by John T. SpencerFor the last ten days, I've been participating in a Living Facebook Experiment, where I do everything in-person that I do on Facebook.  While I initially saw it as a chance to rethink the role of technology in my life, I'm now recognizing how it's changing my perceptions on education reform.#1: The Dangers of CustomizationObservations: Facebook, Google and other media have encouraged me to grow myopic in personalizing my settings. I realized this awhile ago with Pandora, when I began to listen to a narrower version of indie folk rock. I saw this recently in a TED Talk. It was as if the author had been articulating the dystopia I was trying to describe - a world in which the "relevant" and the "personal" replace the important, the uncomfortable and occasionally the boring.  For years I have advocated customized learning based upon students' interests and personality. Teacher Take-Home: What I'm wondering now is how to balance what students want versus what they need and how to expose them to the painful, the boring and the disruptive side of learning while still  meeting their individual interests.  I used to think Pandora would be the ultimate model for a school.  Now I'm seeing that I would rather have a school that looks like a rock festival where students can roam the live music with constant exposure to new ideas.#2: It Isn't NeutralObservations: Social media initially appears to be transcultural and trans-geographic.  Yet, there is a significance in what a medium omits and promotes as well as how it organizes information.  The end result is a distinct brand-based culture that permeates the entire experience.  I feel as if I "go to" Twitter and "go to" Facebook even if it is simply the tap of a plus-icon on my Chrome browser.Teacher Take-Home: I'll be working with ten 21st Century Classrooms next year in a hybrid, one-to-one learning environment.  I've been thinking about collaboration and communication using social media.  I've been dreaming up project-based learning opportunities.  And yet, this is forcing me to rethink some of my initial ideas.  I'm recognizing the danger in social media to colonize and socialize.  I'm recognizing the need to not only criticize the media but also the transcultural experience created by a media platform.#3: The Power of FriendshipObservations: This project is forcing me to rethink the meaning of friendship. I have hundreds of "friends" on Facebook, but I'm starting to question what all of that actually means. As I interact with my "friends" offline, I'm struck by the notion that I am sometimes more transparent online than I am in person.  I am far more guarded, private and awkward in my interactions with neighbors than I am with my PLN.Teacher Take-Home: I'm wondering what it means to "friend" former students and wondering about the relational distance we should expect.  In particular, to what extent should I still have a voice in my former students' lives? Moreover, what does it mean for students to "friend" students in other parts of the world?  How authentic can we be without the physical geography?#4: People Are ProfoundObservations: I'm fascinated by the depth of strangers. Sometimes I get into this place where I think that my friends are the only deep thinkers. I've been surprised by the deep conversations I've had with people I didn't know.  I never thought this would be the case, but living Facebook has caused me to see the depth of humanity in a way I hadn't seen before.  In other words, for all the trash people talk about social media, I am struck by the thought that I am living better when I am living Facebook.  Scary, perhaps, but true on some level. On the other hand, I'm often disappointed by the shallow nature of social media.  Often it feels as though the deeper conversations aren't occurring on Facebook and that much of Twitter is used to share resources rather than ideas or questions.Teacher Take-Home: What does it mean to use Twitter or Facebook for in-depth, critical thinking projects when adults often model a shallow, take-this-quiz-on-which-Phil-Collins-song-you-are-the-most-like?  What does it mean to encourage students to ask hard questions about their universe when they have so often used these social media platforms for entertainment? #5: Obsession With NumbersObservations: I care too much about numbers.  I am bummed to see that I have only ten subscribers.  However, I am surprised to see that I'm getting over two hundred page views a day.  I care too much about retweets or @mentions.  And that's the subtle seduction of social media - the way it encourages me to seek my self-worth through popularity-based data. It's been a humbling experience (for example when I wear a t-shirt advertising my friend count) to see just how arrogant I can be about my online influence.Teacher Take-Home: How do we pursue a humble reform when proposing bold steps toward changing education?  How do we communicate in blogs, conferences, podcasts and books in a way that recognizes the human element rather than the data-bound pie charts?  Have we, in the educational technology community, simply bought into a new data-bound narrative that is not much better than the current metrics used to rate students on standardized tests?

