging brain. One of the most touted brain foods is wild-caught salmon. Salmon is high in essential fatty acids, low in fat, and has some of the lowest mercury content compared to other seafood. Wild-caught salmon has been shown to reduce depression and and improve cardiovascular health. There is also evidence that salmon can help reduce the risk of stroke and dementia.

100 Free Classic Films Everyone Should See

By Pamelia Brown

While summer blockbusters and new movies can be great, older movies have a lot to offer as well and can show you a wealth of artistry, inspiration for later films and great storytelling. These 100 films are worth a watch and won’t even require a trip to rent or borrow, and can help break up those study sessions for your college courses.

Action and Adventure

These films will take you exotic locales as characters engage in battles, conflicts and more.

1. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Check out the 1916 adaptation of this classic novel for some adventure beneath the seas.
2. Hercules: This film was a hit when it came out in 1958 and follows the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece.
3. Long John Silver: This movie picks up with the adventures of Long John Silver after the events of Treasure Island.
4. Snows of Kilimanjaro: In this 1952 Hemingway adaptation starring Gregory Peck, a writer on his deathbed takes a look back at his life.
5. The Jungle Book: Here you’ll find the first film adaptation of the Kipling novel about a boy who is raised by wolves.
6. Mark of Zorro: Watch this film to see one of the early film adaptations of the mysterious masked Zorro.
7. Dick Tracy: In this 1945 film, Dick Tracy has to put together the clues to figure out the connections between a series of murders.
8. The Iron Mask: Turned into a later adaptation starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this original tells the tale of a twin’s quest, along with the Three Musketeers, to foil an evil plot.
9. Mutiny: Set during the War of 1812, this film shows the power of gold to sway loyalties.
10. The New Adventures of Tarzan: This film from the 30’s shows Tarzan leaving his jungle home to seek out his friend and finding adventure along the way.
11. Battle of Midway: Check out this film to see a dramatic retelling with real footage of the battle between the Japanese and Americans over Midway Island.

Western

Take a look back at this once very popular genre in these films.

12. ‘Neath the Arizona Skies: This film follows a cowboy as he works to protect an oil-heiress.
13. Chino: Starring Charles Bronson, this movie tells the tale of a horse breeder who develops a strong bond with a young man he takes in and teaches to raise, break and care for horses.
14. The Legend of Custer: See the exciting story of Custer’s battle and defeat in this 1968 series.
15. Gunsmoke Ranch: In this film, three men try to warn the local people of the nefarious plans of Flagg, an unscrupulous businessman.
16. The Outlaw: Watch the classic story of Billy the Kid, Doc Holliday, Pat Garrett and a host of other classic western outlaws in this film.
17. McClintlock: Based loosely on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, this film follows cattle baron George Washington McLintock as he tries to manage his wife, his land and his family.
18. One-Eyed Jacks: In this film, a betrayed bank robber seeks out revenge on his partner, who is now a law-abiding sheriff.
19. Gone With the West: Sammy Davis Jr. and James Caan star in this film that has its entertaining moments despite being widely panned by critics.
20. The Proud and the Damned: In this film, a group of Confederate mercenaries must choose sides when a town becomes embroiled in a rebellion–a choice that may ultimately decide their fates.
21. Deadwood ‘76: Here you’ll see the story of a young man who is mistaken for Billy the Kid, with unpleasant consequences for him.

Comedy

While comedy changes over the ages, these films are sure to elicit at least a smile from you.

22. The Noose Hangs High: In this Abbot and Costello classic, the men are mistaken for messengers and are sent out on a errand by a gangster.
23. His Girl Friday: This romantic comedy stars Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. Russell’s character is about to leave town and remarry but her ex-husband and former boss recruits her for one last newspaper story.
24. Happy Go Lovely: Watch as one stodgy but kindhearted man learns to live life in this musical comedy.
25. Making a Living: This hilarious Chaplin film is one of 22 different ones you can watch through this link.
26. A Hole in the Head: Directed by Frank Capra and starring Frank Sinatra, this film incorporates music and humor into the main character’s battle to hang on to his hotel and his son.
27. The Gold Rush: Watch this film to see Chaplin mug it up as an Alaskan gold miner who falls hard for the lovely Georgia.
28. The Little Shop of Horrors: This classic musical film tells the tale of a young man who finds a bloodthirsty plant and is forced to provide food for it.
29. That’s My Baby: In this film, a girl and her husband try to pull her father out of a funk through a series of fun musical numbers.
30. This is the Army: WWII soldier Johnny Jones is called upon to develop an all-soldier performing act while balancing his personal life in this film.
31. Animal Crackers: In this Marx brothers classic a painting is stolen and the brothers try to help, though really just hinder, finding it.

Drama

Check out these classic films for some serious drama.

32. The Elephant Man: Based on a true story, this film explores the life of a man deformed by congenital disorder and the relationship he develops with a doctor who helps him live a happier and better life.
33. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: This 1920 film tells the classic story of a Victorian scientist with a murderous and unpredictable dark side.
34. The Phantom of the Opera: In one of the earliest film adaptations of this story, the beautiful Christine meets the phantom in the catacombs of the theater where she works.
35. Windjammer: When a rogue ship sinks the yacht of a famous Commodore, he and his passengers are brought aboard as slaves–but not for long.
36. The Great Gabbo: This film tells the story of a ventriloquist who begins relying more and more on his dummy to do the talking for him, to the point of madness.
37. We Dive at Dawn: Here you’ll get to see a British submarine crew battle with a Nazi U-boat in this WWII drama.
38. The Count of Monte Cristo: Based on the classic Dumas tale, this film details the betrayal and quest for revenge of the Count.
39. Abraham Lincoln: Watch this film to learn more about the life and times of Abraham Lincoln through a dramatized retelling.
40. Freaks: This film, a cult classic for its use of real sideshow performers and violent plotline, shows that true monsters are often scarier inside than out.
41. Napoleon: Check out this movie to see a retelling of the life and death of Napoleon.

Film Noir

From dames in distress to shadowy characters, these films are great representations of the genre.

42. D.O.A.: Perhaps one of the most classic of the genre, this film follows a doomed man’s quest to discover who poisoned him before the poison takes his life.
43. Beat the Devil: This 1953 Bogart film mixes elements of comedy into the classic noir tale.
44. Detour: On his way to California a man gets a ride from a stranger, a choice that will leave him in a bit of a pickle when he later picks up a femme fatale.
45. He Walked By Night: This thriller follows a manhunt for a killer engaged in a game of cat and mouse with the police.
46. The Hitch-Hiker: This film from the 50’s revolves around a couple of hunting buddies who pick up a mysterious hitchhiker.
47. Jigsaw: A US District Attorney discovers an unusual group while investigating a series of murders in this 1949 film.
48. Kansas City Confidential: In this classic noir film, a man is framed for a robbery he didn’t commit and must follow the real criminals to Mexico to prove his innocence.
49. Love from a Stranger: After a young woman wins the lottery, she meets a man who she thinks is the love of her life, only to discover after they are married he may not be who he seems.
50. The Red House: The teens at the center of this movie are warned to stay away from the creepy red house, but seek it out anyway in this 1940’s classic.
51. Somewhere in the Night: A marine suffering from amnesia is at the center of this film as he tries to piece his life back together.

Thriller and Mystery

These films are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

52. The 39 Steps: In this Hitchcock classic, a couple who can’t stand each other are chased by the police and other mysterious characters.
53. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: This horror-filled film is a must-watch for film buffs. It tells the story of a traveling magician and his assistant whose arrival in town always coincides with a series of vicious murders.
54. Dressed to Kill: Get a dose of classic Sherlock Holmes in this film adaptation of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Series.
55. Bluebeard: In this film, an artist captures the beauty of his models then disposes of them.
56. The Man Who Knew Too Much: Hitchcock made two versions of this film, and this is the earlier one that tells the story of a couple being blackmailed by having their daughter kidnapped.
57. The World Gone Mad: In this movie a District Attorney and a reporter are on a mission to find a out who murdered a man who discovered a large fraud scheme.
58. M: In this Fritz Lang classic, a group of criminals decide to hunt down a murderer themselves because the increased police presence his actions have brought have made it impossible for them to operate.
59. The Fall of the House of Usher: Check out this 1928 adaptation of the famous Edgar Allen Poe story.
60. The Third Man: Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles star in this international thriller that won an oscar and received multiple nominations.
61. Fog Island: In this film, a man out for revenge sets up traps and tricks on his island home for those who betrayed him.

Sci-Fi

From B-movie silliness to more serious issues, these films offer a great look back at classic sci-fi.

62. The Lost World: In this film, a much maligned scientist is sure that dinosaurs still exists in the high reaches of South America.
63. Killers from Space: This 50’s film takes a look at what an alien attack might be like–in classic B-movie style.
64. Lady Frankenstein: Take a look at this movie for a continuation of the Frankenstein story.
65. The Bionic Woman: On this site, you can watch a collection of episodes from this iconic US TV series.
66. Flying Disc Man from Mars: In this film, Martians come to conquer Earth as they are worried about newly developed nuclear weapons.
67. It Came from Beneath the Sea: This cheesy film is sure to keep you entertained with its hardly-terrifying octo-monster and its cute female scientist.
68. Voyage to Prehistoric Planet: Here you’ll see two astronauts who are exploring the surface of Venus try to escape with their lives after something goes terribly wrong.
69. Invaders from Mars: When strange lights appear in the sky, changes begin happening to the adult in a small town with one man left to question the cause.
70. Last Man on Earth: In this Vincent Price classic, the actor is depicted as the last man on Earth, or so he thinks.
71. Nineteen Eighty-Four: This adaptation of the Orwell novel was made in, appropriately enough, 1984.

