Blog Archives
Badge: Build My Legacy
You may think your story is unimportant. However, how many times have your kids asked what the world was like when you grew up? They love to hear stories of you and themselves. By documenting your own story, not only can others experience your stories, they can see how you interact with your world.
NOTE: This badge program builds on “Tell My Story” which encourages sharing stories of your life through storytelling.
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Steps
1. What do you want to leave behind?
Perhaps you want to leave stories of your life? Dreams you have achieved? A special experience that changed your life? Make a list of the items you wish to share with future generations. This might be your own stories or from your family.
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Telling your story
2. Short stories.
You might be interested in telling short stories. Think of a funny or embarrassing moment in your life. Make notes about how you might tell that story.
3. Long stories.
Perhaps you want to go beyond just a moment in time. Create a brief outline of a longer event such as a vacation or sport season you participated in. Make notes about how you might tell the story.
4. Writing.
Most people think of written stories when they think of telling a story. Write a short story about yourself. It can be short or long, encompassing something as simple as the first time you did something or complicated like experiences during a week at summer camp.
5. Storytelling.
Oral traditions have been around longer than written ones. Tell your story to others. Record your telling as well as the questions you are asked afterwards. Use the questions to help improve your oral story.
6. Skit or plays.
Skits or plays allow you to tell your story through many mouths. After documenting your story, ask others how they perceived the same events. Create a skit trying to keep to the authenticity of many points of view.
7. Puppets.
Create a puppet show based on your story. You can use shadowgraphs, sock puppets, marionettes or any other movable personification of yourself to tell your story. Perform your story for others.
8. Art.
Create a piece of art that reminds you of a story. Share your story with someone else. Ask if they can see the links between your art and story.
9. Photography.
You can have photos of people and locations in your stories. A series of photos can allow you to tell a story as well. Try telling your story through photos alone. Add brief quotes or comments as triggers to remember the story behind the photo.
10. Combining words and art.
Journals, whether written or art, are a great way to tell your story. When you open a diary or journal, you feel like you are taking a glimpse into someone else’s life. Start a journal to tell your story.
11. Digital.
Tell your story with digital media. Record your story as an audio or video file. Perhaps you might want to start a personal blog or podcast. Perhaps digital photos can be included in your legacy. Send these files / links to friends or distribute on YouTube.
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Creating a story
12. Mundane?
If you feel like you don’t have a story to tell, start one today. Find a way to start making a change in your life, the lives of those you love or your community. Explore your passions and start now. Keep track of your story as you create it.
13. Service.
Giving service to others affects your life as well as other in a positive way. Find ways to give service that allow you to start creating a story.
14. Build.
Start and build a business. Build your reputation with organizations where your expertise can benefit them. Start your own cause or significantly improve another. Build a garden to share with your community. Move beyond “Service” in Step 13 and push yourself to make a difference.
15. Create.
Create art. Create music. Create a blog that offers inspiration and hope. Create something from your own mind that you can share as a story.
16. One on one.
Choose a person who needs help and build a relationship. Help them start their own legacy. Document their stories. Or perhaps just spend time to brighten someone’s day and record their stories to carry on their traditions instead of your own.
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Combining stories
17. Participate in an event.
At a family reunion or get-together, have a few stories prepared and ready to go. Record the event to get additional ideas, stories and more. Once started, you’ll find many people like to share their stories.
18. Contest.
Select a theme for your stories and ask others to contribute their own stories. Create a contest for your family and friends to join. You can give serious or silly awards for your contest. Create a montage of stories and share it with others to vote on so even if someone doesn’t participate, they can be part of the fun.
19. Online archive.
Create an online archive for yourself or allow others to join. You can have as much or little control over submissions, organization and more. Ask others to help maintain the archive if they are better at certain tasks than you.
20. Publish.
Collect your stories and publish them to offer inspiration for others to start building their own legacy. You might want to publish a single story or a group of them. You might instead choose to share how you took your own journey or help others to start theirs.
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Sites to Explore
www.lovely-life-plan.com/create-your-own-story.html
Badge: Storyteller
When you are telling stories to others, you need many skills. Telling stories has a long tradition of passing information orally to listeners. Let’s learn about becoming a storyteller.
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Steps
1. Listen to storytellers.
Find a storytelling group or event in your area and listen to others tell stories. Keep note of what you like / don’t like about their presentations. This will help you craft your own presentation.
2. Keep a list.
As you hear or read short stories, keep a list of those you think would be good to create your own unique voice. Do not limit your story list to those you hear live. You can also check out audio books, YouTube videos and more.
