Cue Soundtrack

I had several friends run the half marathon today in Champaign-Urbana. My house is two blocks from the route at the 4 mile mark. We discussed with our friends last night their running times and figured what time we should be out there this morning to root them on towards victory. My neighborhood turned out in forces only seen for the Labor Day Parade with lots of people holding homemade signs, hooting and hollering and shaking cowbells. As a bystander to the marathon, it genuinely made me a little teary and immensely proud to live in my neighborhood.

There was a time in my life (many many years ago) when I ran—and not for a Dansko sale. I never would have considered running without music. My running mixes were as vital to my run as the shoes. This morning I was genuinely surprised by how many runner had earbuds popped in. I know were I in any kind of shape to run a half marathon, I would also need the driving beats of Rob Zombie and Kelly Clarkson dance remixes to get me across the finish line. I cannot help but wonder if some part of the experience was missed by the earbud runners. Did they hear the cowbells? Hear us tell them they looked awesome? Hear my daughter’s whistle? If not, then why the heck did I drag my family out there at 7:30am on a Saturday morning? If our friends Todd, Donna, Chuck, Seth, Mike, Judy and Will had all been wearing earbuds, would they have heard us yell for them? Perhaps but I am not confident.

I see people all the time wearing earbuds: the hallways at school, in cars, walking to class or around the mall or my neighborhood, shopping at the grocery store. It is inescapable. I worry about this. It may seem silly but I really do. While it is nice to have a soundtrack for simply anything and everything I may be doing, from dropping off a library book to gardening, what is being missed? Who did I not stop and say hello to in the grocery store because I didn’t notice them? What hilarious conversation did I not overhear on the bus? What did I not learn about my child today because we didn’t talk while we were walking to the library?

The constant deluge of technology in our everyday lives is amazing and can make our lives information rich. I would venture that unless we learn to also disconnect from this technology sometimes, we will become socially (and hence emotionally, psychologically, and physically) poorer.

Putting the "Duty" in "Call of Duty"

We learned earlier this semester that the average Twitter user is in his/her mid-thirties (an age I am fast approaching). I’ve had a Twitter account since 2009, but the account* is admittedly neglected - especially since I made my debut on Facebook. I have noticed, however, that a lot of really interesting people and organizations have active Twitter feeds with links to all kinds of interesting articles and information. I decided to try and get more active and revisited my tweets to see what I was tweeting about when I first decided to give Twitter a whirl...

And I found this article. Now, it’s definitely old (February 2009), but I still think that this is a brilliant idea on the part of the parent.

Hugh Spencer works as a writer and designer of museum and public educational exhibitions. He is also the father of a (at the time) thirteen year old boy (Evan) who enjoys playing first-person shooter video games like Call of Duty. When Hugh expressed his concern about Evan’s playing the game, he and Evan opened a dialog about why Evan wanted to play this game and about its accuracy in terms of depicting war.


Then Hugh took it a step further.

He asked Evan to look up and read the Geneva Conventions. They discussed it and laid down a new rule for Evan’s participation - he and his friends must abide by the Geneva Conventions during their game. If Evan or his friends violate the terms, “the play stips and Call of Duty goes away for a while”.

Taking a video game and its premise and tying it to real world concepts and laws? It’s probably pretty safe to say that Evan is now one of the most media literate (at least as it relates to this game) Call of Duty players online.


* Are you active on Twitter? Feel free to "follow" me & I'll follow you, too! @edietweets

Looking to the past and contemplating the future

Now that the semester is coming to a close, I think back to the ICT timeline we completed at the beginning of this course. I am struck at the differences between the way that kids today interact with ICTs and the way that I did, having been born in 1974, and I ponder the question: Is this difference is mostly surface, or is it fundamental shift?

I think about how kids today don’t know what it was like to wait for a tape to rewind before you could listen to it. How exciting the new invention of “auto reverse” seemed. How it was necessary to get off the phone and wait when you or your parents were expecting another call. What it felt like to wait for a letter in the mail. Now, it seems that kids don’t have the need to wait – and I wonder if this is part of the reason that multitasking is the norm. Looking at facebook while texting, or tweeting while listening to music…it appears there is no need to separate tasks and concentrate on just one thing at a time.

I remember long car rides when looking out the window was the entertainment, now in-car DVD systems mean that even in the car kids can be affected by media. Today, youth can live practically 24/7 in touch with media. It appears this will be the case more and more in the future, as it is clear that youth dependence on media shows no sign of abating. I think, on reflection, the change is more fundamental that surface, as this sense of immediacy seems to permeate all that kids do today.

