Uh Oh, Kids are Using Technology

Here we go again, ANOTHER study. This week, the most ridiculous study has been reported in just about every media outlet I visit. I heard it on Sirius Satellite, I saw it on the news, I read it in several news releases online, it has been emailed to me by friends who know my passion for the subject, and I even READ IT IN A NEWSPAPER. Remember them? Made from trees, recycled every two weeks, or used on the bottom of your pets' cages? Yes, I still read the paper three or four times a week. What else am I gonna do on the toilet. . . I guess I could Tweet, but that would be too silly. . . tweeting while I'm Tooting! (Corny, but I couldn't resist it.)

The study, funded by the Kaiser Family Foundation, reports on the increase of technology used by youth, and its seemingly negative effect on their progress as students. The report - Which is getting A LOT of press is the result of studying 2002 kids aged 8-18. In a country of approximately 74 million kids covering that age range, we are going to take stock in a study that is comprised of 2002 people? That is 0.000027 % of the population, but luddites (haters of technology and the changes it brings), and those teachers who have been "Teaching the same way for 30 years" will revel in this.

Check out the ridiculous chart on the right here to get a glimpse of the general results of the study. I can't believe that someone actually funded this report. I don't even want to know what it cost. I could have saved them a lot of time and money and made four or five phone calls and come up with the same results.

Considering that the iPod - THE MP3 player, was not released until 2001, OF COURSE more people have one today. Kids had walkmen and boomboxes before that, so why wouldn't they have an MP3 player.

I didn't get a cell phone until 1999, and only used it in case of an emergency. NOW, my iPhone is a mini computer that I can text, surf the Internet, take pictures with, OH. . . and it is an MP3 Player! (not to mention a portable movie player too.

Lastly - regarding this chart - with all of the time they seem to be spending on the computer, in front of the television, texting, and using other technology, they only spend 5 minutes less reading print publications. . . . 5 MINUTES!?!? I wonder how many minutes they spend reading online? Do you think it is more than 5 minutes? Hmmm Here is your headline:

KIDS ARE READING MORE - Just not paper-based books , papers, and magazines.

. . . . .5 Minutes. . . (head shake in despair)

OF COURSE kids are using more technology. More technology is available. How many more people are blogging and reading blogs today? Hey, I am writing one and you are reading it - Thankfully =) It makes me think of a funny parallel.

1913 Henry Ford put into operation the first assembly line for automobiles. They could build a Model-T in 90 minutes. I wonder if there was money wasted on a study of how many more cars there were on the road in 1919, or BETTER YET, the increase of automobile accidents from 1909 to 1919. . . DUH. . . Yes, I said "DUH"

Here are some of the so-called "Key findings"

With my comment followed in italics:

-Children ages 8 to 18 are now spending more than 53 hours a week (7:38 hours/day) using entertainment media. Ten years ago, that figure was 43 hours a week.

• We would hpe that those extra two hours are happening in school and our students are being taught to communicate and learn in our new technology-driven society.

-Television still dominates among young people, followed by music, computers and video games. TV watched online and over phones has contributed to television viewing.

•The operative word. . . STILL. . . OK No change here.

-Kids spend 38 minutes a day reading a print publication, compared to 43 minutes a day 10 years ago.

• Already commented on this WOW! 5 minutes. . . .Come on!

-Nearly seven in 10 youth have a cell phone, compared to four in 10 a decade ago. Those kids are using mobile phones for music, videos and other entertainment more than for talking.

•SO, the phones have more features which replace other items they used to carry around. . . Earth-Shattering!!!!

-When parents want to restrict or reduce media use, they can. But few parents enforce the rules they set.

• Point. . . . Got one?

-Nearly half of all heavy users of media platforms have C grades or lower, compared to 23 percent of light users.

• Most technology users have been traditionally viewed as "Nerds" so now half of them are and half of them aren't. Silly. . . .just silly

AND THE DUMBEST "FINDING"

-The biggest users of media are black and Hispanic youth in their early teen years

• WHAT??? - Nuff Said. . . . Where did they get their sample from, an urban school in Essex County New Jersey. I am sure, if we went to suburban Morris County, NJ we can find a sampling of 2002 students who are not black nor hispanic, use technology the same amount as the test stated, and are getting A's in school.