B-Movies and Cult Classics

Sometimes movies are so bad they’re good. Check out these titles to stage your own Mystery Science Theater 3000.

72. The Toxic Avenger: In this classic, a nerd is turned into a somewhat deformed superhero after falling into a barrel of toxic waste.
73. Reefer Madness: Every wonder what all the fuss is about when it comes to banning marijuana? This film started it all.
74. Plan 9 from Outer Space: Perhaps one of the worst, and consequently best, horror films of the era, this film sees an evil alien race resurrecting the dead to act out their sinister Plan 9.
75. The Corpse Vanishes: The wife of a mad scientist stays curiously young looking, and as the film develops you’ll discover why.
76. Attack of the Puppet People: In this film, a lonely and slightly mad puppet-master and doll-maker designs a machine that shrinks people.
77. The Bloody Brood: In this early Peter Falk film, a group of beatniks does, well, what beatniks and outcasts do.
78. Manos the Hands of Fate: Widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made, its appearance on Mystery Science Theater 3000 made this awful film a cult classic.
79. Sex Maniac: Loosely based on an Edgar Allen Poe story, this film is an early example of the exploitation genre.
80. Wasp Woman: This 1960’s film follows the head of a cosmetics company who, through using an untested treatment, manages to beautify herself with the unexpected consequence of sometimes turning into a murderous wasp.
81. Carnival of Souls: When their car goes off of a bridge, three friends are assumed dead. One, however, emerges alive and tries to start her life over, but something isn’t quite right.

Foreign

These foreign films will let you see classics from around the globe.

82. L’age D’or: This surrealist classic by director Luis Bunuel will baffle you, shock you and downright confuse you–just what it was meant to do.
83. Rashomon: Lovers of film have to see this Japanese classic that addresses the nature of truth by giving viewers four different accounts of a rape and murder.
84. Un Chien Andalou: Look to this Salvador Dali film for shocking and sometimes gruesome imagery, but an artistic experience well worth having.
85. Battleship Potemkin: Based on a true story, this Soviet film has been the inspiration for many modern filmmakers.
86. Der Golem: Made in 1915, this horror film is inspired by the ancient Jewish legend of the Golem–a clay man who comes to life.
87. Ikiru: Made by acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, this film is often considered to be his greatest masterwork and one that takes the harshest but ultimately most compassionate look at human life.
88. Sword of Lancelot: This British film tells the tale of the night Lancelot and his love for the off-limits Guinevere.
89. Fire Over England: In this period film starring Laurence Olivier, a man goes undercover to foil a plot to assassinate the queen.
90. Faust: Based on the classic tale by Goethe, this movie tells the tale of Faust, tempted into sin by Mephisto.
91. Nora Inu: Translating to Stray Dog in English, this Kurosawa film tells the story of a detective who is frantically trying to reclaim his pistol which has been stolen on the train. A manhunt ensues when the gun is used in a murder.

Horror

Make sure to watch these classics with the lights on.

92. Dracula: Explore the classic tale of the battle between Dracula and Van Helsing in this film.
93. White Zombie: A young couple is tricked into getting married on a Hatian plantation only to have the young woman, and several others, turned into zombies.
94. Nosferatu: Perhaps one of the best known and most loved of vampire films, this movie stars Max Schreck as the terrifying Count Orlok.
95. Beware the Blob: In this sequel to the original Blob, the blob is brought back to life and starts consuming everything around it.
96. Night of the Living Dead: Radiation fallout brings the blood-thirsty corpses in this film back to life as a group of people hiding out in a farmhouse attempt to hold them off.
97. Deep Red: An English pianist gets involved in trying to solve a series of murders in this film only to realize too late that the murderer is watching his movements closely in this Dario Argento classic.
98. Dementia 13: In this film a young woman manipulates her family to get a share of the inheritance, but when she moves into their ancestral home she may get more than she bargained for.
99. A Bucket of Blood: This film will make you laugh as much as you’ll be scared, as a young artist becomes murderous in his quest for success.
100. The Ghost Train: Legends of a phantom train haunt the stranded travelers at a rural rail station in this film.

50 Brain Facts Every Educator Should Know

By Pamelia Brown

The brain is perhaps the most fascinating organ in the human body. It controls everything from breathing to emotions to learning. If you work with children, here are some facts that you might find helpful, from how the brain affects learning to facts about memory to interesting facts about the brain that you can share with your students.

Brain Development and Learning

Read on to learn interesting facts about how the brain develops, what can affect that development, and how learning is impacted.

1. Read aloud. Parents and teachers who read aloud and talk often to young children are promoting brain development.
2. Bilingual brains. Children who learn two languages before the age of five have a different brain structure than children who learn only one language.
3. Child abuse and the brain. Studies have shown that child abuse can change the way the brain develops and can negatively affect learning.
4. New neurons. Throughout life, mental activity promotes the production of new neurons in the brain.
5. Handedness. Those who are left-handed or ambidextrous have a corpus collosum that is about 11% larger than those who are right-handed.
6. Brain growth. The human brain continues to grow until about age 18.
7. Stimulating environment. If a child is in a stimulating environment, she has a 25% greater ability to learn . Conversely, if she is in an environment with low stimulation, she has 25% less ability to learn.
8. Creative vs. methodical. Scientists have shown that creative thinkers’ brains work in different ways from the brains of those who think more methodically.
9. Food and intelligence. One study looked at students in New York and showed that those who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes did 14% better on IQ tests than the students who ate lunches with these additives.
10. Boredom. Humans have an innate curiosity, but when they have a lack of stimulation, boredom sets in.
11. Learning new things. A study shows that when people are learning new things, their brains change very quickly. Those learning to juggle showed change in the brain in as little as seven days.
12. Music. Children who take music lessons show a considerable increase in the ability to learn.
13. Reading faces. The area of the brain called the amygdala is responsible for the ability to read someone’s face for clues to how they are feeling.

Memory

Learn about the way short-term memory differs from long-term memory, how scent affects memory, and more.

14. Different types of memory. The ability to learn and remember new things is called declarative memory and is processed in a different part of the brain from where the memories of how to do something are stored.
15. Scent and memory. Scent is a powerful trigger for memory. A study indicates that a memory paired with scent can be recalled more easily.
16. New connections. Each time a memory is recalled or a new thought occurs, a new connection is created in the brain.
17. Create associations. Memory is formed by associations, so to promote memory in students, create associations for them.
18. Sleep. The brain consolidates memories while you sleep.
19. No sleep. A lack of sleep may actually decrease your ability to create new memories.
20. Short-term memory. Studies suggest that short-term memory happens as a result of chemical and electrical impulses in the brain, as compared to more structural changes that are associated with long-term memory.

Brain Trivia

From how the brain helps while blinking to early brain surgery, these bits of trivia might come in handy the next time you are teaching about the brain.

21. Blinking. Each time we blink, our brain keeps things illuminated so the whole world doesn’t go dark each time we blink, which is about 20,000 times a day.
22. Laughing. As easy as laughing seems, it is actually a very complex task that requires activity in five different areas of the brain.
23. The purpose of yawning. Yawning often promotes yawning in others nearby. Scientists believe that yawning may have been an ancient social behavior that signaled an event, with others yawning in response. Today, we still hold on to the response, even if we don’t need it.
24. Brain Bank. Harvard maintains a Brain Bank where over 7,000 human brains are stored for research purposes.
25. Disney and sleep disorders. Disney creators used real sleep disorders such as snoring, nightmares, and sleepwalking in many of the characters in their movies.
26. Thoughts. It is believed that humans experience 70,000 thoughts each day.
27. Aristotle. Aristotle mistakenly thought that the functions of the brain actually took place in the heart.
28. Outer space. The lack of gravity in outer space affects the brain in several ways. Scientists are studying how and why, but you may want to hold off on your next trip to the moon.
29. Shakespeare. The word "brain" appears 66 times in William Shakespeare’s plays.
30. Early brain surgery. Archeologists found evidence that primitive brain surgery was performed by drilling a hole in the skull as far back as 2000 BC.
31. Imaginary playmates. A psychological study in Australia showed that children with imaginary playmates between the ages of 3 and 9 tended to be first-born children.
32. Oxytocin and autism. Oxytocin is a hormone that is responsible for promoting social interaction and may help children with autism increase social skills and trust.

The Physical Brain

With this list, you’ll be prepared the next time you need to whip out fast facts about the make-up of the human brain.

