Given that children now spend more than seven hours a day with their TV’s, computers, cellphones, and other electronic media—more time than they spend in school and more than many of them sleep—we parents have got to get smart about our children’s media use and how it affects their physical and mental health, and we need to develop a strategy for managing media.
Publisher Jeremy Ettinghausen discusses the “We Tell Stories” project, which aimed to tell stories using innovative online formats. The project broadcast stories live online as authors wrote them and utilized tools like Twitter and Google Maps. —– Matt Locke of Channel 4 Education and Jeremy Ettinghausen of Penguin Books discuss how hyper-connectivity, interactive media and the changing demands of 21st century audiences are transforming stories and storytelling.
Cheaper e-books and the emergence of an Apple e-reader are reported as the main factors in driving digital publishing forward, according to a landmark survey of more than 1,000 book trade professionals by Bookseller. The survey found that 88% of respondents thought bookshops would lose out from the growth in digital sales.
The majority of respondents said that e-books should be priced at the same cost as a paperback book (30.1%), or cheaper (53.6%) but there was also concern that low priced e-books could devalue other editions. One respondent stressed that it was “important not to devalue the work that has gone into writing, editing and formatting the content”.
Apple was named as the company which would come out ‘top’ in the e-reader wars with support from 52% despite not even having a dedicated e-reader out on the market as yet: Amazon was a close second, with Sony third.
Whilst customers may expect ebooks to be cheaper than their paperback counterparts the publishers are still seeking to cover the front end costs of production of the original work.
So the discussion continues on digital books, e-readers, pricing and formatting. Ultimately it will be the consumer that decides.
This was the title of a recent Harvard discussion panel regarding higher education in a digital age.
In the classroom, the digital age is changing the way that people think, read, and learn in a university environment. The internet offers new opportunities for knowledge sharing and open access. However the debate discussed that universities, the physical building, will continue to exist. The internet is a knowledge source, a forum for discussion, even open debate at a worldwide level, yet the face to face human interaction and challenge that exists in higher education will be slow to be replaced.
I agree with the sentiment that the best future will be one in which the digital and the traditional coexist.
We all love the feel of snuggling up with a book with our child. So how can reading ebooks be helpful for your child’s development?
Ebooks are not meant to be a replacement for reading together with your child. They are designed to be an additional way to engage children in a literacy activity. Kids love computers and rather than screen time simply being for fun they can now use the computer as an educational resource too.
The better ebooks available on the market are more than a video presentation of an existing book. The ones that are simply videos do not engage your child in reading the words. The ebooks that stand out from the crowd are the ones where the words highlight in time to the audio. This encourages your child to read along to/follow the narration. It models fluency, tempo and voice intonation. The child will start to recognise the words and their relevant sounds. Repetition is one of the keys to learning and a child can listen to the audio version of the story again and again whilst following along.
When children are becoming independent readers they will want to have a go at reading for themselves. This is when they need the functionality of being able to click on an unfamiliar word to hear it spoken. They can self pace their learning giving them a sense of control. If they read to themselves and come across an unfamiliar word they can click on it to hear it spoken and carry on their independent reading without having to wait for adult intervention. This can also become a game as the child clicks on a word and tries to say it before the narrator has had a chance. This activity builds up their vocabulary and reading skills as well as being fun.
Animated illustrations engage even the most reluctant readers yet do not distract from the words that are equally important. The illustrations in children’s picture books are as important as the words giving the child an opportunity to understand what the words that are being spoken are describing.
Comprehension or recall quizzes at the end of an ebook ensure that the child has understood and remembered the story. Knowing there is a quiz reinforces that attention needs to be paid to the story and reinforces understanding.
Ebooks can be a great educational and fun activity that you can share with your child or let them have a go themselves and be in control of their own learning.
We all know that children have a huge array of technological solutions available to them. They have a vast amount of knowledge and information available literally at their finger tips. In a recent report by OFCOM they researched how children in the UK are using technology. available here
There is no doubt that technology is a part of children’s everyday lives. Is it the responsibility of the parent or the school to support our children in learning how to use the technology effectively?
The research shows 39% of 5 -7 year olds, in the UK, use the internet everyday, rising to 49% for kids aged 8 -11 and a whopping 78% for 12 – 15 year olds. That is a lot of children online!
