The Hashtag Bowl: Media Literacy Opportunities (Pt 2)

Jan. 30, 2015 Whether it’s using hit movies like Frozen as an icebreaker to talk about social shunning, bullying, social emotional tough stuff or Super Bowl ads as learning tools to ferret out what’s REALLY being said, sold, packaged, and presented at every age and stage, Shaping Youth is all about leveraging pop culture touch points as ‘teachable moments’ to instill critical … [Read more...]

Homework? Super Bowl Ads and Media Literacy

January 27, 2015 After updating prior Super Bowl posts about the persuasion, impact, influence, and latest trends in Super Bowl Ads, (including this new NFL PSA against domestic violence) it's imperative to also call out the "repeat offenders"...corporations that consistently produce toxic imagery and narratives in spite of criticism to elicit brand change.Two standouts are … [Read more...]

Disney’s Citizen Kid: November Media Thankfulness

Nov. 4, 2014 Disney's Citizen Kid Kicks off our Media/Marketing Month of ThankfulnessI love the concept of media shining the spotlight on extraordinary kids doing prosocial things, whether it’s grassroots sites like Kids Are Heroes (a nonprofit incubator for social entrepreneurs) or our friends at PeerSpring connecting youth social projects to funding, or the commercially vast … [Read more...]

The Invisible Boy: A Kids Storybook That Taps A Universal Nerve

Update Dec. 24, 2015 We're about to volunteer at a children's homeless shelter doing activities with kids and it reminded me about this post and how I've 'seen so much invisibility' over the holiday season particularly. From social shunning and  ostracism within families, to homeless and disenfranchised groups, the holidays bring out a lot of invisibility...keep an eye out with … [Read more...]

Her Next Chapter: Media Literacy Puts Mothers-Daughters On Same Page

April 17, 2015 Update In honor of National Library Week as I put the finishing touches on my presentation tomorrow about gender stereotypes and navigating unhealthy cues to kids, I'm sending a loud SHOUTOUT to remind that this book enlightens, informs, entertains, and lights the path for parents and educators alike to reverse the damage of some less than ideal pop culture cues. … [Read more...]