Teens & Tech

Parenting & Video Games

2008-07-16T12:17:00.000-07:00

WHYY's radio show Voices In The Family produced a wonderful episode on kid's use of video games. It's a call-in show, which can make it hit or miss, but this episode spent most of its time speaking with the two guest experts: Douglas Gentile and Lawrence Kutner. Both are established researchers who now focus on the effects of violent video games on children, but the episode spoke about many more issues surrounding video game use. I used research from both authors (Gentile's book, Kutner's book) on my recent developmental psychology paper on early-adolescent play + video game use.

Similar to their Teens & The Internet show from November 2007, the show addressed the risks, but did so in a positive way -- with no fear-mongering or simplistic platitudes. I appreciated one of the speaker's use of developmental milestones to address screen-time limits, rather than just using guidelines from the APA, etc. Both found evidence that playing video games with your children and discussing them has significant positive outcomes. Worth listening to from a research/professional or parenting/advice perspective.

"Digital Disconnect"

2008-07-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

While this survey doesn't say anything that new about what teens do online, it did coin a phrase I hadn't yet heard: the digital disconnect between parents and teens, in this case referring to online activities and time spent using the computer. This is a potentially new area for research and development, for both nonprofit and commercial purposes.

Uniquely 21st Century Parenting Decisions

2008-06-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

How do you gauge the developmental appropriateness of gadgets for kids? Here are some guidelines for using cognitive development benchmarks (heavy reliance on Piaget) to match techie toys to age ... but no mention of social-emotional developmental pros & cons. Still, it is a good starting point for parents so we can thoughtfully introduce these new types of toys and gadgets into our kids' lives.

(I printed this out last week, but forgot to post ... thank you to swissmiss for reminding me of the article.)

Plugged In - Zoned Out

2008-06-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Great title. This Baltimore Sun article touches on how teachers need to instill a sense of balance between heavy tech use and going off-line for short periods of time. Use of yoga is specifically mentioned, also made me think of the need to juicing up reflective and critical writing practices in the classroom.

YouTube is TV 2.0 with educational use

2008-05-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

Interesting observations from Milton Chen, director of the George Lucas Educational Foundation (and former Sesame Street-er) about how YouTube makes the promise of educational television come true in tangible and beneficial ways.

web time = playtime

2008-05-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

The NY Times wrote a fairly comprehensive article on where kids (not teens -- the younger ones) go to play online. Each site is sponsored by some kind of commercial entity that is seeking young business - a good thing to point out to unsuspecting parents. (I sincerely hope there are fewer of those around these days!)

Manage the risk - don't ban the device

2008-05-08T06:52:00.001-07:00

That is the message in this smart article that starts off being about NYC's cell phone ban, and ends up imparting some very useful information about how to use web 2.0 technologies in the classroom.

I initially thought this piece would go in a different direction, and point out the dangers of banning a device that has become the first place one would go to broadcast (via text message) an urgent bulletin. It's morbid to even consider, but when I learned about the ban on cell phones in NYC public schools the first thing that came to mind was: what if (god forbid) something like Columbine or Virginia Tech happened? I want our schools to make use of the simplest, clearest means to convey information to people - information that should be coming from a legitimate, informed source. But, as far as I know, there is no such system in place or even in development.

The core of that idea comes through in this article - let's plan the messages (the content) of what is being delivered, instead of trying to control the devices. The devices are going to change and morph a million times, and they are useful conduits, but it's the message that is truly important.

"Cramming Down" technology in schools won't work for long

2008-05-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Ed Week has a review of a new book by Harvard business school professor Clayton Christensen about the future of schools: nearly half of all class will be offered online. I agree with the premise; schools have long tried to smush (or "cram down" in his lingo) technological innovations into their 19th-century buildings, systems of teaching & learning, and value structure. It has not worked - not by a long shot. And soon enough (the author estimates by 2019, to be precise), another model of education will take over.