3. Stories of the past.
Before stories were written down, they were kept orally. Look through stories of the past — tales, legends or even mythology. Explore beyond your own culture. If you find any that fit your tastes, add them to your story list.
4. Why tell a story?
Stories can be used to inform, teach, entertain or just to keep a story alive. Explore how you can change a story to make it inform instead of entertain, entertain instead of teach, etc.
5. Review your list.
Make sure your list includes a variety of stories. A mix of genres will give you more opportunities to tell your stories. Expand your list into additional areas if you feel you need to add other types of stories.
6. Working within a theme.
You may be asked to tell a story as part of a themed event. Make sure your list has more than just a list of names. Add in genres each story could fill as well as a brief description. Are you limiting yourself to one theme? If so, look to expand your list even further.
7. Know your audience.
The story you tell is greatly dependent on your audience. You don’t want graphic details for kids, but most adults are fine with them. Keep notes on how to adjust your story for a younger audience or how to add more depth for an older audience.
8. How to tell a story.
Learn how to orally tell a story. Read a book, follow a blog, etc. to see how others do it. Look at your list from Step 1 showing what you liked / didn’t like about the presentations you saw. See how others deal with these issues.
9. Join a storytelling group.
Join or start a storytelling group. Review the things you learned, notes you have, stories you’ve enjoyed, etc. How can your storytelling group help you or others?
10. Find a mentor.
If you’re uncomfortable with a group, find a mentor to help you with your storytelling skills.
11. Props.
Props allow you to have your story told by others, such as puppets, or to help set an atmosphere. It also helps your audience if you have multiple characters in your story. Younger audiences love props they can help with. Look through your stories and determine which can utilize props.
12. Adding actions and sounds.
Adding repeatable actions, sounds or phrases allows your audience to participate in your story. It grabs their attention. It gets them motivated. Find a story with these elements or create these in your own story.
13. Participate in a storytelling event.
Participate in a storytelling event. Discuss with others how they prepare to minimize stress and stage fright.
14. Create a storytelling event.
Create your own event and invite others to tell stories as well. Perhaps start with a small group and invite creative criticism.
15. Track of the past.
Keep track of your past storytelling activities including location, event name, date and ways to improve your performance / story. You may choose to archive your stories as well via audio or video recordings.
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Sites to Explore
www.storyteller.net
createyourlifestory.com/podcast/difference-life-story-oral-history
www.eldrbarry.net/roos/eest.htm
www.ehow.com/storytelling
www.aaronshep.com/storytelling/index.html
www.loc.gov/folklife/source/index.php
www.storytelling-nyc.org/tips.html
www.youtube.com
Badge: Explore Pinterest
Most social media sites are based on conversations, content and links. Pinterest allows you to share what you find on the Web by pinning the images on a board. Since Pinterest emphasizes images, make sure you choose images for your pins that are high-quality. Let’s visit Pinterest and find out more.
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Steps
1. Web content.
www.pinterest.com
Pinterest allows users to organize and share content they find on the Web. It’s more than a bookmark site, though. Go to the site and select “Everything” under the logo. Find one or more categories that interest you and browse to get a feel for the site.
2. Join Pinterest.
Currently, you need an invite to become part of Pinterest. You can email the site directly or get an invite from a friend who is already on Pinterest. Get an invite to Pinterest to continue exploring its features.
3. Tweak your profile.
Go to your profile and place information you want to share as well as your profile picture.
4. Boards.
Boards are similar to folders where you can place information into a system that makes sense to you. Want to collect ideas for your wedding? Create an event for your scout troop? Plan a trip? Share your favorite artist? Make a board for your interest.
5. Pins.
Each piece of content you place on a board is a “pin.” You can pin content you find on the site itself, called a “repin”, or you can pin anything you find on the Web. Go to “About > Pin It Button” and place the pin application in your browser. Pin some content into your board. Flash sites do now allow photos to be pinned.
NOTE: Make sure you select the board you want your pin on when you pin / repin to keep your organizing time to a minimum.
6. Description for your pin.
Leave yourself a note as to why you pinned it. That way, when you return later, you’ll have a reminder. Also, keywords will allow others to find your pin. Feel free to add hashtags at the end of your description as well.
NOTE: For items tagged from your own site, add a link back.
7. Follow.
You can follow people, they can follow you. You can follow one or more of their boards. Check out your friends and find out who is already on Pinterest or find others who are interested in the same things you are. Follow one or two people.
8. Videos.
At the time this badge program was created, YouTube videos could be pinned but Vimeo could not. Check some of the video offerings.
9. Etiquette.
Pinterest has a few rules you need to follow in regards to etiquette:
- Do not obnoxiously self-promote.
- Do not leave mean / hateful messages on other people’s pins.