by John T. Spencer - cross-posted from Education Rethinkbinomial nomenclature has its place -- in the right contextMy mentor looked at me cautiously and said, "John, you're not going to like hearing this, but No Child Left Behind wasn't evil. It was misguided. It was unwise, but there were some good things that came out of it.""What do you mean?""You can disagree with the methods used. They were horrible. You can disagree with the approach. It needs to be changed. But I remember hearing teachers say things like 'that kid won't make it anyway' or 'you can't expect these kids to read at grade level.' In some schools, it was a wake-up call.""We're being tested to death.""I agree with you. But I was in those schools before and after and the results have been mixed. There were some teachers with a really low view of what urban students were capable of accomplishing."She went on to explain the down side of standardized tests, the arrogance of some of the powerful elite and the failure to understand the context. But she also reminded me that many of the kill-and-drill proponents are misguided and unwise, but not altogether wrong in their motives."I've met some of those people and it might be hard to believe, but sometimes it's an issue of good people with good ideas with big blind spots."*      *      * It's unpopular in the polemic world of edublogging to step out and say, "Maybe the enemy isn't so much an enemy as much as a misguided protagonist." But I wonder if maybe the real issue in education reform isn't that people are following wrong ideas as often as they are using good ideas, strategies and methods in the wrong context.The following is a list of things that I've railed against and labeled as wrong when the truth is they each have a place in the right context:Rewards: Daniel Pink does a great job describing the few situations where a reward works. If it's short-term and the task is very basic and not necessarily intrinsically rewarding. For example, I hate to mow the yard, yet I have an easier time mowing it if I can promise myself a half hour of reading time afterward. Multiple Choice Tests: The biggest failure in multiple choice is that it's being used in the wrong context. We use the tests to judge rather than inform. Finland uses multiple choice tests as an exit exam to determine larger trends in education. True, the tests are far from perfect, but they are decent at demonstrating reliably the larger trends in what needs to be changed. District Office Personell: I've ripped the D.O. in the past. I've mentioned why their jobs are useless. What I'm growing to understand is that they are often qualified people with great ideas, but they are placed in a context of compliance rather than leadership. PLC: I hated the concept when I saw it in action at my first school. (I mocked it for sounding like a drug - alongside PCP or LSD) Last year, however, I experienced a true Professional Learning Community with shared values, transparency and an intentional focus on providing meaningful intervention. It was all about the context. Politicians: My students had a chance to get to know a few legislators. What we found were people who genuinely believed in what they were doing and wanted to make a difference. The context of a broken system had curtailed their idealism and forced them into a place of either legislative impotence or bargaining against their beliefs. Lectures: I used to blast lectures. Then I heard a great sermon, I watched some amazing TED and I took the time to sit down and truly listen to the "I Have a Dream" speech. Talks and I realized that lecture had a place. We need stories. We need speeches. The issue is context. How often do we use lecture and where does this strategy belong?Merit Pay: It's not a bad idea if a job is based upon economic norms. However,  in a social context with people who are driven by a desire to educate rather than make shiny objects, it is a colossal failure. The issue isn't the idea. It's the context. Home-schooling: When I first began blogging, I blasted home-schooling and un-schooling. Then I met people who had created an amazing context where authentic learning was happening. (The same goes for those who are quick to attack public school teachers as thieves, Nazis, slave-drivers or child-abusers) Edublog Awards: I recently wrote a post that was critical of these awards. The truth is that they do a great job promoting awareness among the blogging community. The problem is the context. It's a bad "place" for me to be when I'm in what feels like a hyper-competitive environment. Common Assessments: There is a real value in sharing data, planning together and creating assessments that are shared across a grade level. The problem is when they are top-down, hierarchical and based upon a multiple-choice framework. I could continue the list, but you get the idea. None of those are wrong. The real issue is the context. However, when I attack ideas rather than the context of implementation, I grow close-minded. I miss the nuance and the paradox. I fail to build bridges with the misguided protagonists. And most of all, I fail to see how often I am the misguided protagonist, bumbling through a Don Quixote world of education.