Here is a good synopsis:

Like the leaders in other industries, the education establishment has crammed down technology onto its existing architecture, which is dominated by the “monolithic” processes of textbook creation and adoption, teaching practices and training, and standardized assessment—which, despite some efforts at individualization, by and large treat students the same, the book says.

But new providers are stepping forward to serve students that mainline education does not serve, or serve well, the authors write. Those students, which the book describes as K-12 education’s version of “nonconsumers,” include those lacking access to Advanced Placement courses, needing alternatives to standard classroom instruction, homebound or home-schooled students, those needing to make up course credits to graduate—and even prekindergarten children.

By addressing those groups, providers such as charter schools, companies catering to home schoolers, private tutoring companies, and online-curriculum companies have developed their methods and tapped networks of students, parents, and teachers for ideas.

Those providers will gradually improve their tools to offer instruction that is more student-centered, in part by breaking courses into modules that can be recombined specifically for each student, the authors predict.

Spying on your kids (their grades that is)

2008-05-05T10:28:00.000-07:00

The New York Times published a story this weekend about parents who obsessively check their kids' grades via online tools provided by the school. I thought it showed very clearly how technology tools can easily add to the stress of raising a teenagers without providing very much in the way of positive benefit. If your child is failing a class, there should be direct communication - hopefully between everyone involved, the parent, the student, and the teacher. In my experience, a single grade does not accurately express what is happening over the long term in a given class. And it is emphasizing the final product over the process of learning.

But that is just my opinion. I pulled out a couple of paragraphs to illustrate how some of the experts (by which I mean teenagers and educators) quoted in the story feel about these online grade-checking tools.

From [one] teenager: “Before, the screaming and disappointment only had to be endured four times a year. Now it can happen every night.”

And this: “ive been grounded twice for the same grade ... once when my mom found it on edline and again when I actually got the grade a week later.”

Some parents refuse to use the software, but many students check their grades to the point of obsession. Denise Pope, a Stanford lecturer who consults with secondary schools, worries that these programs can aggravate student anxiety. “When the focus is on the grade so much, you’re saying to kids, ‘It’s more important to get the grade, by hook or by crook, than learn the material,’ ” she said. “And that leads to the rise in rampant cheating.”

and

“Family involvement is not about serving parents,” said Joyce Epstein, director of the National Network of Partnership Schools. “It’s about mobilizing all the resources that support student success. These technologies can hurt or help, depending on how they are done. But the interpersonal connections of teachers, parents, students and counselors really are necessary to go beyond the impersonal technologies.”

some ideas about how to use Twitter in the school setting

2008-05-02T07:05:00.001-07:00

I like the way this teacher is thinking ... Twitter can help connect students & parents (a special interest of mine), students and other students, teachers and parents (or the greater school community) through short bursts of info. Interesting application of an already popular technology.

One could also make excellent use of Twitter on a field trip, which of course makes me think of Into The Outside, based here in New York. (Disclosure: I am on the board, so it's my job to get the word out about this great organization!) Students could be out in the field (together in one location or scattered on different trips) and report to each other on findings. Hmm, maybe a curriculum-based scavenger hunt, with teams linked through Twitter? I have to try to get a pilot going of this in one of our ITO classrooms.

MySpace encourages self-esteem - MSNBC report

2008-05-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

This article seems fairly well researched ... I will check out the Larry Rosen book and APA studies cited.

Six Ways to be a Media Saavy Parent This Year

2008-04-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

This list of 6 things all parents can do to connect with their teens & tweens around their use of technology might seem obvious, but it's just easy and smart. It can't get any more essential than this. Thank you Common Sense Media.

(I also like that they said "this year" - a good point.)

v. important: report & conference

2008-04-28T17:59:00.000-07:00

Pew issued a new report on teen use of technology -- this one focuses on writing. Not surprisingly, their research finds that teens make a clear distinction (in their minds) between casual writing, as in a text or blog post, and formal writing for school. But of course the occasional "LOL" will slip into a term paper. (But hopefully not a college application!)

update: eSchoolNews parsed this story more throughly, and found statistical evidence that teen bloggers, through their experience writing for personal reasons, value the skill of writing more than non-bloggers. A good reason to encourage blogging!

