Libraries and the Digital Shift
Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years – A Textbook for 21st Century Educators
Are you looking for a wealth of thoughtful, educated and tech-savvy resources for teaching the youngest learners? I’ve co-authored a chapter in Technology and Digital Media in the Early Years, out on Monday, August 25, 2014. This extraordinary textbook for 21st century educators includes up-to-date information about new media in many forms, with a focus […]
Note to the #DigitalShift: The Librarians Have Arrived!
Over the past two years I’ve been working closely within the library community about digital content for children. I’ve attended conferences, participated in the brilliant @LittleeLit think tank and even co-created training modules to pilot for professional development in multiple states. But until this past month, after attending the exceptional American Library Association (ALA) 2014 […]
Take Five for Family Engagement: Tips from Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR)
Recently, my son (age 7) told another kid his age that there are some interesting things to be learned from “old people”. He explained, “you know, the ones who were alive during the 19’s”. “They know some cool stuff,” he told his buddy … and I hope we can continue to share our ‘old-fashioned’ 20th […]
Take Five for Family Engagement: Apps to Get Moving TOGETHER!
Take 5 to get moving! This month’s list is brought to you by Carissa Christner, one of my favorite librarians – and I LOVE her first name! 🙂 Carissa works at the Madison, WI public library and has embraced new media. She is a major contributor to the LittleeLit think tank and has suggested five apps […]
Youth Literature in the Digital Realm – Q&A with Kent State MLIS Students
Last month I was invited by Dr. Marianne Martens to speak to her class at Kent State University. The students are getting their MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) degrees and the course is called “Youth Literature in the Digital Realm.” We pre-recorded a short presentation for the students and then invited them to submit […]
Parenting in the Digital Age: Teaching Kids to Balance Their Own Media Diet
Over the past two years, I have begun to transition away from full-time work on my book app review site, Digital-Storytime.com, in order to work on more outreach and training projects, especially within the public libraries in California. I have also done a number of presentations to parents, educators and content creators in the past […]
The 5 Types of Free Apps and How to Find Them
This post is an excerpt from a collaborative guest post, with Claudia Haines in the wonderful blog, Little eLit (http://littleelit.com). Little eLit provides librarians and literacy advocates with thoughtful articles, reviews and technical resources from a large pool of talented contributors. Claudia is the “Curation Coordinator” for Little eLit and a Youth Services Librarian at the Homer Public […]
The Baby and the Bathwater: A Nuanced Message About Screen Time
The debate about ‘screen time’ and children continues to be a hot topic in the field of early childhood education. Among the most difficult questions I have to answer are the ones about app recommendations for children under three. It seems like an innocent question, but it can also feel like I’ve entered a mine-field […]
The Cost of a Writing Life
When I first began my review site, Digital-Storytime.com, I had in mind a life of writing that involved a lot of freedom of expression and time … I might not make much from my brief evaluations of book apps, but I would have complete control over every aspect of my expression. Having control over your […]
New Media Partnerships – The Role of Mentoring and Training
Two weeks ago I had the honor of being invited to the Erikson Institute in Chicago to meet with Amanda Armstrong, Iara Fuenmayor and Chip Donohue, from the Technology in Early Childhood Center, Rita Catalano and Michael Robb of The Fred Rogers Center, Aimee Strittmatter and Joanna Ison of ALSC – Association for Library Service to Children and librarian extraordinaire, Cen Campbell of LittleeLit.com. […]
Thinking Out Loud – How New Media is Changing Our Species on a Fundamental Level
This week I was honored to meet with other thought leaders in new media and the education of young children. I’m working on a post for next week about our ‘next steps’ and what I learned from the amazing participants in this conversation. There is something so grounding about meeting with people in person, in […]
Librarians in the Digital Age – Part 2: A to Zoo for Apps Starts the Conversation
At the end of June, I had the honor of being on a panel at the national ALA (American Library Association) conference in Chicago, IL. Originally I was going to prepare a video or be available remotely by Skype, but at the last minute I decided to visit the windy city, stay with a dear […]
Parental Notification, the FTC and Kids Apps: What’s COPPA all about?