by John T. Spencer (@johntspencer)Every time I've visited an educational conference, the big buzzword (is an acronym a word?) is PBL. I have heard to definitions of the PBL acronym: Problem-based and Project-based (or Product-based). I'm not sure why it's not PL, because of the hyphenation, but I won't ask. Either way, it is presented as a fix-all for education.I like the PBL framework. However, I see a subtle danger in pushing PBL as something that should be happening in every classroom with every student all the time. Most often, the reason behind this is that in "the real world" we learn through inquiry, problem-solving and projects.I don't deny the validity of that argument. However, in the real world (and in the magical world, too - folks still learn in Narnia), we learn in ways that go beyond the PBL approach.Take inquiry. Life doesn't always begin with my own questions. Sometimes someone asks me a question and the motive is external. Sometimes epiphanies happen. Sometimes I learn through something that is not a question at all - just an observation or an explanation. Sometimes I start with an answer and then question it later, as I intuitively create something new.Sometimes life isn't a problem to be solved. There's a place for nuance and paradox and the recognition that we don't have all the answers. I ran into this a few years back when I had a Palestinian-Israeli Peace Process PBL. In the end, a student approached me and said, "I read about fatalism and the history of that area. What if peace isn't possible? What if there isn't a solution? More importantly, what if it's not our job, as Americans, to solve the problem?" We should have looked at the human element, at the conflict and the culture without treating it as a problem to be solved.In the real world, learning isn't always a product or a project. Sometimes it's a conversation over a pint or a cognitive process in a time of distress. Sometimes it's a Google search when something sparks my curiosity. Sometimes it's a metaphor as I watch a baseball game. Or it's a tweet. Or a hike. Or a profound way in which a song speaks to the human condition.I am not against PBL. I see it as a vital part of authentic learning. However, as amazing as it is, it still remains a part rather than the solution to a holistic education.

by Mike Kaechele I was inspired by Shelly's final exam to try my own version of a collaborative, open internet test. The background for this is that students worked in groups of 3 on one of five topics related to the Cold War: Germany, China, Korea, Vietnam, and the arms and space race. All students were responsible for researching the beginnings of the Cold War and the policies and actions of the West and the Soviet Bloc. Students prepared presentations on their topic and shared while their classmates took notes. The next day the students worked in their same groups (they had two hours) to answer the following questions with full access to their computers.Names and font colors :Please pick a different color font for each group member and use it throughout. You should proofread each others' work before you are done. You must answer all of these questions in your own thoughts and words. Copy and pasting will result in no credit for that question! Your answers should be in complete sentences and paragraph form. You have some choices in how you answer these questions. Be sure that you address ALL of our sub-topics: China, Germany, Korea, Vietnam, and the arms and space race somewhere in this test. Standards:WHG8.1.1a blueExplain the origins of the Cold War including the differences in ideologies and policies of the Soviet bloc and the West.WHG8.1.1bThe arms and space race between United States and Soviet Union.WHG8.1.1cConflicts in Korea and Vietnam.WHG8.1.1dThe development of communism in ChinaAnswer all of the following:Explain how the conclusion of WWII helps start the Cold War. Be sure to list specific events and decisions by different countries.Explain in detail the message of this political cartoon. Be sure to identify the people, countries, etc:Give 3 examples of how the Capital used fear to manipulate people in The Hunger Games.Explain the "Domino Effect" and "containment" and how they originated from the Truman Doctrine. Give an example of how these policies were implemented.List as many examples of proxy wars from the Cold War that you can. Explain in detail how one of them was a proxy war.What factors lead to communism developing in China and how is China part of the Cold War?How were the space and arms race related to each other and to the Cold War? Give detailed examples of how they began and progressed.Watch this. Explain how this is not the end of the Cold War. How and why did the Cold War end? Evaluate your partners in this Google Form. Choose 4 of the following questions to answer in detail:Insert 2 images (One Western and One Soviet) of propaganda and explain how they used fear to manipulate people.Why was this era called the Cold War? Use reason and evidence to support your claim.List the title and artist of a Cold War song,insert a hotlink to the song lyrics, and explain how that song relates to the Cold War. Bonus points if Mr. Kaechele likes the song:)Explain how "The Butter Battle Book" is an analogy to the "Arms Race."Give specific examples of Cold War governments making decisions based on fear and false assumptions of the opposing side.Some people have compared the Cold War to a chess match. Others say "The Cold War never fought any physical battles." Agree or disagree with one of these statements and support your opinion with examples.Explain how the Berlin Airlift was brinkmanship between the Soviets and the Americans.Explain how the Suez Canal Crisis was part of the Cold War.Watch "We choose to go to the moon." How is this speech propaganda? How is it part of the Cold War? How is this speech part of the "American myth" of exceptionalism?Choose any topic of the Cold War that you feel is not addressed in the previous questions that you feel that you are an expert on. Explain it in detail. Some observations of this process is that students were challenged. I also enjoyed listening to the conversations going on in the room. They were more intense than normal. A couple of students told me they liked the test. When is the last time you have heard that? I also think that if I used this format again they will do even better in both their preparation and understanding that it is their responsibility to make sure that they address all of the standards.

