Weekly Click: May 31, 2012

Welcome to FableVision's Weekly Click for the week of May 31st, 2012. This week we're looking at how mobile apps affect children's brains, the art of apps, and one mother's in-depth look at Legos, play and gender. Lots to see, so let's get started! Featured Article

iPad + Toddlers = ?

Parents -- do you ever have the feeling that your child is spaced-out while using a mobile device? Do you ever have trouble getting them to put it down at night and just go to sleep? Here's something to keep in mind:  early studies are starting to show that interactive apps like those on the iPad actually increase interactivity and can engage children in ways traditional media cannot.

While research is still in its early stages, some studies are showing that moderate use of interactive apps actually improved a child's vocabulary up to 27%. Well-designed apps function much in the same way other thought-process oriented toys do. They create "flow experience", where a child becomes immersed in the activity at hand. Thankfully, this is a good sign; it means your child is concentrating.

However, these studies come with a caveat. iPad and iPhone use releases a small dose of dopamine into the child's brain, much like television and video games. While harmless, dopamine causes the brain to experience pleasure, which over time will make it difficult for the child to give up the device.

Here at FableVision Studios, we're encouraged by these studies. We believe that technology serves as a perfect compliment to traditional learning methods. Apps, websites and yes, videogames can all be effective and fun ways to engage students of all ages.

Legos, spaceships and breasts

At FableVision we believe in helping everyone learn and reach their full potential, no matter their age or gender. We've talked about Lego's new series of "girls-only" toys. That said, we found this article especially thought provoking. Kate Bachus has written a great blog post about her personal experiences with her daughter, Legos, and the disturbing implications of Lego's "girls only" series. Required reading for parents with children of any gender.

Roominate: Make It Yours!

Did you read the article about about the new "gendered" Legos? Were you as disappointed as we were? Well here's a fun Kickstarter that tries to bridge the gap between traditional "girl" toys and "boy" ones. From the creators:

Roominate is a different kind of toy. It is a first step in inspiring the next generation of female technology innovators. Because we believe that early exposure to STEM through toys will inspire change. Rominate is the toy that makes every young girl an artist, an engineer, an architect, and a visionary. Watch out world!

Roominate encourages girls to design, build and then -- get this -- wire up their own house! This is such a super-cool idea, especially for those girls who might not be interested in pirates or aliens but still want to play with toys that allow them to flex and develop their interest in STEM skills.

The Art of Apps: Paper, Tweetbot, Mixel, and Piictu creators on designing beautiful apps

At the Art Of Apps gallery event in New York City, seven apps were chosen to be lauded for their exceptional design: Paper, Mixel, Tweetbot, Piictu, Path, and Cameo. Behind the link check out two videos from The Verge talk to the designers and creators of Paper, Mixel and Cameo. Good design is something everyone strives for, and is the difference between an okay app and a truly great one. We're always excited to pick the brains of other artists and creators to find ways to make our own apps and games even better. This has us geared up for our own Speed Apping event here in the Studio!

Weekly Click: May 16, 2012

Featured Article

MaKey MaKey: An Invention Kit for Everyone Did you ever wish you could turn any everyday object into touch pads and combine them with the internet? Just think how cool it would be to have a banana space bar on your computer? Or wouldn't it be REALLY revolutionary if you could play Dance, Dance Revolution with buckets of water, rather than the traditional floor mat? Well, wish no more, because thanks to MaKey MaKey you can! MaKey MaKey is an invention kit for the 21st century from our friend Eric Rosenbaum and graduate student Jay Silver from the MIT Media Lab.

We couldn't imagine a better way to help people start to think of themselves as makers and agents of change.  So when we find out about MaKey Makey we just had to share, because when you have the "Maker's Mindset," you know you can change the world! MaKey MaKey is a simple Invention Kit for beginners and experts doing art, engineering, and everything in between.  It looks awesome and we can't wait to play with it!

Fresh Air Remembers Author Maurice Sendak This is a beautiful compilation of interviews with the late Maurice Sendak on the NPR Fresh Air Program.

