Kids Blog Too!

Essential toolkit for the young blogger on the go

Daisy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 05:58:26 +0000

It’s obviously not feasible to bring a computer with you when you are out and about but that does not need to be a reason for your child to leave their blogging behind. The very best blogging opportunities will happen while at the park, museum, zoo, on vacation and many other unexpected places! By creating a blogging essentials bag for your child to bring with them, they never need to miss the opportunity to capture a special or interesting moment to add to their blog when they are back at home. Here are some ideas for things to include in the toolkit.

Notebook
Who doesn’t need a place to jot down notes? The notebook can also serve as a canvas for the occasional impromptu artistic expression.
Writing Tools
Pens pencils and highlighters are helpful for capturing ideas and highlighting important items.
Portable Art Supplies
Markers, Colored Pencils, and Crayons will travel best. Unlined paper in the obligatory notebook will be great for the spontaneous artist
Camera/Video Camera
Everyone knows how disappointing it is to witness a spectacular event only to realize that the camera is out of reach.
Voice Recorder
A voice recorder is a handy way capture the inspirational musical creation, interviews, stories and more. An inexpensive MP3 player will work great for this, you will be able to load the audio onto the computer later and maybe even produce a podcast!
A Bag to keep it all in
Keep all these essentials in an easy to carry bag, backpacks are great for this since they are easily carried. A toddler sized backpack can help keep the weight down and eliminate the problem of trying to carry too much. They also come in fun colors and designs.

photo credit: carolyn.will

The types of questions kids ask and what they can reveal

Daisy — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:38:51 +0000

We know that kids ask questions. A LOT. It’s how they learn and how they work out placing the puzzle pieces of life into place. Have you ever paid attention to what word starts the majority of your child’s questions? I’ve spent a fair amount of time considering this. I have two children, they approach life and problems in distinctive ways. My older son (7) is a “How” kid while my younger son (4) continually asks “What if.” These questions really say a lot about them and I can see ways that these questions are an expression of their individual personalities. The questions that they ask and the things that they ask questions about are very interesting to consider when you consder them in relation to the toys they choose, the books they read, the activities they prefer etc.

Here is a short list of some types of questions that kids often ask. Naturally every kid will ask each of these types questions but which one pops up more than any other?

The “Why” Child

The classic kid question. Kids that focus on this question might really be trying to understand why things are the way they are. “Because I said so” is never going to be a satisfactory answer. This child will want a position to be fully defended before they will accept it as true.

The “How” Child

Interested in real life and how things work. Grounded in reality. May choose non-fiction over fiction. This child’s play might be more closely related to happenings of the real world.

The “What If” Child

Interested in cause and effect. When told that something can’t or won’t happen this child wants to know is “but what if it does?” The What if child is thinking creatively. Considering possibilities and impossibilities alike.

The “Who” Child

Interested in people. Wants to know everything about everyone, including strangers. This child may be more attuned to social cues, physical appearance, etc.

This is not a psychological evaluation it’s just about paying attention to what makes your kid tick. We know that each child is unique, they will each thrive more fully in different types of settings. Pay attention to what type of question your child is asking, it may give you some insight into what aspect of the world around them they would get most excited when exploring.

With this in mind consider how to incorporate the child’s preferred type of question into their blog posts. Have the “who” child describe a person they know. The “what if” child could create a fantastical scene in a made up world. You get the idea. Occasionally nudge your child into a different direction. For example, have the How child answer a what if question. This can’t be overdone or forced but can certainly be a stretching and growing experience for the child!

photo credit: Eleaf

Computer mouse input devices sized and developed for kids

Daisy — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:13:27 +0000

When my older son, now 7, was first introduced to the computer at around the age of 3 he found the adult sized mouse to be a great challenge. I didn’t want something like a mouse to be the barrier that would keep him from using technology so I went out and searched for a solution. There are several solutions to overcome the fact that young kids not only have small hands, but are also still developing the motor skills required to operate a mouse.

My personal favorite option is the really super fun and colorful KidzMouse product line. These are larger than most notebook mice and smaller than a full size standard mouse. The buttons on this mouse are developed with small hands and developing motor skills in mind. The mouse will click with a squeeze around the front half of the mouse as well as with a single finger click. My kids have a fun glow-in-the-dark Lightning bug mouse which they really enjoy. My younger son was able to begin using it around 2 years old without help from an adult. There are the occasional, accidental, right click situations since this is still a two button mouse, but the kids learn to cope with this pretty quickly. My kids have managed to apply images as backgrounds, created unneeded shortcuts on the desktop, etc. It may be possible to remap the right click to a different action if this becomes a problem.