- Do not share / tweet everything you pin.
- Do give credit to others.
- Do share / collaborate within Pinterest.
- Do pin individual post pages from a blog, not the homepage.
10. Collaborative boards.
Collaborative boards allow more than one person to pin items to a board. You can work together, plan a trip or any other collaborative project you can think of. Learn about collaborative boards.
11. Be aware of business.
Some people feel that business is too prevalent on Pinterest. While it is recommended not to pin your own materials / site on Pinterest and it is bad form to do so, some people do it anyway. You are free to follow / unfollow people and as well as individual boards. Compare businesses on Pinterest.
12. Invite a friend.
Now that you know a bit about Pinterest, invite a few of your friends to make the experience more enjoyable.
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Sites to Explore
www.pinterest.com
www.socialmediaexaminer.com/26-tips-for-using-pinterest-for-business
mashable.com/2012/02/24/pinterest-non-profits/#view_as_one_page-gallery_box4427
makeanddogirl.com/2011/11/tutorial-how-to-collaborate-on-pinterest
Badge: Action Songs (revised)
It’s time to get up and move! You don’t have to be the best singer to have fun. Sometimes, your actions may take your whole body, but action songs can also include fingerplays and sign language.
Let’s explore action songs.
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Steps
Preparation
1. Tunes and actions.
Before you can teach it, you need to know it. You can find videos and instructions online to help you learn songs or refresh your memory. A few links are below to start your adventure.
To help your search, check out the AEP provided supplement AEP_Action Songs_Sheets.pdf. It has the words plus actions for 21 songs.
2. Song list.
If you are working an event, meeting or class, make sure you have a song list ready to go. To determine your song list, review these factors:
- Age of audience
- Attention span of audience
- Length of time you need to fill
- Area you have to move in
You will also want to choose slower songs at the beginning and end to warm up and cool down. The middle should feature your really moving grooves!
If you’re planning an event with multiple activities, quieter songs also help signal the audience that you’re passing the leadership role on to the next person.
3. Change the words.
As songs are shared, the words are frequently changed. If you find lyrics that are not what you normally use, adjust the materials you find online to match what you already know. You do not want to be tripping over unfamiliar words or turns of phrase while you’re singing with others.
4. Note cards.
Create your own cheat sheets or note cards to help cue you to words or actions. You can design these for your own use or for anyone helping you.
Take one of your songs and create cards. Try doing the song with and without them. Decide if you need to provide the cards to your participants as well.
You may want to come up with a way for your audience to participate with the cards like giving them out so each person has a card. This gives your audience a sense of ownership and cooperation.
5. Practice.
While this step sounds like a “no brainer”, don’t convince yourself that you’ve sung your song(s) enough that you’ll remember the lyrics, tune and actions on the spot. I have had people ask me to go over a song I previously shared only to forget a part. It’s very confusing for your audience if you’re adding things in that you “forgot” and backtracking to that spot.
Watch yourself in the mirror when you are practicing your songs. If you don’t like what you see, change it before you share with your audience.
6. Record it.
To allow you to practice, recordings help. This may be a file you downloaded from YouTube, a recording you made at an event or even yourself singing the song. Explore creating and playing recordings of songs.
7. Song sheets.
Prepare song sheets for your audience. Depending on the age of your audience, you may want to hand these out before you start or afterwards. This choice will depend on you.
Giving the sheets out before starting may help your audience follow the words. They may spend more time looking at the pages than paying attention to you while you’re showing the gestures or working on the tune that goes with the words.
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Hello, audience!
8. Be enthusiastic and confident.
If you’re excited about sharing a song, they’ll be excited too! Your audience will pick up on your emotions. Smile. Relax. Have fun!
If you’ve practiced and made your cards, you’ll look more confident and that will also be conveyed to your audience.
9. Start with a song they know.
Starting out with a success boosts their confidence. They’ll be more willing to try new songs if they’re already on their feet and having fun.
10. Signals.
Create signals to stand up, start singing, etc. People who are not paying close attention or are too far away to see your subtle physical clues will appreciate you raising your hands above your head to ask them to stand up (for example).
11. Keep it slow.
When you’re teaching a completely new song, keep it slow and repeat your actions enough so that everyone gets them. If you have someone struggling, pair them up with someone who grasps the song and actions quickly.
12. Keep old favorites handy.
If your audience has a favorite, keep it handy in case someone really wants to do it. You may be tired of singing a particular song, but they may not be.
13. Be willing to share.
If someone knows a song and wants to share, step back. Let them take the lead. Don’t confuse your audience with multiple leaders. Instead, focus on your group and the person leading. You’ll be able to tell by their body language when it’s time for you to take back the lead.