My point in all of this is to not only poke fun at the waste of money on an inane study and let's not take studies as being universal fact. Take the time to read the backstory of the study before you go to a party or are sitting in your company's break room and you say "You know . . .kids today. . . they are obsessed with technology. . . when I was a kid. . . AS A MATTER OF FACT, there was a study I heard about that blah blah blah. . . ."

I am hopeful that kids are embracing the new technologies, and that eventually, content developers and teachers will learn to harness the power of technology to empower our children to develop more of it.

CARE TO READ THE FULL 70+ PAGE REPORT? Click here:

http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf

Wyoming - The Welfare State

I have shared this plan with family and friends and have received mixed reviews. Usually those who are not conforming members of a political party are in support, and those who are staunch party members call me a radical. Well as a non-party affiliate AMERICAN I take their label as "a radical" as a great complimen. Once upon a time Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin were all viewed as being a little radical too. My plan, although a little unique, will not only save us money, but will make our country more productive.

My plan is to move everyone who receives welfare to Wyoming. YES - WYOMING. No, I am not proposing concentration camps, nor am I proposing slave labor reservations. If you think about it, we have done with our poor, exactly what we did with the indigenous people (Native American Indians) - we have relegated them to reservations. We don't call them reservations, we call them housing projects or trailer parks. I shared with you my experience in the inner city projects and how welfare was becoming the "family business." The current model is that we are offering money for nothing. I have known people who would not look for jobs because, if they made too much money, they would lose their welfare benefits. They figured that the difference between their welfare checks and their employment checks was not enough for them to actually HAVE TO go out and go to work. They would rather not have to be somewhere and just collect their check. A unique conundrum.

Not anymore - you want a check? Go to Wyoming. Randy you can't do this.. . .You're CRAZY.

REALLY? I believe, if I ran for president with welfare reform and the renaissance of American productivity as my platform, I might only lose two electoral votes - Wyoming. Maybe not. The increase of population may gain them a larger tax base and additional representation in congress, so they might even vote for me too.

Why Wyoming, and what are we going to do once we get there?

Wyoming is a landlocked state almost in the center of the country. It is also the least populated state. Both of these items are important.

Item 1 - Life is NOT a beach:

The bulk of our country's poor is located on the coasts and/or near our major metropolises. So, not only do they receive the "free check," they get to spend their days of non-work near a beach or near our cultural centers. Lets pay people to go to the shore, or hang out in the theater district and municipal parks. Wyoming has no such shore, and is not really known for its theater district and museums =). If you want to receive your check you need to give up the beach and develop your own cultural arts district.

Item 2 - Earn that check.

In moving to Wyoming, recipients will be trained in a career that will benefit the country. With Wyoming being quasi-centrally located, and having vast farmlands, we will train people in farming, construction, and new technologies. We will send the first set of trainees to build towns (not housing projects), factories and roads that will house the soon to be relocated families. Careers in the production of alternative energy sources - turbines, solar panels, REAL electric/solar cars, alternative fuel sources, etc. will be farmed, manufactured and distributed from Wyoming. The great grid that our president has alluded to will be centralized and created out of Wyoming. We will offer people training in positions that will benefit their new community. From sanitation workers to teachers to police officers and independent business owners, we will offer them an opportunity to earn the checks we are currently giving them for free. Wyoming would become the hub of innovation and the state whose farms feed the world and fuel the country.

I am sure American industry would be more than willing to assist in the creation of factories, railroads, and townships. Think of what Milton Hershey did in Pennsylvania. Disney also envisioned EPCOT as a real city - not a theme park. It was to be the Experimental Prototypical Community Of Tomorrow (EPCOT). We might have Pepsi, Wyoming, whose High School's rivals are Coca Cola Regional. You may see the birth to two technology towns Apple, Wyoming, and its rival Microsoft Falls, Wyoming. The Grammy's would be held at the state of the art iTunes Theater in the heart of Pixar, Wyoming.

Item 3 - But Randy, I don't want to go.

