The following is a guest post written by Vanessa Van Petten, creator of RadicalParenting.com and author of the new parenting book, “Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded?”

When I was 16 I thought it was my Dad’s goal in life to make me miserable. I was convinced that he had a running list of all the ways he could embarrass me in front of my friends, trick me into doing more chores or make my curfew earlier.

Our relationship would have continued to devolve until one day I saw my Dad reading a parenting book. I flipped through it while my Dad was in the bathroom and realized a lot of the things he did that drove me crazy he was getting right out of this book! I looked at the other parenting books on our shelves and realized that they were all written by adults. I wondered—has anyone ever asked teens to write to their parents?

I decided to build a website where teens could answer questions and write to parents called Radical Parenting.  I couldn’t believe how quickly it grew and how happy teens were to get their voices out and parents were to have a new outlet for connecting with their kids! We now have over 120 teen writers who give advice.

Teenagers, when given a neutral space, LOVE talking to parents and often offer some of the best insight because they are going through it themselves. We have also be so excited to help parents who feel like they cannot reach their kids and teens.

I think teens and parents can work together to overcome their differences and learn to work best together. We have just come out with our book: Do I Get My Allowance Before or After I’m Grounded and it is a radical approach to parenting because it is written from the kid’s perspective! We would love for you to check it out—if you are brave enough to see what kids have to say!

Here is an excerpt from what Publisher’s Weekly had to say:
“Van Petten offers parents a candid view of the contemporary teen’s world in this eye-opening text. She uses actual stories about teens and their often anxious, angry, or befuddled parents to introduce each chapter. Pointing out that she is neither a parent nor a teen (nor a doctor, therapist, or counselor), the college-grad author has nevertheless earnestly investigated her subject and includes current research on teens as well as hundreds of “real quotes, interviews, e-mails and advice from actual teens.”
–Publishers Weekly

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A new study sheds light on why males don't like to discuss their problems and can help you when trying to talk to your teenage sons. It turns out that the reason isn't embarrassment. Boys and men don't discuss their problems because they don't think it will help and therefore is a waste of time.

This psychological study titled How Girls and Boys Expect Disclosure About Problems Will Make Them Feel was conducted by the University of Missouri on nearly 2,000 children and teenagers. Girls had positive expectations for how talking about problems would make them feel. Boys did not report that they were worried about being teased or embarrassed, but they did report that talking about their problems would make them feel "weird" and like they were "wasting time".

Wow. I think that knowing this is a game changer. As close as I am with my sons, and as much as we talk, they very rarely, if at all, want to discuss problems, even though I'm sure they know they can trust me. This puts an entirely different light on why this might not be a topic for discussion.

A suggestion from the research is that instead of trying to make your sons feel safer and confide in you, you are better off trying to explain to them the advantages of talking about their problems and how helpful it can be to them. Interestingly, it was found that girls can often talk so much about their problems that they are at risk for depression, so parents should explain to them that talking isn't the only way to cope with problems.

And we thought teenagers were complicated enough already. At least now we have a little more insight into how they think about problem solving and as parents can now understand and work with what we are given. 

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I've been a Vampire Diaries fan since it premiered. However, I enjoyed the second season even more than the first. The stakes were so much higher with the introduction of werewolves, Klause and an entire season of Katherine.

However, my favorite change in season 2, had to be turning Caroline into a vampire. It is ironic that when Caroline was human, she was ditzy and shallow but when she became a vampire she became a caring and helpful friend. The scene below was one of my favorites:



What were your favorite events, scenes or characters of season 2 of The Vampire Diaries? If you would like to relive the entire season you can pre-order your copy of The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray online. This is a great way to get ready for Season 3.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray.

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Back-to-school time also means that the fall movie season has begun. While September and October tend to bring out more adult films, November, December and the holiday season always have plenty of movies in store for all ages, including teens.

September

Dolphin Tale  (9/16) - 3D family drama starring Harry Connick Jr. and Ashley Judd.

Abduction  (9/23) - Taylor Lautner stars as a teenager who finds out that he was abducted as a baby and that the parents that have raised him are not really his.

Moneyball  (9/23) - Comedy/Drama, based on the book by Michael Lewis and the true story of Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland As, it stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

50/50  (9/30) - Comedy/drama about a 27 year old (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) diagnosed with cancer. Also starring Bryce Dallas Howard and Seth Rogen.

