Archive for the ‘Digital Storytelling’ Category

Macaroni & Cheese Chef, Boo-Boo Kisser, Monster Scarer, and Reading Teacher

Posted by allyson on March 27th, 2012

… are just some of the many roles parents play.

I remember when I first learned to read. I remember when the words to my very favorite children’s book, Clotilda,  started to becomes clearer and sounding them out started to become easier.

I think about my childhood often as my oldest daughter, who at three-and-a-half, is starting to remind me of myself at that age. She has learned to write the letters in her name and while she struggles with the ‘Y’ every time, when she finally does get it, the proud look on her face warms my heart. Her interest in books is getting more and more profound. She asks me every day if today is “library day” and points out the Library when we drive through town.

(c) Cass Just Curious Photography

Where do parents begin to teach their kids to read? I think it starts with building a love for books and stories. Town libraries offer free, weekly story-times, some for babies as young as 6-months. We’ve read books before bed nearly every single night since my kids were infants (I’m a bit of a stickler for a routine). If there was ever a night that they didn’t want to read a book (rare!), my oldest would ask us to tell her a story. If we started with anything other than, ‘Once upon a time’ and ended with anything other than ‘Happily Ever After’, we were instantly corrected.


Where does new technology come in? An app is a great way to learn to read. And it’s a guilt-free excuse to let the kids use the iPad! When learning to read books, kids are dependent upon their index finger pointing to words and saying them aloud simultaneously. In most apps, this is done automatically with words highlighting or being underlined while spoken by a narrator. There are also options to turn the narration off so that your child can read alone. Other ways to introduce a love for words and letters is stenciling. Tracing is not only important for recognition, but also for muscle-memory and small-motor control.

Using the iPad as a learning tool not only allows parents to continue the use of a device that has gained popularity with their kids, but it also helps children gain necessary life skills. Reading along with the ponies from My Little Pony or the trucks like Chuck from Chuck & Friends, and reading classic books like Velveteen Rabbit and Thumbelina – these are brands that win with kids and story lines that contain popular, important messages.

Apps today make it easy to build a love of words and stories with your kids. To visit the full library of Ruckus Media Apps, please click here.

Moms and Tech Twitter Party – #RuckusMoms

Posted by ruckusholly on February 15th, 2012

Woman In The Grass With A ComputerJoin us on Twitter at @RuckusMedia on March 1st at 9pm ET as we chat about moms and tech WITH moms who tech!

Joining us will be four tech bloggers who will moderate and guide us as we talk about two topics close to their hearts and professional lives.  They are:  Beckie Mostello from Tech Talk for Moms, Heidi Leder from Coast 2 Coast Mom, Jacqueline Cromwell from Nerd Family Blogs and Grace Duffy from Formerly Gracie.

We are fully aware that moms are power users of technology and social media.  Whether they’re programming their own web sites, using tech to stay organized, using Facebook and Twitter, writing blogs or thesis papers on their iPads or Macs, or using tech to help educate their children or balance their careers and family lives, moms and tech go together.  We’ll talk about all of these issues and more by chatting with the experts.

RSVP and join the party for a chance to win one of these prizes:

  • 6 FREE Months of the Premium version of Cozi, the #1 online calendar and organizing app for web and mobile.
  • $25 gift card to FashionPlaytes, the fun design your own clothes destination for ages 5-12.
  • Two copies of The Digital Mom Handbook, from the founders of ClassyMommy.com and MomGenerations.com, the ultimate guide to helping moms build successful careers at home by doing what they already do online – just better.
  • Blue Sky Planners, functional and stylish calendars.
  • Duo Pop and Duo Plink—the two newest iPad game accessories from Discovery Bay Games, created to unite traditional board game play with digital gaming for heads-up together time, $20 Apple Gift Card to purchase apps for game accessories, Highlights Magazines, and PopChips.
  • Ruckus Media Group app giveaways galore.
  • And more prizes soon to be announced!

