100 Years From Now
I hope I can pass on the essence of this to my daughter.
I feel that love and compassion are the moral fabric of world peace. Let me first define what I mean by compassion. When you have pity or compassion for a very poor person, you are showing sympathy because he or she is poor; your compassion is based on altruistic considerations. On the other hand, love towards your wife, your husband, your children, or a close friend is usually based on attachment. When your attachment changes, your kindness also changes; it may disappear. This is not true love. Real love is not based on attachment, but on altruism. In this case your compassion will remain as a humane response to suffering as long as beings continue to suffer. ~ Dalai Lama
Source: http://www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/a-human-approach-to-peace
#children #future #importance #life #giving #dalailama #fun
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Donald Duck Gets QR Coded < Kids are going to love this :-)
QR codes in comics, that’s cool 
“Children are often the best early adopters of technology, simply because they have no fear and welcome change.” < So true...
“Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!” Donald Duck Gets QR Coded
Using QR Codes with children’s content is extremely natural. Children are often the best early adopters of technology, simply because they have no fear and welcome change.
Also, a QR Code can be positioned as opening up “secret” content and experiences or extending “play” into the mobile space (where they are using their parent’s phones to play games in the back of the car).
I wish the QR code linked to an Audio file of the comic being read to me (by donald).
I would love that if I was 6.
Let Your Children be Children ~ John M Grohol
Firstly, hat tip for an inspiring article. As I was reading the clipped sections I thought… let’s substitute the word ‘child’ and replace it with ‘learner’ so that it reads – ‘If you want to help your learner today, give them time to be a learner.’ < like that too
Let Your Children be Children
By John M Grohol PsyD
Children — like adults — learn by doing, as much as they learn through formal teaching. If we take those informal learning opportunities away from our children, we ultimately hurt them while ironically trying to help them. We hurt their ability to learn the way they were intrinsically built to learn — through natural experiences, through interactive experiences with their peers, and through unscripted, unstructured play time.
If you want to help your child today, give them time to be a child.
Ht @childcoach: Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression by Dr Haim Ginott
Playing to Learn? by Maria Andersen
http://prezi.com/rj_b-gw3u8xl/playing-to-learn/
Excellent presentation!
What It Takes to Get Good: Fires in the Mind by @kathleencushman < loving this!
Read more articles from this inspiring author on http://firesinthemind.org/
What if schools had to make kids happy? by @jtcobb (clipped)
“I’d say we should focus instead on helping people find what will make their lives as fulfilling as possible, and then support them in excelling at it. Let’s figure out the best possible role the schools can play in achieving that outcome.”
There is a wave of change and it’s being driven by social learning via the internet. How long it takes for institutions to adopt these new concepts is based on many different factors. Perhaps the biggest problem facing education is the education system itself and those who are controlling it.
Kids are not stupid, they know that once they complete their ‘education’ a job in their chosen interest is not guaranteed, especially in today’s climate. Motivation is therefore dampended and as a direct result happiness and fulfilment are negatively affected .
Tomorrow’s knowledge workers need to gain new skills. They need to learn from Master learners who can teach them how information can be curated, stored, re-found and shared. It is no longer necessary to memorise everything, it is more important to know where to find the answers and from whom.
Building communities of practice and allowing those communities to find their own solutions plays a large part in the future of education. If the future of schooling is to be heavily based around the social internet it would make sense for education to adopt as soon as possible.
“Is it possible that as leaders we need to be thinking differently?”
For leaders to think differently leaders need to change their thoughts. From a cognitive perspective, this is easier said than done. If leaders are unable to change their thoughts, technology will eventually become disruptive and cause change without choice. This is probably the most likely outcome based on the difficulties of changing core foundational upbringing.
I don’t there are any teachers whose personal ambition isn’t to ensure kids are fulfilled or happy. I do think teacher’s hands are tied though and from their own professional perspective, ensuring their students hit targets is, in effect, their main priority.
I’m personally interested in the development of free schools, a government project under-way in the UK. Here lies an opportunity to re-write the script and even though their are many possible pitfalls, I have the hope that through the ups and downs education will change for the better.
What if schools had to make kids happy?
by Jeff Cobb
Here’s a simple (though perhaps not easy) proposition: Let’s value schools based on their ability to help produce happy adults.