October

Real Steel  (10/7) - Science fiction film in which robots have replaced humans in boxing. Starring Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly (Lost).

Footloose  (10/14) - Remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon movie about a rebel who tries to change things in a town where dancing has been banned. Now starring Kenny Wormald.

In Time  (10/28) - Science fiction thriller about a society where nobody ages beyond 25, except for those rich enough to buy time. Starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried.

November

Puss in Boots  (11/4) - 3D animated Shrek spinoff of Puss's early years.

A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas  (11/4) - The 3rd movie in the series, this 3D comedy finds the duo estranged from one another leading very different lives and wind up on a trip to NYC.

Tower Heist  (11/4) - A heist comedy which takes place (and was filmed in) NYC starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck and Alan Alda.

Jack and Jill  (11/11) - Jack must deal with his twin sister Jill when she comes to visit and doesn't leave. Adam Sandler plays both Jack and Jill and Katie Holmes is Jack's wife.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1  (11/18) - The first half of the last book of the Twilight series. This half takes us from the wedding through the birth. Bella's transformation is being saved for Part 2.

The Muppets  (11/23) - Old school Muppet musical comedy film starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams, many great cameos and even more muppets.

Hugo  (11/23) - Adapted from the children's novel about an orphaned boy who lives between the walls of a Paris train station and looks after the clocks. Directed by Martin Scorcese.

December

Young Adult  (12/9) - From the directing and writing team of Juno, Young Adult stars Charlize Theron as a Teen Lit writer who hasn't gotten over high school.

The Sitter  (12/9) - Comedy starring Jonah Hill as a student suspended from college who gets talked into babysitting.

Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol  (12/16) - The 4th film in the series, starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jeremy Renner and Josh Holloway (Lost).

The Adventures of TinTin  (12/23) - Motion capture 3D film based on the comic books, directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson.

See also:    
30 Movies for Teens 2012
Christmas Movies and Hanukkah TV and Video for Teens
15 Halloween Movies for Teens
Sarah Jessica Parker and I Don't Know How She Does It

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Did your teens love to play with building blocks and Legos when they were younger? Did you love building with them? Just as you can continue to put together jigsaw puzzles throughout your life, there is no reason you can't continue to build. All you need is the right kind of building blocks. Now you have them. Nanoblocks are made for teenagers and adults. 


Nanoblocks were developed in Tokyo, and are the world's smallest toy building blocks. As they say, "The bigger you get, the smaller your blocks should be". The Ohio Art Company, manufacturers of the pop culture classic toy, the Etch A Sketch are the exclusive U.S. distributors for nanoblocks, which are now sold at Toys R Us, Amazon.com and specialty stores all over.

There are two different series of nanoblocks:

1. Mini Series - Smaller sets, featuring animals, such as a tree frog and a giant panda
2. Sites to See Series - (My favorites) - Many famous sites from all over the world, including the Eiffel Tower, Easter Island and Neuschwanstein Castle.

I received samples of the tree frog and the Eiffel Tower to review. I came home and my 22 year old son couldn't wait to build them (see picture above for finished product). The blocks are so small, they do not appear child like at all. You really feel like you are creating something, not like you are playing. Now that he built these two smaller sets, I am definitely going to have to buy him one of the large sets for the holidays.

Nanoblocks has already won many awards, including Best construction toy of the year. It is a fantastic idea and I hope it catches on everywhere. Why should we have to stop creating and building when we grow up. We don't stop playing video games. Why not keep this skill alive also. I highly recommend nanoblocks for all teenagers and adults. I would only recommend nanoblocks for tweens if they are patient and have good dexterity. The blocks are tiny!

See also: 
Unique Holiday Present for Teens and Tweens - Rockboard Scooter
LEGO Life of George Combines Digital and Physical Gaming

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I usually write about parentz bonding with tweens and teens through pop culture and technology. However, mothers and daughters have other unique ways of connecing. In her new book Bonding over Beauty: A Mother-Daughter Beauty Guide to Foster Self-Esteem, Confidence, and Trust, Erika Katz offers a guide for moms looking to build open communication with their tween daughters about beauty, hygiene and puberty.

During her tween years, your daughter begins turning to her friends for advice. If you want her to turn to you for hair, skin and makeup advice you must gain her confidence, says Erika. Her comprehensive beauty guide will help you open the doors of communication and give you great bonding activities to do with your tween daughter.