To RSVP:

1. RSVP at twtvite: http://twtvite.com/RuckusMomsTech

2. Follow our moderators on Twitter (optional): @TechTalkforMoms @NerdMom @C2CMom @GraceDuffy

3. Sign up for the Ruckus Media Newsletter (optional): http://bit.ly/r2AOiN

4. Follow us on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/ruckusmedia/ (optional)

5. Follow us on Facebook (optional): http://www.facebook.com/RuckusMediaGroup

6. Tweet this and follow us on Twitter (optional): Join @RuckusMedia for a twitter party about Moms and Tech on 3/1 at 9pm EST http://bit.ly/Ap61qc #RuckusMoms

“See” you all soon!

App Production 101: A Chat with Susan Hood, Ruckus Story Editor

Posted by ruckusholly on February 14th, 2012

Recently we’ve been delving into the process of App Production.  The other day we heard from Susan Hood, our Story Editor, about the editorial process and she told us how she works with authors, producers, art department and curriculum developers to cook up a great digital storybook.  We enjoyed the post so much that we thought we’d go back to Susan to hear more about her role here at Ruckus and her thoughts about the future of digital storytelling, what makes a good app, what role education has in what we do and more.  Here’s what Susan had to say:

Tell us about your role at Ruckus Media Group.

I’m the story editor and curriculum advisor at Ruckus. I work with our authors, producers, art department and curriculum developers.

As an author, how do you feel about the future of reading given the fact that digital storybooks are becoming so popular?

It’s an exciting time. Digital books complement bound books and the best ones can draw in a new audience. One of our authorsA Present for Milo was telling me that his son was a reluctant reader. Then one day, he realized that he could enlarge the font on an ebook. For him, suddenly, reading wasn’t so daunting! This is one small way digital books can help kids who are struggling. I strongly believe that digital books won’t completely replace traditional children’s books; it’s not an either/or proposition. But together, they can only make reading more popular.

What do you recommend to a parent who is reluctant to get their kids involved with storybook apps?

I’d say, just try them. You’ll like them! And so will your kids. Read the reviews and, just as you look for quality children’s books, look for quality storybook apps. Look for ones that use animation, activities and games to further the story, rather than ones that have games tacked on at the end. Continue to read traditional books with your child and your child will get the message: reading is important and enjoyable no matter what form it takes!

How important is the emphasis on education in digital storytelling?

I think the emphasis should be on creating great stories that take advantage of the medium. Good stories motivate a kid to learn to read. An educational curriculum built into the stories can only make them stronger, but it should be organic and invisible.

What makes a storybook a good one?

Spot the DotA good storybook is age-appropriate, uses interesting language, engages a child’s senses and emotions, invites participation, and is enjoyable for parent and child alike. For very young children, great stories use bright colors, simple, fun-to-say words and lots of repetition. As kids get older, good stories have stronger plots (with a clear beginning, middle and end), richer vocabulary, and more complex art. Grade school kids enjoy branching out, reading different genres, such as information books, folktales, mysteries and so on. 

What makes an app a good one?  Why do you think apps are so popular?

A lot of the requirements for a good story apply to apps as well. A good digital storybook should take all the ingredients that go into a good book and then add the icing on the cake—high-quality music, narration, animation, video and interactivity. I think apps are so popular because they are so portable and interactive. Kids who can’t read can listen to a story anywhere–in the car, in a tree house, wherever. And they put the child in the driver’s seat. Kids can move through the story at their own pace. If they don’t recognize a word, they can tap it and hear it repeated as often as they like.  

What do you think is the future for digital storytelling?

The future looks bright as award-winning authors and illustrators enter the field and the games and activities become more and more innovative. The downside is that the field is becoming more crowded and there are a lot of subpar apps being released. The question is how will parents and kids find the really good digital storybooks? That’s the challenge ahead!

Susan Hood was mostly recently the Children’s Content Director of Nick Jr. Magazine, published by Nickelodeon, and has been an editor at Scholastic and Sesame Workshop. She is also a children’s book author, whose first picture books will be published this fall.


 

Inspiring Children Through Technology at the Darien Library

Posted by ruckusholly on February 10th, 2012

Here at Ruckus Media, storytelling is our priority.  Our mission is to create experiences through mobile devices that entertain toddlers to teens from their fingers to their minds. We are always looking for partners who feel the same way.  Libraries fall into that category, and we are constantly inspired by the strides being made by their efforts in the digital space.  This past October, we joined forces with School Library Journal for a Twitter Party about this very subject.  You can check out the party’s wrap-up.

