Listen. Ask our kids about their in-game experiences, and then listen a lot. It may sound simple and we've heard it before, but listening can have powerful effects. This video interview for Kids and Media UK about kids and videogames with University of Bournemouth professor Stephen Heppell, who for more than 30 years has been helping communities and governments in many countries design and … [Read more...] about Why kids love video games & what parents can do about it
child development
Ultra safe playgrounds turn out to be not so safe
This story in Australia isn't about technology, but consider children's online safety as you read, ok? News.com.au reports that playground equipment has become so safe as to increase harm to children. How can that be? Super-safe playgrounds keep children from learning calculated risk-taking. "Playground injuries were often a result of children being poorly coordinated because they did not know how … [Read more...] about Ultra safe playgrounds turn out to be not so safe
Social-emotional learning ups academic performance
Right from the proverbial horse's mouth, so hear this: that social and emotional learning (SEL) has brought academic gains "that equal the results of many programs focused exclusively on academics ... is one of the most important findings from a far-reaching review of social and emotional learning programs for which I was the principal investigator," writes author and retired psychology professor … [Read more...] about Social-emotional learning ups academic performance
Followup on ‘Understanding cyberbullying…’
The other day I wrote about the need to work on cyberbullying more from the inside-out, and my mention of social media researcher danah boyd's field work elicited a thoughtful email from a risk-prevention specialist whose work I follow closely, author and risk-prevention specialist Patricia Agatston in the Atlanta area. She wrote that danah's findings "get me thinking about Rudolph … [Read more...] about Followup on ‘Understanding cyberbullying…’
New media monsters II: From digital people to ‘digital wisdom’
I'm using "digital people" as shorthand for "digital natives" and "digital immigrants," which together have become one of the "new media monsters" I wrote about, gosh, last April. This long overdue post is Part 2, because I want to be sure you know that even the person who coined "digital natives," Marc Prensky, himself has moved beyond this term that suggests children are alien life forms that … [Read more...] about New media monsters II: From digital people to ‘digital wisdom’