Bonding over Beauty is a fun easy read. It is filled with lists, how-to's, recipes for making your own beauty products, pictures and recommendations. I'm getting some great tips for myself. Topics include skincare, nutrition, hair, makeup, hygiene, hair removal and more.

The most important thing that can come out of bonding with your daughter at the tween age, is that hopefully, she will be more likely to turn to you as a teenager if she has concerns about sex, drugs and alcohol. Bonding with Beauty will provide you with great tips, activities and advice and hopefully help foster a connection between moms and tween daughters that will last a lifetime.

See also:  
Moms and Daughters Share 'Think' by Lisa Bloom 
Unique Advice Book For Moms of Teenage Daughters

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The Music Matters campaign, a grass-roots campaign to fight music piracy, has received the support of the surviving members of The Beatles to make a short animated video on the importance of music. It is an amazing video and would be great for parents and teens to watch together. It is also a must see for any Beatles fan.



As you can see, The Beatles video does not address piracy directly. However, I think the message is that if music piracy doesn't stop, musicians might not continue to make money and less music might be produced and then, where will we be? Music does matter and it is worth paying for.

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With the premiere of the third season of The Vampire Diaries just around the corner, now is the perfect time to catch up on season two with The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray, on sale August 30. I can't wait to watch it again.

I have been obsessed with vampire stories since I began reading the Anne Rice vampire series years ago. Then came Buffy and Angel and my love affair with vampires grew. When I heard about the Vampire Diaries I originally thought I might be too old for it, but I had to try it, mostly to see Ian Somerhalder, the late Boone, of my favorite show Lost. Once I began watching, I couldn't stop. The Vampire Diaries is not just for Teens.

The Vampire Diaries has grown even better in season two. I love the relationship of Jeremy and Bonnie. And I think it is wonderful what they have done with Caroline; the maturity they have given her. With season three coming up, I am dying to see what is going to happen with Elana and Damon, now that Stefan is off killing with Klaus.

You can pre-order The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray by clicking this link. You can also follow it on Facebook. Who were your favorite couples on The Vampire Diaries this part year? What are you most looking forward to in Season three? Make sure to watch the premiere on September 15, 2011.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Second Season on DVD/Blu-Ray.

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The article below is a guest post by Martiena van der Meer from TheCoupleConnection.net, a guide to relationship advice and support.

Arguments are a normal part of most couple relationships. While continuous conflict soon becomes tiring, airing our frustrations from time to time can help resolve issues and allow us to move forward in the relationship.

Many parents are reluctant to argue in front of the children, and often feel extremely guilty if conflict flares up in front of them. But witnessing a fight doesn’t have to have a negative impact on teenagers.

Some academic research has suggested that teenagers who experience more arguments around age 15, compared with their peers, have an increased risk of depression, alcohol and drug abuse and antisocial behavior when they reach age 30. Other more immediate side effects can include heightened stress levels and desensitization to aggression. However, there are now an increasing number of family support therapists who believe appropriate arguments can actually have a positive role-modelling effect on teenagers.

As they grow older and the dynamics of their relationships with friends, family members and love interests change, it’s important that young people learn how to handle conflict in a mature and appropriate manner.

Children learn much of their behavior in relationships from their parents, and those who never see their mom and dad argue may be left feeling ill-equipped to deal with confrontation. This can leave children afraid of conflict, unable to assert themselves, and they might develop a tendency to bottle things up instead of addressing issues head on, contributing to relationship problems later on in life.

Parents can teach their teens appropriate forms of conflict resolution by handling their own arguments well. When teenagers see their parents resolve their differences in a positive way it can give them a real sense of security. Not only will they learn that couples and families can stay together even when things aren’t going well, it can instil a developmental attitude to relationships that’s beneficial to future partnerships.

Of course, teenagers who witness frequent fighting that spirals out of control may develop a fear of repeating their parents’ patterns and begin to bail out of relationships early. The key to avoiding this outcome is to argue well.

Arguments which focus on venting resentments rather than problem solving are of no benefit to teenagers. Instead follow these simple tips the next time a discussion gets a little heated.

