Archives for April 2010

Earth Day: 40 Eco Links Worth Recycling to Friends

April 20, 2020 Update: (How often does that happen 20-2020?) 4-21-2020: Amidst the "Contagion" concerns of COVID-19, take a moment to imagine what POSITIVE CONTAGION taking action on climate change could look like... Here are just a few ways to engage and inspire kids with green media to advocate for our planet's future! 4-20-2018 update: I'll spare you the countless … [Read more...]

Using Kid Lit To Read The Right Message About Bullying

April 18, 2010 Many of you know I clench when I hear the word ‘reporter’ (even though I’m one and the same, it’s different when you’re behind the keyboard) because media has powerful potential to ignite infernos and give too much heat to ill-placed words, creating drama instead of preventing same....So imagine my exhale when today’s edition of the Chicago Tribune rightfully … [Read more...]

Commodification of Kids: The Backlash Has Begun

April 16, 2010 About a year ago, TruthOut featured a poignant article called "Commodifying Kids, The Forgotten Crisis" by academic Henry A. Giroux, and though I read it with lots of head bobbing agreement on the tipping point of toxicity, I have to strongly DISagree with the "forgotten" notion. This issue is not the LEAST bit forgotten...it's on fire, baby and it's gaining … [Read more...]

Spring Break Sanctuary: Away From Digital Dramas, Peer Reality Shows

Mar. 25, 2016 Just back from a 'spring break' social media hiatus reprising our unplugged trip to Catalina Island, albeit only day tripping vs a leisurely week away, as we tried to 'recreate' and rediscover the digital detox and slow pace of the beach bungalow backstory. In 'that was then this is now' mode, it was interesting to see how my now collegiate daughter longed for … [Read more...]

Spring Break 2010: Service Learning from Teens Turning Green

April 3, 2010 While media reports often churn out attention-getting stereotypes of spring break scenes of rowdy youth antics under the auspices of ‘what sells,’ to feed the money machine, we all too often don’t see the coverage of ‘alternate spring breaks’ and a major shift that’s taking hold in the cultural zeitgeist of service learning and youth. As I head out on spring … [Read more...]