You have choices. 1. You get a job in the current region you are in and pay your own rent, 2. you get your check and are placed in a new career opportunity and restart of your life in Wyoming, or 3. You leave the country. You don't get your cake and eat it too. You earn your check or you become a productive member of society. The current housing projects will be either upgraded or knocked down and replaced (sounds like new jobs right there) and will be converted into condos that those who decided to not go to Wyoming will have an opportunity to purchase. If you do not go to Wyoming or get a job that will allow you to afford the home, you will be homeless - which will be unacceptable. Homeless shelters will no longer be available, because we will not have any homeless people. There is a home for everyone - in Wyoming. The other option you have is to relocate yourself to another country. We will pay for a one-way ticket to another location in the world, where you will then give up your U.S. citizenship and the items you leave behind will be auctioned off to counter the expense of your flight or ship passage.

Item 4 - How are we going to pay for this?

We already are paying for it. Now, we will get something out of it. We will no longer have to outsource our factory production to China or Mexico. We will develop a fair wage scale and quality of life for those participating in the Wyoming project. Production of goods will not be inflated because we will make it illegal for unions to inflate the cost of production. We will have representation from the welfare recipients in a democratic board that will include leaders of industry, government officials, and the common man. A three house approach will be established - like the federal government - to ensure fair treatment of participants and to avoid the need for unionization. Picture it. . . our tax dollars going towards building our country's infrastructure and gross national product, instead of paying people to stay at home and watch Oprah, Wendy Williams, and SoapNet. Additionally, as formerly mentioned, we would be able to license out the naming of towns like we do our stadiums.

So there it - solving homelessness, welfare abuse, and our dependence on foreign manufacturing and power development. Obviously, I have other sub-plans regarding training and education but this is a blog - not a government paper - anyone get through that healthcare document yet? Talk about saving a tree =)

WELCOME TO WYOMING - WHERE EVERYONE GETS A FAIR CHANCE TO LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

A Day ON, not OFF, for MLK

I'm taking a break from our political weekend discussion and will shared with everyone my "Sure-to-be-popular" plan for welfare reform in tomorrow's posting. I was going to do it today, but I had a conversation with my daughters that made me rethink today's topic.

The children are off today to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I always question school holidays like this - Columbus Day, Marin Luther King, President's Day (or once upon a time Lincoln and Washington's Birthday). After my conversation, and watching my children plan their day off, I don't know if my opinion has changed at all.

I asked them why we had off today. Their answer was very complete, as they parroted back their school lesson that "MLK was a great peace keeper who worked hard to gain equal rights for all people." "If it wasn't for him," my ten year old continued "then I wouldn't be able to be friends with black people." Interesting interpretation - if not for MLK, she couldn't have black friends. I wasn't about to get into a conversation regarding the superficiality of that statement - she is 10, and more naive than we give our 10-year-olds credit for. We sometimes lose track of the development of our children, and forget how we were at 10. It did bring us to a deep conversation about the perpetuation of our differences and possibly our prejudices. She didn't know that's what we were talking about. She just thought we were talking about school and her friends, which my wife and I do often.

I have always enjoyed history, and continue to consume it as a reader, perpetuate it as a writer, and can't get enough of it as a viewer, but sometimes I wonder what the value of recognizing the wrongs of generations past has for our children. Does studying the plight of segregation, that was not part of my own upbringing, have any validity in our current generation's lives? I was in elementary school, in Newark, in the 70's. With the Alexander v. Holmes County BOE ruling OFFICIALLY ending segregation in public schools (which was different from the separate but equal ruling garnered from Brown v. BOE of 1955) this victory and the rest of the Civil Rights Movement were as fresh to the adults in my young generation as the end of Vietnam to the next elementary school set, and the end of the cold war, Desert Storm, 9-11, and the first black president, would be for generations that would follow. Interestingly to note, if you ask an elementary school child about these events, their knowledge would have been or would be superficial generalizations of subjective opinions garnered from overhearing their parents talk.

Elementary school children are not of an age where they "care" about political or other worldly issues. They care about being happy and having friends and fitting in with their peers. You may be lucky, as my wife and I are, to have children who are sensitive to the needs of families who have less than we do, and to the mistreatment of animals. That is probably the most political insight or social change we can expect from our second and fourth grader. They feel bad for the kids in Haiti, but don't understand its impact from a global and/or societal standpoint. AND WHY SHOULD THEY. . . . THEY ARE KIDS!! Allow them to be kids and enjoy the wonder of being a child, while instilling in them the Golden Rule - Do Unto Others, As You'd Like Done Unto You. We teach them to be nice.