DO:

• Argue as though the neighbours can hear you. Avoid name calling, bad language, and raised voices.
• Use active listening skills. Make sure your partner knows they’re being heard with a gentle head nod and sustained eye contact.
• Avoid blame by using ‘I’ statements. Instead of saying “You make me so angry when you don’t help prepare dinner” you could try, “I feel really let down when I get no help preparing dinner”.
• Acknowledge your partner’s point of view, even if you don’t necessarily agree.
• Call a time out if things get too heated and save the discussion for when the children aren’t around.

DON’T:

• Involve the kids in the argument. They should never be asked for an opinion or made to choose sides.
• Argue about the children or finances. They’ll only hold themselves responsible or become frightened and insecure.
• Let it get physical. Children should never witness violence or physically intimidating behaviour.
• Argue when drinking. Things can quickly get out of hand.
• Let it happen too often. Arguing once in a while let’s children see disagreements are a normal part of family life, more than that becomes distressing.

And finally, the golden rule of arguing in front of the children:

    DO make sure they see you make up. Damage is minimized if children see how the argument was resolved. It teaches them problem solving skills and lets them know solutions can be found even when people are emotional or upset.

Apologise to your child and reassure them that you still love each other. By explaining how you might have handled things better you can help them take a lesson from the situation too. You might say, “Dad and I work things out much better when we listen to each other to reach a compromise. Shouting gets us nowhere.”

How do you handle arguments in front of your teenagers? Comment below or join in the conversation on thecoupleconnection.net’s relationship advice forum.

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With the beginning of the new school year just around the corner, back to school shopping is keeping parents and students very busy. However there  is something very important that students can purchase from the comfort home - mobile apps. Apps for your student's smartphone or iPad can be extremely helpful in school and all the recommended apps below are free.

8 Back to School Apps for College Students:

1. Lookout Mobile Security – Whether you are downloading apps for studying or for fun, Lookout scans all downloaded apps prior to installation to make sure you are free from the malware, spyware and malicious links that collect personal information and issue unauthorized phone charges.  Better yet, for the student who always loses their phone, Lookout includes a “Missing Device” feature which tracks a lost or stolen phone on an online map and can even sound a loud alarm!

2. Amazon Student iPhone app - When college students go to their school's bookstore they can use this app to scan the bar code of each textbook (and anything else in the store) they need (or want) and if Amazon offers it cheaper, just click and purchase from Amazon. A trade-in program is also offered for students.

3. Qik Video Connect – This free app allows students to video chat live with loved ones around the world, whether they’re on WiFi, 3G, 4G or WiMax. When you can’t chat live, there’s Video Mail so videos can be sent directly to friends and family, or shared on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Students can also share what they’re seeing with friends and family by livestreaming their Qik videos to social networks.

4. inClass - Great student organizer. Organize your schedule, no matter how complex. Keep track of all your courses and tasks with alerts so you will never be late again. Great for video, audio or photo notes and note sharing. (No add version $0.99)

5. TheFind – Have your teens done all their back to school clothes shopping? If you have daughters they are never done. For the student fashionista, TheFind’s iPhone app allows them to scan products on their mobile device, compare prices online and purchase directly in the most cost efficient way. Maybe this will give them extra time to study or spend time with you.

6. Kno Textbooks - This app is only available for the iPad, but it can be so valuable to college students that it just might make it worth investing in an iPad for the student that doesn't already have one. Over 100,000 e-textbooks can currently be purchased for 30-50% off their list price to be read on the Kno app. The app allows you to highlight, take notes and more right in the text. The app also contains a journal. All notes, highlights, stickies, etc from the text are automatically transferred to there.

7. Foursquare – For the student looking for post-studying fun, Foursquare is one of the most interactive apps around for college students to explore new places and find the best deals at local restaurants and bars.

8. Read it later - Not only for students (it is one of my favorite apps) it allows you to save articles from the Internet to read later from your mobile device, even without an Internet connection.


Do you use any apps that you would recommend to college students? 


See also:  
Cool New Apps!
Wikets App Rewards Social Recommendations
Misconceptions About Foursquare
4 Mobile Apps for Parents of Teens and Tweens

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With the unemployment rate so high, especially among teens, there couldn't be a better time for them to learn about what it takes to become entrepreneurs.  From August 22nd -24th, a Teen Business Summit, the first ever global entrepreneurship conference for teens, conducted entirely over the Internet, will take place.