Stanford hosted a conference (sponsored by digital-ed funders MacArthur Foundation and non-profit media-parent link Common Sense Media) on how to get schools/teachers/educators in general more up to speed on what kids actually LIKE to do with media & technology tools. I hope someone is listening - it is about time that some cogent research on this subject is being presented on this subject.

CNET story on said conference (link via Ypulse)
Berkeley's recap of the conference, notes presenting researchers

teen spirit

2008-04-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

two blogs to investigate further:

Parental controls extend to cellphones

2008-04-23T05:09:00.000-07:00

A primer on how to monitor your child's cellphone use, including texting history and past internet access. Good practical info, but did it have to be couched in that Danger Danger Will Robinson tone? At least one voice of moderation (posted about before) was voiced at the end of the piece.

Quelling the Danger Lurking in Junior's Backpack

(WSJ - April 23, 2008)

two books

2008-04-22T14:27:00.001-07:00

Two new books arrived today - The Case for Make Believe (Susan Linn), and Generation Digital: Politics, Commerce, and Childhood in the Age of the Internet (Kathryn C. Montgomery).

I'm really looking forward to reading these and trying to bridge the distance between "play" in the traditional/child development sense of the word, and "play" as in video games, social networking, and other online fun.

(or is it "fun" ?)

Frobel's legacy

2008-04-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

Great piece in the April 14 Wall Street Journal (and follow-up post on The Juggle) about nature-based preschools in Germany - and one in Portland, Ore. I hope more parents/educators in the U.S. jump on this trend.

AudibleKids

2008-04-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Audible.com recently launched AudibleKids, focusing on children's books. There is an interesting stat in this article: Audible's internal research states that more than half of all third grade students own their own MP3 players.

"Once upon a time, in the 21st century"
Peggy O'Crowley, New Jersey Star-Ledger
April 1, 2008

(oh ... am I being gullible? no, it looks like it really exists. but I had to double check.)

Spring!

2008-04-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love cherry blossoms. Happy Spring!

Parenting has become advanced surveillance

2008-04-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

danah boyd, in her response to the NY Times article about parents attempting to keep up with their kids and start texting (inexplicably placed in the Sunday Business section - maybe that is why I forgot to post about it?), made this great general statement about parenting today. I just had to pass it on:

Over the years, parenting has become more and more about surveillance. In this mindset, good parents are those who stalk their kids. Parents complain that their children ignore them when they're in the same space, preferring their friends. When was this not the case? What's different now is that there are fewer siblings/cousins running around to team up with. There's less free time to just "hang out." There's no openness to go out after school and "be home by dark" (a practice that used to start in early childhood). With activities and scheduling and this and that, I'm always amazed that children don't demand more time for friend time.

There's an arms race going on: parental surveillance vs. technology to assert privacy.

I am definitely going to "steal" this one (with credit, I promise!).

Does too much nostalgia make us shy away from our parental responsibilities?

2008-03-25T05:07:00.000-07:00

A Father's Dilemma: When is it time to introduce a child to what the digital age has in store?

by Jason Fry

This WSJ article made me think a bit. For the most part, I feel that our children's lives are so filled (or soon will be) with digital paraphernalia we don't need to consciously introduce or facilitate use of technology -- especially not at a very young age.

However, is that perspective guided by a desire to replicate my own (relatively tech-free, except TV) childhood?

I can't help but feel that this author has it 99% right, but the conclusion (or rather his dilemma) is misstated in some way. I do think we wax nostalgic for our childhoods (as fueled by refined sugar and Love American Style as mine certainly was) and want to instill a bit of that innocence in our sophisticated kids.

But how much credit (or blame) can we really take for what our kids will take away from their early childhood experiences? I think we can create a positive environment, make choices & decisions based on our values, but also let our children's knowledge develop on its own trajectory. Maybe. I waiver on this as much as the next control freak.