SpongeBob Mouse by KidzMouse

Beside the KidzMouse there are several other mice created with kids in mind. Many of these focus more on the fun look of the mouse rather than the size and shape.

Califone Red Blue Mini Mice Down Sized for Childrens Hands

Chester Creek Kids’ Optical Tiny Mouse

Another possible solution would be a one of any number of mini mice made to be used with a notebook computer. These are small enough to fit in a child’s palm. For a very small child this could, very well, be the best option since some of these notebook mice are very small, indeed.

Logitech Mini Optical Mouse

For the Mac lovers out there the standard single button Mac Mighty Mouse is an option. This mouse allows kids to push down anywhere on the front of the mouse to perform a click action. The lack of a second mouse button means that they won’t accidentally end up using an alternate menu. This mouse is compatible with Windows too!

Apple Mighty Mouse

I’m a firm believer that having the right tools for a job is important when beginning a new endeavor. The purchase of a kid sized mouse has been a great investment and has allowed my kids to avoid struggling to use a mouse that is too large for their hand!

Getting young kids into blogging

Daisy — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:05:04 +0000

It would be hard to dispute the fact that blogging has taken the web by storm. Anyone that uses the internet has probably visited a blog even if they don’t know they have. Blogs come in all shapes, sizes, and flavors. The purpose of this website is to offer tips, advice, and resources for the very youngest bloggers.

As soon as a child can begin to express their own ideas they can, with the help of an adult, begin to record those thoughts in a lasting way. While some may question the idea of placing a child’s work out in a public arena, with the right support, and moderation a blog can be an incredible learning tool for a child of any age. To start things off here are a few questions and answers about children and blogging.

First things first, what is a blog?

A blog is essentially a website with dated entries listed in reverse chronological order. Most often a blog is used as a form of Journal. Some blogs are personal in nature and might be private or only accessible to a small group of individuals. Other blogs could be widely read and maintained by large corporations.

What benefit is there for a child under the age of 13 to start a blog?

For many kids the idea that real people out in the world might be interested in the things that the know, are interested in, or in the work they have created themselves is very exciting. This can be a motivating factor for young kids to want to learn more about a subject so that they can share it with a greater community than just their classroom or family.

What are some examples of how a blog can be an educational tool for a child?

The answer to this question could go on for days and I anticipate that many posts will be dedicated to this very questions. For a start here are 5 ways that a blog can be used as a learning tool:

Computer Skills - blogging introduces children to using a wide variety of technology. General computer use, typing, Using a camera, and navigating the internet to name just a few.
Writing - blogging is usually, but not always, text based. This requires forming ideas using words and sentences. Even if the child is not initially doing the typing themselves they must be able to express their ideas in a way that will get their ideas across to others.
Science - my Son loves science and nature. His blog is a great way for him to take the tidbits that he learns from books, school, television shows, etc and put them all together in a cohesive way.
Literature - Writing about a book that the child has read has always been a tool used in education to help kids show that what they read was comprehended. Putting a book report in a blog post can bring a bit of fun to the process.
Creativity - If a child has a flair for the imaginative a blog can be a great way to share this through written stories, scanned artwork, photography, videography etc.

What is needed for a child to start a blog?

The most basic needs for a child to start a blog are:

The child should be interested in blogging.
A computer with internet access.
A blogging platform (ie WordPress, Blogger, etc) Be sure to check the terms of service to be sure that the service does not have age restrictions. I chose to host my son’s blog myself to avoid such restrictions.
A digital camera. While not strictly required, a camera can go a long way in making the blog more fun for the child.
The support and interaction of an adult. This can be a parent, teacher or other responsible adult to help the child when they need encouragement or technical support and also to act as a moderator throughout the blogging process.

Is it safe for a child to have a public blog?

This has always been a hot topic. How do we keep our kids safe from the bad stuff that is inevitably found on the internet? I don’t believe that the answer is to keep them totally away from it. I do believe that with guidance, moderation, and education kids can learn how to make the most of the internet while avoiding many of the pitfalls. Adult participation is key here, especially for younger children. If the big wide world of the web seems too much for a child then a private blog could be a good alternative.

This has been a very quick overview of some questions that I, myself, considered when starting my son in blogging. I hope that this website will prove to be a valuable resource for others that have young children that are eager to share what they are learning and what they think.

photo credit: Sam Pullara

Kids Blog Too!

Essential toolkit for the young blogger on the go

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The types of questions kids ask and what they can reveal

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