My family goes entire weeks without TV sometimes, but all three of us really love our other electronic devices. Indy plays on his Kindle Fire every day—and Wood Sprite steals it from him any chance she gets!—and I’m obviously a news junkie. Wood Sprite also likes to steal my laptop to play her games, type and make art, which I don’t mind at all, though we do think about getting her a used laptop or desktop computer sometime soon.
With this being Screen Free Week, I’m hoping to really reduce our computer time for the rest of the week and spend much more time outside. We typically spend a few hours a day outside when it’s not raining, but I know Wood Sprite would love much more time outdoors—and she’s growing so big and strong lately that she definitely needs more time to be physical.
Today I’m working on finishing a big batch of articles for a client, so she’s actually watching some TV today (in the middle of no-bake cooking projects, reading her comics and playing superheroes with her new Batman cape, so far). I taped a few She-Ra episodes (her favorite show) for the occasion.
Rethinking Schools sent out this great list of resources to read during Screen Free Week, and while reading blogs somewhat defeats the purpose of not viewing a screen, I think they are really worth bookmarking for reading later:
Rethinking Popular Culture and Media (If you purchase this book through the Rethinking Schools website by May 31, you can get 15 percent off by using the code SFWE13.)
Lesson Ideas for Screen Free Week
Power Down for Screen Free Week
A Review of '42': Jackie Robinson's Bitter Pill
"Ball Licky-Lickly!" Pedagogical Strategies for Interrogating Pop Culture Images
Saviors and Burnouts: Rethinking Teachers in Popular Culture
Children's Literature for the 99%
I also really recommend the book Last Child in the Woods, which I’m reading right now on my Kindle (another screen!).
Photo of Wood Sprite's screentime by Sara S.
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