I can't stop watching/listening to them, so – if you didn't catch the Oscars last night (or stay tuned till the so-not-bitter end) and aren't already a fan – catch this: P.S. 22's 5th-grade chorus singing a cover of MGMT's "Kids" or Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" (Jared soloing), which has so far been viewed more than 1.6 million times. Or catch amazing soloist Denise in their cover of "Firework" … [Read more...] about Oscar’s Best Musical Performance: P.S. 22’s 5th-graders
Archives for February 2011
Can this be played in school? Please?
I'm asking you, educators. EVOKE sounded amazing, when I heard it described by game designer Jane McGonigal on NPR's Science Friday the other day. The goal of this free social game is to "help empower people all over the world to develop creative solutions to urgent social problems" – beyond "mere" civic engagement to social problem-solving. Of course EVOKE isn't the only social-media teaching … [Read more...] about Can this be played in school? Please?
Virtual world ‘mall’ now has online-safety ‘store’
Everloop, a new social site aimed at kids 8-13, is not just another virtual world. Or social network site. It's not a kids' Facebook or alternative to Whyville.net or LEGO Universe, contrary to what's being reported (see Mashable). But it's also not just an online space. What it is depends on who's looking at it. To kids and parents, it's like a virtual-world and/or social-network mall that's … [Read more...] about Virtual world ‘mall’ now has online-safety ‘store’
FTC will look into mobile apps marketing to kids
After news coverage of kids racking up huge iTunes bills for their parents while playing game apps on iPhones and iPod Touches gained and letters from US lawmakers to the Federal Trade Commission about this, the Commission announced it will investigate, Ars Technica reports. In a letter to the FTC, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) wrote that "what may appear in these games to be virtual coins and prizes … [Read more...] about FTC will look into mobile apps marketing to kids
Togetherville a great acquisition for Disney
Disney's smart to acquire Togetherville, which I called social-networking training wheels for families last spring, when the kids' social site launched. Why families and not just kids? Because kids under 13 hardly need training in online socializing – most start that at young ages, in online games and virtual worlds (like Disney's Club Penguin, which it acquired from a smart Canadian startup in … [Read more...] about Togetherville a great acquisition for Disney