Verizon Thinkfinity Links to Videos for Parents and Educators; 2.6 Million Viewers Tune into Frontline Broadcast
Parents, educators and students can now log onto www.thinkfinity.org, and find out how to make sure that the digital age contributes, rather than detracts from their goals, achievements and social interactions. PBS Frontline created a series of online workshops and videos now available free, in conjunction with the innovative documentary broadcast and website, "Digital Nation."
The Verizon Foundation provided a $1 million grant to partner with PBS Frontline to explore how technology has changed our lives. Verizon Thinkfinity is offering the workshops, along with a host of additional information on Internet safety, including:
- Digital Parenting: Protecting and Empowering Kids Online, on-demand and on-hand technologies challenge parents' ability to keep track of what their kids are doing. This workshop helps parents explore the issue of parenting in an age of digital media.
http://www.thinkfinity.org/digital_nation.aspx?type=parents - 21st Century Schools: Learning in the Digital Age Teachers find the variety of information resources available online to be staggering. This workshop for teachers explores how to use the power of social media to promote student engagement, critical thinking and literacy skills.
http://www.thinkfinity.org/digital_nationaspx?type=teachers - The Digital You: Attention, Multitasking and Addiction Parents and teachers learn how to keep a balanced relationship with the technology in their own and their children's lives.
http://www.thinkfinity.org/digital_nation.aspx?type=multitasking - Learning in Virtual Worlds Researchers and educators explore how video games can be used in positive ways to promote education and mental health.
http://www.thinkfinity.org/digital_nation.aspx?type=virtuallearning
Educators Praise Broadcast
"Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Frontier" aired on Feb. 2, on Frontline, the PBS award-winning news and public affairs series. The program presented some provocative questions, such as "Is technology moving faster than we can adapt?" and "Does being wired 24-hours-a-day cause us to lose as much as we gain?"
I teach the most brilliant students in the world," said MIT professor Sherry Turkle, "but they have done themselves a disservice . . . believing that a multitasking learning environment will serve their best purposes. There are just some things that are not amenable to being thought about in conjunction with 15 other things."
More than 2.6 million viewers tuned into the program, and reviews by individuals and the media were overwhelmingly positive. "Unbelievable!!! I think it's a show that every educator and parent should see."
"Excellent story. As a teacher, I ask, 'How do we teach kids the skills they will need in the future - communication, collaboration, the ability to think and analyze - without the use of technology?'"
If you didn't have a chance to watch the broadcast, you can look for it on the Digital Nation website, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/.
The Digital Nation website is also sharing hundreds of stories contributed by viewers. The roundtable discussions are being updated, so there's something new to see, even if you checked in before.
"Verizon Foundation is proud to support PBS Frontline in this multiplatform project that examines the impacts of technology on our lives, and how it can be used to improve education and ensure Internet safety," said Patrick Gaston, Verizon Foundation president. "I encourage everyone to check the Digital Nation website, link to the video workshops on thinkfinity.org and watch the documentary. They are extremely relevant to our daily lives."