Always thank other volunteers for helping out. If the song is not one you have, ask your volunteer for a copy of the song or a place you can find it on the Web so you can include it in your personal songbook.
14. Contact information.
Make sure you give your audience a way to contact you. They may try to do an action song on their own and need encouragement, may have lost materials, etc. They may even want you to come and sing with them again!
Also, getting their contact information allows you to forward on any additional recommendations made by the audience or share dates with them when you’ll be singing again.
15. Adding your own actions.
Sometimes teaching a new song is difficult. Adding a few actions can help be a memory trigger. At this point, you’re now creating an action for a song that didn’t have one before. As you listen to songs, think about what actions you could add to help share the song.
16. Finding a partner.
If you’re uncomfortable doing action songs or you are doing a very large event, find a partner or more than one may be the answer. Often, young people will volunteer to help you teach others songs. Placing additional volunteers in different areas will allow you to work with a larger audience. Remember, if you have partners, you’ll need to practice even more so you’re all doing the same thing.
17. Share.
Share your favorite links and songs with other AEP members so we can benefit from each other’s collections.
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Sites to Explore
www.youtube.com
www.boyscouttrail.com/song_search.asp
julianmorgan.tripod.com/mysite/id2.html
www.squidoo.com/2-years-old-can-be-taught-to-count-
www.songsforteaching.com/movement.htm
www.scoutingweb.com/scoutingweb/Traditions/Songs.htm
Badge: Tribes (revised)
The Adult Enrichment Project is designed to work as a tribe. Everyone is encouraged to do as much as they wish and to help others on their path. So, let’s learn about tribes and the tribes you belong to and why.
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Steps
1. Tribes.
Obtain a copy of “Tribes” by Seth Godin. Check it out at the library or purchase a copy. Audio book companies such as audible.com offer a free book to try their service. Read or listen to the book and find out about tribes.
You can also check out TED Talks and YouTube for Seth’s presentations about tribes.
2. Tribes Casebook.
sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/free-tribes-ebo.html
Members of Seth Godin’s tribe put together a casebook. It is a PDF available for free download on the Web. While Seth speaks more in generalities and gives some examples of tribes, this casebook is about numerous tribes and gives you a better idea of tribes that exist and how they work.
3. Are you a heretic?
Heretics are engaged, passionate, and more powerful and happier than everyone else. And they have a tribe that they support (and that supports them in turn).
Challenging the status quo requires a commitment, both public and private. It involves reaching out to others and putting your ideas on the line. (Or pinning your Ninety-five Theses to the church door.)
Heretics must believe. More than anyone else in an organization, it’s the person who’s challenging the status quo, the one who is daring to be great, who is truly present and not just punching a clock who must have confidence in her beliefs.
. The Elements of Leadership
- Leaders challenge the status quo.
- Leaders create a culture around their goal and involve others in that culture.
- Leaders have an extraordinary amount of curiosity about the world they’re trying to change.
- Leaders use charisma (in a variety of forms) to attract and motivate followers.
- Leaders communicate their vision of the future.
- Leaders commit to a vision and make decisions based on that commitment.
- Leaders connect their followers to one another. Sorry for the alliteration, but that’s the way it worked out.
If you consider the leaders in your organization or community, you’ll see that every one of them uses some combination of these seven elements. You don’t have to be in charge or powerful or pretty or connected to be a leader. You do have to be committed.
Excerpted from TRIBES: WE NEED YOU TO LEAD US by Seth Godin, Copyright (c) Do You Zoom, Inc., 2008.
4. Your tribe(s).
You already belong to tribes, though you might not realize it. One purpose for AEP is to give youth group volunteers additional knowledge to use and share with their kids. If you’re volunteering for a youth group, that’s one of your tribes.
Also look through your mail and email to see what groups you belong to. What Yahoo! Groups do you subscribe to? What magazines do you purchase? What charities do you support? All of these are tribes. They give you a sense of belonging and purpose.
5. You don’t have to lead.
While you were looking at your tribes, did you notice that some of them you are passionate about? Perhaps you started one or helped to get one started where you faithfully keep up-to-date on happenings. Then there are the emails you completely read, the postings you look forward to when you get off work and the magazine that makes you put aside your chores for the afternoon. Some you might do because you feel obligated to do so. Some you sign up for because you’re interested in one element only and most of the tribe’s undertakings do not interest you.
Each one of these tribes gives you something different. You choose to participate as much as you want and how you want. Think about your level of involvement and how it relates to your interest in each tribe.
6. What are your passions?
Everyone has something they are passionate about. Make a list. Which of these passions do you feel you might work on to make a difference? Which do you already have a tribe for? Or do you have more than one tribe for your passion?
