Bunchland

Britain has an opportunity to reinvent how it teaches information technology

A recent editorial in the Guardian newspaper wrote that Britain is in danger of producing a generation that doesn’t know how Google works. As such, the editorial states that this is a prime opportunity to overhaul the education system and bring information technology education into the 21st century.

Is North America any better? Maybe a little. Our kids know to how to download an app or a song and we’ve raised them to think of Google as a verb as much as a company, but are we providing them with the right tools to invent the next Google? In the current and old system, kids learn how to use specific programs, but what does that do when the essential programs completely change every few years? Schools should instead be teaching information systems.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. It used to be that we thought babies and toddlers always live in the present; not so! They remember much more than we think they do.

2. There’s been a lot of talk recently about healthy pregnancies and how much an expecting mother should eat, so here are some guidelines as to what you should be eating.

3. The teacher bias against girls in math. Teachers! Come on! What about the female math teachers? Can we all make a pact that we’ll try and spread the “girls can do math and science” notion as often as we can?

4. Did you hear about that stillborn baby who wasn’t so stillborn? Oh. My. Gosh. The baby was born three months premature, was immediately declared stillborn and the mom didn’t even get to hold her since the baby was immediately sent to the morgue. When mother and father went to visit her in the morgue to say their hello-goodbyes, the baby stirred and cried. The baby, Luz Milagros, is getting stronger and the parents are suing the hospital.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Maryland joins Team Marriage Equality! And no roadblocks here, unlike New Jersey, Gov. Martin O’Malley signed that bill!

2. Score one for the lactivists: People caught harassing nursing moms in Georgia could face a $1, 000 fine.

3. Are loot bags over the top? What’s fair and what’s too much?

4. How many words should a 2-year-old know? It varies, but there are 25 words that a researcher says all toddlers should know, including dog, milk and cookie. (We assume mom and/or dad are in there, but given that it’s entirely possibly for a 2-year-old not to know any dogs, why is that one of the key words?)

5. One-year-old baby is pretty good on the drums! (And sorry to go all concern troll and judgey, but shouldn’t he have noise-canceling/reducing headphones?

Photo by pillowhead designs via Flickr

What we’re reading today:

1. Jan Berenstein, of Bears fame, has died.  One Slate writer is pleased that there will no more Berenstein Bears books, but good riddance is a bit much, isn’t it?

2. How do you get your kids to listen to socially conscious music? Put some K’Naan on. Also, keep them away from Chris Brown’s music, but we don’t know why the kielburgers aren’t still listening to the Beastie Boys.

3. A new study shows that kids who play active video games (Wii Sports, dancing games) don’t get any more exercise than kids playing inactive games. 

4. At what age should kids be identified as “gifted”?

5. Construction paper isn’t known for being the coolest of craft supplies, but this stop-motion music video for a new Josh Ritter song proves otherwise. Also, if you’re not listening to Josh Ritter, this is a good opportunity to start. He’s awesome.
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For curious kids wondering why they’re Daring to Draw

It’s a tough subject to tackle, but we feel caring kids want to know why it’s important to raise funds for this worthy cause.

What is HIV? What is AIDS?

HIV is a virus that lives in fluids, like blood, in your body. The virus stops the body from making T-cells, the cells which fight infections. When HIV has really hurt the body’s ability to make T-cells, a person develops a condition called AIDS and gets very sick. They could die, but they could also get better with proper medication from a doctor, as well as nutritious food and clean water. There is no cure yet, but people living with HIV can live long and healthy lives.

HIV is not easy to catch. You can’t catch it from touching, playing, coughing, sneezing or kissing.  Read more...

What we’re reading today:

1. Parents say they’d like more time to help teach their kids.

2. Cheerios is introducing a new peanut butter flavour, but since Cheerios are such a toddler standard and their food gets all over the place, moms of nut-allergic kids are rather concerned.

3. Some really, really dumb school in Atlanta is teaching racism. Like, how many beatings will a slave get in a week if they’re beaten twice a day. We’re not kidding. How does this happen?

4. One psychologist says that to deny kids what they want shows your prejudice against children, or childist. We think the Veruca Salt photo is pretty apt.

5. Ah Maurice Sendak! Why was there no Where the Wild Things Are 2? Go to hell!

Photo by BenSpark via Flickr

What we’re reading today:

1. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he supports PBS, but he doesn’t want to support PBS; it’s high time Big Bird and the gang at Sesame Street had some commercials.  If there’s one thing toddlers need more of, it’s advertising.

2. We’re all too busy these days with constant updates and as a result of this, kids aren’t growing up with any space to think about reflect on individual subjects. It’s showing in their test scores and educator Diana Senechal thinks giving kids a little more solitude would improve this. Sounds like someone wants to start a slow think movement.

3. Still no more than seven people know the sex of baby Storm.

4. Here’s one mom arguing why books are better than e-books for kids.

5. Five-year-old Riley says girls want superheroes and princesses. Amen, sister.  Read more...