33. Water. The brain is made up of about 75% water.
34. 10% myth. If you were taught that humans only use 10% of their brain, then know that is just a myth. Scientists can attribute a function to each part of the brain.
35. Weight. The human brain weighs about 3 pounds.
36. No pain. There are no pain receptors in the brain, so the brain can feel no pain.
37. Cerebrum. The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and makes up about 85% of the brain’s weight.
38. Gray and white. The human brain consists of about 60% white matter and 40% gray matter.
39. Neurons. About 100 billion neurons make up the human brain.
40. Synapses. For each one of those neurons, there are anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 synapses.
41. Cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex grows thicker the more it is used.
42. Yawns. It is believed that yawning sends more oxygen to the brain, therefore working to cool it down and stimulate it.

Amazing Brains

Here are examples of some amazing people and their brains.

43. Daniel Tammet. Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant who can perform astounding mathematical computations, knows seven languages, and is developing a language of his own.
44. Albert Einstein. Einstein’s brain was similar in size to other human brains except in the region that is responsible for math and spatial perception, where his brain was 35% wider than average.
45. Keith Jarrett. This jazz musician, at age 3, was discovered to have perfect pitch, which scientists have been able to pinpoint in the right frontal lobe.
46. London taxi drivers. Famous for knowing all the London streets by heart, these taxi drivers have a larger than normal hippocampus, especially the drivers who have been on the job longest. This suggests that as people memorize more information, the hippocampus continues to grow.
47. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. After his death, Lenin’s brain was studied and found to have been abnormally large and to have contained numerous neurons in a particular region. Some believe this brain structure may explain his famous intelligence.
48. Oldest brain. At the University of York in northern England, a brain thought to be 2000 years old was unearthed.
49. Ben Pridmore. Ben Pridmore, a world champion memorizer, memorized 96 historical events in 5 minutes and memorized a single, shuffled deck of cards in 26.28 seconds.
50. Henry Molaison. Known for decades as "HM," Molaison underwent brain surgery in 1953 and could not form new memories afterward. He became the most studied patient by those who research the brain. Molaison died about a year ago and donated his brain to science. Currently, it is undergoing extensive research.

100 Inspirational Blog Posts for Homeschoolers

By Pamelia Brown

If you are a homeschooler and are looking for inspiration from other homeschoolers, then this list is a great place to start. Taken from some of the most popular homeschooling blogs from homeschool students, and from both mothers and fathers, these blog posts provide inspiration on homeschooling, family, God, and even food. Enrich your family’s education with these inspirational words from other homeschoolers.

About Homeschooling

From the politics of homeschooling to why some families choose to homeschool, these posts all offer a take on homeschooling.

1. Why I still homeschool. This post describes why one family homeschools their children, despite what others sometimes say.
2. school tour. A homeschooling mom considers a private Catholic school, but opts to continue to homeschool instead. Find out why.
3. How we came to homeschool. Read about this family’s decision to homeschool their children.
4. Why don’t Students like school?. Examine these thoughts on how traditional schools remove freedom from students.
5. Arthur B. Robinson on Homeschooling. This essay likens a child’s education to learning to swim, with public schools throwing students into the deep end.
6. A Call to Homeschool. This young woman explains what homeschooling provided her and why she plans to do the same for her family.
7. A Special Feature on Homeschooling. This homeschooler denounces the media attention in favor of being left alone to take care of her family.
8. Salon.com: Home schooling: How we do it. This post provides links to two articles on homeschooling.
9. When Your Family and Friends Don’t Support Your Homeschooling. Thinking back on the decision to homeschool, this mom remembers the reactions of friends and family–and how different they are today.
10. Success on Paper or Success in Life – Which Would You Choose?. What is your ultimate goal for homeschooling? This post takes a look at one answer.
11. Alternative Education. Take a look at emotional education and how people learn with the thoughts here.
12. Special Needs Children: Bring Them Home Where They Belong. This post takes a look at homeschooling special needs children and offers additional resources on the subject.
13. Reaching Homeschoolers. This homeschooler thinks about how understanding homeschoolers is essential when trying to connect with them.
14. The Outlawing of Homeschooling. This post asks for reflection on what you would do to protect your right to homeschool your children.

Making Things Run Smoothly

Finding what works for each family is at the heart of these blogs.

15. 10 Habits of a Happy Homeschool. From awakening 1/2 hour before her children to having the children play outside for at least 2 hours a day, find out what works for this family.
16. Foreign Language Instruction in our Home. These parents initially disagreed over how to teach German to their children, but through homeschooling, get to embrace both ways of instruction.
17. Travelling with (Homeschool) Kids Step 3: Coming to Terms With "Skipping" School. If you struggle with feeling guilty about not staying on your schedule, then read this post about appreciating the ability to learn outside the lesson plan.
18. Weekly Wrap Up. This mom faces the reality of needing to teach in the manner that is most effective for her rather than depending on what works for someone else.
19. Inspiration. This post offers one way a mom finds inspiration.
20. Establishing a Morning Routine — Maximize Your Mornings. Find out what this mom has to say about her family’s morning routine.
21. Household Ways. Discovering your routine and what works for your family is a gift.
22. Cyber School?. This mom lets her homeschooling take a turn based on her daughter’s informed choice.

Homeschooling Tips and Resources

Find great suggestions and resources to give your lessons a boost.

23. Cameras as Homeschool Tools: 10 Great Ideas. Use these suggestions to incorporate photography into your homeschool curriculum.
24. NASA teaching your kids science. Find out about five science lessons available from NASA that are appropriate for K-12.
25. History Helps. Get ideas on how to teach history in the elementary years based on the Charlotte Mason’s methods.
26. Free Online Homeschool Videos: Math, Science, and More!. Learn where you can get free videos to use with your children.
27. Great Homeschool Resources. This blog post offers seven homeschool resources, including books, Web sites, history lessons, and more.
28. Large Family Workbox System for Homeschool. This large family uses a great system for keeping materials organized.
29. Thoughts on Teaching Fractions and Student Work Ethic. This mother thinks about fractions and what they may signal to a parent and teacher–and how a student work ethic can be reinforced.
30. 35 New Year’s Traditions from Countries and Cultures Around the World. Find out what people around the world do to welcome the new year.
31. New thoughts for school. Eliminating so much reading across all subjects has helped one young learner to move ahead with much more progress on her reading abilities.
32. Happy Phonics–Happy Mama!. A veteran homeschooler shares how she has adapted her phonics lessons and organization.
33. Change and Motion: Calculus Made Clear 2nd Edition. Read about this recommendation for calculus help.
34. Art Cards. Take a look at these art cards and see how one mom incorporates them in her lessons.

Lesson Ideas

These posts offer specific lesson ideas to inspire your teaching.

35. Writing Project for Early Readers. Learn how to make your own word-picture books here for young children who are reading.
36. Respecting our Elders. Use the ideas here to ensure you are instilling a respect for elders.
37. Homeschool Mini Conference. See how these homeschool families set up a mini conference here.
38. How To Write a Lab Report and Keep a Lab Book. High school students can learn this science lesson in preparation for college science labs.
39. Of Haiti and Homeschooling. This mom thinks carefully about how she will teach her family about the earthquakes in Haiti and how she will guide them through the devastation.
40. Marine Biology – Fun Experiments #1. Find out about some fun high school science experiments in this blog post.
41. Handwriting & Brush Painting. This post explores the idea of using brush painting as a tool for reinforcing handwriting skills.
42. Itty-Bitty Book Worm: I Like Me. This lesson features using the book, I Like Me, to reinforce self-esteem and God’s blessings for preschool-aged learners.
43. Commonplace Book (or half-sheet binder) cover tutorial. Here is a great tutorial to help you learn about making and using a commonplace book.
44. Productivity. Find a fun recipe for making bowls from goo and newspaper about half way down in this post.
45. Craft Your Own Board Games. Have your kids make their own board games with this resource.
46. I get to make candy for school?!?. Anne of Green Gables inspired this fun lesson.

Adventure

Homeschool family have the ability to make any adventure a learning experience. See what these families have explored.

47. Climbing Mt. Rainier. These families take learning to new heights.
48. up a tree. Taking a tree climbing class can be fun and educational, as this mother and daughter discover.
49. Christmas Break!. Leaving the lessons behind doesn’t mean the learning stops. This family has a fun adventure learning new skills.
50. Top of the mountain. On the third attempt, this family reaches the summit.
51. Looking Back on Our First Year on the Farm. Homesteading can be a life adventure, as this post demonstrates.

From Homeschooled Students

Hear from these astute homeschooled students.

52. Happy Birthday, Daddy. This young woman remembers her father on his birthday and thanks him for all he has done.
53. ~Ambitions~. This blogger ponders her place in the world in this post.
54. If The Shoe Fits. Choosing to wear skirts on a daily basis can bring the question of what shoes to wear that will look good with a skirt, yet be practical enough for every day use. See what this woman suggests.
55. The Long and Short of It. Find out what this post says about having long hair as form of service to God.
56. Home Making. Now in college, this woman ponders the role of a wife as she reads the book, Home Making.
57. Welcome, {Samuel Ira}. This proud big sister demonstrates the love and thankfulness a new baby can bring the family.
58. Look What I Found…. These photographs not only showcase talent, they also remind the reader to recognize the beauty of the every day items.
59. the value of doing nothing. See what this post says about letting go and giving over to God.
60. Acorns & Autumn. This young lady gives thanks for autumn and all that it brings.
61. "Tight enough to show I’m a woman…". Thinking about how to wear her clothing so that she is both modest and feminine is the focus of this post.

