KIDS FIRST! News

According to posted in Marketing Daily, kids are still enjoying books, television and toys. Yes, a majority of kids under the age of eleven do hit the Internet on a regular basis, but not for long periods of time.What are kids doing when they do go online? In addition to game playing, kids are watching videos online. Nielson data released in June cites that children between the ages of two and eleven viewed more video than adults during the month of April.

Anash Interactive is a free, no-advertising award-winning website where kids create comics, build stories, play games & puzzles, watch webisodes, download podcasts, find out more about the Tlingit people of Canada and read stories & comics created by other online users.  It’s for kids aged 8-13.This site is a new online project from Reel Girls Media, who also worked on the KIDS FIRST! title, WildFiles.TV.

The qubo broadcast blocks on ION Television, NBC and Telemundo will feature a new “Space-Age-Summer” schedule as well as a new animated space series, “THE ZULA PATROL.”  And, everyone’s favorite elephant, “BABAR”, joins the block as well.*** [Please note that the new programming will likely be pre-empted on NBC on Saturday July 5 due to that network’s Wimbledon tennis tournament coverage.  But all of the shows will air on “qubo on NBC” in their regularly scheduled time slots beginning Saturday, July 12.] ***

Miss Rosa and Mr. Steve, two new teacher/presenters will join the PBS Kids preschool block, wrapping around shows and segments, on May 19 2008.  Played by Jennifer Pena, Miss Rosa is a teacher who will introduce Spanish-language words and phrases into the preschool-targeted block, while Steve Roslonek (aka SteveSongs) will portray Mr. Steve, a music teacher who will fold-in original songs and music related to each day’s theme. teacher and actress Jennifer Peña will guide kids through curriculum-based activities and introduce Spanish words and phrases as “Miss Rosa,” and musician Steve Roslonek will join as the music teacher, “Mr. Steve,” performing interactive original songs and music related to the day’s curriculum theme.

On May 9, 2008, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center held its first annual Symposium called “Logging Into The Playground: How Digital Media Are Shaping Children’s Learning.” Leaders from across research, communications, education and policy convened to set a new benchmark for the way in which digital media is used to improve children’s literacy, learning and development.Michael Levine, Executive Director for The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, said: “Digital media is driving what is now a multi-billion-dollar business that shapes the learning and entertainment experiences of most school-age children.” He added: “It is our mission to counsel the industry’s movers, shakers and policymakers and provide a needed bridge to what has become traditional education’s fourth and fifth “Rs”, reform and research. Wise and informed investments will harness the growing power and full potential of digital media’s use in educating young children.”Gee’s recommendations include: funding digital research and development to invest in what works; establishing a digital teacher corps for the nation’s lowest performing schools; designing alternative assessments and new standards; creating community-based literacy tech centers across the country; establishing Governor’s digital partnership schools; and finally, modernizing public broadcasting investments in digital platforms for the next generation.The agenda for the day-long symposium also featured child-led demonstrations of new technologies and a hands-on forum promoting two dozen of the best digital media initiatives in the world. Attendees were shown one of the first demonstrations of BOOM BLOX, a new game for Nintendo Wii developed by EA in association with director Steven Spielberg along with promising emerging technologies from exhibitors including: Community Building with Google Earth by Google Earth creator and Google Chief Technology Advocate, Michael T. Jones; Web-based books in English and Spanish by the Center for Applied Special Technology, to help individuals, especially those most at risk, to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for reading; IBM’s Traducelo AHORA! (“Translate Now!”) that uses IBM WebSphere software to translate web sites from English to Spanish for schools, community organizations, as well as parents so they can correspond directly with teachers no matter what language is spoken at home; and an Apple in the Classroom demo by Kathy Shirley, an Apple Distinguished Educator, on using iPods to strengthen reading fluency and comprehension.More details on the reports and Symposium are found on the Joan Ganz Cooney website.