1 . In today’s classroom, homework is completed not only with the pen and paper, but also with computers and cell phones. How to make the best use of such digital products is an important question for teachers and students. The following top digital portfolio platforms (作品集平台) offer a broad range of functions. Most importantly, they provide a way to share students’ work with pride.

Creating a digital portfolio could not be any easier than Google Sites makes it. It lets students quickly put in contents, such as text, images, videos, maps, and much more. Use one of the provided six themes or create a custom one, and then publish it as a public or restricted-view (限制浏览的) site.

Designed for education, Seesaw for Schools provides a platform through which students complete and share school projects. By recording the process of gradually improving their schoolwork, kids gain a sense of master y and pride, so it is popular among them. Plus, parents can be involved too—just download the Seesaw Family app.

Artsonia is like a dream come true for art-minded students: a free, safe, educational space through which students show their digital creativity. Friends and family can view, comment on and buy objects. The site also provides a complete teachers’ guide. Just celebrate the artistic skills with Artsonia!

One of the oldest and best-known web platforms for education, Edublogs makes it easy for teachers and students to start building a free WordPress platform. The free plan offers 1 GB of storage space, class management tools, and no advertising. A set of educator guides and community participation is another big plus for Edublogs.

3 . Road Trip Apps You Need Before You Leave

Ever wonder how do livery drivers manage to hit so many different places in a relatively short amount of time? It’s because they’re using an app like Road Warrior to plan their routes to be as efficient as possible. However, while many other route planning apps only take things like traffic into account, Road Warrior includes lots of other time-sucking details. The subscription options start at $10 per month.

Gas prices have been something of a catastrophe recently, so travelers are naturally focused on finding the lowest rates whenever possible. GasBuddy is one of the most popular apps for locating affordable gas, especially on long road trips. Simply enter the starting point and destination, and then watch as all of the cheapest gas prices along your route pop up. Like many apps, there is a free version, as well as a premium(额外费用) option with added features.

For people who aren’t totally focused on getting from point A to point B in the fastest time possible, the Road Trippers app is an absolute must-have. Users can pan their trip from start to finish with as many as 150 waypoints stops when using the premium version of the app, which costs $29.99 per year. It won’t let you miss the famous scenic spots along the way. It estimates fuel costs allows for RV drivers to customize routes friendly to their particular vehicle and lets the user cooperate with friends who are also on the road.

Sure you could listen to music or watch movies, but sometimes it’s fun to throw it way back with classic travel games. The Plates Family Travel app is a modernized version of the classic license plate game. There also a map feature that shows you exactly where you saw all the license plates on your road trip. This app is available for Apple or Google devices for free.

7 . Here are some things that you can buy as gifts for your friends who are birdwatchers.

One way to guarantee a close-up look at the birds in your garden is to bring them all the way to the house. This bird feeder is solidly built with strong suction (吸) cups that you can tie to your windows, giving you a good view of your winged visitors.

Binoculars are a birdwatcher’s best friend! They work like two small telescopes joined together, allowing you to use both eyes to see distant birds as if they were right in front of you. They’re perfect for spotting feathered friends in the wild, whether the birds are high up in the trees or soaring across the sky. When you peer through them, you get a view that makes every little detail of the birds—their colors, beaks, and even the texture of their feathers.

This beautifully illustrated book draws readers into the mysterious world of Britain’s favourite bird, the red robin—a familiar sight in all winter gardens, but as naturalist Stephen Moss demonstrates, one we hardly know. Combining convincing storytelling with biological fact, Moss guides us through a year in the life of the robin, from the moment it hatches from its egg to its all too timely mortality (死亡) — the robin tends to live a mere 13 months, adding to its precious quality.

Every good birding expedition needs a bottle of steaming hot tea. A reusable bottle decorated with lifelike drawings of classic British birds combines a natural aesthetic (美感) with practicality. It can keep not only hot drinks but also cold drinks.

8 . Green Line Performing Arts Center

Upcoming Programs:

First Monday Jazz Series: Crosswind

Monday Feb 4 | 7-9 pm

First Monday Jazz is a free monthly event showcasing local Chicago jazz artists.

Green Light Series: South Side Story Time

Sunday Feb 17 |10-11 am

Bring your kids to listen, learn, sing, dance, and interact! South Side Story Time is a small gathering that centres on readings for its young attendees along with the chance for their parents to socialize. Open to families with children of all ages.

Sistergirls and Freedom Fighters: Stories in Celebration of Women’s Power and Grace

Wednesday Feb 20 |7-8 pm

Join us for an evening of storytelling featuring the dynamic singing, in the Spirit by Emily Hooper Lansana.

This performance will highlight a range of stories that demonstrate women’s creative and political genius from folk heroines to Nobel Peace Prize winners.

Family Saturdays: Art together

Every 1st Saturday of the Month | 3-5 pm

Explore your child’s artistic curiosity with hands-on art workshops designed to stimulate creativity and play. These interdisciplinary workshops are exciting for the entire family, offering activities from music to arts and crafts. Come to learn something new! Appropriate for families with children. Registration is encouraged.

Follow Arts + Public Life on Facebook for more event details and a full list of all upcoming performances.

10 . Explore the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, which offers a relaxing setting for you to enjoy works of modern sculpture.

Chair Transformation Number 20B, made in 1996 — by Lucas Samaras

Here, Samaras explores the double meaning of “flight”, referring to both the starlike form created by the stacked chairs, and the movement of a single chair moving through space. From different viewpoints, the sculpture appears to be upright, leaning back, or springing forward. From the side, it even appears like a zigzagging (之字形的) line.

Typewriter Eraser, Scale X, made in 1998 — by Coosje van Bruggen

The artist chose the typewriter eraser as his model for this work based upon childhood memories of playing with the object in his father’s office. Here the brush arcs (作弧形运动) back, conveying a sense of motion, as if the wheel­like eraser were rolling down the hill and making its way towards the gate of the garden.

Moondog, model 1974, made in 19981999 — by Tony Smith

The title itself comes from two sources: Moondog was the name of a blind poet and folk musician who lived in New York City, and Smith has also compared this sculpture to Dog Barking at the Moon, a painting by Joan Miro. He first created Moondog in 1974 as a 33­inch cardboard model and cast it in bronze as a garden sculpture in 1980. This version was designed by Smith, but it was not completed until after his death.

Cheval Rouge (Red Horse), made in 1964 — by Alexander Calder

During the last two decades of his life, Alexander Calder devoted his greatest efforts to large­scale mobiles and stabiles (立式抽象派雕塑), many of which have become popular public landmarks in cities around the world. Here the silky legs and tensile (张力的) up­thrust “neck” recall the power of a horse. This stabile reflects Calder's statement: “I want to make things that are fun to look at.”