Religion

These homeschooling bloggers share what they have learned in their walk with God.

62. Cultivating Habits. This mom thinks about cultivating the habits of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving to God in order to model these activities for her children.
63. "Whatever you do whether in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Col. 3:17. Reflecting on her work as a mother, this mom realizes that what she does is in the glory of God.
64. Spiritual Lessons from Deaf Dog. A family learns about following God through their deaf puppy.
65. The Path of His Presence. Read these thoughts on choosing to follow the path of the Lord.
66. Gifts. Reflecting on hospitality–truly opening your doors to others– as a service to God is the focus of this blog.
67. All Good Gifts. This post shows the bounty provided by God.
68. Trying on Shoes. Thinking about being a servant to God and to others, this mom recognizes a chance to try again tomorrow.
69. Have Thine Own Way, Lord!. This mom offers up a prayer to help her surrender to God’s plan.
70. It’s a Sacrifice. The pain that sometimes comes into life can be seen as a sacrifice.
71. A quick note to the young men at my table…. A father shares a few words with his sons about keeping the Christian faith.
72. Do You Have Your Child’s Heart? Part 1. Having your child’s heart leads to helping guide them to the Lord.

Family

These posts all have something to say about the special role family plays.

73. Drenching love. This thoughtful post examines the qualities of love and asks readers to think about removing anything that can stand in the way of the love you show those in your life.
74. What I do when I’m not blogging…. Take a glimpse into this family’s life on their farm in Texas.
75. De-Cluttering your Soul—the Secret to Peace and Rest 2010. This post is a great example of a married couple working together as well as the importance of decluttering your life both physically and spiritually.
76. Kicks, Chocolate, and a Vegetarian. This family is experiencing everything from martial arts to vegetarianism, and Mom guides them through it all.
77. Family Time is a good thing!. A father reflects on the importance of family time.
78. More Games. This family connects through a fun day of games and hot chocolate.
79. silly me. Family comes through when they are needed, no matter the weather outside.
80. A Wise Son Makes His Father Glad–How About a Wise Daugher-In-Law?. Find out what this dad learns from his new daughter-in-law.
81. Real pictures, mental pictures. Sharing a winter vacation at the beach with extended family brings joy to all.
82. My Daughter is Writing a Book. Mom guides her daughter through discovering writing for her own pleasure.
83. Christmas Eve at the Bowling Alley. Family traditions are the focus of this blog post.
84. A Mother’s Legacy. This post offers encouragement to mothers everywhere.
85. Sir Todd, The Dragon Slayer. Get a good reminder of how a husband can support his wife with what seems on the surface to be small tasks.
86. This Post Will Make You Hungry. A father helps his son understand how women and men approach the world differently by using a food analogy.
87. The Mom in the Mirror. Children learn about parenting from their parents, as this post discusses.

Food

From recipes to traditions, these posts unite family through food.

88. Winter: A time to rest, learn and prepare. This stay-at-home daughter writes about canning fruits and vegetables as an act of self-sufficiency.
89. Coconut Cocoa Pecan Chocolate Chip Brownies. These brownies look delicious. Find out how you can make them with this blog post.
90. Homemade Pie Crust. Not only do you get to follow along as this young woman makes her first pie crust, but you also get the recipe.
91. Apple Dumplings. These seven sisters make apple dumplings to last all year long.
92. Sourdough Bread, Quilting, and Good Words. Find out how this first attempt at making sourdough bread went, then see what else this young woman is up to.
93. Dec. 25, 2008 – A Homemade Christmas-Jesse Tree & Christmas Morning Treat. Learn about this family’s tradition of making monkey bread as well as their homemade tree.
94. Canning Pork Roast. If you have never heard about canning meat, then you definitely want to check out this post.
95. New Year Goal: Trim the Grocery Budget!. Find out how to make a meal for just a few dollars here.
96. zucchini bread. Try this family’s favorite recipe.
97. Andes Mint Cookies. If these cookies taste as good as they look, you’ll want to keep this recipe around.
98. 2010 Health Goal: Drink More Water!. Learn interesting facts about drinking water and get tips on how to increase your and your children’s water intake.
99. Smockity Cooks: Homemade Country Gravy. Watch this video to learn how to make homemade country gravy without the lumps.
100. More Pie Recipes to Share. Get some delicious pie recipes here.

100 Best Twitter Feeds for Savvy Business Students

Going to class should not be the extent of your business education. Learning from others who have experience is a great way to expand your knowledge. Luckily, there are plenty of people posting on their Twitter feeds with information to help savvy business students stay on top of their education. Check out these feeds for information about marketing, economics, finance, green business practices, strategy and innovation, and entrepreneurship. You can even find out what some of the leaders in the industry have to say about the business world.

Marketing

Learn all about marketing with these informative feeds.

1. @patrickbyers. Patrick Byers is all about responsible marketing and the posts on this feed reflect his position.
2. @PingTweets. Professor Yuping Liu shares her experience and insight as a marketing professor on this feed.
3. @TomChapman. This British marketing strategist shares his marketing experience.
4. @susangunelius. This CEO of KeySplash Creative offers tons of marketing information on her feed.
5. @harishbnair. A marketing professor in an Indian business school, Harish Nair posts many helpful marketing links.
6. @derickson. Social media and marketing strategy are the main topics on David Erickson’s feed.
7. @nealhair. This marketing professor’s feed features items about academia, marketing, and his personal life.
8. @allenweiss. CEO of MarketingProfs, Allen Weiss posts plenty of links of interest to marketing professionals.
9. @MarketingProfs. Ann Handley posts on this feed with a focus on social media.
10. @BethHarte. Beth Harte dispenses invaluable advice on nurturing business relationships, among other topics. Beth, along with Ann Handley, both received recognition as top women on Twitter.
11. @y2vonne. Yvonne DiVita is an expert at marketing to women and shares her expertise here.
12. @ProfessorGary. Marketing, business, and academia all share the spotlight on this professor’s feed.
13. @RoyProfs. Roy Young’s feed includes information on PR, social media tools, links to helpful marketing articles.
14. @ducttape. The author of Duct Tape Marketing, John Jantsch writes about marketing here.

Economics

From professors to news sources and from US to global topics, these feeds all discuss economics.

15. @planetmoney. NPR’s feed is a great resource for news about global economics.
16. @Nouriel. Nouriel Roubini is a professor at Stern School at NYU and posts about the economy in the US.
17. @joshgans. This Australian economics professor shares links and information about economics, technology, and the economics of parenting.
18. @MarkThoma. An economics professor at University of Oregon, Mark Thoma shares links to stories and posts from his own blog.
19. @orgsandmarkets. Find links to blog posts and articles about global economic issues on this feed.
20. @braddelong. An economist from UC Berkeley, Brad DeLong shares his thoughts on economics with a few links to other resources as well.
21. @johnrutledge. The host of BizRadio, John Rutledge posts information about global economics.
22. @econ_consultant. A senior economic consultant for LECG, Stephan Levy posts links to stories and offers his own opinion on economics.
23. @nytimeskrugman. Read what Paul Krugman is writing about economics and politics on his blog at the New York Times.
24. @Richard_Florida. Richard Florida posts links to economic stories that impact everyone’s lives such as unemployment, personal bankruptcy, and spending.
25. @WayneMarr. This professor of Business Administration posts several links from respected sources.
26. @MilkenInstitute. See what the experts have to say with this feed from the economic think tank, Milken Institute.
27. @FriedrichHayek. Followers of Hayek will appreciate this feed that shares posts from the blog Taking Hayek Seriously.
28. @ericfruits. This financial economist shares his view of it all on his Twitter feed.
29. @arnavsheth. Follow Arnav Sheth’s feed to get real world applications of economic theory explained in fun ways.
30. @OregonEconomics. Patrick Emerson writes about economics in Oregon, and Portland, more specifically.
31. @woodsjam. Jamie Woods is a professor and chairman of the Board of Education, so you will find plenty about both economics and education here.

Finance

See what these experts have to say about finance in their Twitter feeds.

32. @WSJNumbersGuy. From the WSJ blog, The Numbers Guy, get information on the numbers in business and politics with this feed.
33. @crzymrkts. Joe Foley writes about financial news and analysis, with a little sports thrown in, too.
34. @CMEGroup. Keep up with market news from CME Group on their Twitter feed.
35. @mint. From Mint.com, this Twitter feed includes posts from their blog to help you learn about personal finance as well as updates from the company.
36. @WorldSpreadsLtd. Follow what’s happening on the markets with this feed from London. An emphasis is on FTSE, but other markets are also represented.
37. @SuzeOrmanShow. Popular finance expert Suze Orman tweets her conversations about finance for all to read on this feed.
38. @MoneyRates. Keep up to date on bank deals, investment rates, and more with this feed.
39. @onprivateequity. This feed provides information on global equity news.
40. @tipd. Stay abreast of what’s going on in the world of finance with this feed from Tip’d financial social network.

Sustainability and Green Business

These business people are all focused on sustainable and ecologically-friendly business practices.

