^IfMine Blog

How to Add Photos to ^IfMine Projects

Danielle — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:47 +0000

Below are four easy ways to add photos to your ^IfMine projects:

1. Add a cover photo.

Click “Create” to start a new project on ^IfMine. Add a cover photo by clicking the black box and uploading a photo from your computer. Name your project, add a synopsis, tag it and choose to make your project public or private. Add a Detailed Project Description and save your project.

2. Embed a photo in the Detailed Project Description.

Add photos to your project within the Detailed Project Description. Click the photo box and input an image’s URL. Repeat for each photo and save your project.

3. Upload images to your project’s gallery.

After a project has been created, you may upload additional photos to your gallery by clicking the plus sign (+).

4. Keep your photos throughout each evolution.

When it’s time to Evolve your project, check the photo(s) you want to migrate to the next evolution and hit save.

Click here to Explore what’s trending on ^IfMine.

Blended Learning Infographic

Danielle — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:00:58 +0000

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

As technology and education intertwine, platforms are needed to offer students a space to collaborate with peers and seek mentorship, while giving teachers the ability to follow along and guide students to success.

^IfMine is the platform for collaboration and mentorship. Join us.

Collaborative Education: Project-Based Learning

Danielle — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:00:17 +0000

As an online collaboration and mentorship platform, ^IfMine provides educators a space to foster critical thinking allowing students to develop their ideas and learn important lessons about iteration.

Our site is free and functions as an open cloud platform for project-based learning and crowdsourced mentorship. We offer tools for peer collaboration, as well as assessment and professional evaluation.

What is project-based learning and how is it different from just doing projects? Take a look at this chart by Amy Mayer of friEdTechnology:

Are you an educator? Give us a go and integrate our project-based learning tool within your classroom. Visit ^IfMine.com today.

Do classrooms need an online incubator?

Danielle — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:00:40 +0000

“The best of MOOCs should be able to bring together ideal, heterogeneous groupings of students based on their profiles and past performance, and also create ample opportunities for them to engage with one another in the spirit of learning.” -Douglas Rushkoff

When teachers engage with their students, learning happens. This is true in both traditional classrooms and virtual ones.

We know students also learn from each other in a regular classroom, but what happens when those interactions are taken away in an online class? Where can educators and students go to discuss ideas and solutions? And what’s an online incubator?

The answers to each of those questions lie within a place called ^IfMine. Now, we ask another question. What is ^IfMine?

^IfMine is…

a meeting place for students and educators.
an online incubator to grow ideas.
a website to build eportfolios.
a tool for receiving feedback.
where students collaborate on group projects.
where teachers can mentor and evaluate their students.
where critical thinking takes place.
for success in education.

Are you ready for an online incubator? Join us at ^IfMine.com.

Photo source: Tony Crider (Flickr)

Learn more:

10 Ways Students Can Use ^IfMine

The Evolution of Project Management: Feedback is the Natural Selection

Evolve It: Move Your Project to the Next Stage of Development

An Exciting Launch at SXSW

Brian Scavo — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:16:10 +0000

Needless to say, the official ^IfMine.com public launch at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive was an exciting time for us. Austin is quite lively for the week and a half that the conference and festival takes places people were eager to network, discover what’s new, and share their ideas with like-minded individuals. It was the perfect place to reveal ^IfMine to the world, as we’re all about connecting people that know with people that do.

Brian Scavo was on the streets of Austin handing out free ^IfMine t-shirts, and so we’ve chronicled some of the smiling faces that stopped by to grab one. To see how fun our SXSW visit was, check out our Twitter feed from the last few days. Also, check out the photo album on Flickr, Instagram, or in the slideshow below!

We’re Headed to SXSW!

Danielle — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:00:47 +0000

Austin, Texas…Here we come! We’re publicly launching ^IfMine.com during the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival March 8-12, 2013. You’ll find us out on the streets of Austin, chatting with conference goers and passing out freebies.

If you’re attending, look for Brian Scavo – He’s taking over our social media for the week and wants to snap a photo of you in an ^IfMine t-shirt!

Need live updates during SXSW? Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google+.

Don’t get lost in the crowd! Register for ^IfMine today by using your Facebook or email account.

