Google just released the “Fastest Rising Search Terms” for 2007 and guess what? Children’s video games occupied two of the top 10. Webkinz and Club Penguin were the second and sixth fastest rising search terms on Google in 2007. I’ve played both of these games with my daughters, and found them to be safe, positive learning environments for them. And best of all, they are truly “fun” games.
Hmm…. I wonder if Video Games are becoming mainstream!?
I just finished a really good book called Emperor: Gods of War. It is a “historical fiction” book, meaning that it is a fiction book based on real historical events. This book is the third in a series that tells the story of Julius Caesar - from his childhood to his death - in a very intriguing way.
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The book takes events from actual history, and weaves an interesting story around them. You go behind the scenes and read what it might have been like to be in Caesar’s trusted circle of Generals. These type of books represent a very engaging way to explore history. I remember learning about the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar in school, but I don’t remember many of the details. But now after reading this series of books I feel like I know a *lot* about Roman history and times, including details about how the government evolved, the various characters like Sulla, Pompey, Crassus, and a good understanding of why some members of the sentate, led by Brutus assassinated Caesar in an attempt to end his dictatorship.
The obvious question or criticizm is: what if you remember fictional events from the story instead of the real history? (more…)
What are the memories of childhood that keep coming back to you? Oftentimes, they are of the first movie we saw. Movies are profound (and often intense) experiences for first-timers. Think back to your first visit to a cinema: whether it was a public screening or a private viewing at home, when the lights went out and the movie came up, you were alone in your own experience. This great gift of cinema helps create those memories that are so clearly affixed in our minds.
Now do you think that memory from your childhood, that cornerstone in the foundation of your life, influenced who you are today? If you’re were a kid in America in the 70s who turned on the Afterschool Specials on Wednesdays at 3:30pm when they were playing foreign films, chances are that is why you are tuning into KidConfidence and this blog today. And look at how similar things around us are to the 70s.
Cinema has always played a large part in the memory of our American society. Those 70s kids’ parents spent entire afternoons in the cinema for a nickel watching Betty Grable, Clark Gable and the stars of the 40s and 50s. Their parents remember the advent of the “Talkie.” No doubt, vivid memories of cinema days were passed on. But with so much media at our fingertips today, parents have to make more careful choices about providing the opportunities for those memories. What is the exposure that is going to make the lasting impression and perhaps plant seeds that continue to inspire your child as her or she progresses to adulthood?
Following up on last year’s groundbreaking finding that 35 percent of American parents play computer and video games, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) today released a new survey of “gamer moms and dads” in time for Mother’s Day, showing that over a third of gamer moms (39 percent) play games by themselves at least once a week, and 37 percent report playing computer and video games with their children at least once a week. Gamer moms also play video games with their spouses; in fact, among couples who both play computer and video games, 59 percent report playing together.
“While gamer moms clearly enjoy playing games with their kids, they’re not just ‘kidding around’ – they also enjoy playing alone and with their spouses,” said Carolyn Rauch, senior vice president of the ESA, the trade association that represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “In fact, a majority of gamer moms (54 percent) say they will play video games as much or more often once their children move out of the house. These women may be married with children, but there’s no doubt that they’re here to play.”
As most parents struggle to control the time children spend playing video games and watching TV, the Hasch family has found success by putting their children in-charge, allowing them to “buy” videogame-playing time and television time by competing educational exercises.
For parents Thomas and Cola, this “system” provides them with the peace of mind that comes from knowing they are rewarding their children for good, productive behavior, meanwhile 8-year-old son Chase increases his knowledge in science, math, spelling and other important areas, and only after doing so, enjoys the “earned” fun by playing age-appropriate video games or watching age-appropriate TV programs.
Cola says this allows her household to go back to the very roots of video gaming, where games are paid for and not accessed for free.
Children In-Charge
“Chase buys his game and viewing time, paying for playing, by completing worksheets that cover math, spelling, mazes, dot-to-dot types of activities and more,” she explains. “The educational benefits are obvious, but the other benefits, which include giving Chase control, serve to empower him and give him the confidence to believe in himself simply because we are showing that, as his parents, we believe in him.”
Additionally, Chase learns how to set limits for himself.
Depending on the degree of difficulty, Thomas says Chase usually completes a single worksheet in about 10 minutes. The Hasch household rule: Chase completes four worksheets for every hour of videogame playing time or television viewing.
It’s the perfect trade-off, or, as the Hasch’s refer to it, the perfect “payment” plan.
“We compare our worksheet system to an Arcade. Instead of coins, Chase ‘enters’ worksheets,” Thomas adds. “Now, we don’t need to do this if the videogame offers some educational content.”
Educational Video Games
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