Todays textures are black and white and from an old concrete wall that seems to have been used for target practice by the look of all the bullet holes in it. They have a nice grunge feeling to them and I’m sure they would be a nice addition to any texture arsenal out there. Remember, you can download them all in a zip file at the bottom of this post. Enjoy! Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (48.6Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Grunge Stone Wall 3 Free Texture Friday - Gritty Grunge Wall Free Texture Friday - Gritty Wall Free Texture Friday - Grunge Wall 3 Free Texture Friday - Grunge Wall 2

While Adobe Photoshop has added some support for creating vector illustrations, Adobe Illustrator remains the most powerful software and the industry standard for creating illustrations and vector artwork. Illustrator can be used to create icons, fonts, posters, logos and more, and because they are vectors, they are scalable without any loss in quality. The online design community is always releasing new tutorials on how to achieve effects in Illustrator, and here and some of the latest and greatest: Create a Cylindrical Loading Bar Vector Graffiti Inspired Line Icons Create a Plastic Balls Text Effect Rock and Roll Guitar Poster Vector Airplane Easy Way to Make Vector Flowers Twisted Balloon Text Effect Design Supersoaker Vector Illustration Cigarette Text Effect Cute Deer Illustration Related Posts Instructive Adobe Illustrator Poster Tutorials Illustrator Tutorials for Text Effects The Best Photoshop and Design Tutorials from July 2015 Illustrator Icon Design Tutorials 10 Fun Photoshop Text Effect Tutorials

Hey guys, I’m back with some brand new textures this week. A set of five grunge and rusty surfaces that will be perfect for your next vintage project. I hope you enjoy them. Cheers! Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (44.3Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Vintage Rust Free Texture Friday - Gritty Rust Free Texture Friday - Grunge Plastic 2 Free Texture Friday - Grunge Metal 3 Free Texture Friday - Abstract Grunge 4

Pets aren’t just animals, they are family. Unlike working animals or livestock, pets are animals that owners develop a close relationship with, for company, for protection, and for general well-being. The most common animals to be kept as pets are dogs and cats, but guinea pigs, birds, hamsters, turtles, fish and many other animals are often kept as pets as well. People develop a close relationship with their pets, and they become part of family, and as such, are worthy of being photographed: Child lovingly embraces his pet dog By Robert Hainer A Dog Called Man By Xavier Minguella Presence By Mika Going Places By Barrie Gledden Attack!! By Josh Norem Christmas Kitty By Wendy Teal Earl By Vivi Rose Untitled By Ana Francisconi Melancholia By joe Conroy Yellow Eyes By Esmee Prexus Tasting Time By Shingo Uchiyama lucruri simple (simple things) By Vlad Dumitrescu Friendship By Milenko Ðilas Cat By Patthana Z Let’s play By Evgeniya Karnaukhova double trouble …. By Mathias Ahrens Flame Point By Josh norem Nala By Winfried Werner Lola at the Window By Bopbie Huber face to face By Mathias Ahrens Bailey By Darcy Evans In the forest By Sandra A-B The Poser By DJLee The Element of Innocence By Marc Steensma Bokeh Sam! By Maricel Quesada An English Summer By Robert K. Baggs Autumn Eyes By Beverly Crichton Amaruk By Sandra A-B Stairway of dreams By Aris Sánchez Brumi By Géza Egyed Related Posts Eclipse Photography: Obscured Sun and Moon in Photographs 30 Photographs with Rings 30 Uses of Blur in Photographs 30 Photographs of Arches Around the World Family: Showcasing the Importance In Photos