My girls are friends with children of various backgrounds - including, but not limited to, religious, family heritage, and skin tone. It is interesting to note that when they described their friends to me, they would never say "the black kid" the Indian Kid" "the Jewish girl" or "the Asian boy." They would say my friend from class, soccer, dance, or whatever they were involved in. When asked to describe their friend, it would take the third or fourth descriptor that would possibly give you the idea that they were of a different culture. They saw the kids as other kids - not as categories.

SO WHY TEACH THEM ABOUT DIFFERENCES? Kids ARE Kids.

I think it is important for us to respect and pay homage to the deeds and impact great people have had on society; however, instead of taking a day off from learning and discussing, lets have a special day of recognition and impact. Let's not have a day off of work/school, lets have a special "Day ON" at work/school.

I remember being a 28 year old supervisor proposing this at a meeting. Mind you I was 15 years the junior of any other person in my position, so it must have come across as the rantings of some young upstart. The superintendent, principals and other supervisors and I were going over the development of the master schedule for the following year, when I said, lets end or begin school a couple days later in September or earlier in June and pick up a couple of the random days like Presidents' Day, Columbus Day or MLK. The truth was, I liked teaching and thought it was more difficult to recover from a random off day then it was to have the kids coming in as usual. The day after and the Friday before Memorial Day (or any Monday holiday) was always difficult because of the excitement of the extra day off, the restart after a hiccup in the routine, and the impending four-day work week. Those of you who have been or are classroom teachers understand this energy. You would think I asked everyone to give up their paychecks. I must have been CRAZY. You then knew who the skiers were, who I was asking to give up an extra day on the slopes in January and February =). I did receive support from the Social Studies and English Supervisors, who saw the benefit of a special "Day On." They had MUCH more influence than I did and took the ball and ran with it, and the master schedule had a special day "ON" for MLK day - which was an optional day at the time. The skiers were pissed, but the educators were not. We held a day that in each class we discussed topics like fortitude, self-awareness, trust, tolerance, . . . etc. We discussed writings of those who made change and crusaded on behalf of others. The supervisors lead their team of teachers through wonderful activities allowing the students to apply their academics in tangible ways.

Later on, as a principal, I had the same opportunity to have a "Day On" for Veterans Day, where we offered activities that explored heroism and selflessness. It ended up being one of the greatest days in my educational carer.

Today, when you sit and talk with your children about their day, why not discuss the importance of the spirit of MLK. Don't discuss the plight of the blacks during the early-mid 20th Century. Don't put the idea that we have differences - because we really don't - into their heads. We are all humans . We are all Americans. The likes of AL Sharpton has made a career on keeping us separated - perpetuating the spirit of separation that plagued America during the 60's - 50 years ago - and not the innocence of what our children are experiencing, where kids are just kids, not a color, a race or a creed.

Let's think about having "Days ON" with our children, if our schools won't support us, and conform with the politicos who make the schedules. Let's celebrate:

Columbus Day by discussing or exploring new places with our children.

MLK Day by figuring out how we can use our lives to help others.

President's Day and Memorial Day by taking time to appreciate the great country we share and to find a way we can help perpetuate the positive qualities that keeps us the greatest country in the world.

We should not spotlight what separates us. On the contrary, we should appreciate and honor our differences as unique parts of the spectrum that makes up America. We are not a melting pot, but a spectrum of colors that should stand as the rainbow our children and grand children will someday travel over.

Happy MLK Day. Hope your dreams are clear to you today, and you get an opportunity to discuss with your friends, children, or neighbors his legacy.

Throwing "Coffee Money" at our Problems

In my last blog, I "discussed," more like ranted about, the fact that we are so preoccupied with helping the people of Haiti, that not unlike an easily distracted preschooler who keeps the sink filling up and leaves the bathroom because Elmo's World came on, we once again take our focus off our own problems and go to the aide of others. So while we are helping the Haitian people, our own sinks are overflowing. When we finally return to the bathroom there is another mess for us to clean up.

