The New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF), now in it’s eleventh year, will open this Friday, February 29th and run through March 16th. Boasting a “treasure trove of new animation, live action, experimental and documentary shorts and feature films, with gala premieres, parties, filmmaker Q+As, hands-on workshops, panels, audience voting, and the NYICFF Awards.” Screenings are organized by audience age range, with programs available for tots, teens, and everything in between.

The Opening Gala will be the US premiere of “Razzle Dazzle”, an Australian mock-umentary about rival dance teams in competition. Other notable features include a pre-release screening of “Under the Same Moon” a Fox Searchlight picture about a young boy’s epic journey over the Mexican border in search of his mother.

The short film programs, organized by age group, offer kids a world tour of short narratives both live action and animated. Viewers get to vote for the films in competition, weighing in with the prestigious jury including Susan Sarandon, Gus Van Sant, Rob Minkoff, and James Schamus.

The programming for the festival is in keeping with NYICFF’s mission to promote intelligent, passionate, provocative cinematic works for ages 3-18 and to help define a more compelling film for kids. The festival has been called “the birthplace of indie film for kids” by Time Out New York and hailed by Variety as “more daring and subtle than the usual kids fare”. Check out Gkids.com for info and tickets.

Technorati Tags: New York International Children’s Film Festival, animation, filmmaker Q+As, NYICFF Awards, Razzle Dazzle, Under the Same Moon, Susan Sarandon, Gus Van Sant, Rob Minkoff, James Schamus, film for kids, children’s film festival, film festival for kids

Share This

The first season of the animated preschool series, which sets out to introduce its viewers to the Mandarin language and Chinese culture, will include 20 episodes. For a sneak peek, you can check out a full episode of ‘Ni-Hao, Kai-Lan’ Monday, January 28th on Nickjr.com and iTunes, as well as a variety of VOD cable and wireless providers.

As you’ve read before on Children’s Media Consultant, Nickelodeon announced the program in an effort to diversify its television portfolio. The program, which targets targets 2- to 5-year-olds, follows bilingual five-year-old Kai-Lan as she learns about her inter-generational Chinese-American family. The curriculum focuses on social and emotional lessons, multicultural values, cause-and-effect thinking, and basic Mandarin language skills.

Have you seen ‘Ni Hao, Kai-Lan’? Will you watch it? Tell me what you think!

Technorati Tags: Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, Nickelodeon, Chinese New Year, preschool, Mandarin language, Chinese culture, television, Chinese-American, kid’s tv

Share This

The editors of Children’s Media Consultant are thrilled to announce the first article in our new Executive Series, written by real producers, writers and educators in the children’s media industry. Are you a player in the kids biz? Pitch your article to Children’s Media Consultant. And now … Mallory Lewis.

Parents are assaulted from every side with conflicting messages from so called experts.

When it comes to the media, two camps emerge: “Don’t even think about letting your toddler watch TV or DVDs” versus “The sooner your child is exposed to educational TV, the better.”

Yikes! What’s a mom to do? My name is Mallory Lewis, daughter of Shari Lewis (Lamb Chop), and mother of Jamie (boy, eight years-old). I’ve grown up in the Kids Media Biz, and for the last eight years have been living it first-hand both as a mom and as Lamb Chop’s new performing partner. I’m not sure all that makes me an expert, but I am sure it gives me the right to an opinion.

Should your baby or toddler watch any TV or DVDS at all? I wouldn’t suggest adult pay-per-view or any channel with excessive violence – but a little bit of brightly colored visual stimulation mixed with happy music never hurt anyone. It’s up to the parents to choose media that suits the values of the family. My first choice (of course) is my latest DVD series, Phonics 4 Babies “Babies First Words,” which is designed to expose and teach kids ages six-months to four years the first 300 words they need to know. But, of course, Sesame Workshop can always be counted on to put out quality products, and Elmo was always a big hit at our house.

