What does IRB stand for?

A. Intimidating Rejecting Beasts
B. Interesting Reflective Blokes
C. Internal Review Board

The answer is both B & C. Tricked ya!

I'm in the process of finalizing all of my paperwork for Tufts' IRB to review. I'm doing this so I can study the effectiveness and appeal of my Rogers project. I had heard horror stories about the IRB. I was so psyched out by all of these tales, that I began to dread submission and even delayed it for quite some time. However, the time has come!

I decided to meet with a member of the IRB at Tufts to get some feedback on my study. They do that! They meet with you. They're real people and actually really nice! The meeting was so productive, and I got some great feedback on my work. I've now taken two weeks to review and rewrite and am heading back in for one more meeting before submitting. I feel good about this!

After submitting all that paperwork, the data collection and analyzing should be a breeze and really enjoyable. All of the leg work has been completed. My friend/mentor/role-model Sabrina will be collecting data with me. I'm especially looking forward to working with her. She has a brilliant mind, and I'm sure she will have an interesting way of approaching the data once it's been collected.

Will my study get approved the first time around? Stay tuned!

Shining Time Station

So many of my childhood memories revolve around our old TV set in the middle of our very small living room. For the most part, my mom shared so many of my TV memories. However, there was one show that I always watched with my dad on the weekends: Shining Time Station. It was a little old timey, but completely brilliant! A run-down train station in the midst of the world's technology boom, and a mini train conductor who told stories about a tank engine named Thomas. Shining Time Station really was a place "where dreams could come true," as the theme song states.

I found out this morning that the Thomas the Tank Engine series is up for sale. I saw the price tag, took a deep breath, and decided not to risk my entire financial future, including the financial futures of my great, great grandchildren. The show is selling for $700 million. If I had the reputation and money to purchase the property, I would absolutely do my best to bring back Shining Time Station. I wonder if Didi and Ringo would be up for a revival? Who would you cast?

Little Airplane Academy

Little Airplane Academy has opened enrollment for their February 3-day seminar on "how to make a great preschool series." I highly encourage you to attend. Although the tuition is a little steep, it is worth every penny. How do I know? I attended the February 2009 session. I thought I would share a bit about my experience...

Back when I was applying for graduate programs in 2009, I was introduced to Sabrina through Julie who is currently my Tufts advisor. Sabrina had already won the Fred Rogers Scholarship and seemed to know so much about the children's media world. She provided me with such fantastic advice including encouragement to attend the Academy. I quickly signed up and spent the money. I didn't think twice. I figured that having that experience, even though it was only 3 days, would give me some kind of knowledge-base in case I didn't get into either graduate program I had applied for. Luckily, the February session overlapped with Kidscreen, a huge conference for the children's media field. Because of this, I met so many amazing people, got great advice from those who were working on their own shows, heard some fantastic ideas, learned how to make a story bible, started to understand the importance of legal representation, and fell completely in love with Little Airplane and all the great work they do.

My experience with the Academy continues to impact me! Last spring, I developed my first story bible as part of an independent study. Without the training I had received at the Academy, I would have been lost. This summer, I met one of my internship supervisors who was a speaker at the Academy in 2009 and with whom I had stayed in touch with for advice on graduate school. David Kleeman, another speaker, continues to provide me with fantastic words of wisdom and is ever-present in the world of children's media. He is officially my go-to person when I have any questions about the field or am looking for some direction. I also met two friends at the Academy. I continue to stay in touch with them and am even lucky enough to attend Tufts with one of them who helped me with my project. In short, I don't think I could have developed my show as fully as I did without the experience and training I received in those 3 long days at the Seaport.

Please apply! I promise you won't regret it...

Something special...

During my visit to Pittsburgh/Latrobe, PA last year for the Fred Forward Conference, people kept asking me, "What is happening at Tufts University?" They asked this question because 2 out of 3 scholarship winners in 2010 were from Tufts, Rachel Schechter and me. They then found out that Sabrina Connell, a 2008 recipient of the award, is also attending Tufts to receive her Masters. Later, they might have heard that Michael Robb, another 2008 recipient, was an undergraduate at Tufts before receiving his award. We all have/are completing a degree in the child development program there, and I think Tufts is the most represented institution amongst the scholarship winners.

Something special is happening at Tufts University. Actually, somethingS special are happening. It's why I chose Tufts over other media and human development programs. Some of my reasons were:
1. It's a child development specific program
2. I'd complete the program in two years providing me with a lot of time to really learn and exercise all the theory I was digesting
3. It's attached to 2 lab schools were I could teach, observe, and test my practice
4. Amazing faculty including Julie Dobrow who is an incredible leader and very well-versed in the world of media and media education
5. The amazing faculty is full-time and not just adjunct...it makes a difference
6. Freedom to create!

In addition to these reasons, there is one that is particularly important. The children's media folks at Tufts are few in number but mighty! Under the leadership of Julie Dobrow, we meet on a monthly basis to share our projects, get peer feedback, trade information about events and jobs, and meet with visiting guests and speakers. Monday night was our first meeting of the year, and there was so much fantastic energy in the room! There were about 10 people of various ages and degrees with interests ranging from research to production to marketing. We have the opportunity to do something(s) really amazing this year!