One of my friends questioned what we are doing as a country. He said that my posting was "true to a point" but questioned the I allusion I made to the "teach a man to fish" adage. He said, "I ask, are any of us actively teaching fishing, and patching holes here?" then continued on another post with "This is how we 'help' our fellow Americans. 'Get a job!' 'Get off wellfare' 'Stop asking for healthcare!' 'Stop having kids!' I don't see many fishing poles. . . ."

I LOVE IT! I love the questions, I love the response, I love the his portrayal of the common man's reaction to the downtrodden and American "down on their luck."

Just like all of you, I spend a lot of time observing people, and trying to make a connection with them. It is hard to survive and be successful without making, at the very least, cordial connections. You can't be a successful actor, director, writer, performer, producer, teacher, social worker, police officer, parent, counselor, instructor, animator, etc. without observing people, understanding people, and trying to connect with people. For the most part, in my personal life, I am a solitary person, but I spend my days interacting with people as studies for characters I might write and/or play in a production we are working on.

Throughout my very eclectic experiences I have had professionally, including construction worker, flooring mechanic, horse whisperer (I mean trainer. . .LOL), music therapist, teacher, magnet school director, principal, animator, producer, performer. . . .etc. I have had the fortune of connecting with people of all walks of life and all types of backgrounds. These interactions make my current position as a writer/producer much easier. It also gives me a unique view of the human condition and of how people respond to various challenges and social issues. It has also helped me establish my personal philosophy as a parent, a husband, a businessman, and an American.

Is a fish out of water bound to eventually adapt, or will it just become dinner?

I remember being a middle school teacher in the projects of Paterson and Newark. A part of me wanted to adopt each of my students and expose them to an alternate way of upbringing. Then I would question, what would my bringing them to "the suburbs" (as I was in seventh grade) do for them? Would I be offering them an "easier" life, where there was less fear and therefore less need for the survival skills that they had been developing? Would I be doing more harm than good, by removing them from their natural "habitat"? Conversely, would my classmates in high school been better off if they experienced an exchange program to Barringer High School in Newark for a year? I'd be interested in exploring this further in future blogs and discussions, but it is not relevant in responding to yesterday's comments. Is a fish out of water bound to eventually adapt, like their amphibian cousins, or will that fish just become dinner?

I knew when it was "check day" (the day when the welfare checks arrived). The day after would have my students arrive in school with $150 sneakers, new "bling" and the latest in apparel and accessories. However, when lunchtime came, if they were not on free lunch, they would have a Pepsi and a Ring Ding packed. How were we supposed to expect these kids to have the focus and energy for the rest of the day (forget about the fact that they probably had the same thing for breakfast) with that "Lunch of Champions" The welfare check was spent like my daughter getting a gift card to Target for her birthday. She is not going to spend it in the food aisle or on getting new underwear, sock, or school supplies. She will spend it on a new DS cartridge, or a DVD, or some new Legos. That is OK, because it is a gift, and she is 10. The welfare check, however, is NOT a gift. It was designed to HELP a family get back on their feet and then get OFF welfare and become contributing members of society.

Welfare has become the new "family business."

When I asked my students what they wanted to do when they were older, they would say, "I don't know. Why do I have to do anything? I will probably collect like my mom and grandma." Not unlike the generations of distended-bellied villagers we have been sending our "coffee money" to for generations, welfare has become that free bowl of rice, that is being spent on Nikes, Gold, iPods, and Jay-Zee downloads.

So maybe my friend is right. Maybe we are not doing enough to help those in need. Maybe, as I think about it, we are just throwing "coffee money" at our own problems. Maybe it is time for us to figure out how to fix our roofs, and empower our people to revitalize the American society. We can change the channel when we see the "Save the Children" commercials, or we can figure out a way to make it unnecessary to produce the commercials. I still submit and support, that we need to feed our own before we save the world. Lets continue this discussion until we figure it out. Lets not be like public education, where we discuss topics and change, but never act upon it.

Our country was founded on the actions of a few patriots who moved the colonies to stand up and say "No More." My friends, it is time that we come up with a plan and WE do it.

It's the American Way.

Next Blog - A radical proposal for welfare reform. You guys will "love" this one.

We Are the World?

