Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

Why Maybe You Don’t Have to Worry About ‘Information Overload’ After All

Researchers find that the infamous “information overload” may be less of a reality than previously imagined. Plus, why teaching digital literacy skills can help.

Learning How the Web Works

Wondering how to teach computer literacy? I found some inspiration for the new school year in this video from the New Learning Institute about a week-long summer camp called Design, Art and Code.

The Catch-22 of Digital Literacy

In educating tomorrow’s workforce, how do we make sure everyone has a chance to leap the digital literacy divide? The Atlantic examines how to demonstrate the value of digital literacy to those who aren’t digitally literate.

YOUmedia Toolkit Now Available

A new toolkit now makes it easier to plan, build and sustain a digital learning lab in your school, library or museum space.

School Librarian’s Favorite Websites for Teaching and Learning

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) announced the recipients of the 2012 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning. Plus, librarians speak out about the importance of libraries to academic success.

Mozilla Kicks Off The Summer Code Party

This weekend the Mozilla Foundation began its Summer Code Party with a bang, holding more than 125 events all over the world to teach people how to make things for the web.

PLAYBACK: School is Out, Learning is In

Concerns over the level of academic preparedness in the United States are reflected in numerous stories about how to stem the “summer slide”—the loss of math and reading skills that can occur when the school year ends. In this week’s PLAYBACK, we’ve pulled together a number of recommended activities, most with a digital component, to keep skills sharp while having fun.

Not Just Playing Games: The Benefits of Failure and the Power of a Supportive Community

Randall Fujimoto recently delivered an insightful commencement address about games and failure. But as a recent Kickstarter campaign suggests, supportive environments in which gamers can fail safely are not the default for girls and women.

Connecting the Digital Divide to Digital Literacies

While the gap between those who have/do not have access to digital spaces is important, the gap between those who engage media in constructive, literate ways and those who simply consume media for entertainment purposes has become an equally urgent issue. Plus, Howard Rheingold on the five digital literacies essential to engagement.

Reading Matters: New Study on Print vs. E-Books for Young Children

A new “quick study” by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center comparing print, basic e-books, and enhanced e-books finds that some highly interactive features can be distracting for young children, but e-books are helping to build enthusiasm for reading, an essential building block for literacy.

The Smart Person’s Guide to the Holiday Weekend: What to Watch, Read and Do

Sure you can sleep in (we’ll point you to apps for that), but if you plan on learning something new this weekend, check out these suggestions. We’ve rounded up videos on how information gets made, a book on raising kids in the digital age, a map connecting bike lanes across America, and advice for measuring the universe.

Can Apps Be Educational For Preschoolers?

The New America Foundation’s Lisa Guernsey reviews what we know about whether interactive screen time can be a valid teaching tool for young children.

PLAYBACK: Making Media, Engaging in Democracy, and Working Toward the Future

“Great quotes” about learning and change; Pew survey on teens and videos; S. Craig Watkins on critical design literacy and pathways to youth participation; digital media literacy and civic engagement in Oakland schools—and how it all adds up to future work skills.