Can DVDs teach? Sure they can. Are they a substitute for one on one interaction with parents? Not a chance. Parents should rely on TV or DVDs as tools for interaction and education. Properly used children’s television (with good intentions) is no different than books, toys, or any other object that gives a parent a focal point around which to interact with their child.

Kids are sponges. Just say one off color word near your child and see if I’m not right about this! If they are watching a TV program or DVD about animals, they will, on whatever level the child is processing at that moment, learn something about animals. The key with choosing the right thing for your child is to get them something developmentally appropriate. Although age guides on the back of the box are good guidelines, only the parent really knows what their child is ready for.

Kids media works for your child in a variety of ways at a variety of ages. Phonics 4 Babies, created by Joe Giangrasso, for instance, focuses on teaching words. The six- to thirteen-month old probably won’t instantaneously start spouting Shakespeare, but we’ve designed it to expose that age group to words in a contextual setting. (We are, as a species, hard wired to acquire language, but must be exposed to language in order to acquire it. The first part of learning to speak is the understanding of word/object/action association). The thirteen-month old to two-year old will learn words and begin to speak them, but will also run up to the television set and point at the objects as they are named. The older toddlers will shout back at the TV, proud that they know the words, and we’re finding that “big kids” (ages four to five) love to watch with younger siblings so that they can be the “teacher.” Most DVDs actually have this kind of age range and audience growth. When my son watched “Sesame Street” DVDs, Elmo started out as just a red fuzzy thing with a squeaky voice. Then he became Jamie’s teacher, and then a friend. And, I’ll even admit, sometimes Elmo even acted as babysitter when I took a bath or did the dishes. I didn’t count on Elmo to be my son’s best friend or teacher – that was my job as his parent – but he came through in a pinch!

The experts hired by the producers of children’s media to develop the educational mandate do, in general, know what they are doing. Particularly in the case of the high-end products, produced by companies and families (like mine!) that have been doing this for a long time, whatever the box cover purports to teach, it is likely to at least expose your child to those concepts.

So, go forth and buy DVDs for this Hannuka and Christmas. It is highly unlikely that you will be dooming your child to a life of remedial classes by exposing them to media before the age of two. You probably will even be doing your child and yourself a favor as you let educational experts do their job while you as mom/dad/caretaker do yours. Enjoy the time together with your baby or toddler, taking what you like from the media, and integrating the silly songs and creative concepts into your daily interactions with your little ones.

Technorati Tags: Mallory Lewis, Shari Lewis, Lamb Chop, Phonics 4 Babies, children’s television, Kids media, Sesame Street, kids DVDs, phonics, emergent literacy, children’s media, children’s media consultant executive series

About Mallory Lewis:

As the daughter of beloved children’s entertainer, Shari Lewis (and Lamb Chop), Mallory Lewis has been deeply involved in the television and book publishing industries for her entire life. She is a multiple Emmy Nominee and winner of an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Children’s Series. Mallory began her career working with her mother at age 12 when she began ghostwriting for Shari’s newspaper column. After writing and producing for the “Lamb Chop’s Play-Along” show, Lewis assumed the responsibilities of her mother’s three prime time variety specials, and served as executive story editor and producer of “The Charlie Horse Music Pizza.”

Following her mother’s death, Emmy Award Winning writer/producer, Lewis began appearing with Lamb Chop at live and televised events, performing in more than 200 shows around the world. She is also the author of twenty children’s novels, including “Starring Mom,” the “Adventurers Inc” series, and the “Zoey and Me” series).

Share This

Keeping those two key points in mind, here are three more eco-friendly websites for kids to add to our growing list.

The Greens

Meet The Greens: A funny website for teens who are interested in looking after the planet that features podcast style mini webisodes of a hip looking flash animation bunch of teens who know a lot about sustainability. In the spirit of multi-dimensional web building, The Greens manages to present activities, articles, and interactive games that support the messages in the webisodes. The site is very polished and aesthetically very teen, and has an optimistic (without getting too preachy) tone other sites can’t pull off. The quick-wittiness of the dialogue and messaging is my favorite part (Granny outtakes? Love it). I just wish there was a pause button on the videos!