This summit is hosted by Teen Business Forum, an online community for teen entrepreneurs worldwide. The conference will be held live via Skype and will be streamed on the Teen Business Summit website. The conference will take place over three days with 17 speakers.

The speakers are divided over the three days by experience:

• Day one - Seasoned thought leaders - winning customers, job economy, gaining support of parents
• Day two - Successful entrepreneurs in early 20s and 30s - share stories of how they achieved success
• Day three - Teen entrepreneurs - discuss their current businesses

Here is a sampling of some of the presentations during the Teen Business Summit:

• From Lemonade Stand to CEO: Getting Your Parents to Support You in Business
• Guess Who's Famous? You: How to be a Teen Media Rockstar
• The Long Road to Success
• Keys to Doing Big Things At A Young Age

The Teen Business Summit is completely free to all attendees. Anyone with Skype and an Internet connection can attend. If you are a teenager or a parent of a teen, you should definitely check this out. Becoming an entrepreneur sometime is the only way to make a living and often is the best way to do what you love.

See also: Your LifeBox Helps Teens Follow Their Dreams to a Career

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When I attended Book Expo 2011 in May I saw a preview of a very humorous book coming in September, When Parents Text: So Much Said... So Little Understood. I wrote a description of it and three other fun nonfiction books for teens and  parents that I found at Book Expo in 4 Non Fiction Books for Teens and Tweens.

The authors of When Parents Text, Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli, have written a wonderful guest post of advice for parents when texting their teens. Enjoy this fun and helpful list.

10 Tips for Parents when Texting their Teens

1. Before texting a question to your son or daughter, ask yourself, "Could I Google this?"   
2. You don't need to sign a text message with your name. We know it's from you.
3. Do not text your child about their lost phone. They've lost it and won't receive your texts.
4. If you want to recount specific details of your dreams (e.g., "We were tandem skydiving and landed on a herd of buffalos . . . "), you should purchase a dream diary.
5. Avoid using a cell phone while inebriated; there's another website for that. 
6. We understand that parents feel obligated to discuss the birds and bees with their children. However, sex, contraception, or promiscuity is, nine times out of ten, inappropriate over text message.
7. Funeral times, unaccepted family deaths, or the location of your will should NOT be discussed via text message.
8.  Before inserting an emoticon into your text message, ask yourself, "Does this express an actual emotion?"
9.  Keep your text messages simple and light, preferably no more than a few words.
10.  Your kids, as much as we begrudge you, love hearing from you.

© 2011 Lauren Kaelin and Sophia Fraioli, authors of When Parents Text: So Much Said . . . So Little Understood

For more information visit the When Parents Text website, and get to know the authors on Facebook and Twitter.

See also:  
ABC News Video on Teens and Texting with JuJu Chang 
Text Messaging with your Teens

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Community service in Fiji

Finding a summer job is very difficult lately for teenagers because of the recession. However, it would be great if they could be productive. Wouldn't it be even better if they could travel, do community service and learn, all at the same time? That is what happens at many travel camps such as Bold Earth Teen Adventures.

Before I go on, I know these camps are not for everyone because they are expensive (Scholarship info here and see below for contest). However, if you can afford it, and you are choosing between options such as sleepaway camp or school, you should definitely look into the benefits that Student Travel like Bold Earth Teen Adventures has to offer.

Each Bold Adventure tour offers:

• A focus on a specific community service project for the teens to take part in
• Language study and wilderness skills are also part of the program
• Make all new friendships that last a lifetime
• Small close-knit groups
• Choose tour by destination, including locations in the USA, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America or by type, such as wilderness adventure, surfing or language.

Vote and Win
Community Service is a big part of Bold Earth Teen Adventures. You have the chance here to choose one of these three community service projects for them to donate to. If you vote, please comment here and let me know. The blogger with the most votes from their blog wins a free teen tour. Since my sons are both over 18 and teen adventure tours are for 11-18 year olds, I will pass on the prize to one of the voters from my blog. Good Luck.

 And just wait until your teens return from a summer travel adventure. While they might not share what they do in school with you, they will be brimming over with tales of their summer activities. A great way to connect.

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Glogster is a creative social network used mostly by teenagers. Members create glogs, which look like posters, but are interactive. A glog is a graphical blog.

Glogster gives teenagers a whole new way to communicate. Each glog is an expression of creativity, made with an abundance of multimedia tools such as images, photos, audio, video and special effects. Take a look at some of the amazingly artistic glogs on Glogster.

