Avatars & virtual penguins vs. real-life dolls
Sales of Barbie, Liv, Moxie Girlz, and other dolls have declined 20% in the US since 2005, and kids as young as 8 and 9 are passing them up for the live “doll play” – or avatar play – of virtual...
View ArticleTeaching kids to be green: Arbopals launches
At this brand-new Toronto-based kids’ virtual world, all activities are tree-based. With young users’ help, Arbopals plans on “being able to plant millions of trees internationally in the coming months...
View ArticleFrom TV to Web: Tiny Planets
As many parents know, adopting a virtual pet and caring for it is a mainstay of kids’ virtual worlds. Well, in the brand-new Web version of the animated TV series Tiny Planets, kids adopt and care for...
View ArticleUK child’s Farmville debt
A 12-year-old in the UK has put a new twist on farm debt. So caught up in playing Farmville this past spring, he ran through all his savings of 288 pounds (about $430), then used his mother’s credit...
View ArticleA teen on kid virtual worlds: Insights
“It doesn’t matter how safe developers try to make these games, kids will still experiment with what they can say and do,” says Julia Tanenbaum, who just finished her freshman year in high school and...
View ArticleSecond Life 101 for teachers, parents
What a service University of Westminster in London provides! Even watching a little bit of this video tutorial can answer a lot of questions about what virtual worlds are like – whether you’re curious...
View Article2 new kids’ social spaces: ToonsTunes, Scuttlepad
One is both feature- and media-rich, the other plain & simple. Both aimed at under-13s, they’re social in different ways (one a virtual world, the other a social network site). Toonstunes.com...
View ArticleThe learning power of a virtual world
It’s definitely not a flashy video production, but if you’re interested in learning about a virtual world that 6.4 million kids aged 8-15 (68% girls, average age 12.5) like because it challenges them...
View ArticleTrying out a real career in a virtual world
You’re an avatar in Whyville (a virtual world with some 1.5 million users aged 8-16) and you’re tired of tweaking your (design of your) avatar, so you’re thinking about focusing more on earning clams...
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Using social media to grow student engagement
Though student engagement seems like a tough thing to measure, Gallup recently did, calling it the education version of “the fiscal cliff” so much in the news at the turn of the year. In a survey of...
View ArticleDigital citizenship, the ‘lived curriculum’: Part 1
Have you ever heard of taking a cooking class that didn’t include a kitchen or learning how to swim in a classroom not a pool? It can be helpful to watch instructional videos on YouTube, but mastery of...
View ArticleDealing with distraction with the HELP of digital environments
Learning how to be present, attend to others, know what’s important in a given moment and stay focused on it has always been a vital part of growing up. “The ability to focus is a secret element to...
View ArticleDigital summer camp Part 2: Of managing a child’s Minecraft time
“I’m sad that my son is so busy with homework and other stuff lately that he hasn’t had time to even play Minecraft! I think it’s a better use of his time than homework.” That’s a comment from a mom...
View ArticleUK child’s Farmville debt
A 12-year-old in the UK runs up significant charges while playing Farmville. The post UK child’s Farmville debt appeared first on NetFamilyNews.org.
View ArticleA teen on kid virtual worlds: Insights
Insights from a teen Ypulse adviser and former virtual world user into safety in kids' virtual-world safety. The post A teen on kid virtual worlds: Insights appeared first on NetFamilyNews.org.
View ArticleSecond Life 101 for teachers, parents
Great tutorials for understanding, if not using, the virtual world Second Life and other social media tools. The post Second Life 101 for teachers, parents appeared first on NetFamilyNews.org.
View Article2 new kids’ social spaces: ToonsTunes, Scuttlepad
NetFamilyNews reviews The post 2 new kids’ social spaces: ToonsTunes, Scuttlepad appeared first on NetFamilyNews.org.
View ArticleThe learning power of a virtual world
Why kids like virtual worlds that challenge them and expect them to be smart The post The learning power of a virtual world appeared first on NetFamilyNews.org.
View ArticleTrying out a real career in a virtual world
You’re an avatar in Whyville (a virtual world with some 1.5 million users aged 8-16) and you’re tired of tweaking your (design of your) avatar, so you’re thinking about focusing more on earning clams...
View ArticleUsing social media to grow student engagement
Though student engagement seems like a tough thing to measure, Gallup recently did, calling it the education version of “the fiscal cliff” so much in the news at the turn of the year. In a survey of...
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