There’s no more waiting! We’re out of beta testing!

Read more about ^IfMine’s launch in our first press release: Project Mentorship Platform ^IfMine Gears up for Website Launch at SXSW.

Evolve It: Move Your Project to the Next Stage of Development

Danielle — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:00:35 +0000

Evolve It. Once, twice, a hundred times. It’s your project and you can move it to the next stage of development when you’re ready.

The Evolve It function at ^IfMine allows you to enhance the projects you create without losing your initial ideas. A project’s title, description, photos and comments stay with each Evolution.

^IfMine Project: EcoScrapbooking Evolution 1

When it’s time to Evolve It to the second Evolution, you have the option of changing the title, cover photo and synopsis or make no changes at all. Know that your first entry, along with all the comments from Collaborators, Mentors and Followers are safe in Evolution 1.

^IfMine Project: EcoScrapbooking Evolution 2

You continue the process with each subsequent Evolution and change your project as needed without losing any details, attachments or comments from previous Evolutions.

^IfMine Project: EcoScrapbooking Evolution 3

You can select older Evolutions at any time and watch your idea grow.

Are you ready? Go to ^IfMine today.

Also see: Are You Ready to Evolve Your Project?

Are you a mentor?

Danielle — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:00:13 +0000

Helpful. Wise. Trustworthy. Mentors are known for these qualities. What sets apart these experienced advisers is enchantment. Here’s how you can achieve it:

A mentor can change a person’s life in a single influential conversation or during a relationship that combines friendship with empowering advice.

If you are ready to showcase your ability to help others with your enchanting personality, we need you.

Also See: 5 Simple Ways to Help People Succeed

We’re building a community of idea-makers who are growing their ideas at ^IfMine. Mentors, like you, can help guide them to success. Join us.

Infographic Source: Guy Kawasaki

The ^IfMine Mashup: Critiques

Danielle — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 12:00:22 +0000

Where do you go when you need a critique? Whether you want feedback on your photography, a school report or any project you’re working on, a good critique can help you reach success.

Let’s take a closer look at critiques in today’s ^IfMine Mashup.

How to Ask Someone to Critique Your Work: A photo critique is a detailed look at a photo or a group of photos. The person critiquing should point out what they like and don’t like about the work, and offer suggestions for improvement. Read more at Tocofi.

Also see: Where to Share Your Ideas

How Can I Learn to Take Criticism Without Taking It Personally?: Look at criticism as a chance to grow and get better—or even to surpass the person delivering the critique. It’s easier said than done, but knowing your strengths and being ready to hear and accept your weaknesses is the most powerful thing you can do. Read more at Lifehacker.

How to Self-Critique Your Design Projects: Self-critique is checking on your own design, searching for flaws and other points to improve. Wikipedia defines it as “auto-critique that refers to the pointing out of things critical/important to one’s own beliefs, thoughts, actions, behaviour or results; it can form part of private, personal reflection or a group discussion”. Read more at Naldz Graphics.

Also see: 5 Simple Ways to Help People Succeed

Avoid Problem Solving For Better Critiques: Good critique comes from mutual understanding. The primary goal of any critique should be improved understanding, specifically the improved understanding of the creators on how the design choices they’ve made so far are working to achieve or not achieve their goals. Read more at Discussing Design.

Visit ^IfMine to share ideas, receive feedback on your projects and offer constructive criticism to help others succeed.

Online Portfolio: The Project-Based Resume

Danielle — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:00:47 +0000

Online portfolios don’t have to be limited to designers, photographers and writers who want to showcase their artistic abilities.

Teachers, DIYers, job-seekers or anyone with an idea (including you) can share thoughts and accomplishments on project management sites like ^IfMine.

By creating an online portfolio, you have the ability to keep track of your projects.

When it’s time to search for a new job, share your portfolio and show potential employers or clients what you can do rather than tell them on a resume.

Need a boost to get you started? By building an online portfolio at ^IfMine, you can:

Impress people with your thought process.
Display examples of your best work.
Show off your special skills.
Prove your professionalism when collaborating with and mentoring others.
Step ahead of the competition by adding value to your resume.
Update and evolve your projects easily.
Do it for free.

Get started today at ^IfMine.

Photo Source: bpsusf (Flickr)