The year that brought us the coronavirus pandemic, murder hornets, and the deaths of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Alex Trebek is probably one most people wont be sad to bid adieu. Parents and kids were stuck together during lockdowns, trying to manage remote school and work, and everyones feeling good and frayed at this point.
At the start of the pandemic, media was abuzz with the notion that this pandemic and the resulting lockdowns would be a boon for the creative process. Suffering and isolation, the logic goes, beget great works of art and literature: just look at Shakespeare, who apparently cranked out Macbeth, King Lear, and Antony and Cleopatra while quarantined during an outbreak of bubonic plague.
While we may not yet know if another Shakespeare found their muse during the current pandemic, plenty of people found their creative spark thanks to technology, with librarians, artists, and even epidemiologists using the tools at hand not just to distract from the tedium of lockdown, but to put forth new approaches to how we learn and connect with each other.
The easy-to-use format of Google Forms allowed librarians and teachers to create problem-solving exercises for students designed as digital versions of escape rooms. In addition to solving the puzzle of the game, the escape rooms let kids hone their geography, math, and reading comprehension skills, and are built around fun themes that included Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, and Marvel superheroes. Not only did they take away some of the tedium and chaos of online teaching and learning, but the virtual escape rooms were tools for staff development and community building. Brooke Windsor, a librarian in Ontario, put it this way: We still want to sneak in that learning, broccoli-in-the-brownie style.
As big weddings were (mostly) canceled and postponed in 2020, UK wedding photographer Tim Dunk decided he needed another project to keep his creative juices flowing. I had to deal with the shock and financial implications of [the coronavirus] like any other photographer. It also threw up another challenge: how do we as creatives stay creative? Dunk wrote.
His solution: FaceTime photo shoots. The photo subject and Dunk connect on FaceTime, and he determines where the light in their house is best for a portrait. Then, using the Live Photo button on the iPhone (sorry, Android users) that lets you take photos during a FaceTime call, he snaps the pictures, then edits them in Lightroom. And 10 from every shoot he charges 50 for a set of 10 to 15 photos goes to the Trussell Trust, a UK-based charitable organization that supports food banks. Hes also created photo books of some of the portraits taken during the project, and he penned a how-to for other photographers.
Okay, so not all of the movies in Gads Reunited Apart YouTube series are from the 1980s, but the casts of Ferris Buellers Day Off, Ghostbusters, Splash, The Goonies, and Back to the Future meeting on Zoom brought back the faces of some cultural touchstones of the American Gen-X childhood. Each episode benefits a different charitable organization and garners thousands, and in some cases, millions of views. The One Zoom to Rule Them All episode featuring the cast of the Lord of the Rings drew 5.7 million views and benefited nonprofit organization No Kid Hungry. Everybody is going through the same craziness, trying to operate in a world thats still very new and complicated, where our sole connection is through the internet, Gad told The Guardian.
If any app is having a moment in 2020, its the ubiquitous TikTok fighting the Trump administration in court and at the same time becoming the most-downloaded app in the world over the summer. Jacksonville, Florida science teacher Nancy Bullard created a Mrs. B TV on TikTok, dressing like everything from an astronaut to a chicken in the name of science. Bullard guides students through science experiments they can do without parental supervision, so parents working from home can have a bit of a reprieve. The response from students has been overwhelmingly positive, Bullard said. Whether it is the latest dance trend or Fortnite, we have to find our kids on the platforms theyre comfortable with.
During the coronavirus pandemic, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) director Anthony Fauci has become one of its most recognizable faces and its an extremely expressive face that usually conveys what hes thinking. Epidemiologist Karen Sautter Errichetti needed a way to check in with how her students were coping with... everything... and created an unscientific chart based on the five-part Likert scale, using photos of Fauci on a one to five scale (later expanded to a nine-photo scale) so students could choose their mood for that day. Photos of the NIAID director smiling were the most difficult to find, Errichetti noted.
Word is that Fauci himself has seen the scale, which is not quite the introduction Errichetti envisioned; she and her colleagues consider him a rock star of sorts. Creating your own memes, Errichetti told me, thats a little bit of your own kind of medicine.
