Building Social Skills, Alone at a Computer

https://medium.com/bright/building-social-skills-alone-at-a-computer-2c100a502ecc

Ellen Lee

Bright Magazine

18 May 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Critics in today's world often say that computers and technology are impeding the social skills of the very young. But Zoo U, a computer game for children, helps kids develop the skills they need such as empathy, impulse control, and communication.

Camcorders For Justice

http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/features/anonymous/camcorders-justice

James Scudamore

Intelligent Life

1 January 2014

Text / Over 3000 Words

In India, videos made about the many social problems are secretly broadcasted in different villages to make people aware of the real problem and also aware of what they can do to fix it. Video Volunteers, an organization that coordinates these video productions, catalyzes community change through transparency and accountability.

Could adorable tiny tech backpacks save the honeybees?

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2015/0825/Could-adorable-tiny-tech-backpacks-save-the-honeybees

Jessica Mendoza

Christian Science Monitor

25 August 2015

Text / 800-1500 Words

Concerned with colony collapse syndrome in honey bees worldwide, scientists, farmers and tech companies teamed up in Australia to create a micro-sensor that collects data on the bee's environment.

Crowdsourcing a Better World

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/crowdsourcing-a-better-world

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

28 March 2011

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Americans often want to connect to a cause beyond writing a check. Crowdsourcing is creating new forms of philanthropy globally, giving donors more choice and a stronger connection to the projects they fund.

Curbing Online Abuse Isn't Impossible. Here's Where We Start

http://www.wired.com/2014/05/fighting-online-harassment

Laura Hudson

Wired

15 May 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Harassment on the internet is more accepted but just as harmful as it is in person. RiotGames, a game publisher, decreased abuse by enabling its gaming members to decide and enforce community norms.

Girls Tweeting (Not Twerking) Their Way to Power

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/04/girls-tweeting-not-twerking-their-way-to-power

Courtney E. Martin

The New York Times

4 September 2013

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Sexual assault, rape, and sexism are social problems that young women face and many feel powerless to create change. Non-profit organizations such as SPARK and WAM have trained teenage girls to be advocates for themselves. Online campaigns and social media have also made teenage girls feel empowered to express themselves and make social change.

How Pinterest Is Revolutionizing Your Child's Classroom

https://medium.com/bright/how-pinterest-is-revolutionizing-your-child-s-classroom-4ccd4d59bbb9

Kathryn Joyce

Bright Magazine

31 March 2015

Text / Under 800 Words

Colorful volumes of books have aided teaching for centuries; however, the scope of engagement in the internet age demands newer methods for pedagogy. Pinterest, a social media-constructed visual bulletin board, has become a venue in which teachers share their pinned visual media, lesson plans, and charts with students and other teachers. The success of Teaching Pinterest expands pedagogy, reduces teacher alienation, enables collaboration with other teachers, and directs readers to other sites that offer teachers’ curriculum ideas for a cost.

In Aleppo, cell phones are helping some desperate Syrians find clean water

http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-26/aleppo-cell-phones-are-helping-some-desperate-syrians-find-clean-water

Joyce Hackel

Public Radio International (PRI)

26 August 2015

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

In war zones, people have a difficult time finding clean water and safe areas to inhabit. Social media, smart phones, and technology applications are aiding in people’s survival. In Aleppo, Syria, the International Committee of the Red Cross posted a map on Facebook to show alternative sources of clean drinking water that reached approximately 140,000 people.

Innovation Within Reach

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/21/innovation-within-reach

Sarika Bansal

The New York Times

21 August 2014

Text / 1500-3000 Words

What about the world’s poorest, for whom new, expensive gadgets are out of reach - what types of innovation would be most beneficial for them? Through “frugal innovation”, people are designing products specifically to meet the needs of the world’s poorest citizens.

How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses

http://www.wired.com/2013/10/free-thinkers

Joshua Davis

Wired

15 October 2013

Text / Over 3000 Words

Around the world, a new way of teaching and learning is gaining traction – and seeing results. Rooted in educational theory from the likes of Socrates, Piaget, and Montessori, this method is led by students’ curiosity and ability to learn and grow independently; essentially, the students control their own learning. Such methods make success more attainable in places like Matamoros, Mexico, who has seen exceptional improvement from students who experience learning this way.