Maybe today's teens will cordon off a part of their brains all on their own - and protect their memories of childhood from all the jump cuts, violent images, and blurry MySpace pictures they were exposed to during this era. My own selective memory of middle and high school indicate this may be possible.

What is wrong with a Facebook study group?

2008-03-21T12:42:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I'm asking.

Somehow this Canadian University has leapt to the conclusion that a Facebook discussion group that is completely out in the open (much more so than a group that meets in person) is the same as cheating. That the potential to cheat is somehow just as bad as actually doing it. And that expulsion is the right reaction to an innovative use of technology. It's all very confusing to me.

"Canadian University Faces Off with a Digital Generation"

Natasha Elkington, via Yahoo News

March 20, 2008

Currently watching ...

2008-03-16T13:40:00.000-07:00

... Stanford University's free course podcasts. My lord! I tweaked out my computer downloading all the ones I thought sounded interesting at the same time.

Just finished watching Byron Reeves talk about what researchers know about learning processes during video gaming. I took a couple of (very crappy) screenshots of his slides ... just posting for my own future reference. I encourage you to download and watch the whole presentation via iTunesU.

"Psychological Engagement in Complex Multiplayer Games and Implications for Learning and Work" (search on iTunes or find WMV file here)

Byron Reeves, talk for Terry Winograd's HCI speaker seminar at Stanford

Multitasking media mongers

2008-03-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

A new study updates us on how many forms of media a child can consumer (or produce!) in one sitting:

The study reveals that 73% of TV-online multitasking kids are engaged in "active multitasking," defined by Bethesda, Md.-based Grunwald Associates as content in one medium influencing concurrent behavior in another. This trend represents a 33% increase in active multitasking since 2002. While kids are using more media, their attention primarily and overwhelmingly is focused on their online activities.

According to the study:
• 50% of 9- to-17-year-olds visit Web sites they see on TV even as they continue to watch
• 45% of teens have sent instant messages or e-mail to others they knew were watching the same TV show
• 33% of 9- to-17-year-olds say they have participated in online polls, entered contests, played online games or other online activities that television programs have directed them to while they are watching

I must admit - I do all those things. I also go online while reading, especially the newspaper. I have to create the links even when I'm not dealing with new media.

The Megan Pledge

2008-03-11T14:16:00.001-07:00

Another blogger posted about The Megan Pledge - an anti-cyberbullying pledge and awareness campaign started by a local (NJ) divison of Tweenangels. The campaign hasn't been officially launched yet but was announced at a recent Wired Kids Summit. (Don't bother going to their website, it was last updated for the 2005 Summit!)

(Almost) automatic podcasting of class lectures

2008-03-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

This article takes notice of a new technology that helps college professors link visual aids to digital recordings of their lectures, thus creating a rich podcast of each class for student use. Profs say it's not negatively affecting class attendance , and it's certainly useful for test prep. Better yet, it's already trickling down to high schools (well, AP classes at least), although it's really going to take some effort to get teachers to create the final product. Most universities have a way to help professors with that kind of media-production endeavor.

"Reviewing for a test could be just a click away on your iPod"
Sherry Saavedra, San Diego Union-Tribune

Couple of teen stories from the NYT

2008-03-04T19:25:00.001-08:00

Two New York Times education stories of possible future interest ...

For Some 'A' Students in Brooklyn, a Cellphone and 130 Free Minutes

Um, did someone forget that they banned cellphones in NYC public schools?

History Survey Stumps U.S. Teens

Not even sure why they were doing this kind of survey over the phone. Was it to make it as casual as possible? I don't think I would have taken a phone survey of any kind seriously, and I'm pushing 40.

Random clippings

2008-03-04T19:14:00.000-08:00

Some things jotted while listening to an interview with Kathryn Montgomery to follow up on later ...

-- How does use of technology change the meaning of childhood?