Teens share their glogs with each other on Glogster and can also upload them to Facebook and other social networks. Glogster also has a discussion forum.

Glogster runs fun contests of interest to teens. The current Glogster contest runs until August 26th and you can win and iPad2, Amex Gift cards and more.

Doesn't Glogster sound like a great tool for schools? Glogster thinks so and has created Glogster EDU Premium, a collaborative online learning platform for teachers and students. Some of the main benefits are that it works very well with class projects and is paperless and green.

You don't have to be a teenager to enjoy Glogster. The artist in all of us should have fun too. And it is free, so why not try it out? (Schools must pay for the EDU edition). And if your teen doesn't already know about this website, I am sure they will be happy for this recommendation.

See also:   
Change My World Now Website Empowers Youth
KidzVuz - Tweens Create Video Reviews on Their Own Online Community
Your LifeBox Helps Teens Follow Their Dreams to a Career
Misconceptions About Foursquare
LiveOn Stores Memories Forever 
 

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From BrainRacer

Last week I attended the first #140edu conference held in NYC in which educators, parents, students, administrators and anyone with a vested interest in education was given a platform to be heard and share their ideas on education and the Internet. For more on the conference in general and highlights of the first day see Lessons From a Tech Savvy Education Conference 140edu Day 1.

Day 2 had many fantastic speakers also. And I want to make clear that I am only covering select speakers due to time and space constraints. All had very useful information which you can find more about from the links at the bottom of the post.

Lynn Langit - Teaching Kids to Program around the World
Lynn Langit is the co-founder of Teaching Kids Programming, a new way to teach kids, 10 and up, to program using rapid feedback and intentional techniques. Lynn was always concerned with girls getting into Math and Programming fields because growing up she was always told, "girls don't do math". She refused to conform to the stereotype and began teaching programming to girls early on. She would give students a query and instead of using a search engine, she would have them write a program to find the answer. Then to create an animation, instead of buying an animation program, they made one.

Our kids need to be ready for the jobs that will be there when they are grown. Langit now works for Microsoft. They saw that school classes are more focused on consumption of technology than creating it so they gave Langit the job of Information Technology and Services Consultant to work on changing this. She was very passionate about kids and programming and especially not leaving girls behind. Her own daughter, a 6th grader, spoke to us about YouTube.

Eric Sheninger - School Improvement One Character at a Time
The principal of New Milford High School spoke about the benefits to schools of administrators and teachers using social media. Some of these benefits are:

• The principal must communicate effectively. Using Twitter, Facebook and blogs allows them to connect in real time and is free.
• Social media gives schools the power to brand themselves.
• Teachers have access to professional growth, knowledge acquisition, shared resources and discussions.
• Through social media opportunities can be found to help the school and the students such as trying out new products for free.

Kyra D. Gaunt, Ph.D - Do Professors Cheat Students by not Listening to Them
Gaunt is a TED Fellow who voices the unspoken thru song, scholarship and social media. Her talk was fascinating and a topic not often spoken about. College students are adults but few people acknowledge that. (I know that most parents don't, but that is an entirely different blog post). Because professors think of their students as kids, they don't listen to them the way they would listen to other adults. Because of this, students are being cheated of their humanity.

Mahipal Raythattha - Using Games to Deliver Motivation for Learning
The founder of Brain Racer, math educational games, spoke about using game mechanics in education. Game mechanics are the tools that game makers use that keep the audiences engaged. Gamification, which has become a big topic in business lately, is not just about giving badges. It is a design tool or pattern to give an experience to an audience. In education it is give the proper experience to students.

To incorporate Gamification into education, start with game design principles. We need to get the student's attention and have their attention engaged at higher and deeper levels. We also need to maximize their discretionary time. It is also important to look at what motivates people to engage with content. There are four different core motivators:

1. Socialize
2. Explore - curiosity
3. Social competition - achievements - rewards
4. Social competition - fun of competition

Teachers are used to thinking about teaching to different learning styles. It might be a good idea to add in motivational styles also. And something for parents to keep in mind. When there is discretionary time, we will engage in activities that are the most rewarding. Therefor if we want to get our kids to spend time on educational pursuits outside of school, the more fun and engaging they are, the more likely our kids will chose to use them. Fun and education should not be mutually exclusive.

