The review says:
PBS Kids has launched Ruff Ruffman: Humble Media Genius, a digital literacy project aimed at kids ages 6 – 11. According to the PBS website, these video shorts explore “the constantly changing world of media, and how kids use technology, to help families become more media literate.”
Ruff Ruffman is the top-dog in this series, providing tips accompanied by spare (and delightfully quirky) animation. Also according to the website, the series developers surveyed more than 4,000 children and 250 parents to come up with the questions that are the basis of Ruff Ruffman’s Q&A show format.
How much time should I spend on the computer? How do you know if a web site is safe? Can hackers get on your texting conversations? Is searching for web sites bad for kids? Ruff, do you have a girlfriend?
Okay, some of those questions are played for comic relief but they’re handled quickly and don’t overshadow the real point of the program-which is to help kids navigate potholes and even outright dangers when using new communications technology.
Even very young kids these days are likely to consume some sort of new media and use digital and mobile technologies for school and personal purposes – and corny, wacky Ruff Ruffman delivers clear and age-appropriate technology tips, often reminding kids to ask grown-ups for help on more complex tasks, such as setting up search engines with kid-friendly filters.
These video tips are just the right length, and pear-shaped Ruff is just the right messenger, to deliver the invaluable information. Parents hoping to teach kids about media literacy and set safe and acceptable limits on media consumption would do well to let Ruff Ruffman launch the conversation. His “humility” is questionable but his advice is top-notch.
Digital Things! 