-- Advertising companies are both making commercials that look like homemade YouTube videos, and asking for customers to make videos to be used as core advertising. Neat trick!

(Seriously - a YouTube mashup of filmstrip-y "I just got my period" video and an ad for Wendy's hamburgers? Who greenlighted that project?)

Girlz rule

2008-02-21T13:53:00.001-08:00

From today's semi-loathed Thursday Styles section of the New York Times:

Sorry, Boys, This Is Our Domain
Stephanie Rosenbloom, February 21, 2008

Research shows that among the youngest Internet users, the primary creators of Web content (blogs, graphics, photographs, Web sites) are not misfits resembling the Lone Gunmen of “The X Files.” On the contrary, the cyberpioneers of the moment are digitally effusive teenage girls.

...

The “girls rule” trend in content creation has been percolating for a few years — a Pew study published in 2005 also found that teenage girls were the primary content creators — but the gender gap for blogging, in particular, has widened.

As teenage bloggers nearly doubled from 2004 to 2006, almost all the growth was because of “the increased activity of girls,” the Pew report said.

The findings have implications beyond blogging, according to Pew, because bloggers are “much more likely to engage in other content-creating activities than nonblogging teens.”

Then, of course, the article goes to to state that most computer science majors and industry professionals are men, and the gender gap seems to be increasing rather than correcting itself. Something to think about.

APA study debunks myth of stereotypical internet predator

2008-02-20T06:14:00.000-08:00

press release from the American Psychological Association:

WASHINGTON—Contrary to stereotype, most Internet sex offenders are not adults who target young children by posing as another youth, luring children to meetings, and then abducting or forcibly raping them, according to researchers who have studied the nature of Internet-initiated sex crimes.

Rather, most online sex offenders are adults who target teens and seduce victims into sexual relationships. They take time to develop the trust and confidence of victims, so that the youth see these relationships as romances or sexual adventures. The youth most vulnerable to online sex offenders have histories of sexual or physical abuse, family problems, and tendencies to take risks both on- and offline, the researchers say.

...

For example, in spite of public concern, the authors found that adolescents' use of popular social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook do not appear to increase their risk of being victimized by online predators. Rather, it is risky online interactions such as talking online about sex to unknown people that increases vulnerability, according to the researchers.

"Most Internet-initiated sex crimes involve adult men who are open about their interest in sex," Wolak said. "The offenders use instant messages, e-mail and chat rooms to meet and develop intimate relationships with their victims. In most of the cases, the victims are aware that they are talking online with adults."

More play on play

2008-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

I just downloaded & listened to Krista Tippet's interview with Stuart Brown from the National Institute of Play that broadcast on Speaking of Faith last August. Really interesting stuff. As the mom of an almost-three year old boy, this is required listening! The research on the developmental benefits of engaging in unrestricted play are compelling, and the repercussions of denying play are significant and sometimes brutal. Even if one does not turn out to be -- literally -- a murderer (Brown's early research has shown a connection), in order to access playful moments in our adult lives we really need the memory of participating in play as a child. Makes you want to go out and climb the monkey bars ... and lucky me, I get to do this all the time now!

For those of us who are interested in how people perceive technology use by preteens and teens, Brown uses some wonderful language that can be used to show parents the positive aspects of behaviors even when on the surface it might look "dangerous" or "risky."

In this interview Brown and Tippet attempt to connect the dots** between what is happening outside on the playground with what happens inside on the screen (be it TV, computer, video games, etc.), but more can be said on this subject. To his credit, Brown hesitates to make too many assumptions w/r/t what is "good" or "bad" about screen time, however he does highlight interesting discoveries by neuroscientists about the need for body movement in three-dimensional space to activate certain parts of our brain, suggesting that catatonic video gaming is not going be interpreted by the brain as "play" and therefore might not have clear benefits. Perhaps the new breed of active video games, like Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero, touch this sector of our brain better than navigation games like Grand Theft Auto? Just a thought.

