Smart Screen Time

Senses and Stories

Senses and Stories

My wife recently brought home a bag full of pinecones drenched in cinnamon. Our son was thrilled because for him this signaled the kickoff of the holiday season. Those pinecones and their not-subtle scent also got me thinking about how the holidays intentionally...

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Giving Thanks for Smart Screens

Giving Thanks for Smart Screens

In the world of digital media, we use the word “interactivity” to make an important distinction about the ways people use screens. The first generation of screens—televisions! asked viewers to simply view and not respond to the screens in any way. During his TV show,...

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Heroes Come in Many Forms

Heroes Come in Many Forms

  I absolutely love Halloween night when I get to sit on my front porch, feel a chill in the air (fingers crossed), and see our neighborhood come alive with visitors. There comes a point each Halloween when the crowds grow so big that they take over the streets,...

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Gaming with a Purpose

Gaming with a Purpose

  This month, we start with a question from a parent: “I thought I was doing the right thing by reducing video time and steering my child to more interactive content like games and academic skills practice. However, I’ve noticed that my child doesn’t seem to be...

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Easing Back Into Bedtime Routines

Easing Back Into Bedtime Routines

    August is upon us and the end of this long, hot summer is approaching. While the heat is likely to be with us for some time yet, our kids will soon be exiting our homes and re-entering school buildings. This means it’s a good time to bring back (or...

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Same Story Three Different Ways

Same Story Three Different Ways

    I’ve recently been corrected about a long-time impression that I’ve held. Between you and me, I don’t always receive correction gracefully, but in this instance, it opened up possibilities for thinking about how media and literature can come together for...

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Traveling By Air, Land or Sea

Traveling By Air, Land or Sea

  One of the most amazing results of the internet age is the ability to deeply investigate people and places around the globe. As you head out this summer, you can involve your children in pre-travel exploration and planning through kid-friendly travel resources,...

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Screens in Cars

Screens in Cars

May is a busy month - several holidays, end-of-school-year events, sports leagues in full gear, and let’s not forget No Sock Day (May 8). All of these occasions likely add up to significant travel time, which in turn means screen time in cars for many kids. Some years...

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Exploring The Outdoors

Exploring The Outdoors

Welcome to April, everyone, the most beautiful month in Austin. If you’re like many central Texans, you’ve already tried to maximize your time outside this spring, before the moderately hot weather turns truly hot. One characteristic of our current era that...

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Learn To Love Debugging

Learn To Love Debugging

  If I ever go back to classroom teaching, I’m going to fully embrace making mistakes as the absolute best learning opportunity – moments for celebration, not discouragement. The scientific community has long regarded error analysis as the foundation for...

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Story Viewing and Story Telling

Story Viewing and Story Telling

  Years ago, I read an academic study about kids and how they told stories about their lives. Frequently, their stories would borrow from movies or shows they had seen and sometimes, their stories appeared to be direct copies of those programs. The temptation at...

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What’s Your Screen Resolution?

What’s Your Screen Resolution?

With the new year, everyone is talking about diet, exercise and making changes. I’m going to jump on that trend and ask you to consider your screen resolution – not the pixel count but your intentions for screen use in 2023. Parents, older siblings, and other adults...

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Idea Lab Summer
Mad Science
Club Z
Dart em Up
kid-to-kid
Master Gohring
Redeemer Lutheran School
Badgerdog
kidsActing
Rock About
Camp HOH and Stewart
UT RTF Summer Camp
Switch Willo
Country Home Learning
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