41. @LeanThinker. Adam Zak, Executive Recruiter for Sustainable Lean Enterprise, posts about ecologically-sound business practices on this feed.
42. @noreenahertz. Noreena Hertz posts about sustainability in a business environment here.
43. @hlovins. Professor of Sustainable Management and President of Natural Capital Solutions, Hunter Lovins posts about sustainable business practices on her feed.
44. @carbonmarket. Victoria Kamsler posts about business and finance news with an eye on environmental issues.
45. @StevieRogers. Tweeting from the UK, Steven Rogers posts about low carbon management and business practices.
46. @GreenAdvantage. Andrew Winston is a green business strategist who shares a wealth of information here.
47. @GreenBizDoc. A consultant and professor of sustainable business practices, Nancy Landrum posts on this feed.
48. @MonitorTalent. Keep up with the latest in business and science, especially green business, on this feed.
49. @MarcGunther. Marc Gunther is a consultant specializing in sustainable business practices and provides tons of information.
50. @makower. Joel Makower, founder of GreenBiz.com, posts about sustainable business practices and also includes links to similar stories from a variety of sources.

Strategy and Innovation

From the CTO of Cisco to the founder of Talent Zoo, find out what these people have to say about strategy and innovation.

51. @think_big. An amazing amount of brainpower is behind this group that is all about creative thinking.
52. @Padmasree. Padmasree Warrior is the Chief Technology Officer for Cisco and is the driving force behind the company’s innovation and strategy. Follow her here to see what she has to say.
53. @alizasherman. This Internet strategist shares her ideas as well as information on social media.
54. @DIYMarketers. Learn plenty about strategy ideas here, especially for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.
55. @RickM. Marketing and strategy are found right alongside Ohio college sports on this feed from the founder of Talent Zoo.
56. @ybeitollahi. Yasamin Beitollahi is a marketing strategist who shares tons of information here.

Entrepreneurship

Learn from entrepreneurs who share their experience or get information from those targeting small businesses and entrepreneurs with these feeds.

57. @DowntownWoman. Diane Danielson posts about social media, business, and more with a woman’s perspective.
58. @DotSauce. Mark Fulton is the founder of DotSauce.com and posts about marketing and social networking here.
59. @PaulaRobinson. Health expert and businesswoman, Paula Robinson writes about both fields on her feed.
60. @deniseoberry. Denise O’Berry helps you learn how to ensure you have a steady stream of cash flow.
61. @FranchiseKing. Joel Libava helps others secure franchise opportunities. Find out what makes him successful here.
62. @brianmoran. Brian Moran offers tons of advice and opportunities for small businesses on his feed.
63. @whatworks. Learn what you should do to grow your small business with the advice here.
64. @deanjones. Dean Jones is a small business trainer who posts ideas and information useful for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.
65. @smallbiztweets. This feed features podcasts full of information for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

Business Leaders

Learn from those who have succeeded in business with the Twitter feeds from these leaders in the business world.

66. @zappos. Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, writes about business and social media on this ultra-popular feed.
67. @jimmy_wales. Of Wikipedia and Wikia fame, Jimmy Wales includes plenty about both his business and running a business.
68. @jason. Jason Calacanis has founded several companies including Engadget and Mahalo.com. See what he has to say here.
69. @jeremys. Jeremy Stoppelman talks about business, technology, and the goings-on at his business, Yelp.
70. @arrington. Michael Arrington talks about TechCrunch and running his business on this feed.
71. @kevinrose. Founder of digg.com, Kevin Rose posts his tweets here.
72. @gcolony. George Colony, CEO of Forrester Research, includes links to business news as well as keeps a steady stream of thought-provoking questions and conversations.
73. @timoreilly. Founder of O’Reilly Media and major force behind the open source movement, Tim O’Reilly posts here.
74. @mashable. Pete Cashmore, founder of Mashable, shares links on social media and Twitter here.
75. @richardbranson. Richard Branson provides insight with answers to "Ask Richard" questions from his blog as well as information about his company, Virgin Group.
76. @ev. It would be a shame to exclude the CEO of Twitter itself in a list of business leaders on Twitter. Evan Williams posts about Twitter and business here.

Business and Finance News

These feeds will help you stay on top of all the news important to the business world.

77. @TheEconomist. Stay abreast of economic news from around the world with the feed from this influential news journal.
78. @WSJBusiness. Like the WSJ’s feed, this one also provides reliable news headlines, but with a focus on articles specifically of interest to those in business.
79. @WSJ. The Wall Street Journal provides business and finance news headlines in their feed.
80. @beckyyerak. From the Chicago Tribune, Becky Yerak reports on banking, private equity, and insurance.
81. @Financial Times. From the British publication, get the latest news from world finance, business, and politics.
82. @CNNMoney. CNN Money offers international business and finance news.
83. @Reuters_Biz. Stay current with the latest business news from Reuters with their Twitter feed.
84. @nytimesbusiness. Find up-to-the-minute business news stories from the NY Times here.
85. @LATimesbiz. Get LA Times’ business and finance news on this feed.
86. @LATimesmoneyco. Tom Petruno and other staff from the LA Times post information about economics and the stock market here.
87. @businessnews. Stay on top of business, finance, and stock market news from traderstrade.com with their feed.
88. @bbcbusiness. BBC Business provides international business news with a British perspective.
89. @HarvardBiz. Harvard Business Review’s Twitter feed is a must for anyone in management.
90. @AskHBR. Tweet your management questions to Harvard Business Review’s Twitter feed and executive editor Paul Michelman will answer.
91. @ManagementTip. Get management tips from this Twitter feed from HarvardBusiness.org.

B-Schools

Even if you aren’t attending one of these schools, these feeds from business schools offer news and information just about any student can use.

92. @BusinessSchools. MoneyScience sponsors this feed that posts news about b-schools.
93. @bestbschools. Find plenty of information about AACSB-accredited business schools on this Twitter feed.
94. @GoizuetaBusSch. Goizueta Business School at Emory University posts news and updates on their feed.
95. @RutgersBschool. Find out what’s happening at Rutgers Business school with the announcements about news and events here.
96. @Baylor_Business. Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business Twitter feed offers news, trivia, and more.
97. @Columbia_Biz. The feed from Columbia business school provides news pertinent to the world of business, interviews with professors, and research being done at the school.
98. @LondonBS. Get links to articles and post by professors at London Business School as well as information about the school on their feed.
99. @UTexasMcCombs. Learn about what’s happening on campus and in Austin with this feed from University of Texas’ McCombs School of Business.
100. @UConnBusiness. The University of Connecticut School of Business keeps readers informed with both events and links to news items.

50 Fascinating Lectures All About Your Brain

By Pamelia Brown

Whether you are studying psychology, neurobiology, or just have a passion for learning about the brain, there are plenty of interesting lectures out there that will help you learn all about the brain. These lectures provide a huge amount of information on how the brain develops, the science behind the mind-body connection, atypical ways the brain reacts, progress in the field of brain-machine interactions, or more general psychology topics.

The Anatomy and Development of the Brain

From what the specific areas of the brain control to how the brain develops to how the brain ages, these lectures cover it all.

1. BrainMind.com. Find six video lectures given by Rhawn Joseph, PhD as he discusses what each area of the brain controls various aspects about the brain from language to mental illness to memory to emotion.
2. The Human Brain and Muscular System. Marian Diamond at UC Berkeley gives this popular lecture about the human brain and how it works also describes how the brain controls the muscular system.
3. The Frontal Lobes: Cognition and Awareness. Learn about the frontal lobe and how injuries in this area affect people. The video highlights the story of Bill, an intelligent lawyer, who suffered an aneurysm in the frontal lobe and lost the ability to problem-solve.
4. Scanning the brain and probing the mind. Two neurologists, Nigel Leigh and Blaz Koritnik, discuss how brain scanning can teach researchers about the brain as well as help explore what people are feeling and thinking based on brain wave patterns.
5. Brain Imaging and Evolution. Cognitive scientist Martin Sereno explores how the human mind has evolved beyond that of the brain of other animals in this lecture.
6. Brain Development. Joan Stiles from UCSD discusses the genetic and environmental influences on the way human brains develop.
7. Building the Brain: From Simplicity to Complexity. This lecture explores the ways neurons adapt to the simple and complex activities necessary to make the human brain work.
8. Brain-Immune Connections in Health and Disease. This lecture given by Esther Sternberg, M.D. explores how stress and other issues affect the brain and how pain management for women differs. Dr. Sternberg advocates embracing the ideas of how belief in wellness can affect treatment and healing.
9. Defining the Mind. Psychiatrist Sophia Vinogradov discusses the functions of the brain from a biological perspective and how they contribute to emotion, memory, perception, and more.
10. Research on Aging: The Inconstant Brain. Terry L. Jernigan, PhD debunks the old view that the human brain develops until around age 5, then is stable, an deteriorates throughout the aging process without hope of regeneration. She talks about recent research that has shown that the human brain does in fact react to experiences, pathogens, and pharmacology.

Neuroscience

These lectures take a look at a variety of topics in neuroscience, including language, music and the brain, plasticity, how behavior shapes the brain, and memory.