Post your passions and tribes as part of your “about me” on the Yahoo! Group if you subscribe or at the end of this blog post. These will help us generate ideas for new badge programs.
7. Research tribes.
Investigate and explore tribes available for your passions. Do not limit yourself to your city. Find out what’s in your country, your state, online or the world.
8. Improving exiting tribes.
Choose one of your tribes. How can you improve upon it to make it better? Are you interested in an element that is not currently covered by the tribe? Contribute to the tribe to improve it.
9. Adult Enrichment Project.
We would like the AEP to run as a tribe — everyone contributing as much as they want, volunteering as they want and sharing their skills as they want. Some of the areas you may wish to participate in include administration, creating badge programs, helping others earn badges, taking the programs outside the Web and using them locally, etc.
Read the “What is the AEP?” PDF to find out more about AEP’s vision. Check out our two “AEP specific” badge programs: AEP_Awards and AEP_Innovator. You can find additional PDFs at the AEP Yahoo! Group, Scribd and Google Documents. Search for “AEP.”
Is AEP the place for you? Does this tribe fill one of your passions? Do you have suggestions to make it better?
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Sites to Explore
www.sethgodin.com/sg/
sethgodin.typepad.com
www.audible.com
www.ted.com
www.scribd.com
Badge: Zentangle (revised)
Do you doodle? Zentangle, also known as Zendoodle, involves creating doodled patterns in predefined areas. It is an easy technique done in black and white. Anyone who can doodle can do this craft technique.
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Steps
1. Reduce stress.
You’ll notice that both references use the word “zen.” The act of creating repeating patterns is relaxing and requires focus. It is a great activity to help reduce stress. While working on this badge, make sure to have a place you can focus and work without interruptions.
2. Basic materials.
A pencil, a black permanent fine line marker and smooth paper is all you need. Thicker paper is better so the marker doesn’t leak through it. Find these materials and a clean, flat surface to work on.
3. YouTube.
Check out the videos on YouTube to see how to Zentangle. You can purchase kits and books, if you really enjoy this technique. Watch at least two videos completely to see how this technique is done.
4. Research patterns.
There are many patterns available online. Start at tanglepatterns.com or Flickr. Save the patterns you like or continue to Step 5.
5. Pattern collection.
You can doodle the patterns you find. Use cards or a notebook to keep your collection. When you create Zentangles, you will have a variety of patterns at your fingertips. To help, AEP has printable ATC-sized cards available to download with the PDF version of this badge program.
6. Small Zentangles.
Create a few small Zentangles. Start with a simple shape, draw inside to define your pattern areas and fill it in. If you’re interested, AEP has printable ATC-sized cards available to download with the PDF version of this badge program.
7. More complex.
You can create Zentangle letters, frames or outlines of recognizable shapes — animals, insects, flowers and more! In addition, look beyond paper and pencil. You can Zentangle on fabric (quilting), paint on 3D shapes, or create anywhere else you can doodle.
8. Where to use Zentangles.
Here are a few ideas. What else can you come up with?
- Altered art
- Artistic trading cards
- Dishes
- Greeting cards
- Journals
- Postcards
- Quilts
- Scrapbook pages
9. Practice.
Practice your new skill. This is very time consuming, so most of your time will be spent on this step. Remember, you are doodling so there is no “right” way to do it. You’re also supposed to be relaxing, so don’t rush yourself.
10. Color
When you first experiment with color, copy your Zentangle and color the copy. You do not want to mess up your original after spending so much time with it. Make sure you’re happy with your color choices before altering your original.
11. Share your Zentangle.
Upload your original patterns and objects to AEP’s Craft Share site on Flickr.
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Supplements
SUPP_ATC_TangleFrames.pdf — ATC frames for Zentangles (6 designs, 9-up).
SUPP_ATC_TanglePatterns.pdf — Cards to create your patterns on, one per page.
SUPP_ATC_Tangle_Steps1.pdf — Cards to show up to create your pattern, up to four steps (9-up).
SUPP_ATC_Tangle_Steps2.pdf — Cards to show up to create your pattern, up to four steps (9-up).
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Sites to Explore
www.zentangle.com
blog.suzannemcneill.com
tanglepatterns.com
www.squidoo.com/zentangle-patterns
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The Zentangle® art form and method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.
Badge: My Family Today (revised)
Studying family history is a favorite hobby. Document your family today to keep a living history for generations to come.