Bayville

I recently happened upon this site while doing research for a client, and immediately I was impressed at the quality of the flash production as well as the advanced interactivity the site contains. This is no quick quiz or occasional podcast. Instead, middle schoolers (on the older side, 7th and 8th graders) enter the website as an Associate Producer of a documentary crew who is producing a television series about the Chesapeake Bay. Through the evaluation of information and scientific facts about the ecology of the Bay area, you learn to make educated recommendations that fuel the production of the documentaries. I can’t emphasize enough what a pleasant surprise this site was; the complexity of the online interface — and the deep detail that encourage users to come back — is really impressive.

Bobbie Big Foot

For the late elementary school set, Bobbie Big Foot is an online, interactive quiz that teaches how to make wise choices in a kid’s everyday life. Starting at what to eat for breakfast and ending with bedtime, the quiz is chock-full of impressive facts, such as 43,000 tons of food is thrown away each day in the United States alone. The best part is that sometimes, there’s no right or wrong answer, but simply which choices are good, better, and the best. As we all know, it’s hard for everyone to one day wake up and go off the grid, especially if you’re a kid living under your parents’ roof. But with a variety of attainable choices, children can learn how to help the environment in some way. After all, whatever we can individually do — no matter how small — adds up to a big difference.

Have you used any websites to teach children environmentally friendly choices? Are you able to supplement sustainability education using media? Is online a viable media choice to teach kids to go green?

Technorati Tags: eco-friendly websites for kids, The Greens, Bayville, Bobbie Big Foot, kids going green, environmental education, green kids media

Share This

Three Websites for Eco-Kids

With the influx of environmental information permeating the web, it’s no surprise that sites targeting kids are popping up all over. Plenty of organizations are creating niche websites that get kids involved with the environment and sustainability, using bright colors, games, links, and activities geared. Here are three of the better ones, that are well worth clicking around (even big kids!)

The EPA’s Environmental Kids Club website is strong on science, and there are plenty of activities for kids if you poke around. There’s a downloadable activity book, an online coloring book and a cool game exploring recycling. Their Climate Change website is a great resource for explaining global warming to kids, although their tips for how kids can fight global warming are kind of unrealistic (what kid has the resources to get solar panels for their home?). There’s also a link to info for teenagers. This site is well worth a look if you need activities for your children.

PBS’s EekoWorld is very cool. Kids can explore different ecosystems, and there are cute cartoons that discuss recycling, solid waste, and pollution. I loved the “field trip to the future” where kids see what the planet might be like if humans continue to live in an unsustainable manner, and the Eeko House feature is a great way to teach kids how to make sustainable choices. Kids “tour” a house and click on different dilemma’s where they must decide which option is more sustainable. When washing dishes with your mom, do you dry with paper towels or a rag? It’s a great way to introduce kids into consciousness about their actions.

The Rodale Institute’s kids website, KidsRegen is probably the most extensive of the three websites as far as diversity of information. There are pages for gardening, farming, and food (including kid-friendly recipes), three areas I noticed the other sites for kids often omitted. There’s also a section on health and fitness with different outdoor activities to get kids up and moving; I particularly appreciated the scavenger hunt checklists and the extensive curriculum for teachers of elementary-aged children. Really, this is my favorite site of the three because of the sheer volume of content and the site’s more holistic approach to green living.

Many of the sites have links for parents and teacher with resources for activities and lesson plans to use in the home or classroom, so check them out, particularly if you homeschool. Even adults can find things to appreciate here. What other green sites for kids do you use?

Editor’s Note:

I have a few other favorites that I’d like to add to the list Kelli started. Stay tuned for part two!

Technorati Tags: environment, sustainability, Environmental Kids Club, explaining global warming to kids, EekoWorld, KidsRegen, kids going green, green kids, green parenting, environmentally friendly

Share This

Panel member Doug Thomas, associate professor at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication, said that much of what’s happening in these environments is informal learning; kids are getting a head start on their technology education, and picking up skills they’ll need in the future workforce. But it’s not all fun and games online.