11. Grey Matters: Understanding Language. Jeff Elman, PhD, a professor at UCSD, lectures on the importance of language and discusses some of the research exploring how language is different from other animals’ forms of communication.
12. Structural Plasticity in the Adult Brain. Elizabeth Gould lectures as a part of the President’s Lecture Series at Princeton about how the human brain creates neurons or restructures neural connections and how the research in this field can lead to harnessing these findings to create solutions for brain illness or injury that previously left those impacted with diminished brain capacity.
13. Neuroscience and Behavior. These video lectures make up an entire video course at MIT and cover the various regions of the brain and what they control.
14. Brain Structure and Its Origins. Another video lecture series from MIT, this one explores major CNS structures with an emphasis on those being studied for research in development and plasticity.
15. How Social Behavior Changes the Brain. Seventeen minutes into this video Dr. Russell Fernald begins his lecture exploring evolutionary biology and specifically, how the brain changes based on social behavior.
16. Music and the Mind. Aniruddh Patel of the Neurosciences Institute discusses the intriguing connection between music and the brain, exploring both what music can teach about the brain and what the brain can share about music.
17. Health Matters: Behavior and Our Brain. Renowned neuroscientist Terrence Sejnowski talks about what scientists have begun to learn about the ways the brain contributes to what people like, how people behave, and what skills people have.
18. Decisions Responsibility and the Brain. Learn how the brain guides the decision-making process in this lecture given by Professor Patricia Churchland at UCSD.
19. Grey Matters: Conscious and Unconscious Memory Systems. Dr. Larry Squire discusses memory and memory problems in this lecture. He includes real-life examples of those suffering from memory issues.
20. Perception: Taste Smell and Vision. Find a clear and interesting presentation of what perception is and how the brain affects perception through the senses in this lecture given by Professor Charles Zuker.

Atypical Brain Functioning

Addiction, depression, and autism are just a few of the subjects covered in the lectures here.

21. Grey Matters: The Science and Fiction of Autism. Laura Schreibman, PhD, one of the preeminent scientists in the field of autism, discusses some of the facts and controversies surrounding autism.
22. Psychopathology and Psychotherapy 1. Learn the basics of abnormal psychology and ways to treat these abnormalities in this video lecture from psychology class at Berkeley.
23. Psychopathology and Psychotherapy 2. A continuation from the prior lecture, here the focus is on categorizing diagnostic symptoms and how this process has evolved over the years as well as the origins of mental illness.
24. Psychopathology and Psychotherapy 3. The third in this series, this lecture wraps up the talks from Berkeley with a look at the make-up of specific mental illnesses and treatment of mental illness.
25. Effects of Early Institutionalization on Brain and Behavior. Charles A. Nelson, PhD of Harvard University and Boston Children’s Hospital discusses a huge project exploring the effects of early institutionalization of children on their brain development and behavior. The project explores institutionalized children in Romania, a country infamous for state-run institutions that sprang up after a failed national movement for population growth.
26. Brain Mind and Behavior: Why Drugs for Depression?. Dr. Steve Hamilton of the psychiatry department at USCF discusses depression and how medication can work as an effective treatment for depression.
27. How Do We Predict the Future: Brains Rewards and Addiction. Terrence Sejnowski of The Salk Institute talks about the structure of the brain as well as how rewards and addiction work in the brain.
28. Brain Mind and Behavior: Emotions and Health. Explore the connection between emotion and health as well as learn about many of the major illnesses affecting nervous system problems in this lecture by Jason Satterfield, PhD.
29. Pain and the Brain. Allan Basbaum, PhD lectures on the complexity of pain, the biology behind it, and treatment of chronic and acute pain. Some of the images in this video may be too graphic for some.
30. Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Perception of Emotion. Discussing and describing autism as well as ways to treat autism, Blythe Corbett, PhD focuses specifically on using video to change behavior in children who struggle to understand emotional and social cues.

Brain and Machine Interactions

Computers and other machines run by brain signals are the focus of these lectures.

31. Brain Computer Interfaces. Klause-Robert Muller lectures in Australia about making use of brain signals in computer interfaces in applications ranging from the more practical gaming and computer usage to the research and use in medical settings.
32. Brain-Machine Interfaces Based on Neuronal Ensemble Recordings. Mikhail A. Lebedev from Duke University tells about research done with a monkey controlling a robot in order to help researchers better understand brain-machine interfaces to promote medical advances for those facing paralysis.
33. EEG-Based Brain-Computer Interface for Communication and Control: Independent Home Use. Theresa Vaughan from the Wadsworth Center in New York talks about brain-computer interfaces (BCI) for those with suffering from disabilities such as ALS, brainstem stroke, and spinal cord injury.
34. Plasticity at the Brain-Computer Interface. From the Institute of Neuroscience at Newcastle University, Andrew Jackson discusses the potential of BCI to stimulate muscles in those with spinal cord injuries so that paralyzed limbs can actually be stimulated to work via brain signals.
35. The Machine Learning Approach to Brain-Computer Interfacing – Part 1. Find out how researchers are determining ways to harvest brain signals to use in BCI so patients do not have to spend extensive amounts of time learning how to use the technology in this lecture given by Klause-Robert Muller.
36. The Machine Learning Approach to Brain-Computer Interfacing – Part 2. Matthias Krauledat continues this video lecture by discussing the work being done from the computer and software side of the research.
37. New BMI approaches: Selective Attention to Auditory and Tactile Stimulus Streams. Jeremey Hill discusses new research going on to create machines to help patients who are "completely locked-in" with normal brain function but no physical control over their body, including their eyes.
38. Coping with Brain Injury: Robots and Rehabilitation. Find out about robotics that are helping those with brain injury not only relearn practical functions, but are also teaching the brain to do what it was able to do before the injury.
39. Demonstration of Brain Computer Interface Using the Emotive Epoc. Watch this demonstration of a mind-powered game in this lecture from Stanford University.

Psychology

From introductory psychology classes to dreams to happiness to communication, these psychology lectures offer plenty about how the brain works.

40. Introduction to Psychology. Yale professor Paul Bloom offers 20 lectures from his class to teach about the basics of the brain, history of psychology, and a whole host of topics relating to the brain and humans including emotion, language, sex, mental illness, and happiness.
41. Introduction to Psychology. This intro class is from MIT, and the video lectures cover everything from sensing and perceiving to memory to intelligence to dreams.
42. Communication and Conflict in Couples and Families. Explore various aspects of relationships and how they work (and don’t work) over long term in this series of lectures given by two professors from UCLA.
43. Personal Identity, Neuroethics and the Human Brain. Michael S. Gazzaniga from Dartmouth University talks about neuroscience, ethics, and personal identity in this lecture from the Princeton Public Lecture Series.
44. Psychology of Dreams. Check in each week to get a new audio lecture from the psychology class from UC Berkeley that focuses on the mechanics of sleep, the history of psychological study of dreams, dreams and cognition, and more.
45. Clinical Psychology. This weekly Berkeley podcast explores such clinical topics as diagnosis and assessment, research methods, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, legal issues, and developmental disorders.
46. Personality and Social Interaction. This video lecture from an introductory class takes a look at behaviors and how they are shaped by human intelligence and experience.
47. Psychology Lecture Index. A collection of lectures, these correspond to the text Introduction to Psychology by James Kalat and are a part of the General Psychology class at College of DuPage.
48. A Short History of Psychological Terror. Find out how the CIA took advantage of the powers of the human mind to create psychological torture, how it was used, and how it became legal to do so in this lecture.
49. The Awesome Lawfulness of Your Nightly Dreams. G. William Domhoff, a research professor at UC Santa Cruz, discusses the systematic research done on dreams and details his work with DreamBank.
50. Happiness: Living and Thinking About It. Daniel Kahneman, renowned psychologist and Nobel Prize winner, lectures on a variety of topics pertaining to well-being such as the measures of well-being; specific factors of happiness such as economics, marriage, and perceptions of well-being; and happiness across different countries.

Smartfood: 50 Foods Every Student Should Eat

By Pamelia Brown

A well-balanced, satisfying diet is just as important to a busy college student as the right class schedule, mentor or learning environment. A diet that consists of high-fat and high-calorie foods with little nutritional value doesn’t just make you gain weight: it impairs focus, energy, motivation, sleep, and overall wellness. On the other hand, a diet that consists of energy-rich, lowfat foods packed with antioxidants, iron and other minerals can make a huge difference in a student’s mood and focus. Here are 50 foods every student should eat.

Energy

For higher energy that lasts between meals and then some, opt for whole grains, the right kinds of fats and complex carbohydrates.

1. Whole grain bread: Sandwiches and toast made with whole grain bread make a huge difference in terms of the amount of energy, nutrients and hunger-busting power you’ll get versus white bread.
2. Whole cereals: Breakfast is an important meal for students, and eating cereals with more whole grains and less artificial flavorings and sugars is ideal for keeping up your energy all day.
3. Peanut butter: Have peanut butter with celery or apples and crackers as a snack to keep you full and energized between meals.
4. Oranges: The vitamin C found in oranges helps your muscles repair themselves and boosts iron absorption.
5. Beans: Get healthy servings of the right kind of fat and protein from black beans, lentils, kidney beans and red beans, which contain iron, magnesium, potassium and other nutrients.
6. Whole wheat pasta: Pasta is a good source of complex carbohydrates, which give your body energy but which can be broken down easily. Choose whole wheat pastas with low-fat veggie toppings for healthiest options.
7. Milk: Milk isn’t always a popular drink among college students, but it’s an easy way to get protein and calcium and boost your energy. Choose a low or nonfat version if you’re conscious about calories.
8. Vegetable juice: An easy way for busy students to get a fast energy boost is to drink vegetable juice.
9. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is easy to store and make, and it’s an easily digestible food that really sticks with you and keeps you full.
10. Water: Staying hydrated, especially after long nights studying or partying, is important to building back your energy levels.
11. Bananas: Potassium, vitamin C and complex carbohydrates are found in bananas, which is a great energy-boosting food.
12. Red meat: While red meat contains fat and isn’t ideal for managing your cholesterol, it is an excellent source of iron that can help prevent anemia. Eat lean red meat every once in a while with healthy sides to boost energy.

