CounterMarketing Consumption Cues: Think Geek Gifting Fun

Update: Dec. 21, 2014 Adding a few more fun finds of DIY holiday hack geekery to keep it simple, and am strongly considering ordering my first RaspberryPi credit card sized computer to inspire some collegiate builders...along with MIT's Scratch coding for kids.  (my original post on the new launch of ScratchJr.org and uses for making STEM kid-friendly fun is here)  Dec. 15, … [Read more...]

Meaningful Manga: Graphic Novels and Growth

Update: May 21, 2014 Our friends at Reach and Teach have added another clever manga style illustrated book called "A is for Action" which merits an update! I love the seeding of social change in a fun fresh manner. The A is for Action book and HelpTakeAction.com website are a result of a teacher-initiated action research project published in the IB Journal of Teaching Practice: … [Read more...]

Turning Boys Into Monsters: Energy Drink Leaves A Foul Taste (Again)

Dec. 8, 2009 It’s Tuesday, time for our weekly “Packaging Boyhood” focus, so what better time than the holiday season to sound the 'red' siren on the 'green' brand that tween and teen boys are sucking up to...Monster energy drink. With everything from motocross and macho madness to the thumping, screaming, ‘over the top’ rebel yell, Monster ‘packs a vicious punch’ by … [Read more...]

Is There a Possibility the FCC Hasn’t Seen The Irony Here?

Dec. 6, 2009 Samuel Johnson once said, “Our aspirations are our possibilities.” I love the limitless empowerment in the short phrase, so when I heard there was going to be a new online DIY craft show called ‘The Possibility Shop’ with Jim Henson’s name attached, I thought perhaps there would be a “possibility” that media would be used to create a sort of eco-Etsy style … [Read more...]

Fun Tips for Thanksgiving: Ethics, Priorities & Media Moments

Nov. 24, 2013 Update Springboarding off the seven Forest Ethics tips below, and Sierra Club’s 5 Tips for a Low Carbon Thanksgiving we’ve got some great news to add… KIDS will soon be able to track THEIR own role in reducing their carbon footprint, not just with the fun kids carbon calculator, but with a show and tell, action-inducing Cool The Earth.org app that engages kids to … [Read more...]