The downside, he said according to the review of the panel discussion on News.com, is the inherent commercialization of virtual worlds like Club Penguin and Webkinz.

“If you’re a parent, I would be much less concerned about things like online predators or violence, then I would be about the conflation between consumption and consumerism and citizenship (in virtual worlds). Because our kids are being taught that to be a good citizen of this world you got to buy the right stuff,” Thomas said.

The good news? Kids are getting more out of experiencing virtual worlds than you might guess. For one, children are engaged in the content — a good first step if the content is of educational value. Online environments of substance have the potential to teach topics that are more difficult in the classroom, such as Panwapa’s pedagogical foundations of fostering an awareness of the wider world. What better way to learn about different geopolitical locations and cultures than to meet kids from those places, just as you can do as a Panwapa Kid.

Another interesting phenomenon taking place in virtual worlds — for better or for worse — is learning to navigate the social landscape. Panel member Yasmin Kafai, associate professor of the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, said kids are drawn to virtual worlds because adults aren’t supervising them. They’re using the online space to
flirt, socialize, and figure out what things are or mean before they use them in the real world.

More anonymous virtual worlds (ones that require no real names, etc.), are probably a safer place to experiment with such behavior … although parents are ALWAYS strongly encouraged to play along with their children. Just like watching TV or reading a magazine, it’s good to know what our kids are getting into. For instance, is your child one of millions on Club Penguin? Then you might want to find out if they’re being “bumped,” like what Izzy Neis just experienced.

What are your personal pros and cons of kids’ virtual worlds? Has your child picked up any skill online and translated it to the real world?

For more on the “What Are Kids Learning in Virtual Worlds?” panel, visit the MacArthur Foundation’s spotlight on Digital Media and Learning.

Technorati Tags: virtual words, media literacy, informal learning, Club Penguin, Webkinz, Panwapa, kid’s media, kid’s interactive content

Share This

When Jennifer, author of the blog Eco Childs Play, preschool teacher and mother of two, recently moved her endeavors over to Green Options, she has set off to bring children’s media — kid’s books, television, music, movies, etc. — to the daily conversation.

Jennifer will continue to talk about green toys and parenting decisions, and she has graciously asked Children’s Media Consultant to contribute green kid’s media choices. Our first post appeared this week, and is revisiting the discussion about green books for children.

This is an exciting new partnership, and I’m happy to be a part of it!

So, tell me: What new green kid’s media have you discovered? Any new ecology websites for kids, TV shows, or movies?

Share This

Technorati Tags: Green Options, environmentally friendly, Eco Childs Play, children’s media, Children’s Media Consultant, green kid’s media choices, green books for children

Who Owns Child-Generated Content?

While the industry buzz continues to build around the various business opportunities presented by web 2.0, intellectual property issues remain a persistent—and as yet unresolved—concern. In response, a number of industry standards are emerging, many of which offer a very corporate-friendly template for dealing with users’ potential intellectual property (IP) and authorship rights over their submitted content. In fact, many sites continue to claim full copyright over user submissions and postings in their terms of use agreements and end user license agreements … despite the growing role and prominence of user-generated content (UGC) online.

Not everyone has followed this trend – a small number of alternatives have also surfaced, taking a much more collaborative stance towards copyright, and recognizing the user’s dual role as “co-author.” High profile examples include Linden Lab’s “Second Life,” which grants players full copyright over their avatars and other in-game creations, as well as GoPets’ “Avatar Bill of Rights,” which will similarly ensure that players are given property rights. This past August, in addition to becoming one of a handful of properties to connect UGC with traditional (television) media content, Star Farm/Bardel Entertainment’s “Edgar & Ellen” became one of the first children’s properties to give kids’ full credit for their story ideas, designs, and other creative submissions.