Brain Food

Stay focused, alert, awake and cheery with these brain foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids, protein, seratonin and other vitamins and minerals that fight depression, fatigue and memory loss.

13. Blueberries: Blueberries are filled with Vitamin C, low-calorie fiber, and phytonutrients, which help with memory and prevent UTIs.
14. Tuna: Tuna is a great dorm room food that you can eat by itself or in sandwiches and on crackers. Tuna is packed with protein, omega-3 fatty acids, the antioxidant selenium (which is good for your immune system), vitamin D and B vitamins.
15. Cranberries: Eat cranberries and 100% cranberry juice — not cranberry juice cocktail — to prevent UTIs and get a good dose of vitamin C.
16. Avocados: Avocados contain heart and brain-healthy fats that promote blood flow. Add avocado to sandwiches and salads instead of calorie-ridden spreads or sauces.
17. Walnuts: Walnuts contain the valuable omega-3 fatty acids, lots of protein, seratonin, vitamin B6 and other nutrients that are good for the brain.
18. Salmon: Salmon is rich in the good kind of fatty acids and protein that are integral to heart and brain health.
19. Eggs: Eggs contain lots of protein and cholin, which your brain needs to develop motor functions and memory.
20. Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds contain thiamine for memory and tryptophan, which your brain converts to seratonin to help prevent depression and insomnia.
21. Flaxseed oil: If you cook, try to use flaxseed oil, and if you don’t, sprinkle the omega-3 fatty acid-rich flaxseed onto yogurt, cereal or fruit salads.
22. Protein-rich salads with vinaigrette: If you’re starving and need an energy boost, you’ll probably want to reach for something starchy, but vinaigrette actually slows digestion and helps your body feed off of the protein and nutrients in your salad longer, improving focus.
23. Coffee: Coffee is a college student’s best friend, but remember to drink it in moderation. Too much coffee messes up your sleep schedule and can make it hard for you to focus on one thing at a time.
24. Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds give your body much needed magnesium, which helps you manage stress.

Best Value Foods

Just a little of these foods goes a long way. You’ll save money at the grocery store even on fresh ingredients by using them in all kinds of meals and snacks, or storing them in your freezer.

25. Hummus: A tasty, healthy, vitamin-rich and longer-lasting alternative to meat, you can use hummus as a dip, a spread or as your sandwich’s main ingredient. Make your own to save extra money.
26. Apples: Apples aren’t that expensive and can be eaten at any time of the day in lots of different ways: for breakfast, on salads, chopped up, with peanut butter, and more. They’re also a good source of Vitamin C and help your blood vessels stay healthy.
27. Strawberries: Buy strawberries in-season for cheaper prices, and add them to cereal, salads, desserts, yogurt, and anything else for a yummy side.
28. Green tea: Boxes of green tea bags are relatively cheap, and drinking green tea gives you a caffeine, energy and mood boost while helping your body protect against cancer and heart attacks.
29. Spinach: Use fresh baby spinach on salads, in sandwiches and burgers and with cheese and crackers for an extra dose of vitamins A and C, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium and vitamin B-6.
30. Eggplant: Eggplant skin can seriously improve focus, and the rest of the vegetable is good for the brain too.
31. Quinoa: Quinoa, like rice and pasta, goes a long way and lasts a long time. It’s easy to cook and very versatile, and it’s packed with 9 essential amino acids, magnesium, fiber, manganese and copper, plus calcium, iron, magnesium and more.
32. Watermelon: Split a huge watermelon with friends if you have your own apartment or dorm kitchen. You can eat it all throughout the day to stay hydrated and give yourself plenty of Vitamin C and potassium.
33. Whole wheat tortillas: Tortillas are cheap and versatile foods. Pick whole-wheat varieties for better health benefits while you snack.
34. Potatoes: Cook baked or red potatoes in the microwave for an incredibly cheap but healthy meal. Keep the skin on for extra vitamins.
35. Broccoli: Eat raw or steamed broccoli to get antioxidants that protect your cells and can prevent you from developing diabetes or cancer.

Sensible Snacking

Snacking is one of the most popular pitfalls to any college student’s diet, but there are ways to curb cravings without giving up "fun" foods altogether. This list will keep you crunching and munching into the wee hours without sabotaging your diet.

36. Yogurt: Yogurt is a great source of protein and calcium and can also help protect against yeast infections.
37. Almonds: Instead of going for chips, eat a handful of raw almonds for more vitamins and protein.
38. Granola bars: Natural granola and natural granola bars are filling and packed with nutrients without all the sugars you’ll find in power bars.
39. Baby carrots: When you’re staring at the computer all night, set a bag of baby carrots by your side instead of chips for healthy mindless snacking.
40. Air-popped popcorn: Opt for air-popped popcorn instead of bags of chips.
41. Dark chocolate: Don’t go for a huge piece of cake or a milkshake. Eat a few squares of a dark chocolate bar to curb your dessert craving, help digestion, lower blood pressure, improve your mood and help you focus.
42. Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds are cheap (or free if you save them after carving a jack-o-lantern) and fun to eat. Plus, they’re full of protein and magnesium.
43. Lowfat cottage cheese: Compared to other cheeses, lowfat cottage cheese is lower in calories and carbohydrates but still high in calcium and protein.
44. Grapes: Grapes are pretty cheap and last a while. They’re a good source of vitamins A and C, B6 and folate, as well as selenium, magnesium and iron.
45. Rice cakes: Even flavored rice cakes contain significantly less calories, fat and sugars than chips or cookies.

Healthy Digestion

Mix in poor sleeping habits, alcohol, and stress, and your digestive tract is probably a mess. These foods will keep you regular and comfortable.

46. Onions and garlic: College students may shy away from onions and garlic because of social stigma, but the inulin in these foods helps with iron absorption and digestion.
47. Brown rice: Rich in protein and dietary fiber, brown rice is a smart starch option that prevents constipation and lowers cholesterol.
48. Raspberries: Raw raspberries are a sweet, versatile treat that promote good digestion.
49. Oat bran muffin: Start your day with an oat bran muffin for good digestive health.
50. Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes help relieve symptoms from irritable-bowel syndrome.

100 Best Blogs for New Media Students

By Hannah Watson

New Media students are on the verge of an exciting and evolving field of study. With topics ranging from social networking to innovative art forms to gaming to Internet policy and politics falling under this umbrella, there is plenty for students to learn about and stay connected with. Adding these blogs to your favorite reader will help you keep current on all that is happening in the world of New Media.

Academic Blogs

These professors, researchers, and grad students offer their academic perspective on New Media.

1. Lessig Blog. Lawrence Lessig’s influential blog provides in-depth analysis and commentary on technology, freedom, and the law.
2. Center for History and New Media. This site is dedicated to preserving and relating history through digital media and technology.
3. Angela A Thomas. A professor in Australia, Dr. Thomas includes plenty of information about technology, especially as it pertains to education, in her blog.
4. Anne Helmond. Both a lecturer and a researcher in the field of new media, Anne shares her work on this blog.
5. MediaCommons. Scholarship and digital media meet on this blog.
6. Masters of Media. From the grad students at University of Amsterdam earning their Masters in New Media and offers an insightful world view of new media.
7. Confessions of an Aca-Fan. The former Director of the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program, Henry Jenkins provides his perspective on topics ranging from crowdsourcing to media literacy.
8. jill/txt. This professor in Norway discusses several aspects of social media on her blog.
9. Premediation. Richard Grusin blogs about the agents of new media’s relationship to the public’s perception of their future.
10. Virtualpolitik. Learn how social networking is shaping information filtered to the masses and the political and social implications of new media.
11. Augmented Social Cognition. This blog from Palo Alto Research Center looks at how groups work and think. Much of their research explores new media in this context.
12. Media at LSE. The Department of Media and Communication PhD students at London School of Economics and Political Science blog here.
13. TeleFrieden. Rob Frieden writes about current telecommunication issues and the law in this blog.
14. Posthegemony. This blog provides a study of cultures and civilizations after a period of oppression using current events and popular culture as a magnifying glass.
15. New Media Literacies Blog. This group studies new media and learning in an effort to make positive changes to the educational system.

Social Media

Find out what is happening in the world of social media with these blogs that discuss social networking, relationship building, culture, and more.