Textures are less commonly used in web design than patterns are, as usually textures are more common in graphic design, but they also have their place in web design. Using textures can be tricky as they can be either too subtle or too bold, and they don’t always scale well, but when used properly, they can add a great pop to a website. In this post we’ll look at some quality web designs that know how to use textures. The Town that Came In From The Cold One Dollar Lesson Mint Design Company Into the Zombie Underworld Sloche Sidewalk Ian Cox ATZE-V Skoll Formica Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Smoke Free Texture Friday - Misc Wood Free Texture Friday - Vintage Book 3 Flat Agency Web Designs to Inspire You Free Texture Friday - Wooden Chips 2

Hey, today I have a set of grunge textures from an old wooden boat that has been mostly torn apart. It’s sides are covered with old paint and dirt, making the perfect grunge surface. I hope they are a good addition to your texture arsenal Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (55.8Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Old Blue Wood Free Texture Friday - Rotten Wood 3 Free Texture Friday - Abstract Grunge 4 Free Texture Friday - Burned Wood Free Texture Friday - From Wood to Metal

Egypt is one of the most well known countries on the planet, and contains a large number of historical and archaeological sites that are visited by tourists every year. While the country has changed since the time of the Pharaohs, with the capital moving from Thebes/Luxor to Cairo, much of the culture has been retained, with foreign influences from Greece due to Alexander the Great, and other influences from globalization and modernization. Egypt’s population is primarily concentrated around the Nile and the coast, but has population spread throughout the country, and there is a strong contrast between both desert and life, as well as ancient and modern: Rocky Desert BY Marco Ramos Ras Muhammad National Park By Roberto Melotti Sunrise Worker By M. Elmahdi Abdelwahab Rocky Desert II By Marco Ramos Great Desert By Denis Cherkashin Sand dune By Anukool Suppakiratirote Hatchepsout By Luis Courtot How Small we Are ?! By Sam Azmy Pyramids By Arvind Balaraman Burning sky By Frank Schäfer Dunelines in Egyprt By Dionys Moser Taxi Solitario By Jose Agudo Camels and Pyramids By Dale Johnson El Karnak Temple By Salma ElDardiry Flamingo bath By Ahmed ElSheikh Pyramids By Arvind Balaraman Dust Storm By David Rocaberti Jewel inside a Dream By Sven Duzont aswan aboelhawa By Mohamed Hussein In Philae Temple By Hossam Feluccas on the Nile By Erdal Oskay Atardecer en el Nilo By Jesús Municio Al-Bahr Mosque By Mohamed Rageh Nile River Boat By Jaco Ferreira Habu Temple By Salma ElDardiry A night on the Nile By Khaled Mahmoud The bridge By Mohammed Al-kashef Glossy Ibis By Ahmed Waheed Bird’s eye… By Rami Bittar nile By Panos Papas Related Posts 30 Photographs with Rings Eclipse Photography: Obscured Sun and Moon in Photographs 30 Adorable Photographs of Pets (and Their Owners) 30 Uses of Blur in Photographs 30 Photographs of Arches Around the World

With the release of Adobe’s Sketch, its now easier than ever for web designers to create UI kits for prototyping and designing websites more quickly. A UI kit can consist of anything from just a few concepts such as buttons and forms, to all UI elements that could possibly be needed for a full web app platform. Each month, new UI kits get released, and here are some I think you should definitely check out: Cerpow UI Kit Roady Dashboard Kit Recipe UI Kit Food and Drink Kit Stars UI Kit Elegance UI Kit Travel App UI Kit Pixelkit Vintage UI Kit Cardzzz UI Kit Ecommerce Kit Related Posts Creative Music App Interface Designs Great Hand-drawn Fonts for Designers Free Browser PSD Mockups to Download Sharp Black and White Logo Designs Free Flat Icon Sets to Download

Today I have a set of burned black & white wood textures that I shot of an old damaged boat at the harbor. The cracked and damaged wood is full of tiny details and makes a perfect background and overlay. As before, you can download a free zip including all the textures from the Copy.com link below the texture previews. I hope you enjoy. Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (26.9Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - From Wood to Metal Free Texture Friday - Old Blue Wood Free Texture Friday - Rotten Wood 3 Free Texture Friday - Grunge Painted Wood Free Texture Friday - Wooden Chips 2

