Sandbox Summit: Technology Panel - Do Kids Need More or Less?

Technology Panel: Do Kids Need More or Less?

Sarah deWitt, PBS Kids

Every technology is a new opportunity for learning.

The word ‘transmedia’ is being used a lot currently. PBS Kids recognizes transmedia is not just multiplatform – it’s about making connections through story to let kids engage in those worlds.
Eg. Super Why TV and Super Why App is very connected.

Currently has a grant from the US Dept. of Education – focusing on content research.
Working on ‘transmedia suites’ – take a video clip, mobile game, smartboard game etc. and try to connect them all. Aim: A kid who interacts with two of these will have a better educational experience than a child who interacts with one.

Exploring touch screens – tech is more intuitive and gives the kids more control and ownership. Showed an example of an app ‘Martha Speaks’ – were startled how quickly kids adapted. In pre and post tests saw vocab improvement of 30% over two weeks. Shows how powerful this platform is.

Launching Prankster Planet (TEC) on Monday – doing some experiments with transmedia, using animated interstitials from show that pushes kids to interactive that connects to the broadcast each day.

Understanding power of research by doing a load of research. Also thinking a lot about how this tech can encourage other kinds of behavior.

What can some of these games inspire kids to do outside of media? How do we inspire real world behavior? Used a webcam game as an example. (Wild Kratts).


Rachel Schiff
Senior Program Manager
Transmedia Foundation Applications - XBox / Kinect

Kinect – goal is to have completely natural interface. Goals in building this – power of connecting your body. Make sure it can be played with others.

There’s been some cool hacking of Kinect – doctors figuring out how to use their computers when they’re meant to be ‘sterile’. At MIT use iRobot to hack up a roomba to build a 3D model of a room.

Interaction gives more of a human experience, but at a base level, it takes kids off the couch – it’s a full body, physical activity. Loads of neat real-world tie in. Sports you are exposed to in Kinect may encourage kids to try the real world experience. You become aware of real world opportunities you would not have known about before.

Kinect games encourage co-play. All the people in the room can play the game. You can walk into the room, be recognized and immediately play the game.

They see a lot of potential to connect these experiences with other things going on (transmedia) – tie it to larger things going on. Eg. The teacher can notify the parent that you are learning about Mexico, then when you play Kinect, a sports game might even simply be set in Mexico to provide some educational relational experiences.


Wedny Bronfin
Nook Color: Kids

Nook Color is a full color touch screen e-reader device. It now has apps, so you can shop for apps on the device. It’s based on android so you can do web browsing and web video also. They don’t create content, but offer the plaform.

There’s a nook kids app on iPad so kids can access books on multiplatform.

They currently have 350 picture books and 12000 chapter books in their ecosystem.

Parents don’t want ‘empty calorie screen time’ – nook kids helps define that. Kids can read digitally. All picture books are in landscape display to protect original art work. Some books have narration activated. New software update means interactivity is built into some of these books.


4. Alan Gershenfeld,
Founder and President, E-Line Media

National STEM video game challenge (done with JGC and other partners) Had a national challenge where games created a game that also helped educate - eg. some kids created a game about sustainability, one did one about the ocean etc.