How Pixar Almost Lost Toy Story 2 to a Bad Backup Pixar's Oren Jacob and Galyn Susman recount how the files for Toy Story 2 were almost lost due to an accidental Linux command and bad backup. A good reminder to back up your important files!  Also, a great example of how you can use minimal animation with a great story.

Exploring the Role of Mobile Technology as a Health Care Helper Here at FableVision Studios, we love seeing all the exciting ways mobile technology is changing the world.  Kudos to Johns Hopkins Global Health Initiative, which has 51 projects educating students in global mobile technologies and exploring the use of mobile technology in health.

Weekly Click: May 8, 2012

Featured Article

My First Week With the iPhone

We have seen lots of technology for the blind, and now we can safely say that the iPhone represents the most revolutionary thing to happen to the visually impaired in a long time. The touchpad offers the familiar next/previous motion, which the blind need. Adding the ability to touch anywhere on the screen and hear it adds a whole other dimension, literally. For the first time, the blind can actually get spatial information about something.

Austin Seraphin is a visually impaired, avid blogger who uses an iPhone to help him with his condition. While skeptical of Apple's claims that the iPhone would be completely accessible to the visually impaired. After taking a trip to the store with his Mother, Austin was impressed and purchased a phone. He says that, "now we can do it with an Apple device that fits in our pocket". The future is here and it's bringing swift changes to the lives of people whose disabilities have for too long gone unserviced. Austin has some critiques, namely that iTunes is cumbersome and difficult for people with visual impairments to navigate, but admits that it is a challenge he is willing to work to overcome for the ability to use the iPhone.

To this day, Austin feels amazed at the iPhone’s capabilities. He can get email, Twitter mentions, and direct messages any time. The iPhone with VoiceOver provides an accessible interface to things which seem annoying at best over the web in a standard browser. Austin can see some light and color, but just in blurs, and objects don’t really have a color, just light sources. When he first got an iPhone, he downloaded an app called ColorIdentifier and was blown away! Imagine watching the sun set, listening to the colors change as the sky darkened, roamed through a garden and using color cues to find pumpkin plants and flowers.

Maybe it’s true that hearing the color names can help nudge one’s perception, and enhance a visual experience. Amazing!

The Nerd Parent’s Guide: When and How to Introduce Your Kids to Star Wars. What happens when your little one comes home from school one day and starts asking about classics like The Star Wars? Since the general context of the films is pretty complex and some of the aspects are too violent for young kids, how do you know when your child is ready and old enough to grasp the story? One dad had a very thought-out system of introducing his young boys to the Star Wars mythology in a slow and structured way. There's been more talking and playing in the backyard so far than actual movie watching. There's been discussions of movie making and how to make an alien mask. There's been cardboard light sabers and grappling hooks made of straws. There's been hours of discussion about character motivations, why good guys do good stuff, why bad guys do bad stuff and why Han Solo likes money and whether or not we should "mess with Yoda." This system may not work for every young child, but we were inspired by the thoughtful and creative approach this dad took on.

An Apple for the iPad? Technology & Education Start-Ups As textbooks go digital, more testing is conducted on-line and mobile applications democratize education tools. That’s good news for Slader, a New York-based education start-up that is focused on helping teens with math and science homework. The site provides answers and explanations to problems in over 285 textbooks used in American classrooms. Other students supply all answers and explanations making the app seem more like a “study hall on-line”. These educational start-ups are transforming the education space. As students flock to sites like Slader where they can learn at their own time and pace, teaching has shifted from classroom to cyberspace. No longer is the teacher the go-to or ultimate source. Among iPads, smartphones and the Web, they’ve become maestro, working with instruments to school.

Can Your Preschooler Learn Anything From an iPad App? Child development specialists say young children learn best when they are fully engaged and imbued with a feeling of control. They encourage parents to seek out more open-ended games and toys in which children could explore and create at their own pace. Yet at the moment, not many apps are built with this approach in mind. A recent Australian Study showed that only 2 percent of “education” apps in the iTunes Store allow for open-ended discovery and exploration. However, we have seen some recent products that favor creation, including apps like DoodleCast, ItzaBitza and in-development computer programming software for preschoolers called Scratch Jr. Our final word is that educational apps for very young children are a booming business, but the research hasn't caught up yet.