Family is one of the most important groups that exists in nature. There are different types of family, such as those that are genetically related, those through marriage, and those through cohabitation. Family plays a lot of vital roles, such as support and nurturing, resource sharing, protection, and of course, reproduction. While families come in many forms, they share some common traits and the importance is often showcased in family photography: Family By Denisa Justusová Šumcová Je met mes pas dans ceux de ma mère By Marc Pelissier The Chen family #3 By Fang Tong A Giant Unity By Jaco Marx The Chen family #1 By Fang Tong Family Portrait By Antonio Arcos aka fotonstudio Stress Mother Watching Kids Make a Mess By Angela Waye Generations By Marcodelellis Mother’s Comfort By Nate Zeman Family portrait By Jacob Tuinenga Family Affair. By Peter Stahi Family provider By Adrian Popan Let’s Go Mom By Ted Taylor Family scooter By Lovro Zebras By Kirill Trubitsyn The Sharma Family By Robert Serenity By Marinka Masseus Mother of five By Andre Van Huizen Family portrait By Monique Sweet yawn By Mike Kremer Rajesh and his sons By Robert Father_and_Son By Rob Husband and Wife By Mitchell Kanashkevich Etsy Mum By Tanya Love Gypsy Family By Sahin AVCI Family By Sergey Kokinskiy Mother and Cub… By Mac Danzig Bedroom By Mario Tarello Looking ahead By Jorge Feteira The Salon By Brita Lomba Related Posts 30 Adorable Photographs of Pets (and Their Owners) Bears in Photography: 30 Jaw-Dropping Photos Photographs of Poverty 30 Photographs with Rings Eclipse Photography: Obscured Sun and Moon in Photographs

Every month, tons of new Photoshop tutorials are released across the web, covering everything from web design to text effects, banner design and more. As Photoshop continues to get new features, tutorials aren’t just for beginning designers. They can be essential guides to understanding the true power of Photoshop. In this post, we’ll look at some of the best recent Photoshop tutorials from August 2015. Create a Stylized Hay Bale Typography Design Create Sc-fi Art in Photoshop Create a Seamless Fantasy Floral Pattern in Adobe Photoshop Create a One-Layer Retro Text Effect in Adobe Photoshop Create a Comic Book Text Effect in Photoshop Making Of ‘Jungle Creature’ By Matt Dixon Create a Responsive Screen Mockup Using Smart Objects in Adobe Photoshop Create Moody Fantasy Concepts in Photoshop Learn How to Mix Fire and Rain Effects Create Stunning "Iron Man" Fan Art From Scratch in Photoshop Related Posts The Best Photoshop and Design Tutorials from July 2015 10 Fun Photoshop Text Effect Tutorials Latest and Greatest Adobe Illustrator Vector Creation Tutorials Instructive Adobe Illustrator Poster Tutorials 10 Fun Photoshop Tutorials from 2014

We’re back with some more old gritty wood textures. These old blue wood surfaces have seen better days, but the peeling paint and dirt do create that great grunge effect that fit perfectly into your texture arsenal. I hope you like them, enjoy! Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (63.5Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Grunge Painted Wood Free Texture Friday - Rotten Wood 3 Free Texture Friday - From Wood to Metal Free Texture Friday - Burned Wood Free Texture Friday - Wooden Chips 2

Blur is one of the most important aspects of photography. If you blur your subject, your photo probably won’t look very good. But if everything is sharp in your image, you might not have a good depth of field. And for objects in motion, blur can be essential to show it. Blur occurs when an object is not in focus, either due to motion, or due to being too close or too far away from the focal point to be captured in detail. In this post, we’ll look at some of the various ways and effects that can be created with blur in photography: On the edge By Tomasz Dlubacz Colour Burst! By Gerard McAuliffe Green By Patrick Horgan Pink Sunset Flower By Narek Petrosyan Underground Shooting By Mitch Mitchell The Cat by the Tree By Arne Östlund Nemoros By Mandy Disher albrecht & giselle By Ben Spurgeon Passing by By Florin Bandas Flock of Cardinals By Jerry Berry Run cat run By Loulou Beavers Shadow By Alexandre Buisse let’s got to the cinema By Elaine Vallet Somewhere to go. By Steve Barnes Une Fleur, une Histoire By Fabien BRAVIN Jasmine By Mandy Disher Leaf By Kasper Nymann Winter By Andrew Peters Spheres By Igor G Raindrops By Adrian Ciorba zoom acceleration motion By Alex Walking Towards The Light By Pyxis abstract acceleration motion By Alex portrait of a smiling girl looking through blurred fir needles By Armin Staudt Alone By Kimberlea Lessman Hold my hand forever By Rupesh Jadhav Lilac dream By Lubomíra Bibien Ištonová Aaachooooo By Chris Froome Green chameleon sitting on a tree branch By Lily Cat Mouse By flx 8202 Related Posts Beautiful Examples of Artistic Blur in Photography 30 Photographs with Rings Eclipse Photography: Obscured Sun and Moon in Photographs 30 Adorable Photographs of Pets (and Their Owners) 30 Photographs of Arches Around the World