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Steps
1. Create fact sheets for family members.
You can have family members fill them out or you can ask and fill them out yourself. You can include anything you want to know. Here are some to start:
- Physical stats
- Important dates
- Favorite things
- Sketches of themselves
- Things they have achieved
- Unrealized dreams
2. Share your favorite family stories via written or recorded media.
When you’re collecting stories, it’s often better to record them so you don’t miss anything. Different people have different points of view, so you might want to get the same story from multiple family members. Type the stories up and share them with other family members via print or electronic distribution.
3. StoryCorps®.
storycorps.org
StoryCorps is an oral history of the United States. Started in 2003, it has over 35,000 interviews on file at the Library of Congress. Find out more about StoryCorps and see if it’s something you might be interested in doing to help preserve your family’s stories.
4. Create a scrapbook.
You can scrapbook a specific event, a family member growing up, one person’s military career, family changes with time or any other theme you can think of. Explore ways to create copies to share — physical and digital. Share your scrapbook with others in your family.
5. Create a photo slideshow.
Select photos and music to fit a theme. Perhaps select a favorite photo and start with that image. If any of your family is a musician, ask them to provide music. Find ways to share your slideshow with your family.
6. Journal a week in your life.
Everyone remembers the big stories and most embarrassing moments. The everyday items get lost to time. Preserve these memories with words, sketches or small paper items you can put into a journal. You can even recreate the times in an art journal to give it more of a feel for a certain time. If you find you enjoy journaling, keep doing it.
7. Create a family recipe book.
Ask everyone to share their favorite recipes and cooking-related stories. Research the cost of print-on-demand and determine whether you will make physical copies available to family members. If the cost is too much, what other ways might you share these items?
8. Create a family traditions book.
What does your family do for birthdays? Which holidays do you celebrate? How do you celebrate the holidays? How have your celebrations changed over the years? Look for photos to illustrate these items instead of writing it all out. The amount of information you put into your “family traditions” may be only a few pages to a full volume.
9. Make a “who’s who” game with family photos and/or facts.
Gather baby photos and see if everyone can identify each other. If you can’t find baby pictures, make a question sheet listing pets, favorite colors, favorite sayings or other items that your family shares now. Ask each family member to identify each other through your quiz.
10. Plan a photo event.
Have you seen the disposable cameras at weddings? This is a low-cost way to help document the event. Add in camera phones and digital cameras and you’ll find most family members already have a way to take photos without you providing one.
Give family members cameras (if they don’t have their own) and have them take pictures. To keep track of who has each camera or photo set, ask them to have someone take a picture of them first and then a picture of a sheet of paper with their name written on it. Those two pictures will be your identification markers.
To help them, you may want to give your family a theme or a question to answer with the photos they take. For example, asking everyone to take pictures to share where they spend most of their time may get you photos of flower gardens, craft rooms or even a favorite fishing hole.
Develop and share the photos. You can also use a site such as Flickr or Picasa and have family members upload the files they take. Perhaps you can have them all send CDs to one person to create slideshows for an upcoming family event.
11. Plan a family night.
Everyone’s so busy, make some time just for your family. Plan on a movie, game, etc. to have fun and make memories together.
12. Reunion.
If your family is spread over the country, or even the world, research the possibility of having a family reunion. This can be as large or small as you wish. You can have everyone meet somewhere such as Walt Disney World or have a party in your own backyard.
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Sites to Explore
storycorps.org
lds.about.com/library/bl/fhe/blfheactivities.htm
fun.familyeducation.com/outdoor-activities/family-time/34989.html
kids.familytreemagazine.com/kids/default.asp
www.associatedcontent.com/article/2652981/making_family_history_fun_ways_to_preserve.html
www.caring.com/articles/8-ways-to-preserve-family-memories
entertaining.about.com/od/personaloccasionparties/a/familyreunion.htm
familyfun.go.com/parties/family-reunion-checklist-701447
Badge: Digital Natives (revised)
When you were young, you might not have had a computer, a television or even a radio. Today’s youth were born into technology and it infuses every moment of their lives. Because of this, you may find that you are lost when talking to them or have difficulty connecting with them. They are digital natives — technology comes easy to them. Marc Prensky coined this term in 2001.
While you may not be comfortable with the technology, you need to be able to understand “where they’re coming from.”
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Steps
1. Frontline: Digital Nation
For an overview of digital natives, watch the flash video from Frontline on PBS. Originally, this aired February 2010. It is 90 minutes long, so get comfortable before you start.
2. PBS webinar.
www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/archive.html
Scroll down the archive of PBS webinars and find “Education in the Digital Age: A Tour of Frontline’s Digital Nation.” This webinar highlights the Web’s impact on education, multitasking and social media. This webinar will help expand your view of how the world is changing for and by digital natives.
