Missing Circuits

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

 (merci again, swissmiss)

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

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

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

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

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.

READ MORE:

• 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

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

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!