I’ve been struck by how little weight is given to fulfillment and happiness as a desired outcome of our educational system – at least in the U.S.
If it is all about higher test scores, then guess what, our educational institutions will develop approaches aimed at producing good test takers.
Trying to gauge whether schools have contributed in a meaningful way towards fulfillment, towards the type of happiness associated with “the good life,” as Aristotle put it, may seem messy, but it strikes me as increasingly possible. The research that Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and others have done in the field of positive psychology suggest numerous approaches that might be tried if we have the collective will to test and implement them.
A focus on fulfillment also strikes me as increasingly necessary
But more importantly, if we expect to achieve new heights, we need the people who do these things to love them, to be passionate about them, to see them as part of a fulfilling, happy, engaged life. We don’t need to be shoving them down the throat of every student who enters our educational system. That devalues both the outcome and the student.Read more at www.missiontolearn.com
The Creativity Crisis …in the space between anxiety and boredom was where creativity flourished.(clipped)
Very useful article that helps explain how divergent thinking and convergent thinking affect creativity. The educational aspects interested me; they are clipped below.
It seems, from the study information, that creativity is declining most in children. It is suggested that it may be a result of kids watching too much TV or playing too many video games, and not enough time engaging in creative exercises. The report goes on to add that another factor: lack of creativity development in schools.
Teachers state they are “overwhelmed by curriculum standards and they warn there’s no room in the day for a creativity class.”
“They’re quitting because they’re discouraged and bored, not because they’re dark, depressed, anxious, or neurotic.”
The education challenge: how do we get to a point where kids say, “Cool! tomorrow is school.”
The technology challenge: how do we get to the point where kids say, “Miss, can you turn your volume up a tiny bit, and move the webcam a little more to the right, thanks.”
The creativity challenge: how to we merge technology and education to produce a “Cool! tomorrow is school” feeling? …what are their motivations?
Creativity is not an event or even a series of events, it’s a daily process, a conscious effort to balance one side of the brain with the other.
“They didn’t stop asking questions because they lost interest: it’s the other way around. They lost interest because they stopped asking questions.”
As a parent, this made me feel quite sad 
I’m taking this thought with me and will pay more attention in daily conversations with my daughter – they grow up so fast eh!
The Creativity Crisis
For the first time, research shows that American creativity is declining. What went wrong—and how we can fix it.
To be creative requires divergent thinking (generating many unique ideas) and then convergent thinking (combining those ideas into the best result).
Kim found creativity scores had been steadily rising, just like IQ scores, until 1990. Since then, creativity scores have consistently inched downward. “It’s very clear, and the decrease is very significant,” Kim says. It is the scores of younger children in America—from kindergarten through sixth grade—for whom the decline is “most serious.”
It’s too early to determine conclusively why U.S. creativity scores are declining. One likely culprit is the number of hours kids now spend in front of the TV and playing videogames rather than engaging in creative activities. Another is the lack of creativity development in our schools. In effect, it’s left to the luck of the draw who becomes creative: there’s no concerted effort to nurture the creativity of all children.
Overwhelmed by curriculum standards, American teachers warn there’s no room in the day for a creativity class.
Creativity isn’t about freedom from concrete facts.
Creativity requires constant shifting, blender pulses of both divergent thinking and convergent thinking, to combine new information with old and forgotten ideas.
What’s common about successful programs is they alternate maximum divergent thinking with bouts of intense convergent thinking, through several stages. Real improvement doesn’t happen in a weekend workshop. But when applied to the everyday process of work or school, brain function improves.
Preschool children, on average, ask their parents about 100 questions a day. Why, why, why—sometimes parents just wish it’d stop. Tragically, it does stop. By middle school they’ve pretty much stopped asking. It’s no coincidence that this same time is when student motivation and engagement plummet. They didn’t stop asking questions because they lost interest: it’s the other way around. They lost interest because they stopped asking questions.
In the space between anxiety and boredom was where creativity flourished.
They’re quitting because they’re discouraged and bored, not because they’re dark, depressed, anxious, or neurotic.
lack of creativity—not having loads of it—is the real risk factor.Read more at www.newsweek.com
Education: Seth Godin’s View
Enjoying…
Seth Godin on how schools teach kids to aim low and wait for instructions.