3. Digital native map.
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/extras/digital_native.html
Learn about how digital natives are affected by exploring Wen-Jay. Click on each circle on her picture and learn physical information about digital natives. The list below shows the areas you can find statistics about how technology is affecting our youth.
- Brain
- Eyes
- Ears
- Mouth
- Heart
- Spine
- Hands
- Wuji (dog)
Check out other digital native resources on the main PBS Digital Nation page.
4. Digital natives vs. digital immigrants.
Are all people born in the 21st century digital natives? Are all of those born before digital immigrants? There are no absolutes. Find the characteristics of digital natives and immigrants. Take a poll of your friends and family. Which category does each fall into? Or are they somewhere in between?
5. Moving toward truly global.
Phrases like “global community” have been with us a long time. Digital natives communicate with people who are interested in the same things they are. They tend to disregard geographical and political distinctions. They are individual and adaptable, more likely to try something new or look at the world a different way.
With technology, your location is no longer as important as your access. As stagnant, location-specific industries such as newspapers and book publishing fail, others flourish with a world-wide audience. Think of the things you use every day. How many are moving into the global? How many are dying because they are afraid of change? How are digital natives embracing these changes? How are they fueling these changes? How are digital immigrants reacting?
6. Redefining the terms.
Friendship used to mean someone you spent time with physically, going bowling or fishing. You’d discuss your day or air out your problems to a sympathetic ear. Now, friendship is limited to a few hundred people who follow you on the Web.
You can find people interested in the same things you are. For example, when I started desktop publishing in the early 1990s, there weren’t people I could talk to locally. I had to drive an hour and a half to Chicago for lessons as none of the local colleges taught any of the programs. This limitation is gone with the Web. You can ask a question about software and get responses within minutes from people anywhere in the world.
Reflect on how friendship/acquaintance has changed over the last few years. See how much, or little, personal information digital natives share. See how freely ideas and interests are shared and how fast new ideas are developed. Our current technological revolution is redefining and speeding up our lives. What other terms have been affected?
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Breaking it down
7. Digital education.
Traditional education was designed to create individuals who were replaceable in the factories, just another material for the industrial revolution. With digital natives, this educational system is changing. From K-12, college and even enrichment classes can be found online. Find out what digital offerings are available in your area for education. What areas are you interested in that offer digital education? What areas do not?
8. Adult enrichment project.
Could the AEP have existed five years ago? Ten years ago? By earning badges online with free resources, you can tailor each badge program for your own tastes, experiences and materials available to you. In addition, multiple people can post their own interpretations to badge programs that can be shared over time, not wasted on a single class or group of individuals. Think of a subject you are interested in that is not available on the AEP sites. Can you digitize it?
9. Digital workplace.
Brainstorm the tasks you do every day at your job. What parts could you do digitally without making the trip to the office? Can your company do as IBM and have an empty building with all employees working from home? Think “outside the box” to include not only the tasks you do every day, but how the entire company can adjust to utilize new technologies.
10. Digital entertainment.
Digital entertainment is no longer the domain of large corporations. It is moving toward smaller, more dynamic markets. Read the three areas highlighted below and discuss the questions with others of varying ages and technical abilities to help broaden your understanding of the changes happening in digital entertainment.
Compare the number of television stations 20 years ago and now. How have your watching habits changed? How has technology affected how and when you enjoy television? Try watching a show online at hulu.com or another site. Do you think broadcasting will slowly move completely to the Web? Will programming be on-demand? Will viewing habits be tracked in real time? Do you think old shows and movies will be archived or will younger generations not be interested in “I Love Lucy” and “The Three Stooges?”
Video games are no longer played by one or two people in their home. Video game consoles can connect to the Web to play with people around the world or they can play the games online without having hardware beyond their computer. Will game systems such as Playstation and Wii be around in 20 years or will they be a pay service on the Web?
Compare the music industry of the 1980s and today. How do you get your music? How do digital natives? Check out the offerings on iTunes or YouTube. Find at least one musician who gives away their music for free. Do you think purchasing pre-packaged music will become obsolete?
11. Social media.
Digital natives are always “on.” Wired. Wireless. Mobile. Instantaneous. They are constantly checking what their friends are doing and sharing what they are doing. Social media affects how information is delivered, communicated and organized. Check out a social media sight such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter. See what they have to offer digital natives. How can you utilize this for your own purposes?
12. Web 2.0 is the place to explore.
This is a generalized list of different types of Web 2.0 technology that is utilized by digital natives. Explore some of these areas and note how digital natives make Web 2.0 theirs. Do you use any of these?