Star Farm’s decision to acknowledge authorship of its child contributors is significant for a number of reasons. As Ashley has already described in her post “User Generated Content Hits Kid’s TV,” providing kids with opportunities to create their own content raises a very special set of issues, which include privacy and security concerns, as well as questions of children’s media literacy. But these practices also introduce new questions of authorship and copyright that most children’s media professionals haven’t really had to deal with until now:

Should kids be given the same authorship and IP rights over their creations as adults? To what extent should user manipulations of corporately-copyrighted images and themes be considered “original content”? What would co-authorship with children look like, and what is the role of the parent(s)? Can a minor—or their parent for that matter—really legally transfer copyright or intellectual property ownership over to a website?

These questions are complicated by the ambiguity surrounding kids’ (and many adults’) ability to understand complex legal and economic processes, as well as existing laws around minors’ contracts and kids’ special legal status as vulnerable members of society. Kids aren’t always able to grasp the intricacies of things like “privacy” and “transfer of ownership”, and often understand these concepts quite differently than adults do. When it comes to abstract terms like “intellectual property”, not only are kids not used to thinking about their own creations in these terms, but they’re often unable to gage the ramifications of agreeing to sweeping contracts that claim copyright over (to use the same words that commonly appear in TOS agreements found on kids’ sites) “any and all submissions,” “forever,” and “throughout the universe”.

Kids are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to business transactions with adults, and this is part of the reason why the vast majority of contracts with minors are voidable and unenforceable in North America. And while sites might try to bypass this by enlisting the parent as the agreeing party instead of the kids that actually use and contribute to the sites (a loophole that many experts believe is unlikely to stand up in court), copyright claims over kids’ content—with or without a terms of service that says so—are on pretty shaky ground. As in the adult world, however, most of these issues have not been formally resolved, and since a kids’ site has yet to be challenged on these terms, it might be awhile before these questions are answered. In the meantime, unfortunately, a number of sites are setting their own standards, constructing a “default position” that claims the fullest possible rights over kids’ submissions.

Which brings us back to “Edgar & Ellen” and Star Farm’s announcement that kids that submit content to its site will get full “credit” for their contributions — even those that are eventually used on the TV show. Although the site still claims full copyright over kids’ submissions—leading me to believe that this particular “default position” is not going to change without some serious public intervention—it also constructs a very clear statement about UGC and child-creators. Children are called “independent contractors,” and their submissions are labeled “Works for hire.” The terms of service contract is very careful to explain the process of transfer of IP ownership that the site is attempting to enact, using child-friendly language and advising kids to talk to their parents about it. While I disagree with the site’s sweeping IP claims, I applaud its legitimization and validation of kids’ budding role as producers of media content. Although I think it’s unlikely that kids are reading the TOS contract, or that they fully understand the dubiousness of some of the terms they’ve supposedly agreed to, it’s nonetheless a good first step towards giving UGC-creating kids the recognition they deserve.

The next step is to find a site or game that dares go the extra mile by enabling kids to both discover and retain their emerging rights as cultural producers. This approach would not only be closer in line with children’s existing special legal status (which, after all, is there to protect them from being exploited by more powerful and knowledgeable adults), but would also do a lot to promote kids’ emerging rights in the digital environment. If the purpose of integrating UGC into children’s media is really to include kids’ voices in the creation of their shared culture, then it is up to the sites and companies that profit from this inclusion to ensure that kids’ rights aren’t excluded in the process.

What do you think? Should kids be given the same authorship and intellectual property rights over their creations as adults?

Share This

Technorati Tags: web 2.0, intellectual property, user-generated content, Edgar & Ellen, media literacy, children’s media

People have a lot to tell you when you’re raising children. When you’re pregnant, you know the name of everybody’s ex-boyfriend, the stinky kid from 6th grade, or a horrible boss. When you’re a new parent, anyone will tell you how to solve diaper rash, cure hiccups, and when to stop passing the pacifier. But when it comes to watching TV, whom should you trust?

I’ll admit it: TV ratings are difficult to understand. They’re not intuitive, and you may just not agree with some programs tagged with a specific rating. On top of that, it’s up to the network to choose which of their shows get which rating, so let’s just say they want to appeal to the biggest audiences in order to get the most advertisers.