And now what you all have been waiting for. . . . A little bit of contoversy

Here is what those of you who know me, or have known me are saying. "Yes, we know Randy tries hard to emulate Mister Rogers, and tries to inspire others to become the most fulfilled person they can, and he is OBSESSED with changing the way people teach, learn, and have fun, as well as the whole "Niceness Initiative," . . . . but we also know that Randy has "unique" opinions about politics, pop culture, and other topics.

So here it is.

We all grew up seeing the kids in the villages with distended stomachs, flies on their faces, and no food. Generation after generation of poor villagers procreating - perpetuating an already seemingly unsurmountable situation. Sally Struthers telling us that "For the price of a cup of coffee, we can feed this child." Gameshow legend Bob Barker (ironic last name) would remind us to spay and neuter our pets, to avoid over population. Why were we not, in addition to feeding these children, providing the adults and the future adolescents with birth control and/or spaying and neutering services (no, I do not think they are animals, so don't read anything into that - but you get my point).

Let's pull out another old cliche - "Give a man a fish and you feed him for today, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." How much of that coffee money was going into teaching people how to fish? How much of that coffee money was going into the production of those commercials and buying the airtime? We have been seeing those commercials for decades. Where are the kids we fed in the 70's? Are we feeding their kids and their grandkids?

Why am I writing about this? Haiti. I feel horrible for the tragedy that has befallen the island. I am also a big proponent of helping my fellow man (or animal). My wife and I have tried to raise our girls to think of others. They have a donate box that they put their change in, and they have started their own knitting club to raise money for the ASPCA. We donate to various charities and realize how fortunate we are. I wanted to preface that before my next statement.

So. . . I am assuming, since we are all jumping to donate money to Haiti that everything is fixed and back to normal in Louisiana. The mess from Katrina has been cleaned and everyone is back in their homes. I assume, since we are sending food to Haiti, that our homeless people have all been placed in a home and no children will go hungry tonight. I assume, since we are donating money to Haiti, that our unemployment rate has dropped and we have solved our "recession."

I feel bad for the people of Haiti, but the United States, according to 2009 statistics is the 6th - (SIXTH) check it again. . . . SIXTH!! wealthiest country in the world. Why are we jumping to help, and our own people are still hurting? Why are we feeding the world, and our own kids are hungry? Why are we fixing other disasters and we haven't completed fixing our own? I appreciate that in New York City there are 125,000 Haitian-Americans. However, in a country of 300 million people, that does account for .04% - that is four percent of one percent of the population.

I get Wycleff doing what he does. It is HIS country. . . . but George Clooney and Brad/Angelina. . .? . . . .timely PR? How about a telethon for America, George?

For that matter. . . how about IDOL GIVES BACK. . . to the U.S.?? It is called American Idol and they were building schools and providing supplies for village kids in a third-world country. That country has no budget, no income, no means of feeding its own people? If not, I am sorry, but we obviously don't have enough to take care of our own too. . . . .Or do they choose to spend their money on other items and expect the free ride from the Patsy. . . Ooops. . .I mean "Nice" American people who don't seem to receive the respect that we deserve worldwide.

I have an idea. . . .let's fix the roof on our own house before we plug the holes in our neighbors', who I don't see reciprocating.

Deep breath. . . . taking a deep breath. . . . Ok. . .

Harry Chapin is one of my greatest influences as a musician, songwriter, and humanitarian. He could really tell a story, and was very intimate with his audience. What a lot of people don't realize is that he would donate just about every other concert to charity. He was the founder of World Hunger Year, which a couple years after his untimely death, was the springboard for USA for Africa - you remember. . . .music please. . . "We are the World . . . We ARE the children" (sung as Bruce Springsteen with Ray Charles waiting in the wings. . .LOL) I believe what he stood for was noble and altruistic.

But even when I was in high school and we would make believe we were each of the singers in the U.S.A for Africa music video, I would think to myself "Why are we feeding Africa, when we have hungry and homeless of our own?"

Now , at the 25th anniversary of the legendary release of We Are the World, we are still sending money and food overseas, and there are still hungry Americans. . . .There are still farmers being paid not to grow crops. . . .ponderous.

Instead of food and money, lets send some fishing rods and some seeds.