COPPA is a US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) statute – TITLE XIII – also known as the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Law. It was originally written in 1998 and had not been updated to account for the latest wave of digital kid’s content in the form of apps and other mobile media aimed at kids under 13. […]
Do Screens Belong in Library Storytimes for Young Children? Response to ALSC Blog
A few days ago, a guest post in the ALSC Blog about how “The Screen Free Storytime is the Best Storytime” really got me ‘all riled up’. The post is from Kathy Kleckner, a children’s librarian for Dakota County Libraries at their Rosemount branch. She has worked as a librarian on a bookmobile, in elementary schools and […]
Screen Time Vs Screen Quality: Why the Current Media & Kids Debate is About the Wrong Topic
In a recent ALSC – Association for Library Service to Children – blog post, Cen Campbell wrote about the idea that “Screen Time is Bad” and how that is truly not the conversation we want to be having today, in 2013. She goes on to point out that, “What most people mean when they talk […]
Children’s Librarians in the Digital Age – Part I: A Call to Action
In March, I was honored to be invited to the Watsonville, California public library to do a presentation with Cen Campbell, a librarian in Mt. View and blogger at LittleeLit.com. Our audience was a small group of dedicated librarians who work in a variety of settings in the public library system in Northern California. It […]
Resources for Researching and Evaluating Educational Kids Apps
I recently developed a series of in-person presentations, kind of like an “Educational Apps & Ebooks 101” for groups of parents, educators, librarians or other helping professionals in my community and state. In the process, I have created a handout with my favorite research reports and online resources to guide app evaluation & the selection […]
Literacy and The Digital Shift: How Educators, Parents & Librarians Can Bridge the Cultural Gap
The revolution is here. Over 500 years ago, when the Gutenberg Press was introduced, many people did not understand how the cultural shift would reverberate in every institution within society. We have greatly improved research that can quantify and qualify our projections for the future now, but this does not do anything to hedge against […]
Why Public Libraries are the Only Thing That Matters (to me) in the Print vs Digital Debate
I began this post nine months ago and have struggled to feel like it is finished. I now realize it will never be finished … no more than a river will be done flowing. It is about information, knowledge, curiosity and ultimately our humanity. In many ways, the cultural landscape is being transformed before our […]
Parents, Kids & The Digital Shift: Strategies for a Balanced Media Diet
This guest post is brought to you in collaboration with Lorraine Akemann of Moms With Apps. This is Part 1 of a 2 part post … the 2nd part will appear in the MomsWithApps.com blog in December of 2012. From Lorraine, “Carisa and I have both been blogging about family-friendly apps since 2009. We realized through our […]
Tablet Device Comparison for Families – Now including Nexus 10 Review
This review is of the Nexus 10 tablet, the newest addition to our family for testing. We really liked the smaller version of this tablet, the Nexus 7, and consider it the best Android option (for those who prefer Google-Play), with the best overall experience. The Nexus 10 currently starts at $400, a price point that […]
Two Essential Features for Digital Picture Books (a note to developers from your readers)
Just this week, several Oceanhouse Media titles, from their popular Dr. Seuss collection, including Green Eggs and Ham, have added recordable narration and additional settings that include page guides for easier navigation. This is an exceptional step and not an easy programming effort on the part of a major developer of book apps. It is […]
Technology, Teachers & Our Kids’ Future: Why Funding Training Matters More Than Buying Tablets
I have spent most of my professional life (over 20 years) working for, in support of and in collaboration with programs that functioned to support primary & secondary school-aged kids, parents & teachers. In this capacity, I have seen booms & busts in funding, priorities shifting from one collective program we thought would ‘save our […]
Tips on Encouraging Kids to Read in the Digital Age – Guest Post by Michel Kripalani
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr. Seuss, “I Can Read with My Eyes Shut!“ Dr. Seuss was right. Reading opens up our minds to new experiences and knowledge. For children, it can be a magical time. Today’s story […]
The Dark Side of Unlimited Free App Updates
One of the amazing things about apps is that they are constantly being updated and improved. These updates, for iOS and other platforms, are available to anyone who has previously downloaded the app, free of charge. But like most things, free isn’t really free. The developers of these apps have to take the time to […]
Top 10 iPad Book Apps with Cross-Generational Appeal
Print picture books often keep the adult reader in mind. This is also true of children’s book apps. This top 10 list takes into consideration the kinds of things that make a book app especially engaging for readers of all ages, like familiar stories or heart-warming themes. The iPad may seem like an entirely modern […]
The Changing Face of Children’s Books – New Challenges, New Opportunities
It is such an honor to write this post for Armchair BEA – An extension of the Book Expo America and the Book Blogger Convention in New York this May 2011. I’ll admit, a year ago I had not even heard of Armchair BEA. In fact, I had not heard of BEA itself. I was a […]
Print Vs. Digital – Is the ebook not a ‘proper’ book?
I have been reading articles, blog posts and chatter on Twitter about print books vs. ebooks a lot lately. In the market for children’s books, the rapid cultural shift from print to digital book apps in particular seems to have turned the world on edge. Authors, illustrators, publishers and now developers have a lot to […]
How will iPad picture books affect young reader’s literacy?
This post is part of a community effort to discuss literacy issues this week through “Share a Story – Shape a Future”. It’s sponsored by a group of “blogging librarians, teachers, parents, illustrators, authors, and literacy passionistas,” and represents “a collaborative venue to share ideas and celebrate everything reading has to offer our kids.” I […]