September 7th, 2010

Tech Trends

• A Class Project Inspired by Flotsam
  Need a book that can spark some technology-rich ideas? Look no further than David Wiesner's absorbing underwater fantasy Flotsam (Clarion, 2006). Excited by the chance to try new projects this year, I decided to have fifth graders create their own artifacts similar to the mysterious picture-within-picture photos discovered by the book's science-minded main character.    more » » » 

NEWS

• Yoza Makes Micro Books Mobile for Teens
  Care to read Macbeth or King Lear on your cellphone? A new micro site aimed at teens lets readers download short book chapters of 200 to 400 words--all for free on their mobile phones.
  
  Tagged Yoza, the online library is based on writing portals in Japan, where other so-called m-novels are "huge," says Steve Vosloo, project leader on the South Africa-headquartered Yoza and a 21^st Century Learning fellow with the Shuttleworth Foundation, which provides funding for projects that drive social innovation in the field of education.    more » » » 
• Sextortion Threatens Teens, Adults
  Teens who send digital nude images of themselves generate concern among educators and parents alike. But criminals who threaten to expose those very images to a wider audience are an even stronger reason adults need to be well-educated on Internet safety--and pass that information on to their kids as cases of sextortion, or sexual extortion, are reportedly rising across the country.
  
  "Unfortunately, what we find is that many parents and educators are behind the curve when it comes to understanding the risks and the benefits of the Internet," says Cris Clapp Logan, director of communications and congressional relations for Enough Is Enough, an Internet safety group. "Parents and other caring adults need to be involved to help raise digitally safe and savvy kids."   more » » » 

Watch and Read

• It's Smurf-tastic!: Papercutz Takes the Smurfs Back to Their Roots in Comics
  Remember the Smurfs? These small, blue cartoon creatures clothed in white footie trousers (with a hole for their tails) and matching Phrygian caps rose to pop culture fame as stars of their own animated Saturday morning television show in the 1980s. Created by Hanna-Barbera, The Smurfs was a huge hit for NBC, where it ran for nine seasons. The cartoon was repeatedly nominated for Daytime Emmy awards and generated several prime-time Smurfs specials. Almost 30 years later, The Smurfs continue to win over new fans; the show is still streaming on www.fancast.com, occasionally airs on Cartoon Network's Boomerang channel, and is also available on DVD from Warner Home Video (kids can visit the official "Smurfs on DVD" Web site to watch videos and play games). Now the Smurfs are poised to go 21st century, with a new live-action/CGI-animated movie, currently in production. Scheduled for release in August 2011, the Sony Pictures film features the vocal talents of Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, and Hank Azaria as well as Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, and George Lopez.    more » » » 

JOB OF THE WEEK