Guardian Princesses: Prosocial Planet Protectors?

Sept. 1, 2014 I admit, my first reaction to The Guardian Princesses was wince-worthy...“Oh please, NOT more freakin’ princesses!”Followed by, “Here we go with the chocolate covered broccoli bit embedding a stealth health “better for you” media message into the junk food genre of princess pablum.” Finally, I settled into a more measured,“Well, if they're upending kid lit to … [Read more...]

Amazon Kids Shows Segue Screen Time Into View + Do

June 30, 2014 “What’s a cookie cutter?” said one student as I passed out the tools to build a knock-off of a Lunchable as part of a health literacy ‘switch pitch’ teaching about ingredients.“What do you even DO with Playdough?” said another when I gave mini-tubs to kindergarten kids who poked at it curiously as if they’d never seen or played with it before.These are some of the … [Read more...]

YTH: Youth, Tech, Health–Shaping Youth Interviews YTH Jamia Wilson

Mar. 29, 2014 Like a teen whose spirited, edgy adolescence evolved toward bold innovation, I’ve watched YTH.org "grow up" as an organization over time, expanding and emerging into one of the most exciting intergenerational collaborations surrounding youth wellness and technology. Always a favorite for inspiring fresh thinking and preventive digital health problem-solving, … [Read more...]

The Science of Character: Hosted by Shaping Youth and Reach and Teach

Mar. 20, 2014 Premiering worldwide! Attention students of life...“There are 7.1 billion people on the planet, and each one of us has a unique character,” opens The Science of Character filmmaker and digital innovation advocate Tiffany Shlain, renowned for her work unraveling the giant hairball of media messaging and technological shifts impacting humanity on a global scale. … [Read more...]

KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Review Oscar Animation Nominees

With so much Oscar chat about Frozen putting all other animation contenders on ice, I thought I’d “get beyond the buzz” of school, social media and neighborhood chatter to ask kids who are trained as media critics by the KIDS FIRST! Coalition For Quality Children’s Media, a 501c3 nonprofit.After an extended chat with Ranny Levy, Founder and President of KIDS FIRST! about the … [Read more...]