The Darien Library is one such partner who feels the same way about digital storytelling as we do.  I have read about the tech initiatives that they have created to inspire digital children but wanted to experience them firsthand, so yesterday I headed over to meet with some of the folk behind the scenes to hear more.

The staff agrees that interactive storybooks and apps should not replace traditional books but that both can co-exist and support one another.  Their efforts to teach and inspire children about literacy via digital story-telling are truly inspiring and I want to share some of their educational methods here:

Darien LibraryFirst, I was introduced to an interactive e-book area.  Right in the middle of the children’s section, there’s an iPad mounted on a wall. It’s pre-loaded with an “App of the Day” for young children to experience. Children were gathered around the iPad, exploring its every touch and feel, and watching words and images slide across the screen.  It’s a great way to introduce children to the world of iPads and digital storytelling.

Then I was introduced to their Early Literacy iPad Kits.  Their six available kits to check out include an iPad 2 in a tote bag, pre-loaded with librarian-selected apps and eBooks designed to stimulate early literacy skills. The kits also include informationdarien library for grown-ups on using technology with young children, research on appropriate amounts of screentime, evaluating apps for children, and a list of the librarian-selected apps.

The kits may be borrowed for one week by parents of children ages 2 to 5.  I think these are brilliant and fantastic opportunities for parents and children to explore new technologies and digital storytelling.

They also have a Microsoft surface table, a table top, pre-loaded iPad with specialized apps like Chess.

The library really focuses on children as readers and creators and they offer classes to teach them more about the digital space (the levels go from Little Clicklets, Techplorers and i-Kids).  They realize that there is a current generation of digital kids and they are making every effort to provide the tools they need to be successful.

Lastly, they have just launched an initiative called “Appy Hour” which will give adults a chance to find out how to stay on top of the best apps.  Parents will be able to find out how to find the best apps for kids, for example.

What are your libraries doing to advance children’s technical skills and introduce the world of e-book and apps?  We’d love to hear in the comments below.

App Production 101: Words from Our Story Editor

Posted by ruckusholly on February 6th, 2012

In the upcoming weeks, we are going to delve more into the process of App Production, as requested by many of you on Twitter and elsewhere.  We heard direct from Patrick Dorey, our Art Director, about the creative process last week, as well as from Lynn Smith, our Director of Business Development, about how great ideas come to fruition.  Today we’re learning about the editorial process with words from Susan Hood, our Story Editor.  We sat down with Susan to find out more about the editorial process.  Here is what she had to say:

Susan Hood

As the story editor and curriculum advisor, I work very closely with our chief content director, producers, curriculum consultants and art department. So a variety of talents go into the editorial soup! Here’s the Ruckus recipe for cooking up a great digital storybook:

Gather the best ingredients

1. When we decide to do a new digital storybook, we meet with the creators—authors, illustrators and/or licensees (such as Hasbro, SeaWorld or Cyberchase). We learn all about their characters, brands and curriculum goals. We discuss art assets, voiceover talent, music, activities and video clips.

2. We hire appropriate authors and consultants to write original stories or adaptations. As with any story, we may have several drafts until we get a final, polished manuscript.

3. When the story is complete, we work with our curriculum consultants and designers to develop age-appropriate games and activities that go with each story.

4. Meanwhile, any original art is created. We review sketches, revisions and final art and ensure the art works with the text.

Combine and stir

5. The producers create basic storyboards combining text with art assets, video clips and ideas for activities and games.

6. Using the storyboards as a rough guide and working hand in hand with our producers, the art department designs final screens and activities.

7. Meanwhile, voiceovers are recorded and added.

Check the temperature

8. At various steps along the way, everything is reviewed by the creators, our publishing partners and our curriculum consultants and any necessary revisions are made.

9. We consult with our tech team at various stages to iron out any potential programming issues.

Add the special sauce

10. Sound effects, animations and music are added.

Simmer…

11. Rough builds are made and reviewed and refined by our editorial, production and art departments.

And serve!

12. Final builds are submitted to Apple and then released in the iTunes store.

Serves thousands!

 

Susan Hood was mostly recently the Children’s Content Director of Nick Jr. Magazine, published by Nickelodeon, and has been an editor at Scholastic and Sesame Workshop. She is also a children’s book author, whose first picture books will be published this fall.