The Teen Brain
Also noted was how teen brains react with alcohol and cannabinoid’s –
“We make the point that what you did on the weekend is still with you during that test on Thursday. You’ve been trying to study with a self-induced learning disability.”
The Teen Brain
How can teens be so clever, accomplished, and responsible—and reckless at the same time? Easily, according to two physicians at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School (HMS) who have been exploring the unique structure and chemistry of the adolescent brain. “The teenage brain is not just an adult brain with fewer miles on it,” says Frances E. Jensen, a professor of neurology. “It’s a paradoxical time of development. These are people with very sharp brains, but they’re not quite sure what to do with them.”
By raising awareness of this paradoxical period in brain development, the neurologists hope to help young people cope with their challenges, as well as recognize their considerable strengths.
Internet: Great Expectations …going beyond children’s self-generated enthusiansm #education #socialmedia
I thought this extract should have it’s own post.
A clipping added to a comment in a conversation sparked from this post, started by Eric Goldstein, entitled, ‘A quick thought on all the “addicted to social media” talk…’ – http://bit.ly/cu5eLF
What Parents Need to Understand in a Social Media World
Hope parents get time to read this article!
“Much of the concern about cellphones and instant messaging and Twitter has been focused on how children who incessantly use the technology are affected by it. But parents’ use of such technology — and its effect on their offspring — is now becoming an equal source of concern to some child-development researchers.” ~ Julie Scelfo
Also made me think of mirroring…
“Mirroring is the behaviour in which one person copies another person usually while in social interaction with them. It may include miming gestures, movements, body language, muscle tensions, expressions, tones, eye movements, breathing, tempo, accent, attitude, choice of words/metaphors and other aspects of communication. It is often observed among couples or close friends.” ~ Wikipedia
How Kids Learn to Communicate in a Social Media World
We have been asking ourselves what happens to children when they spend an average of seven and a half hours a day on media, when they text rather than talk? Will they learn to communicate?
Now we are also asking what happens to children when we–their parents–are so absorbed with our BlackBerries, iPhones or iPads that it sometimes takes a child biting our leg to get our attention?
children told me hundreds of stories of having to say “earth to mom,” or “earth to dad” to get their parents’ attention. This issue may have gotten more extreme (and social media can be particularly addictive) but it is an old issue.
And social media isn’t bad or good either. We just need to figure out how we use it so that we can also “be with our kids.”
They said that when they need their parents, they want them to “be there for them”–that’s what I called focused time.
Each of us is going to have to find the right “fit” between paying focused attention to our kids and to social media.Read more at www.huffingtonpost.com
Internet Advice for Parents < Turning the corner in search of solutions…
Having researched and published many articles on the dangers of excessive internet and digital media use, next week I’ll be looking at what can be done to support kids, parents and educators – I feel it’s now time to look at the practical solutions available; I recommend bookmarking this site to start with, its full of great resources.
Have a great weekend and enjoy the football 
The Empathic Civilisation (Animated Video)
It seems such a natural progression from my earlier posting today (Why is Generation Y Different? – http://bit.ly/bVo2Aj) – The the entire video with Jeremy Rifkin is also available by clicking through… I have to say I do love the animated versions, they are just so engaging – produced: by http://www.cognitivemedia.co.uk/
Update: Just watched the entire video by J Rifkin and if your only going to watch one video this year watch this one… http://bit.ly/aEaERO
RSA Animate – The Empathic Civilisation
theRSAorg
—
06 May 2010
—Bestselling author, political adviser and social and ethical prophet Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of…
Read more at www.youtube.com
Why is Generation Y Different? #teachers #edtech #lrnchat #education #edchat #elearning #parents #addiction
This morning I watched a video clipped by @amishare (great find!). The lecture by Philip Zimbardo, a longtime Stanford psychology professor, was animated by RSA (great job) – I re-clipped the YouTube video around 5:20 to emphasise what I’ve been discussing of late. The entire video 10:08 is more than worth watching, but if ‘time’ doesn’t permit, try to watch the clipped version I’ve made below. I was not able to include the video here, so you will need to click the image or the link below it.
This five minutes of narration and imagery is nailing the whole premise of schools, education, learning, knowledge, kids today and why they are fundamentally different and why we need to understand this.