- Blogs
- Podcasts
- Wikis
- Social bookmarking
- RSS – Really Simple Syndication
- Content tagging
Try doing one or more of these items. Check out ehow.com or a learning site of your choice for short tutorials. How easy is it to adjust a wiki or reply to a blog? Would RSS help you keep track of a subject you’re interested in? Does the new technology help make the Web easier for you to use?
13. Creating content.
More than half of teenagers have created online content. Often, they collaborate. Look through social media, video and other sites teenagers frequent. How many do you think were made by the digital natives themselves? What are the benefits of working collaboratively with others? How does this change the Web? How does it change other media? How have attitudes toward intellectual property changed? Look at how Creative Commons has allowed those holding copyrights to waive some of their rights.
14. Multitasking.
Have you seen a digital native working on three or more tasks at a time? This is multitasking. Debates are raging on whether this is something people are adept at or if it is interfering with deeper learning and understanding. Look at both sides of this issue and determine where you fit into the debate.
15. Hardware.
You can’t have digital natives without hardware. Do you remember the first computers that didn’t have hard drives? Now, you have a powerful computer that can be easily carried in the iPad. Smart phones are another “computer” used by digital natives. How do you think the hardware will change in the future? Do you think everyone will have desktop computers or do you think the entire planet will go wireless?
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Sites to Explore
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_native
www.marcprensky.com/writing/default.asp
www.twistimage.com/blog/archives/digital-natives-are-here/
www.mondaynote.com/2010/07/25/understanding-the-digital-natives/
www.openeducation.net/2009/09/23/digital-natives-are-they-really-skilled-at-multitasking/
www.ehow.com/list_6631103_effects-digital-technology.html
www.ehow.com/list_6798576_implications-digital-technology-music.html
ww.ehow.com/about_6522661_cell-phones-educational-tool.html
www.ehow.com/how_5061987_safe-social-networking-sites.html
www.ericsson.com/ericsson/corpinfo/publications/ericsson_business_review/pdf/108/understanding_digital_natives.pdf
www.youtube.com
www.facebook.com
www.myspace.com
www.podcastalley.com
www.ipodder.org
www.delicous.com
www.digg.com
www.stumbleupon.com
www.flickr.com
www.twitter.com
www.digitalnative.org
creativecommons.org
openid.net
Badge: My Music
Whether you like making music or just listening, sharing your music with others not only gives them new experiences but allows you to enjoy your own music even more.
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Steps
1. Party.
Have a party for a small group featuring your music. Your party might be a small dinner party with a few friends, a tent in your backyard or even a beach party with everyone being invited by word of mouth. Create a “theme” for the party based on the music.
2. Music club.
Start a monthly “music madness” club where different music is featured each time. Ask a different person to feature their favorite artist(s) each month. Be sure to provide a list of the artists so everyone has a chance to explore the ones they like further.
3. Share your musical tastes.
Share your musical tastes with friends and family. Be able to share the musician, genre and why you like the music. If you have stories that go with a song, record your story to share as well.
4. Find music mates.
Attend a gathering of like-minded musical enthusiasts. Explore other artists in your genre that have been suggested by others.
5. Surfing for music.
Find songs and samples for your musical tastes. Music transcends political, social and linguistic boundaries. See if you can find samples outside your own country as well.
Check out original musical offerings on YouTube or other video sites. Many artists offer free songs to entice you into listening to their music. Find one or two new artists to add to your musical playlist.
6. Share My Playlists.
Create and share your playlists with other enthusiastic listeners.
7. Sharing on the Web.
From radio stations to sites and applications that allow you to share, find how to share songs legally online.
8. Conversions.
Find how to convert music files so you can play your music on more than one device. Convert song files from those you own to a new device / player.
9. Shopping trip.
Go on a shopping trip to find new artists in your genre – expand your own horizons. Take a list of artists / songs you acquired from others that you enjoyed on your trip.
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Create your own
10. Guess the instrument.
Make up a “guess the instruments” game featuring your music. Present it to others.
11. Choose an instrument.
Choose an instrument you’d like to learn to play that is used in your musical genre. Find a local instructor. Determine the price and frequency of lessons. Decide if you would like to pursue this skill.
12. Play an instrument.
Learn to play an instrument from your musical genre. Incorporate practice and lesson times into your routine.
13. Play for others.
Play an instrument for fun or profit, perhaps even attend a “talent night” or charity event to help others.
14. Create a tune.
Write your own song or instrumental piece. It can be as simple as a phone ringtone or a complex piece featuring more than one instrument.
15. Share your original creations.
Share the music you create with others. Don’t make it complicated. A small handheld digital recorder or a video camera can start your sharing journey.
Make sure to include your song in a playlist, sampler, mix or any other way you feel you might be “discovered.” Don’t forget that video of your performance is also sharable.
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