Media Literacy Week 2016 Spotlight: Camp Reel Stories

Oct. 31, 2016 Official first day of Media Literacy week which runs Oct. 31-Nov.4! Please share critical thinking tips and tools to create a more informed public, so we don't have a plague of fake news, and bogus social media 'shares' sans fact checking and journalism reduced to content marketing! NAMLE has tons of resources and activities to make the week fun, festive and full … [Read more...]

Gender Stereotypes: Part 2 with Dr. Elizabeth Sweet

April 28, 2016 The dismissive wails from the Twittersphere and social media mavens were almost audible: "Oh please, not another pink and blue gender in the toy aisle post..." To coin a phrase from Part One of the White House convening on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in Media and Toys, "Yes, And..." I’ve been writing about media and marketing’s impact on kids for ten years … [Read more...]

Distractingly Sexy: Media Literacy Summer Fun

July 2, 2015 This summer has been heating up with a slow burn in social media maneuvers starting in June when female scientists set Twitter ablaze with the #DistractinglySexy hashtag in response to the now infamous comments made by Nobel prize winner Tim Hunt, who implied women were a distraction in the lab:“Let me tell you about my trouble with girls...Three things happen when … [Read more...]

Tumble Leaf: Outdoor Play and Discovery via Amazon Kids

Update May 11, 2015 While Tumble Leaf continues to rake in multiple awards including five daytime Emmys, Amazon Studios Greenlights Six New Pilots for Kids. (mostly ages 6-11, one PreK) Here's hoping their original kids' programming stays on a winning streak for quality, as they have some heavy hitters involved in the sphere of creative talent (from Muppets and Marvel ties to … [Read more...]

Youth Trailblazers Ignite Inspiration at First Ever Startup Weekend Oakland

Feb. 16, 2014 “You know you have something special when your teen and his friend are up and ready to head in to code by 7:15 am! –Startup Weekend Oakland is changing lives”—Leah McGowen-Hare“Thanks for the best weekend of my life. We built an app with complete strangers that could save lives' and had a blast while doing it.” — Iman Saint Jean, Winning Team, “HelpCircle” … [Read more...]