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children's media

'Heckerty' stories come to life on tablets, phones (podcast)

Heckerty, a 409-year-old green-faced witch, can't seem to get anything right, but fortunately she has a loyal cat named Zanzibar who comes to her rescue. The iOS and Android app, Meet Heckerty, is based on a series of stories by Anne Rachlin. They are narrated by Rachlin's daughter Jan Ziff. Ziff, whose daily radio show Sound*Bytes is heard on CBS Radio News stations, is a longtime broadcast journalist with stints at the BBC and Voice of America (Disclosure: CBS Radio News is owned by CNET's parent company CBS and I also broadcast for CBS News).

There … Read more

Mobile apps reshape toys and learning

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--While older generations simply had to memorize facts at school, today's children and young adults learn best by playing, often with digital gadgets, according to experts at the Sandbox Summit.

Held at the MIT Media Lab, the conference brings together educators and technologists seeking ways to better reach Generations Y and Z--groups ranging from toddlers to 20 somethings--and equip them with skills for the digital lifestyle of the 21st century. In additional to making compelling online games and educational content, they are also trying to design toys which bridge offline play with online apps.

New technology, particularly … Read more