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Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The Kids Are Not All Right

The challenge before us is to reignite the guiding ethos and practices of the century of the child.  As Nelson Mandela has said, "there can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." Joel Balkan writes an excellent article in the New York Times.

Adult Children Sue Mom

What makes Kimberly Garrity the worst mother in the world, according to her children?  Read about it here.

Let The Kids Touch The Computer

The now-global phenomenon known as MathTrain TV: kids teaching other kids through creation their own video tutorials.  Much like the now famous Khan Academy - but made by and for students.

What do you Like Most About Daddeh?

A little girl called Millen with a delightful Yorkshire accent chats about life.  It's hilarious if you like accents and chatty little girls.

First Nation Children Still Removed From Parents at a High Rate

More First Nation children are in foster care today than during the height of the residential school system during the 1960's, according to a new report.

Alberta: Child Welfare Quality Assurance Council?

If Alberta's minister of children and youth services has her way deaths and injuries of children due to government shortcomings will so be investigated by a quality assurance council that reports directly to the provinces legislature.

Kids Krumping 

A nine-year old and a six-year old show off their krumping skills...What's Krumping you ask?

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and cultures for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits."

Martin Luther King

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Family Happiness and the Overbooked Child

Time to cancel the piano lessons...Children's activities are no guarantee of later success.

Are Canadian Students Engaged?

Want to know how 63 000 students feel about experiences of engagement in school and learning? Cool inforgraphic.

Anderson loses it!

You have to watch this to the very end without chuckling!

A Child's Risk of Autism is nearly 20% greater if an older sibling has the disorder

Austism runs in families to a much greater degree than previously thought, according to new research that has tracked the younger siblings of children with the developmental disorder.

A Modern Classic

Animated video of Sir Ken Robinson on creativity and changing educational paradigms.  Very cool.

Persistent Abuse Risk Doubles in Abused Children

Childhood abuse doubles the risk of developing multiple and long lasting episodes of depression, say scientists.  A review, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, also suggests these patients are less likely to respond to treatment.

Bert and Ernie Will Not Marry

The makers of Sesame Street say characters Bert and Ernie will not marry in a same-sex ceremony despite an online petition calling for their union.

10 Reasons Not to Hit Your Child

There is a classic story about the mother who believed in spanking as a necessary part of discipline until one day she observed her three year old daughter hitting her one year old son.  When confronted, her daugther said, "I'm just playing mommy."  Read article.



"My friends, love is better than anger.  Hope is better than fear.  Optimism is better than despair.  So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.  And we'll change the world." 

Jack Layton  




Monday, August 15, 2011

The Demise of Guys

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo asks, "Why are boys struggling?"  He shares some stats (lower graduation rates, greater worries about intimacy and relationships) and suggests a few reasons - and he asks for  your help!  Watch his talk, then take his short 10 Question survey.

One Tough Interview

A one year old tells all!

Queer Youth Advice for Educators

This excellent guide presents the feelings and thoughts of thirty lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth and their allies, on the subject of school.  The guide (available for download) also offers a number of resources for those working with youth.

Dog Helps a Witness Testify, and Legal Questions Follow

This item is about the new role for dogs as testimony enablers...Both prosecutors and defence lawyers have described her as adorable, "...though she has been known to slobber."

Kids See More Sex on TV than Online, Research Suggests

New research suggests that exposure to sexual material is highest with TV, at 75%, followed by music, at 69%.  The internet is the least common way kids are exposed to sexual material, at 16% to 25%.  Interesting item.

Girls "Corrupted by Wrong Toys"

Girls as young as five are being psychologically damaged by inappropriate "sexy" clothes, toys and images corrupting childhood, experts warned today.  Read Article.

Boy Who Killed Principal Tells Police He Didn't Like Her

A 17 year old Memphis boy, charged with first degree murder in the stabbing death of the principal of the small private school he attended, told police he did not like her and planned to kill her.

How Parents Use Facebook To Spy on Their Kids

20 000 000 users of Facebook are 18 and under... 7 500 000 are younger than 13.  Interesting infographic. 

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Draft Report Calls for Reduction of Suicide Stigma

Canada needs a "dynamic, broadly based social movement" to improve its citzens' mental health, a "whole of government" approach that unites everyone from political leaders to "experts by experience," according to a national strategy five years in the making.

Canada: First Nation Children Still Removed From Parents at High Rate

More First Nation children are in foster care today than during the height of the residential school system during the 1960's, according to new reports.  Today, tens of thousands of First Nation children reside outside of their family home living with foster parents, distant relatives or in institutions.

"Sticks and Stones May Break my Bones, but Words Will Hurt Forever."

An amateur video making a powerful statement about verbal bullying.

Can Government Teach Good Parenting?

Researches are calling for a national campaign to improve the quality of parenting, as a way of encouraging social mobility.  Interesting report form the UK.

How One First Nation Broke the Tragic Trend in Child Welfare

Nationally, there are more aboriginal kids in care than at the height of the residential school system, various reports and calculations indicate.  At Kitigan Zibi however, there's only a handful at any one time, and some of those come from neighbouring Algonquin communities.

"Do Something"

A youth engagement program that survives with little federal funding and does remarkable work at the national level.

Philippines Street Kid has Talent

Tourists record video of boy and his impersonations...Look out Mister Bieber!

And While on the Subject...

Check out Gary, a New York construction worker on the 2nd ave. subway line who sings Sinatra during lunch hour.



"The young have aspirations that never come to pass;
The old have reminiscences of what never happened."

-SAKI  (H.H MUNRO 1870-1916)










Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How Many College Kids Sext? Four Out of Five

Sexting and college, they go together like carnal and knowledge.  But a recent survey from the University of Rhode Island has put some numbers on how widespread it is.  The answer is w i d e.

No Lectures - No Campus

This is a much recommended item from the New York Times that explodes the traditional, course-based paradigm that has been adopted by traditional schools of education over the past century.  while we may not be talking about it today, it will revolutionize how we teach within the decade!

Young Survivors of Suicide

30 second PSA

UNICEF - Digital Empowerment

UNICEF video about global youth connectivity - Interesting stats!

Corporal Punishment May Have Long Term Negative Effects on Children's Intelligence

Children in a school that uses corporal punishment performed significantly worse in tasks involving "executive functioning" - psychological processes such as planning, thinking, and delaying gratification - than those in a school relying on milder disciplinary measures such as time-outs.  This from a new University of Toronto study.  

Ryan Halligan's Suicide

Ryan's Dad speaks about his son's suicide at age 13.

Ewan McGregor

He's an excellent, perhaps underrated actor and a youth Ambassador for UNICEF and youth engagement.  Here Ewan MacGregor makes a brief announcement about International Year of Youth...Who knew it was International Year of Youth?

Twitter 'stopping children reading'

Agree - Disagree.  Children spend so much time on Twitter and mobile phones that they are losing their love of novels and reading less, the chair of the Man Booker Prize for Fiction has warned.

All is not Lost

A cool song and a even more cool video - especially when watched on Chrome