I'm so glad to see that the number of students interested in children's media is growing. I think it says something very positive about the professional field of creating work for children. What do you think?

Open House!

A while back, my friend recommended I check out the work of FableVision. Please visit their website! They are a fantastic example of a for-profit company that is able to live and work by its mission: which apparently is a 200 year goal to change the world using media. Bravo! At the helm of the FableVision boat is Peter Reynolds. It seems as if Reynolds has his hand in all aspects of children's media but is most successful, I think, in his pursuit of quality visual art for children. His books are beautifully illustrated, the company's website designs are fun to play with and look at, and their software Animation-ish is a great tool to teach visual art and, more specifically, animation to children.

I was able to visit their studio this evening at an open house they hosted. It was such a fun environment and seemed to foster fantastic creative energy amongst the staff. Artwork and recording are done in-house, which I LOVE. It made me start to think about my studio; what will it look like? I'd love to develop a company of creative, mission-driven artists just as Reynolds has done.

My favorite part of the open house was experimenting with the company's educational software Animation-ish. I got to design my own characters and bring them to life using a simple, directed format. The company seems to be using it primarily in classrooms, but I have a feeling this will be tops on my Christmas list and will most likely be the gift I purchase for my younger cousins (ages 6 and 9).

When I received the open house invite (which I got simply from being on the listserve), I was unsure about it. Head into Boston to check out someone's office? Meh. I was encouraged by one of my classmates who came with me. I really learned appreciate this opportunity. Particularly as someone who will be looking for employment in 9 months, I now realize how valuable it is to get a feel for a work environment and know more about a company before sending in a resume or completely writing them off.

Please check out the company's site and experiment with Animation-ish! You won't regret it...

In the News...

As part of this blog, I like to highlight important events in the news that are related to the field of children's media. Lately, I've gotten nervous about this. What if I insult someone? Will this have an impact on my job search in June? The answer to these questions is: most likely. However, i consider it my duty to continue informing my readers of what is happening...and how I feel about it. In the most diplomatic way possible, of course.
Recently, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood found their latest target: Skechers and Nickelodeon. Skechers has created a television show, Zevo-3, which is set to air on Nickelodeon's Nicktoons channel. CCFC claims that this violates the FCC law stating that television programs cannot be aired for the purpose of selling a product. After spending a summer with Nickelodeon, I actually find it somewhat surprising that they would even consider airing something of this nature. I have learned, though, that Nicktoons is very different from Nick, Jr. They make no promises about educational television, and I happen to think their content is not the strongest out there. The show is being defended by Nickelodeon and Skechers Entertainment. If you're wondering why Skechers has a branch for entertainment purposes, then we must be kindred spirits. Bravo to Susan Linn for speaking out and monitoring what the FCC has clearly overlooked. I encourage you to read the full NYTimes article and develop your own opinion on the matter. Comments welcomed!
Next up...Katy Perry. As Sesame Street launches it's 41st season (congrats!), a video of Perry singing with Elmo was posted online. According to the press, Sesame pulled the video because of the overwhelming complaints about Perry's ensemble.
Two things about this video:
1-I am so impressed that Sesame would pull a video because of overwhelming disdain. It's a smart choice for them to listen to parents (hopefully parents were actually the ones complaining).
2- It got pulled because of the outfit?! I saw the video before it was frowned upon. It sucks. It's just bad. Sorry, Sesame. I felt so sad for the poor, young writer who imagined the concept and thought the very "in" Perry would be a great guest for kids and their parents. After watching it again, though, I can't help but wonder what the heck they were thinking! Elmo doesn't want to play with you for a reason, Katy.

More about the controversy here.

Wanted: Staff Writing Position at SNL

Saturday Night Live has been one of my favorite shows since the early '90s. I would stay up late when having sleepovers at my grandparents' house and sneak out to watch it. Mike Myers is my comedy idol...which explains a great deal about my sense of humor. The show has taken on so many different roles in my life. I now like to call it Sunday Morning Syndication because I usually can't stay up late enough to watch it or am out and, instead, snuggle up on a Sunday morning and catch it on Hulu.
When I told Joe (my other) about my secret desire to audition if I didn't make grad school and my regret of not spending more time studying comedy at NYU, he recommended I take a class at a comedy theater in Boston. After a little research, I found Improv Boston. Although I was tempted, I just didn't have the time.
Much to my good fortune, I'm required to take on a hobby for an intellectual development class I started at Tufts. It's called the metahobby project; I enjoy partaking in the hobby all while journaling and tracking my cognitive processes. After a little bit of pushing, I was allowed to conduct my metahobby at Improv Boston in their Sketch Comedy Writing class. I am so thrilled to begin this process and see if I can suck out any humor that wasn't wasted on sly AIM away messages in the early part of my college education.
Wish me luck!