What’s a parent to do? How do you choose what’s right for your child?

Each rating functions as a guideline; that’s right — it’s a guide, not a mandate. So take every rating with a grain of salt, and choose a quality program for YOUR child, not the neighbors, your niece, or kid’s classmates. Here are some guiding “LIGHT” tips to get you started:

Listen

You more than any one knows how your child is different from other kids, so find programs your daughter or son will engage and interact with. Start with a network you trust. If you like one program on a network, listen to what the programs on it are telling you. If education outside the classroom is important to you, PBS Kids or Noggin might be a good place to start. If your child is slightly older and their social conversations skew more about Troy and Gabriella or Nat and Alex, then Disney or Nickelodeon could be a good choice.

Insist

We all know there are more choices out there compared to when we were kids. But that doesn’t mean they’re all better. Insist on the best, and limit their choices to programs you’ve already approved of by gathering those shows in one central place.

Guide
Consider the content or pace of a program. Read reviews, and ask other parents or trusted friends (such as Children’s Media Consultant Online) before you let your child watch a particular show. As they said in “High School Musical,” we’re all in this together. So ask around for sources of quality programming.

Hunt

Remember when you bought that first brand of diapers and it wasn’t up to snuff? Finding a good children’s television show works in the same way. You might have to do your homework and look around until you land on something that fits your preferences. There is a lot of stuff out there NOT worth watching, and there are many programs that will surprise you. Look at what is tagged as “for kids” on the TV listings grids and poke around a little. If it makes you smile, you probably have a winner.

Talk

The last tip but certainly not least is talk with your child about what he or she sees on screen . Children’s television works best when it is interactive. Ask your son or daughter what they watched, or talk with them about the program as they watch it. The best kid’s shows are ones that ask the viewer to participate, and you can add your own educational elements by repeating the key aspects of the plot. By asking your child open-ended questions like “what did the super heroes find that started with the letter ‘B’” or “did you ever feel like Sarah when her friends played on the swings without her” you’re already taking television to the next level.

How do you find quality programs for your kids? How do you find (or make up your own) tips to take the learning off-line?

Technorati Tags: TV ratings, for kids, TV listings, children’s television, kids tv, parenting, educational television

Share This

Scholastic and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined forces to release “The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up,” a new book from the “Magic School Bus” series that explores the ways people can protect themselves (including their lungs) from air pollution. Scholastic’s traveling Magic School Bus, a traveling interactive science experience for kids, has also added a new, more sustainable filter which has already reduced its diesel particulate by up to 90 percent.

In the online front, imbee.com, the social networking site for kids ages 8- to 14-years old, announced a partnership with National Geographic Digital Media to create an online community group for Earth-loving kids and tweens. “There’s something powerful about giving kids the tools to express themselves and to share common interests such as a love of animals and the environment that National Geographic represents,” says Betsy Scolnik, president of National Geographic Digital Media. Members of imbee.com can join the group of world-conscious young citizens to read and comment on Earth-focused — and parent approved — blog entries, view videos, listen to world music, and test their geography skills (sounds a bit like Panwapa, but for a slightly older audience, no?). Before joining imbee.com, each enrollment requires parental permission through a verification process (no anonymous emails) to ensure parents are aware of their child’s online goings-on.

For grownups, The George Lucas Educational Foundation recently launched the “Go Green Database.” Although not particularly media oriented, the database features green projects, lesson plans, service-learning opportunities and other resources for educators. Each item is searchable by topic, grade level, cost and location, allowing for users with particular needs to find exactly what will work for their own programs.

Have you found any new green kid’s media you’d like to share? Is the online space the best medium to unite “Earth-loving” kids and tweens?

For more reviews and commentary on children’s television and other media, visit Children’s Media Consultant Online.

Technorati Tags: eco-friendly, environmental issues, green living, Scholastic, National Geographic, green kid’s media, kids going green, The Magic School Bus Gets Cleaned Up, imbee, Go Green Database

Share This