Michael Kelly Sutton - Students Using Social Media To Hack Their Education
Sutton is the Founder of Hack College, and a software engineer at blip.tv. Sutton had a few very good pieces of advice for students. Bogs are the best resume you can have. Students should be prolific while still in school. Publish everything that you write online. College is still the number one opportunity for students to earn credentials for a job.

Additional Resources
Best Interests of the Students
140edu Conference schedule
140edu Ustream - watch videos from conference
Search Twitter with #140edu

See also: Game Design Programs for Teens Create Innovative Learning Experiences

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Since 2009, Jeff Pulver has been holding #140conf events in which speakers have only 10 to 20 minutes to discuss their topic. This week, the first #140edu conference was held in NYC in which educators, parents, students, administrators and anyone with a vested interest in education was given a platform to be heard and share their ideas on education and the Internet.

I was absolutely amazed by the #140edu conference. (The # is a hashtag used in Twitter for a group all tweeting about the same topic so that they can all find each other's tweets). The passion of many of the speakers was infectious and I was only sad that everybody that has a say in education hadn't been listening. While I would love to be able to summarize the entire event, I am going to have to narrow it down to some of my favorite speakers. See the bottom of the post for additional links.

Jack Hidary - Get Up and Move
Kids have told him that when they are in school, it is like going back in time. Technology is taken away and they use paper, pencils and books. They think it is done this way so that they will understand how their parents learned.

We need a new paradigm where education is not left only to the teacher. We all need to participate. That is why he created something like a Match.com for education called the National Lab Network. Scientists and techies have long wanted to participate in education but never knew how. Now teachers can go online to the NLN and list their projects and location and matches can be made. This must be scaled for in school, not after, to reach everyone.

Rebecca Levey - Parents are Partners not Pawns
Although Rebecca is a blogger, co-owner of KidzVuz and a NY State Delegate to the Mom Congress on Education and Learning, she spoke at #140edu as a PTA President. She has fantastic insight into public school issues and budgets, especially in NYC.

Parents need to get much more involved. They are the ones that need to speak out on behalf of schools because they have the power that those within the system don't. Parents are voters, they need to understand that this empowers them and that they can challenge the system. If parents come together, they are the true lobby for their kids. Instead of holding fundraisers, lobby for more government money for your kid's school.

Parents need more opportunities to see what their kids are learning. Parents want to be informed. Parents are also an untapped resource in educating students. Parents with specialties can come into the classroom and share their knowledge.

Lisa Nielsen - Connecting School Life to Real Life
Lisa writes one of my favorite education blogs, The Innovative Educator. I love that she always writes about topics that interest me and at the #140edu conference, I strongly agreed with everything she said. The points that she passionately made were:

• Education should be Customized, not Standardized. Standardized tests serve no purpose.
• Teachers need to learn what students are interested in and personalize lesson plans.
• We need to think about Passion Driven Learning.
• We don't fill out worksheets in real life, why do so in school?
• Instead of having students write book reports, why not have them write a book review on Amazon?
• We need to give students the freedom to learn through social media and stop banning it in school.
• We need to give students a voice and the tools they need to change the world.

Adam Bellow - The Tech Commandments - Ways we can revitalize education using technology
The first day of this two-day conference had already been great when Adam Bellow, founder and president of eduTecher, took the stage in the afternoon. He rocked the house. He shared a 140 slide PPT presentation in 15 minutes and it was fascinating. Standing Ovation. I'll share as much as I can.

• There shouldn't be computer labs. With mobile technology, computers should be everywhere.
• Don't treat technology as a special program like art or gym. It should be fully integrated into all learning.
• Training for teachers needs to be constant, a priority and supported.
• Don't buy new technology without support. It is throwing away money.
• Any teacher that could be replaced by a computer, should be.
• Taking cell phones away from kids in school is so wrong. They can get such use from them. They are computers.
• AAD - Acronyms are dangerous.
• Kids are using the websites we block, such as YouTube and Facebook, anyway. Schools should teach them about how to use them safely.
• Teachers must be life-long learners - Teachers have to learn to use 21st century tools to teach 21st century kids.
• We are raising the cut and paste generation.
• Teach kids to be good digital citizens.
• When a tool dies, new ones come around to take its place. Teachers must roll with the flow.
• Collaboration is a 21st Century skill and we get the best of it on social media websites like Twitter and YouTube.
• Administrators, teachers, students and parents should all collaborate.
• Use Twitter to share and contribute to the community.
• It is not about us the educators, it is about the kids.
• Stay curious, stay thirsty, stay life-long learners, change the world!