16. MediaShift. This PBS blog looks at blogging, Twitter, virtual worlds, and more.
17. Mashable. "The social media guide," Mashable provides readers with genuinely interesting and helpful information when it comes to all things social media.
18. Social Media Insider. Examining issues such as social media censorship, pricing models for social media, and relationship-building as a tool for social media marketing, this blog covers important issues of the field.
19. SmartMobs. Based on the book of the same name, this blog looks at the power of communications and computer connectivity on culture.
20. Alex Halavais. Halavais is a professor of interactive communications and his blog posts frequently focus on various aspects of social media.
21. Publishing 2.0. Take a look at what is going on in the world of online publishing, from blogging to web content.
22. Collaborative Thinking. Mike Gotta posts about connections and communication specifically as it has to do with social media.
23. Moving from Me to We. This blog focuses on ways to connect with others via social media to boost personal development.
24. Blog of Collective Intelligence. Explore the evolution of communities through collaboration, specifically through social networking, here.
25. Tiara.org. A PhD candidate studying social technology, Alice Marwick blogs about social media and culture.
26. Unit Structures. Facebook and Twitter usage feature highly on this blog about social networks and technology.
27. My PhD Blog. This Danish PhD candidate writes specifically about youth and their usage of social networks.

New Media Arts

These blog offer insight from the world of art with a technological twist.

28. reBlog. From Eyebeam, a non-profit supporting media arts and technology education, this blog features a wide range of posts–most with a visual element.
29. information aesthetics. Creativity meets technology meets visual arts in this blog.
30. Hypernarrative.com. Art, media, and technology are the subjects Wilbert Baan include on his blog.
31. New Media Initiatives. A blog of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, readers can find plenty about art and technology here.
32. Kevin Flanagan. This Irish artist uses this blog as a sort of sketch book of his works in progress as he explores the visual arts.
33. Ratchet Up. High tech digital art is the subject of John Schott’s blog.
34. Design with Intent. This blog examines the way things are designed in an attempt to shape behavior.
35. click opera imomus. Read Momus’ blog that covers everything from music to fiction to visual art.
36. Art21 Blog. This group promotes contemporary art through diverse media and their blog offers insight and trends.
37. we make money not art. The ironic title of this unusual blog is just the tip of the intriguing iceberg as you explore new media art news, opportunities, and more.
38. Rhizome. This group supports art that incorporates new technologies, and this blog invites you to participate as an observer or artist.

New Media and Culture

Read about the impact of New Media studies on culture worldwide with these blogs.

39. apophenia. Danah Boyd blogs about the ways people use the Internet for social connection and the implications of this use.
40. Rough Type. Nicholas Carr shares his insight on new media and its usage here.
41. The Great Seduction. This blog by Andrew Keen discusses the intersection of culture and the Internet.
42. mathewingram.com/work. Media, culture, and journalism are the focus of Mathew Ingram’s blog.
43. CyberJournalist.net. This site updates frequently with news, tips, and information about online journalism, citizen media, and digital storytelling.
44. E-Media Tidbits. From the Poynter Institute, this blog covers news about the online news business.
45. Dynamist Blog. Virginia Postrel writes about consumer variety, the business of glamour, organ donation, and other bits of culture and new media on her blog.

New Media Business Blogs

These blogs offer insight from those doing business in the field of New Media.

46. New Media Strategies Blog. The employees of this company each contribute a voice to this blog that covers trends and topics relevant to social media.
47. Concentric Sky. This web development company shares information about technology related to social media on its blog.
48. W3 Blog. W3 EDGE’s blog shares insight on how best to optimize your Internet usage for business.
49. Signal vs. Noise. From 37signals, this blog features a variety of information including interviews with experts in the field, news and updates about their products and what is happening at 37signals, and the business of new media.
50. Chris Garrett on New Media. This new media expert and consultant provides plenty of tips and resources for those looking to improve their blogging experience.
51. Socialmedia.biz. Find tons of social media strategies alongside social media news here.
52. Gravity7: Social Interaction Design by Adrian Chan. See what Adrian Chan has to say about topics such as ambient knowledge, social media metaphors, social media usage, and more.
53. All Facebook. Get news and analysis about Facebook as well as information about applications from this consultancy group.
54. Mythos Media Weblog. This media publishing group is all about breaking the mold and innovation.
55. Culture Blog. Engaging new audiences is the business of be+cause strategies, and this blog offers their experience.

Technology

Technology and New Media are the topics in these blogs.

56. I, Cringely. Robert X. Cringely has written professionally on technology since the mid-80s and shares his insight on his blog.
57. The Technology Liberation Front. Examine the legal and political side of current technology issues in this blog.
58. Alertbox. Updated once every two weeks, this blog from Dr. Jakob Nielsen examines web usability issues.
59. TechCrunch. Learn about Internet products and companies, as well as their comings and goings, on this blog.
60. TED Blog. Keep up with trends and hear from experts in a variety of fields when you watch the amazing videos posted on the TED blog.
61. MobileActive’s Blog. Find out how people are affecting social change through mobile technology on this blog.
62. Enterprise 2.0 Blog. The official blog of the Enterprise 2.0 Conference, you can find information about social tools and technologies to help businesses.
63. Kasper Souren a.k.a. Guaka. Social networks, wikis, and open source are often topics on this technology-centered blog.
64. Question Technology. Get commentary about technology and society on Kevin Arthur’s blog.
65. Technology360. Written by a former executive at NPR, this blog examines technology and social media.

Politics and Policy

These blogs are all about monitoring and shaping the politics and policy surrounding New Media.

66. Benton Foundation Digital Beat. The Benton Foundation works to create policy that will ensure that media and telecommunications works in the best interest of the people and share their view on communications policy on this blog.
67. P2P Foundation. This organization promotes peer-to-peer practices and serves to unite others with the same agenda.
68. Joris van Hoboken. Digital civil rights with a global perspective is the main feature on this blog.
69. The Googlization of Everything. Siva Vaidhyanathan explores the impact of Google on the way information is presented to the public and how they are going about doing what they do.
70. Open and Shut?. Richard Poynder examines the policies behind open access here.
71. Wikimedia Blog. This blog is written by the non-profit foundation that supports Wikipedias around the world and contains information about usability, open source, and more.
72. Public Knowledge Policy Blog. This blog is part of a public interest group working to defend users’ rights in the digital world.
73. Infocult: Information, Culture, Policy, Education. Explore the impact of new media information dissemination and policy with this blog.
74. Slashdot. Stay on top of news that affects your online rights with this blog.
75. Media and Communications Policy. This blog examines first amendment issues surrounding communications and media.
76. Tech Daily Dose. Keep up with the latest news about politics and policy in the tech world.
77. Bottom-up. Tim Lee writes about technology policy–specifically exploring the power held by large institutions and how to loosen their grip.

Media Censorship and Freedom Issues

Online censorship and freedom are discussed on these blogs.

78. michaelzimmer.org. Michael Zimmer examines ethics, privacy, censorship, and the Internet on his blog.
79. On the Media. Download the stories available here each week from NPR to stay current on news media with a focus on trends risking freedom of information and expression.
80. Freedom to Tinker. From Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy, this blog touches on censorship, open source, government transparency, and much more.
81. Nart Villeneuve. Internet censorship, both ruminations on the subject and actual examples, are the focus of this blog.
82. Infothought. Censorship with a particular eye on Google and Wikipedia is what Seth Finkelstein discusses here.

New Media Working for Social Change

From ecology to non-violent revolutions, these blogs work for social change through new media.

83. Worldchanging. Changing the world for the better through new media is the goal of this non-profit, and they blog about it here.
84. iRevolution. Learn how technology and new media can empower people to protect themselves as well as coordinate non-violent revolutions.
85. Mediacology. New media and ecology combine to make up the posts on this blog.

Gaming Technology

These aren’t your typical gaming blogs, with quality posts offering thoughtful and thought-provoking topics.

86. Futile. Ryan Lane’s video blog provides information about gaming and human interaction.
87. Terra Nova. This collaborative blog about virtual worlds is written by a first-rate team of academics and professionals.
88. Game Girl Advance. This blog explores the intersection of gaming, pop culture, and the perspective of the gamer.
89. Grand Text Auto. Gaming, game design, and the stories behind those who play and design games feature in this blog.
90. GameSetWatch. Get articles, interviews, and opinions about gaming here.
91. Wonderland. Keep up with the latest pop culture gaming news in this fun blog.
92. The Escapist: Featured Articles. Find high-quality content providing news and updates about gaming here.
93. The Brainy Gamer. Find "thoughtful conversation about video games" on this blog.
94. Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Four top gaming journalists from the UK write this blog that is all about PC gaming.
95. Gamasutra Expert Blogs. Read these insightful articles from the experts associated with Gamasutra.
96. Gamespace.nl. Gaming, online journalism, and presentations and talks on new media are the topics most visited on this blog from a PhD student in Amsterdam.

New Media News and Popular Culture

Stay on top of pop culture news and events with these blogs.

97. Valleywag. Get news on popular culture and new media stories on this blog updated frequently during the weekdays.
98. Underwire. Keep up with all the latest in popular culture with a visual media edge to it with this blog from Wired Magazine.
99. Too many topics, too little time. This blog covers music, video, and books as well as the copyright, freedom, and open source issues that surround them.
100. FBHive. Written by two 20-somethings with a passion for Facebook, this blog keeps you in the know with happenings at Facebook.