The UK has seen too much social cruelty this past week, and now tragedy as well, with the suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith. Though there has been plenty of news coverage and analysis already – linking Hannah's suicide to cruel comments in social site Ask.fm – a formal inquiry into what happened has only just begun, the BBC reported. And suicide prevention experts on both sides of the Atlantic … [Read more...] about UK’s teen suicide tragedy: Problems, solutions
Parenting
History & social literacy in 1 children’s book
A wonderful book you'll be able to add to your children's or students' library this coming winter is Gifts from the Enemy, by award-winning children's author Trudy Ludwig. A nonfiction picture book for readers in grades 3-6, it's based on the experiences of Alter Wiener, who as a teenager spent nearly three years in five concentration camps during World War II. Author of 64735: From a Name to a … [Read more...] about History & social literacy in 1 children’s book
Parents more protectionist than empowering: Study
Readers, this post (like a few others, recently) is inspired by my participation on the Aspen Institute Task Force on Learning and the Internet that got started last month. The task force would love to have you join us in what we hope will become a nationwide conversation about safe, successful and connected learning. Pls sign up to join the conversation here, and you'll get more information … [Read more...] about Parents more protectionist than empowering: Study
Kids these days: ‘Better than we were,’ the President says
President Obama gave a preliminary statement last Sunday right after the jury gave its verdict in the Trayvon Martin case, but then after watching the controversy unfold in the days that followed, he said yesterday (7/19/13) in the White House briefing room that he thought it might be useful to expand on that a bit. Besides the calmness in his voice and quiet in the room for those 17+ minutes, … [Read more...] about Kids these days: ‘Better than we were,’ the President says
Media siege mentality: Antidote for parents
Over the 15-or-so years I've been covering family technology, I've noticed a kind of siege mentality that developed among parents about kids' use of digital media. Then, a few years ago, when sociology professor David Finkelhor at the University of New Hampshire gave his milestone talk, "The Internet, Youth Deviance & the Problem of Juvenoia," I heard him offer the most plausible reason I'd … [Read more...] about Media siege mentality: Antidote for parents