Read more here:
How the pandemic inspired creative uses of technology in 2020 - The Verge
- Technology | Define Technology at Dictionary.com [Last Updated On: March 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2016]
- Technology | Definition of Technology by Merriam-Webster [Last Updated On: March 25th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 25th, 2016]
- Technology | Define Technology at Dictionary.com [Last Updated On: March 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 26th, 2016]
- Technology | Definition of Technology by Merriam-Webster [Last Updated On: March 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 26th, 2016]
- Technology Synonyms, Technology Antonyms | Thesaurus.com [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2016]
- Technology News | Reuters.com [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2016]
- Information technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: March 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: March 27th, 2016]
- Technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2016] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2016]
- Technology Org - Science and technology news [Last Updated On: July 5th, 2016] [Originally Added On: July 5th, 2016]
- Technology - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- NOAA Ocean Explorer: Technology [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- History of technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- Technology - Blue Sky Innovation - Chicago Tribune [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- Technology - Northern Illinois University [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- Technology Jobs - Monster.com [Last Updated On: August 27th, 2016] [Originally Added On: August 27th, 2016]
- Urban Dictionary: technology [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- IHS Technology The Source for Critical Information and ... [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- Technology | NFL Football Operations [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- Legaltech News - Law Technology News [Last Updated On: January 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 5th, 2017]
- Reddit: Technology [Last Updated On: January 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 14th, 2017]
- National Education Technology Plan - Office of Educational ... [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2017]
- Technology: Industries: PwC [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2017]
- Israeli technology let Super Bowl fans see plays at face mask level - Jerusalem Post Israel News [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Toyota, Suzuki to work together in green, safety technology - The Japan Times [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Aston Martin's architect on how to make technology beautiful - The Verge [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- How the New Fox Show APB Approaches Police Technology - Slate Magazine [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Prosthetic arm technology detects spinal nerve signals - Science Daily [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- In This Year's Super Bowl Of Technology, Intel Led The Way With A Sky Full Of Drones - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Learning From Last Year: Technology Funding Outlooks For 2017 - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Technology - The New York Times [Last Updated On: February 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 6th, 2017]
- Texas transportation leaders scramble to keep up with car technology - Fort Worth Star Telegram [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- What the Tech: Neuro-Bio Monitor Technology - KFDX [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How Powerful AI Technology Can Lead to Unforeseen Disasters - Fortune [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Microsoft's AI group debuts customizable speech-to-text technology, rapidly expanding 'cognitive services' for ... - GeekWire [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How 3-D technology helped surgeons separate conjoined twins - CNN [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- These Four Black Women Inventors Reimagined the Technology of the Home - Smithsonian [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Broadcaster dangles new technology for Winter Olympics - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- A flare for self-destruction: How technology is the means, not the cause, of our demise - National Post [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- How 3D and Self-Design Will Change Technology - Huffington Post [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Republicans Aim to Kill Election Technology Standards Agency - Gizmodo [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2017]
- Sean Spicer: Coal will be one of the cleanest uses of technology that we have - The Independent [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Is technology getting in the way of togetherness? - Las Vegas Weekly (blog) [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Panera surges to record as Wall Street eyes payoff from technology - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Coming technology will likely destroy millions of jobs. Is Trump ready? - Washington Post [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- How Technology Transforms Dreamers Into Economic Powerhouses - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- Technology Trends That Will Shape 2017 and Boost Your Company's UX - Entrepreneur [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- United Airlines Experiences Another Technology Glitch - Wall Street Journal [Last Updated On: February 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 9th, 2017]
- A growing concern: Technology and transportation - Florida Today [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Aberdeen Oil and Gas Technology centre due to open - BBC News [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Opinion: Ethics should be front and center with technology but isn't always - The Mercury News [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Yes, there's a job creation argument for automation and technology - The Hill (blog) [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Nasdaq plans venture arm to invest in financial technology: sources ... - Reuters [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Volvo melds technology and luxury in the XC90 T8 hybrid - Engadget [Last Updated On: February 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 10th, 2017]
- Our seas have become a plastic graveyard - but can technology turn the tide? - Telegraph.co.uk [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Technology identifying fastest checkout lanes comes to metro - KCCI Des Moines [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- This Technology Could Be a Game-Changer for the Marijuana Industry - Fox Business [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Small cell technology is large endeavor for state - Crain's Cleveland Business [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Grapevine: Technology at any age - Jerusalem Post Israel News [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- Feeling Tied to Technology? Neuroscientist Offers Tips to Focus and Recharge Your Brain - whotv.com [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- The technology fixing Britain's parking problem - The Independent [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2017]
- DHS Developing Technology to Identify Terrorist Travelers - Breitbart News [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- New technology has display designers thinking outside the rectangle - The Japan Times [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Graph Technology A Data Standby By For Every Fortune 500 Company - Computer Business Review [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Tesla obtains patent for charging metal-air battery technology that could enable longer range - Electrek [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Tim Cook: Augmented Reality is as big of a technology as the smartphone - BGR [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Franklin County's 911 centers sharing technology to receive texts - Columbus Dispatch [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- A New Angel Investing Platform Connects Deep Technology And Science Startups With Capital - Forbes [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- How technology is encouraging society to be stupid - The Next Web [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- Technology puts 'touch' into long-distance relationships - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: February 13th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 13th, 2017]
- VW plans to use Mobileye sensing and localization technology - Automotive News (subscription) (blog) [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- How dangerous is technology? - OUPblog (blog) [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Valentine's day: what's your secret technology crush? - Naked Security [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Johnston educators among presenters at technology conference - News & Observer [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Is Magic Leap Lying About Its Acid Trip Technology? - Vanity Fair [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- A look at North Korea's missile launches and technology - ABC News [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Parents and technology How much is too much? - WGBA-TV [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Apple's Eddy Cue says technology companies have a responsibility to combat fake news - Recode [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2017]
- Statistical agencies looking to C-suite, new digital tools to address biggest challenges - FederalNewsRadio.com [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Even Indian technology entrepreneurs think they are living in a bubble - Quartz [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]
- Is Hyperloop transportation technology coming to India? - YourStory.com [Last Updated On: February 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: February 15th, 2017]