More to listen to: Paul Holdengräber from the New York Public Library hosted an evening with Krista Tippet and Stuart Brown on January 29, 2008. They posted an audio transcript, but I haven't listened to it yet.

UPDATED: additional story about the psychological benefits of old-fashioned play on NPR

** this section of the interview is about 35 min. in on the podcast

Dueling toy trends - let them make play!

2008-02-18T18:10:00.000-08:00

I, Breeder has an interesting post up called Dispatches from the Island of High-Tech Toys. In it he notes two opposite trends in new toys unveiled last week at the annual Toy Fair: toys driven by sophisticated technologies and "green" toys that hark back to an earlier era.

Both are highly interactive, both are relatively expensive to produce and distribute (and in today's iffy economy that makes both pretty risky endeavors), but the techie-toys are clearly designed to appeal to kids, while the "green" or retro toys are targeted at parents.

I wonder if they are as mutually exclusive as they might seem at first glance? I think the two ends of the spectrum are moving together, and hopefully that is not just because I went to grad school with people who wired up ceramic pots and made them into robots.**

There is something so delightfully tangible about both a wooden toy that takes touch and imagination to come alive and a toy that lights up and changes and maybe even morphs into a new toy based on how you play with it.

Which brings me to another great and thought-provoking piece, the NY Times Magazine article about the necessity of play. I love that there is a National Institute for Play! Go Stuart Brown (director), and go to the toy designers who are taking play seriously.

** in case you are wondering, I never thought that was a particularly good use of either technology OR ceramic pots

One teachers's reaction to the high tech high school

2008-02-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

A teacher at TC Williams in Alexandria, VA talks about how teaching in a tech-happy high school burns out the morale of some veteran teachers.

Source: Washington Post, Feb 10, 2008

Google doodle contest

2008-02-13T11:47:00.000-08:00

Google just announced a doodle contest - the best student-produced (K-12) Google logo doodle will win a $10,000 college scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for his/her school! Plus the doodle will be on Google's website on May 22, 2008. The current "doodle master" is a 29-year old Dennis Hwang.

Souce: MSNBC, Feb. 13, 2008

your honorable/dubious reputation

2008-02-07T07:43:00.000-08:00

A lot has been made of the teenage preponderance for exposing themselves (literally & figuratively) online. But of course we are all guilty and subject to that.

I occasionally listen to the podcast version of Tech Tuesdays on the Kojo Nmandi public radio show, and there was an interesting episode last month related to this topic. What is the future of our individual reputations in a world where almost every action is recorded and archived and searchable in an instant. What about our "good name" - especially when there could be a million people out there with the exact same name and it's easy to get confused. [Sidebar: is this why parents feel the need to get so creative with the spelling of their children's names?]

The call-in questions were not as interesting as the intro from the guest -- Daniel Solove, a law professor at George Washington University and author of a new book called The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor and Privacy on the Internet. One woman was afraid of her ex-husband posting naked photos of her on his website as revenge, another person wondering about the responsibility people have to report harmful websites, and of course there was the obligatory mention of concern job applicants should have about their social networking profiles.

Something highlighted on this show: the intrinsic value we, as a nation, have placed on privacy as show by the legal protection of MAIL. It's interesting ... diaries (and of course blogs) are considered quite public, as is any video or audio recording (Alec Baldwin voicemail, Paris Hilton sex tape) but no one would dare steal postal mail and publish it without permission. In fact, reading the collected letters of a historical figure still thrills ... right? I heard that Susan Sontag's son is publishing some of her papers and letters, and I realized I want to read her words more than look at Annie Leibovitz's photographs of her during her latest illness and death.

Anyway, something to think about - the value of privacy and the written word. I hope we don't all have to register with Reputation Defender (mentioned on the radio show) to stave off attacks.

they just speak a different language

2008-02-06T12:36:00.000-08:00

Fun Reuters piece (here, via Yahoo) on British kids substituting words based on what typically comes up when typing a text message using predictive text. (ie: "book" means cool because that is the standard word that will come up if you key in 2-6-6-5) Linguists are calling it "textonyms" - I say a great way to encrypt what you are saying from the 'rents! It's all about the context anyway.

