Digital History Useful Apps

 A tool that could be useful, I did not use it during this course, could be Prezi.  It is a presentation software that can make presentations fun.  I have used Prezi in the past and it was easy to use and really fun to make the presentation.  Prezi could have possibly been used for the story map.  A project idea could be to create your own app.  Code.org is a great website to use to create a basic first app, it also teaches some coding and you do not need experience.  The project, creating your own app, could be a digital history interactive project.  I have used code.org recently and it was very fun to make my own app. 👻

 

Participation Projects

 One participation project could see how many deaths end suicide for all ages.  The reason why this is important to know is so that programs and help can be put into place to help prevent suicide.  People know suicide happens, but there is no real help to prevent it.  Millions of suicides can be prevented if we put in programs to help prevent suicides.  Start programs to help at a young age especially and continue it throughout adulthood.  Suicide happens throughout all ages.  Another participation project could be evaluating how long people spend on social media.  Social media has taken over a lot of people's lives.  The reason why this participation project would be important is because people are so attached to their phone, most do not know how to connect in person anymore.  People can become depressed when they do not have as much likes or follows as another person.  When kids are separated from their phones now they go into a depressive state.  Limits could be placed on all social media, to help people connect more in person rather than on a screen and make them less attached to their screen.

Extra Credit:   Innovative Projects

Data Visualizations

One online data set that someone can look at is the population of Native Americans in Virginia since 1600 until today.  The population of Native Americans throughout time can be displayed by a graph, line graph.  Another online data set that could be looked at is the amount of deaths over all the battles that took place in Virginia.  The First Battle of Bull Run would be the start and the Battle of Appomattox Court House would be the last battle to display. 

I found this data set most interesting because the top reason for dropping out is the student missed too many school days.  The second reason for most females to dropout of high school was because they didn't think they could complete their course requirements.  I didn't know that was a reason for dropping out, they thought they couldn't complete the requirements for the course.

What's real?

 My thoughts on the reality and non-reality of the digital world; reality is what is fact, truth or can be proven and non-reality is fake, false or staged.  We have all heard of "fake news" that is non-reality.  Credited authors and news reports are reality, although it can be turned into non-reality because it can get twisted and the real truth, lost in "translation".  I think that Instagram and any social media is a combination of reality and non-reality.  Someone posts what they want everyone to believe they are living a perfect life, but in reality just before they took that picture there was a fight or something bad happened.  Someone else may post everything that happens in their life for "clout" or just to have likes, but it is their life.  Some people live for the views and likes, others do not and then others that do a combination of the two.  The internet is like that but less noticeable sometimes.  Fake websites that grab your attention, in reality it is a computer virus.  You did not know that because you were wanting what grabbed your attention.  New York Times on the other hand has news reports, where you can get dependable news based on what you believe and what your interests are.  The problem with just looking at news that reflects your interests or beliefs is that you do not see the whole picture.  Dating apps.  The dreaded making your profile and picking who you like most.  Some people do not put a bio and just pictures.  Some put no pictures, but a large thought out bio.  Some do both.  Most people say yes to the picture and barely read the bio.  Dating apps are non-realistic because people put their best face out there with their best version of themselves.  You meet them over the internet, think their "avatar" and "script" and then you really get to know them and it is a cringe moment, a 'get me out of here' moment.  There are times where it does work out, you like the internet person and the real life person.  The internet has numerous combinations of realistic and non-realistic.

    The Future of Truth and Misinformation Online is an article that illustrates the digital age that has been created.  What information we can trust and what is misleading.  The Future of Truth and Misinformation Online article mentions Oxford's word of the year 'post-truth'.  "Post-truth is an adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’." (Oxford Dictionary).  People have their strong opinion on issues that the deem as important or unimportant, what ever is the most prominent view tends to have the most influence and following/support.  The facts that get provided to us is becoming less listened to and having less of an impact because people follow people.  People are influenced by trending hashtags and what is most popular because they want to be included.  People that do not follow the group are considered wrong/outcasts.   The Psychology of Online Comments is an article about the reality of what comments can to do any form of information or content.  Popular Science is a public website that helps explain science to the general public that want to know more.  In the article The Psychology of Online Comments states that even Popular Science wants to turn of comments from there articles.  People will put hate comments on the articles and that takes away from the information they are trying to share.  People are fake over the internet, hiding behind a screen, most people would not say or do the same thing they do online as in person.  A quarter of the people on the internet make anonymous comments.  No one knows who or what is really real on the internet.

Useful Databases

https://lithub.com/the-underground-group-supplying-pittsburghs-prisoners-with-books/ Thought this was an interesting find, a website not a database

 My local library is Haymarket Gainesville Community Library.  A useful database from this library could be their health and wellness database by Gale because I am very interested in health and fitness and what more I can learn about how to stay healthy.  A NOVA database that I could use could be Military and Government collection so I can learn more about the Military branches and what each specific one has to offer.  I am trying to decide whether or not to go into the Military as an officer.  Any of the American History databases of the Library of Virginia would be useful because I like learning about historical events, I may not be good at taking quizzes of history, but I like learning about them nonetheless.