A handwritten touch can be a great personalization element in design, whether for web designs or even for logos, and this personalized effect creates a strong relationship with the viwer. Creating a handwritten effect can be painstaking though. Too much of a handwritten touch, and it feels unprofessional and even messy. But too robotic, and it seems like a CG font. There are lots of great resources that can be used though, without creating your own. Here’s some great hand-drawn fonts for designers. Melo Bough Growl Bellaboo Refuge Aldi Not So Elegant Dilem Nick Ainley Related Posts Stylish Urban Graffiti Fonts for Downloading Awesome Free Fonts You Should Download 10 Great Free Fonts from 2011 Fresh New UI Kits You Should Download Creative Music App Interface Designs

Today I have a set of 8 old and dirty sea shells textures. Not sure what you can use them for, but you never know when textures like that can come in handy. As before, you can grab the whole set by downloading the zip at the bottom of the post. Enjoy. Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (72.3Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Smoke Free Texture Friday - From Wood to Metal Free Texture Friday - Worn Concrete Free Texture Friday - Black Leather Free Texture Friday - Old Blue Wood

Poverty is one of the most important issues facing the globe. There is a growing divide between the rich and poor in developed countries, as well as a major divide between developed and undeveloped countries. Poverty is defined as lack of possessions and wealth, and it comes as both absolute poverty (where basic human needs such as food and water are missing), and relative poverty, where the level of wealth of a person is significantly lower than the average of the population. Poverty has devastating effects on families, personal health, and economic stability, and while there are no easy solutions, it is an issue the global community is working to address. For photographers, poverty in photographs can be especially moving and tug at the heart strings. Some Life… By Sacred Pixels Connected By Istvan Kerekes Paris Poor & Rich By aaih88 The Bonfire of The Vanities By Koen Pieters Women washing By Faruk Uslu Poverty & Pollution By Ehsan Abbasi The southern line - Cambodia By Jean-Francois Perigois After dinner By Istvan Kerekes Not Easy By Pavol Delej Ethiopian Eyes BW By Husain Alfraid Littleboy tibetan By Aoshi Vn Memories of my father when I was young. By Jakkree Thampitakkul Santeroa in Havana By Witold Skrzypinski Waste By Fons Rademakers Malagasy smile By Oliver Schram In The Streets of My Home By Michael Ken poor By Michael Ken Home By Jan Moller Hansen Poverty By muratersinyilik Little family By Istvan Kerekes One of Victor Hugo’s Wretched By Marin Marinov Poverty of Thailand By Joseph Linaschke rich and poor By michele chiroli Homeless Man in Sofia, Bulgaria By Jason Rossi Lovely smile By Le Bich Those who have so little By Nicolas Marino Old Building By Rong Yang Girl having Breakfast By Jan Moller Hansen Mathare - Everydaydream #3 By Claudio Allia Slum village By shinjiisobe Related Posts 30 Opulent Photographs of Wealth 30 Photographs with Rings Family: Showcasing the Importance In Photos Eclipse Photography: Obscured Sun and Moon in Photographs 30 Adorable Photographs of Pets (and Their Owners)