Last paragraph of the story makes a very intriguing point - there are some possibly unintended values associated with the some of the switches:

Some of the most popular textonyms show intriguing links between the originally intended word and the one the predictive text throws up -- "eat" becomes "fat" and "kiss" becomes "lips," "home" is "good" and the vodka brand "Smirnoff" becomes "poison."

While secret languages like Gibberish (a big hit at overnight camp circa 1984) are nothing new, this actually reminds me of the British, or maybe Cockney?, way of substituting a word that rhymes with the word you really mean. Since I am absolutely terrible at that kind of quick switcharoo, I can't even think of a good example. One of the characters in Ocean's Eleven was famous for this language trick.

All I can say is more power to the teens. They will be absolutely fantastic at crossword puzzles and ace their LSATs.

thinking about ...

2008-02-04T10:27:00.000-08:00

.... danah boyd. Her name rang a bell for me while watching the Frontline documentary "Growing Up Online" and today I finally remembered that I read a piece about her in the NY Times years ago regarding Friendster and her early interest in social networking. Fascinating stuff! Her blog (even mentioned in that 2003 article) has a typically brilliant and thought-provoking post up today about exposure, teenagers, and determining the limits of what we should (rather than can) do with social technologies. Her line of thinking perfectly illustrates the title of her blog - apophenia: making connections where none existed.

More info:

Decoding the New Cues In Online Society (Michael Erard, Nov. 27, 2003)
apophenia
danah boyd

Missing Circuits

2008-01-31T13:58:00.000-08:00

I miss the Circuits section. I mean, I know it's still around, but I miss the full paper section that came with my Thursday NYT. I still read the paper (on paper, not online) although I end up reading it next to my computer half the time so I can Google products or people and find out all the juicy details. I am as superficial as the next person over getting a pedicure, but I positively loathe the section that replaced Circuits - Thursday Styles - although its "cyberfamilias" column is usually very relevant to my research interests.

Anyway, I get the Circuits email b/c I am very bad about reading the business section of the Times and I always miss any paper-based Circuits stories they print there. Here is one from today that caught my eye:

A Site to Bring Parents Up to Speed on Video Games
- Lisa Guernsey

It often seems that being clueless about video games goes hand in hand with being a parent. But a new site called WhatTheyPlay.com aims to give parents an inside scoop by going beyond the ratings and offering evaluations written by knowledgeable gamers — many of them parents. [...]

Cool idea ... hope parents check it out. I'm all for more participation, whatever the initial motivation.

Facebook humor

2008-01-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

(merci again, swissmiss)

More application of social media in the classroom environment ...

2008-01-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not doing such a great job moving beyond the school walls. After 12 years of thinking about how some cool new thing can be used in the classroom, it's harder than expected to switch over to home & family applications. Bear with me; I'm trying.

In the meantime, here is an article explaining how social technologies like blogs, wikis, and e-portfolios can be used in the classroom. (Sidenote: this might be the first time I've heard e-portfolios been described as "social technology" -- might breathe some life into the idea!)

Social Technology As a New Medium in the Classroom
(author: Jeffrey Yan; publication: Red Orbit)

Fun Fact

2008-01-30T10:30:00.001-08:00

Did you know that you can't access Blogger from the jury room at the Manhattan courthouse? I guess they don't want anyone to blog about jury duty. I wasn't planning on it, but now I really want to!

But seriously, I was on jury duty for two days, and just getting back to this developing blog. Will post something by the end of the day.

Reminder to self - find pics.

A Vision of Students Today

2008-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

Michael Wesch, of The Machine is Us/ing Us fame (a must see primer on Web 2.0) has created a new video with his students called A Vision of Students Today. This might be especially interesting to parents with college-aged kids, but the use of technology is not so different for your average high schooler.

