School’s (almost) out for summer. As long as you can survive June. 

Another school year is coming to an end, and parents everywhere are looking at their June calendars wondering how everything is going to fit into a few short weeks.

Say cheese? The benefits, and downfalls, of the Camera app

One of the best and, depending on how you look at it, one of the worst things about our smartphones is that we now have a camera in our pocket.

It means that every moment has the potential to turn into a captured memory. But it also means that every moment may become a captured memory. See the issue?

That’s Not Me: Addressing diversity in media

Teachers who include media literacy in their classrooms often face issues that don’t arise in other subjects. Nothing illustrates this better than the issue of diversity in media. It’s not unreasonable for teachers to see the topic as a can of worms and be concerned about offending students and their parents – not to mention worrying about what the students themselves might say. At the same time, it’s a topic that is simply too important to be ignored: what we see in media hugely influences how we see others, ourselves and the world. As a result, an ability to analyze media depictions of diversity is not only a key element of being media literate, it’s essential to understanding many of the social issues and concerns that we face as citizens. That’s why Media Awareness Network has developed That’s Not Me – a new online tutorial for professional development to help educators and community leaders approach this issue through key concepts of media literacy.

Spoiler Alert: Avoiding plot leaks in the digital age

I have a duality when it comes to spoilers in the media I consume. 

For movies, like anything in the Marvel universe, or Star Wars, I want to feel the shock, awe and surprise of whatever guest cameo, or plot point, unfolds in the moment. 

Where are you? Sharing locations 

It’s easier than ever to know the whereabouts of your family and friends. There are devices you can buy with wearable GPS systems. Effectively, you can be traced and tracked by loved ones.

Fear Factor

Halloween is perhaps the most contradictory of the major holidays. Though born in Ireland and other Celtic regions, today it is almost exclusively observed in the form that developed in North America; though closely associated with the imagination, it has been thoroughly commercialized, becoming an opportunity for children to buy costumes and then acquire candy (today it is the second largest commercial holiday in the US, after Christmas); and finally, though it is the holiday most closely associated with children, it is also one that has, traditionally, been all about fear.

Naughty or Nice: Video Games for Christmas

With Christmas approaching, video games are the one media industry that seems recession-proof, with games topping many wish lists. Parents, though, can find it difficult to tell just what they're buying for their children. They may know about Grand Theft Auto, for instance, but may wonder what kind of sins are in Sins of a Solar Empire. Of course, nobody wants to disappoint their children: if parents decide not to buy Gears of War, will little Johnny be happy with Rock Band instead? Fortunately, there are both tools and techniques at hand to help parents identify games they might find inappropriate and also to pick appropriate games their children will like.

This AI Literacy Day is a timely reminder for parents

As a parent, and an entrepreneur, there isn’t a day that goes by that AI somehow doesn’t show up in my spaces. I’ve shared before how it’s a conversation that I’m having to have with my own kids, and that is showing up in creative spaces too. 

Facing the Music

I feel like such an old lady when I’m listening to the radio sometimes. When I’m in the car with my husband we often find ourselves having the I Can’t Believe What Kids Are Listening to These Days conversation, one that often ends with me hitting the OFF button in disgust.

Landlines, dumb phones and a return to simpler tech

We got rid of our landline phone years ago. This means we all had to have cell phones and ways to contact each other. It’s not a perfect system; when the power goes out we are relying on our cell network for communication, but it has worked well for the most part.