When most of us visit a website, we’re used to vertical scrolling. It just seems to make sense on most websites, that you’d scroll down to see more content, just like if you are reading text. But some websites use horizontal layouts, and it can be quite effective. When a website has limited content, or wants interactivity like a slideshow, horizontal layouts and navigation can be the perfect choice. In this post we’ll look at some creative websites that use horizontal layouts and navigation: Amazing Contest - Mentos Las Fantasticas Aventuras American Fangs Good To Go CHEETOS Santa Librada Time4:Good DALLOZ Creations Lily Pulitzer for Target Herstory Related Posts Examples of Horizontal Scrolling Websites Deliciously Designed Food Websites Web Designs for Musicians and Music That Come to Life Free PSD Resources for Web Designers Elegant CSS3 Menus to Download and Use

Today I have a great looking set of old rotting wood with peeled paint and rusty nails. These come from an old boat that’s waiting to be scrapped. I added some vintage feel to the images in Lightroom, and I hope you can use them for something cool. Personal and commercial usage allowed. Enjoy! Download all textures as ZIP from copy.com (52.8Mb) Did you like these textures? Let us know by leaving a comment, and you can even post a link if you used them in your artwork. Related Posts Free Texture Friday - Grunge Painted Wood Free Texture Friday - Wooden Chips 2 Free Texture Friday - Old Blue Wood Free Texture Friday - Chipped Green Paint Free Texture Friday - Rotten Wood 3

Rainforests are some of the most important forests on Earth. The trees there help provide a large amount of oxygen to the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and they provide shelter for tons of life ranging from birds to mammals. Rainforests are vanishing around the world, primarily for development and harvesting of natural resources. Due to this, they are in danger of being dramatically reduced and having an impact on the global ecosystem. For photographers, capturing the beauty of rainforests helps ensure their preservation and recognition by the public of their beauty and value that needs to be preserved: Paradise Forest By Marc Adamus Spirit Garden By Marc Adamus Call of wilderness … By Dare Turnsek Rainforest By aulia rahman Painting of Nature By hardibudi La magie d’Ayguebonne By Florent Courty forest morning By Norbert Maier Spforest Promise By Norbert Maier Forest like a Dream By Silviu Vlasceanu Land of the Lost By Ian Plant Hilo Waterfall By Kyle Crocker Cascade Logs By Shadowmac Photography swiss rainforest By Roman Burri Arenal Volcano Sunset By Sorin Vacaru Moss in the Forest By Doug Sandquist Otway Ranges By John Dekker " Gorbea " By Juan Pavon Golden lighted misty forest By Jayni Bloch Temple in the Mist By Karsten Wrobel Through the Rainforest By Karel Donk Rainy forest By Lisa Ireton Ryuzuga taki swallowed by the sun By hugo tremoliere Fern By John Dekker Brunei Darussalam By Luca Anasta Canadian Rainforest By John Entwistle Rainforest Highway By Andrew B Atop the Falls By Tracie Louise The Pocket Rainforest of Baker Lake Trail in the Mt Baker-Snoqua By Randall J Hodges Hoh Rain Forest | Olympic National Park, WA By Kyle Spardley forrest By Anake Seenadee Related Posts 30 Gorgeous Forest Photographs 30 Adorable Photographs of Pets (and Their Owners) 30 Photographs with Rings Eclipse Photography: Obscured Sun and Moon in Photographs 30 Deep and Wondrous Cave Photos

Photoshop is still a powerful tool and the design software of choice for millions of designers around the world.  You can do a ton of stuff with it, and with a little bit of experience the final product can be a real eye candy. Not to mention that having "extra" help in this area will allow you to tackle and complete various projects in no time! And this bundle right here will do just that. You will receive a massive collection of 1000+ Photoshop resources that will speed up your workflow and increase your efficiency. Here’s what you get: 150 Photoshop actions, worth $546. They cover different categories such as black & white, cinematic, retro, light leaks, matte effects and so much more! 459 Photoshop Styles, worth $602. They vary from comic book to grunge, vintage, retro, engraved, stitches, etc. 400+ Photoshop brushes and add-ons, worth $374. It wouldn’t be InkyDeals if these resources wouldn’t come with an extended license, allowing you to use them in a unlimited number of personal or commercial projects and even in merchandise without paying any additional fees! Just think about how much time you’ll save by using this amazing bundle! And with a price of just $59, this deal is a must-have! So, what are you waiting for? Get this deal now! Related Posts Texture & Cloud Pack Bundle Mania 250 Splatter, Spray & Watercolor Brushes PhotoPresets for Lightroom April design goodies, tips and tricks Bright! - a free icon set by Frexy