This is a must watch for teachers, trainers, educators, psychologists, parents and anyone who is trying to motivate Generation Y to learn. (Please RT this, thanks…)
http://www.safeshare.tv/v/A3oIiH7BLmg?b=05:20&e=10:00
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains ~ Nicholas Carr (inspired by @socratoad via #amplify)
Just spent a good hour following links, listening to audio and watching videos from Nicholas Carr and I have to say, he’s nailing it! He was asked by ABC – ‘So, is there a solution?’ He replied,
“Each of us is responsible for the choices we make and how we use or don’t use our minds… each of us has to ask hard questions… is the balance of thinking conducive to getting the most creative… the most introspective thought we can… and I think we’re losing this right now.”
I also read that the book is not aimed at one particular generation, but more for everyone using the Internet. I guess my question has to be: How are we going to communicate this message to a younger audience? Will they listen or are they too engrossed in the medium to care?
Link to the book > http://bit.ly/aDfMyY
“Screenagers” – Rehab clinic for children internet and technology addicts founded (London, via Telegraph)
There you go… I hadn’t read this article, in fact hadn’t read much about this topic before getting on my soap box earlier (http://bit.ly/cQD44v) – it had just been bugging me for some weeks and eventually it exploded into a blog post.
Perhaps its just a small percentage, as with gambling or alcohol abuse teenagers, but my feeling is this is far easier to get lost in and far more socially acceptable; suddenly you end up developing addicted tendencies that later can apply to other areas of life.
I agree with Dr Richard Graham who says “‘What we need are official guidelines now on what counts as healthy or unhealthy use of technology.”
Rehab clinic for children internet and technology addicts founded
Britain’s first internet rehab clinic has been founded amid fears children as
young as 12 are addicted to the web, computer games and mobile phones.
By Andrew Hough
Published: 7:00AM GMT 18 Mar 2010
Children will be forced to go “cold turkey” from their technology use as well
as being encouraged to cut out any problem use, such as computer games, and
restrict the time spent using their phone or computer.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Richard Graham, who is leading the new addiction
treatment, said services need to ”adapt quickly” to help young people
affected by technology addiction – who he dubbed ”screenagers” – rather
than sticking with the same treatment models used for substance abuse.
Dr Graham said children played some computer games for the social contact,
adding: ”It gives them a sense of connection so they end up playing all the
time.”
”What we need are official guidelines now on what counts as healthy or
unhealthy use of technology,” he told the London Evening Standard.
A spokeswoman said the service will be offered for children as young as 12 but
those aged 15 to 17 are expected to be the main target group.
She said the service did not aim to make children give up technology use
completely, instead they are encouraged to cut out any problem use – like
computer games – and restrict the time spent using their phone or computer.Read more at www.telegraph.co.uk
When Social Gets Too Much
Hunky Dorey
You’re twenty eight years old, recently married, first child on the way, a successful community manager for a leading retailer, and part of your daily bread and butter is updating the feed on Facebook or Twitter. You’ll spend an hour a day looking through your well researched RSS feeds for one or two relevant articles to post, and perhaps another hour commenting on posts and enganging with your community. Your sorted, your cool, no worries there. Continue Reading
Daily Media Use Among Children and Teens Up Dramatically from Five Years Ago #edchat #lrnchat #education
Is there a cause for concern?
“The bottom line is that all these advances in media technologies are making it even easier for young people to spend more and more time with media,” said Victoria Rideout, Foundation Vice President and director of the study. “It’s more important than ever that researchers, policymakers and parents stay on top of the impact it’s having on their lives.”
DAILY MEDIA USE AMONG CHILDREN AND TEENS UP DRAMATICALLY FROM FIVE YEARS AGO
Mobile media driving increased consumption.
Parents and media rules.
Media in the home.
Heavy media users report getting lower grades
Black and Hispanic children spend far more time with media than White
children do.
Big changes in TV.
Popular new activities like social networking also contribute to
increased media use.
Types of media kids consume
High levels of media multitasking.
Additional findings:
Reading
Media and
homework.
Rules about
media content.
Gender gap.
Tweens and
media.
Texting.
The report is based on a survey conducted
between October 2008 and May 2009 among a nationally representative sample of
2,002 3rd-12th grade students ages 8-18.Read more at www.kff.org
How Does Technology Affect Kids’ Friendships? – NYTimes.com (HT @c4lpt)
I’m gald to see this topic getting some attention. RT it.
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