(merci, swissmiss)

Growing Up Online

2008-01-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

This week I watched the PBS Frontline show called Growing Up Online. (Of course I didn't watch it when it was broadcast, I tivo'ed it and watched it yesterday morning!) I first heard about this episode while it was in production ... the co-producer/director (John Maggio) is a friend & colleague of my husband and a fellow parent at our local playground. At the time we discussed this show, I was just starting to formulate my transition from educational technology consultant to someone who (in some yet-to-be-determined way) consults with families and schools about the general use of technology in our children's lives. In some ways, this film is sums up everything I want to professionally research and explore in the near future.

(watch a 6 min. clip)

Because of that, it's hard to evaluate this film objectively. While I didn't learn anything new -- I've been investigating how pre-teens/teens are using social media and listening to parents & teachers grouch about "kids these days" for a while now -- I was really impressed with the presentation of material. Creating a balanced, non-judgmental look at teens & technology is not easy, and these producers did a great job of showing both cautionary tales and positive outcomes.

However, I don't think the producers went deep enough into the developmental reasons why teens seek out spaces to create new identities (with the goal of keeping them separate/hidden from their parents) yet choose to expose themselves in ways people of my generation and older can't fathom. Why these technologies -- social networking sites, YouTube, multi-player video games -- over others? Is there a new aspect of adolescent development that we need to identify and explore?

And while teens openly say they are doing things in this medium they wouldn't do IRL (in real life), based on the amount of time spent online - it seems like this is their real life. Which brings me another question: is it just that teens just aren't developmentally ready to handle life in a virtual world? If so - what can we really do? We can't age them faster - it's a matter of time and experience, not facility with the technology.

Honestly, this is probably just the same way my parents felt about giving me a car when I was 16. Real danger vs. trust, independence, and responsibility. It's the classic teenage conundrum, and if you are knowledgeable enough about social media and new technologies to have ongoing conversations with your teen, a lot of danger can (hopefully!) be avoided. But what if it can't because there are too many variables out of anyone control? The risk is quite real.

Overall, I highly recommended that parents watch this show, and watch/discuss it with their teenage kids - they should see the Parent Perspective on their online lives. I also recommend reading other people's reactions to the film -- links are listed to blog posts and podcasts that review Growing Up Online, plus the show's official website.

Growing Up Online
Review by Anastasia Goodstein (SORRY Anastasia!!), author of Totally Wired and creator of Ypulse
Manic Mommies podcast - interview with Writer/Director Rachel Dretzin
Good Morning America report on the MySpace hoax/Megan Meier suicide

In The News

2008-01-23T17:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of news items --

* The National Association of Secondary School Principals has a new Internet policy, which recommends that school leaders stay current on popular uses of the Internet (such as social networking sites and blogs) and better educate staff and students on using the Internet as an educational tool. ["Learn About Pros, Cons of Internet, Principals’ Group Urges Educators" Education Week, 1/22/08]

* Teenagers have mixed reviews on the trend towards parents (and other creepy adults) using texting, IMing, and accessing their Facebook profile or MySpace page to stay in touch. ["Parents Crashing Online Party" CNN/Associated Press, 1/23/08]

Repository

2008-01-23T07:50:00.000-08:00

This blog is a repository for all my findings on current teen & pre-teen use of media & technology.

Just to get my bias out there - I plan to look with a sense of curiousity, not fear. While I'm not evangelical about new technologies, I'm defintiely not conversative either. I have a Facebook profile, an iPhone, and a long list of blogs I read daily thru an RSS feed. On the other hand, I'm a relatively new mom who is not anxious for her child to get started on texting, video games, social networking or anything else that involves a cell phone or computer!

As I discover new trends, applications, and resources, I will reference them here. I hope my discoveries will add up to something greater than just a list of new products and cautionary tales, and that positive models will present themselves that help me (and other parents) meet the challenge of raising our children in this brave new world.

cheers!