Here are further resources: 
Best Interests of the Students
Education and Technology #140edu Conference Day 2
140edu schedule - including speaker names, twitter addresses and description of talks
Social Media News Facebook page - links and videos for many 140edu talks
MicroIntern Program - Website from the 12:20 talk that I didn't summarize above

See also: Educational Video Game Creation in Gamestar Mechanic

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If there is one book that you and your daughter should both read, it is Think, by Lisa Bloom. In Think, Bloom discusses our American culture that rewards a girl's beauty more than her brains. A culture in which women now lead men in education and employment, yet many females care more about being hot than being smart. Hopefully, while reading this eye-opening book, you will "THINK" about what is really important in life.

I have to admit that much of this obsession with looks and frivolous things comes from pop culture. However, as much as I love pop culture, I take it for what it is. I love what I see on screen, the stories and the characters. I don't get involved with the real life antics of the actors or their looks, most of which are air-brushed or fake.

To get an idea of how wonderful Lisa Bloom's ideas are, read this article that she published this past June in the Huffington Post, How to Talk to Little Girls. She was at a dinner party and the host's 5-year old daughter entered. Instead of saying the usual "you are so cute/adorable/precious type of comments that make little girls think that looks are the most important thing, she asked the girl about her favorite book. Read the rest to get the full message.

So now we really have two missions after reading Think. We should try to always put our brains before our looks. And even more importantly we should help young girls get the message that their brains are more important than their looks, before the fashion and celebrity magazines and reality TV shows get to them. For help in doing all this, I highly recommend reading Think by Lisa Bloom.

See also:
3 New Inspirational Books for Holiday Gifts
TEDxWomen - Teenage Girls Harmed by our Culture
Geena Davis on Gender in Media at The Paley Center 
Unique Advice Book For Moms of Teenage Daughters
Unstoppable in Stilettos - Lessons in Self-confidence and Success

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StumbleUpon is such an amazing tool because it has so many uses. You can use it to find great new websites and then you can easily share these sites with your friends. You can also recommend sites to the entire StumbleUpon community.

Website and Toolbar 

To join, just go to the StumbleUpon Website. Once you have a StumbleUpon account, you will want to download the StumbleUpon Toolbar available for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome. It is much easier using StumbleUpon through the toolbar than going to the website.

Preferences

Once you are a member and have the toolbar you fill out your preferences. This includes what you want to appear on your public profile. In this area they have a content filter in which you can choose whether or not you want to allow adult content. I was happy about that for myself so it is especially useful if recommending this toolbar to your teens. The other section of preferences is where you fill out your interests. There are hundreds of topics to choose from and you can choose as many or as few as you like.

Stumbling

Now the fun begins. Once your toolbar is in place and you want to find interesting new pages that you might like, just click on the far left part of the toolbar where it says stumble and you see the little StumbleUpon logo. A new web page from your preferences will appear where your old page was. You can do this as often as you like. 

Recommending and Sharing

There is much more. There is a little thumbs up near the stumble link. If you click that, it will go into a list of your favorites, so in essence you are saving the page. Whenever you want to see all the pages you’ve saved as favorites, just click the little favorites button on the toolbar. It will also go into StumbleUpon as a recommended website so you are also helping the site and recommending it to the web community. You can also email it to a friend from the “send to” link on the toolbar.

Social Aspects

StumbleUpon can also be used socially. Many regular users friend each other and then they can share websites they find with each other through the toolbar.

Stumble buttons on Blogs

There is one other way you can recommend blogs and websites to the community if you have a StumbleUpon account without using the toolbar. Many sites have little widgets on their website, either on the sidebar or within each posting, with the StumbleUpon logo, such as the one I have above this post. If you like the site or the posting you click it, which is called stumbling it.

Apps

When you are looking for something specific online you use a search engine. When you are looking to find new websites you might like, StumbleUpon is the way to go. And now with the now iPhone and iPad apps, you have fun finding new websites anywhere.

This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared on my blog in 2008.

See also:  
What is Facebook and How Do I Use It?

Misconceptions About Foursquare

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