Parents tend to trust their children online [78% of them agreeing that they think their child uses the internet safely] and see the internet as a positive addition to their child’s life with 64% of parents with children aged 5-15 agreeing with the statement “the benefits of the internet for my child outweigh any risks”.
However 50% of parents agreed that “my child knows more about the internet than I do”.
With the growth in technology and knowledge available expanding at an exponential rate can we leave it to parents to guide their kids? What role do schools have in teaching how to use technology and how are we measuring their effectiveness?
To develop literacy skills all children need to be exposed to books and reading. For today’s techno-savvy youngest generation there is now an option to practice their reading skills online. Digital books are not meant as a replacement to paper books but another exciting medium to get kids reading more.
I love that the story can read aloud to kids whilst highlighting the words.
Children learn by repetition and we all know how kids can want the same story over and over again! So they can listen to the story a number of times and learn the associations between the sounds and the words.
I love that children can click on a word they are unfamiliar with and hear it spoken.
Without having to wait for adult intervention children can try and sound out a word whilst they are reading but if they get stuck they can hear it spoken by clicking on the word.
I love that ebooks look like a paper book with page turning.
Ebooks are not meant as a replacement to paper books but having digital books that look like their paper counterpart can instil a love of all books.
I love that the illustrations are animated.
Picture books that really come to life with animated illustrations – just magical.
I love the comprehension/memory quiz incorporated into the technology.
Children can listen to a story yet not pay attention. Having a comprehension/memory quiz can make sure they listen carefully and take more of the story in.
I love that children are using computer time as a learning experience.
As a parent myself I know how much the kids love to spend time on the computer. Now they can use screen time in an enjoyable and educational way.
I love that reluctant readers can be exposed to books in another medium.
Reluctant readers can hold strong negative associations with books so exposing them to digital formats can provide an alternative medium for them to be exposed to books which is not as threatening.
Digital books are not meant as a replacement for paper books. They are another medium that can harness a child’s passion for learning to read. They are a method for exposing children to more books whilst they are having fun. But don’t tell the children!
Do you have kids ages 3 – 8? Do you teach in a primary/elementary school? Are you a carer for young children? Then we’d like to hear from you!
Do you and your child love books? Are you interested in literacy? Are you keen to see children engaged with reading? Are you interested in new technologies that could help children learning to read? Then we need your help.
We are looking for a number of parents/carers/teachers to join our review panel to trial our newly launched children’s ebooks. Click here to see the books available.
We will give you access to all of the books on wizz-e.com for free. No cost. No risk to you. In return all we ask is for your/your child’s thoughts.
If you are interested in being part of this review panel then email melanie@ybc.tv with the subject title ‘wizz-e’ and she will send you a login account and password to get access.
This offer is closing shortly. So act NOW and give your child free access to a fantastic product that will support their reading! Can you afford to miss out? Email melanie now.
So your kids are on Facebook, they text like crazy and to be honest they know more about online networking than you do. Well, here is some good news. With the new service Class-Connect students can network with other students and teachers across the globe.
Why this is cool…
Kids can learn from others as well as share their knowledge with those in say, France. Its kind of like a new, techie version of the foreign exchange student program.
Also students can send texts to receive their homework as well as talk with others about the work they are doing in class.
There is nothing more valuable to the mind of a child than information. If we as parents can broaden their information highways by sharing the world with them, it is said to increase IQ by 10-20 points; Just from giving them a worldly perspective.
eReaders are the new gadget that is a must have! You might be aware of the Kindle, Sony and even some others, but ever get tired of reading from the same black and white, boring reader? Well, this reader ‘ain’t your parents reader.
The New COOL-er comes in jewel tone beauty and resembles somewhat of a iPod Nano-ish flare!
What does this have to do with kids, ebooks and online reading?
Everything!!
I dont know many kids that would like a simple white Kindle that looks like the one thier mom and dad have BUT, if they can get a pink one or one the color of their favorite football team, then it makes it personal.
Just like the iPod brought kids to music, the ereader can bring kids to online books. So by providing them with the tools to get the wide range of online knowledge through ebooks they have more options, just like the iPod and Internet brought music and knowledge to life, ebooks bring reading to life, and that is magic!
