There’s lots of seasonal blog fodder about “Taming the Gimmes” (nice pdf download of activities/tips from MediaWise, and ways to "Simplify the Holidays" from New Dream)...And even Shaping Youth's article, "Can Somethin' be done about all this consumption?" But let’s face it... Parents are "people pleasers" too, and when it comes to granting junior … [Read more...]
Marie Curie once said, "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. " If machinima and avatars are not in your parental lexicon, deep breath, relax...Shaping Youth is out to unfog the lens and peek into virtual teaching and learning on the teen grid of Second Life. Virtual worlds, emerging social media networks, and just about any kids' digital dialogue … [Read more...]
“Just because you watch “CSI” doesn’t mean your six-year-old (no matter how brilliant and mature) should, too. As a parent, you instinctively know stuff like that. Unfortunately, broadcasters don’t get it…So what can you do about it? Here’s where the Smart Television Alliance comes in. We're a new coalition of leading nonprofit … [Read more...]
Last fall I wrote about Food Force, an internet game you’d WANT your kids to play. Now, the same ingenious folks are at it again, this time with Free Rice, a new, quiz-style vocabulary builder that rewards correct answers with ten grains per bowl to feed hungry children, distributed by the U.N.’s World Food Programme. Beth Kanter’s blog listed it as one of … [Read more...]
"I’m thankful for…" C'mon now, don't give me a 'Miss America' answer; what's an event, a growth point, an 'aha' moment you've had firsthand? We ALL know experience matters!) Intimacy-building can be dicey stuff, especially when kids are in ‘preadolescent privacy’ mode…Nevertheless, table time can be the equivalent of the carpool … [Read more...]
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