In recognizing that this change is fundamental, I think of the fact that while kids are interacting with media practically constantly outside of school, school itself has not experienced the same fundamental shift to remain more relevant to youth today and how they interact with the world. On the basis of technological changes experienced since my childhood, that I mentioned above, I should expect to say, “Kids today don’t know what it’s like to sit at a desk and watch a teacher write on the chalkboard”. But amazingly, this is still reality for kids today. Nowhere in their future work lives, will kids need to sit at desks without computers and look at chalk on a blackboard. (They don’t know the smell of purple ink on the old ditto school copies...but I digress.)

It is clear to me that kids deserve more interaction with media to reflect the reality of the world today, and the world they will inherit in the coming years. To deny them this is a disservice. One of the most important concepts I take from this course is the importance of meeting youth where they are in order to engage them and teach them. As librarians in schools and public libraries, we are fortunate to be in a position to include more media education in our planning and programming, to help make up for the system-wide lack of comprehensive change toward media inclusion across the curriculum.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/28/stories-from-main-street-montvale-school-ditches-books-chalkboards-for-laptops/

Click on the above link to an article featuring a school that is getting it right, using laptops to collaborate with schools in Taiwan and Italy for curriculum enhancement, rather than using textbooks that are outdated the moment they are printed.

As librarians and educators, we need continue to advocate for widespread change as we implement the media programs we can, to reach the youth we can.

Digital Media, How’d You Get In My Head?

There’s actually another response to the discussion on fears surrounding digital media and kids, and it goes well beyond “just chill.” It actually calls for some attention and enthusiasm. It even responds to the question of whether or not the advent of such easily accessible digital media marks a truly unique moment in media history. According to Ken Jordan and Larry Lessig, it does, and they’re saying, “Get excited!”

Jordan’s article on digital media use in the music world is outright exuberant. Some might say radically so. Still, his ideas are thought-provoking, and they’ve been rattling around my head all semester. He sees the ability for artists to manipulate digital bits (rather than paint or pen or musical instrument) as the ultimate liberation from form – and thus the truest form of expression. All other media does too much to mediate between thought, emotion, and expression. There’s something about digital media that’s entirely pure. As he puts it:

“The human impulse toward mimesis is inspiring artists to employ emerging technology to create hybrid artistic forms that mirror the encounter of consciousness with the world. In the mind, sound is not so neatly sectioned off from space, touch, words, or images. One bleeds into the next, slipping and sliding in a spiral of associations. Digital media has already begun to reflect qualities of consciousness that had been beyond the means of artists to capture” (247).

Digital media, as he defines it, integrates the disparate elements of image, sound, word, smell, touch, etc., into one seamless expression – something much closer to what we actually experience (245). That’s right, digital media is like the stuff in our heads! With this kind of power, we are freed to create like never before, and with the level of access to digital media that we currently enjoy, this means everyone. Yes, even our kids.

But what does this really have to do with them? Lessig reminds us when he discusses the remarkable digital “remixes” that kids create so freely online. Having grown up with the digital world at their finger tips, kids are already the impulsive artists that Jordan describes, and what they’re creating so freely and spontaneously is truly genuine. With something akin to stream of consciousness, they can pluck just the right images, sounds, words, etc., from the Web and weave them into mature personal commentary. (He gives the examples of anime music videos and mash-ups of political speeches). Lessig warns us that this could easily be squelched by copyright law – as well as general fear and misunderstanding – and that this would be a great cultural loss. Amid the other fears that kids are passive consumers of culture and information, it makes little sense to silence some of their most active cultural expression.

(I should add that it isn’t just in “remixes” that kids are taking their own creative initiative. Fan fiction is another promising example of youth commentary on popular culture, whether from literature, film, video games, television, or music, and it is just as easily manipulated across disparate media. FanFiction.Net is worth checking out).

This doesn’t mean there’s nothing to fear. Nor does it mean that kids have nothing to learn about copyright or original expression. Where any kind of media is so powerful, it can easily be manipulated for the worst, and there will always be an important place for conversations about safety, appropriateness, and respect. But the bottom line, as Jordan and Lessig see it, is that digital media can be a beautiful thing, and kids are already curious about it. Any critical approach to the issue of media and youth must include its special potential for learning and growth, and digital media may present something truly unprecedented.

Jordan, Ken. "Stop. Hey. What's that Sound." In Sound Unbound: Sampling Digital Music and Culture. Ed. Paul D. Miller aka JD Spooky that Subliminal Kid. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2008.

Your Digital Afterlife

While cruising my local Barnes & Noble, I came across this book prominently displayed on an endcap. Entitled Your Digital Afterlife: When Facebook, Flickr and Twitter Are Your Estate, What's Your Legacy?, it was written by Evan Carroll and John Romano. Because of the interesting issues it raised, I couldn't resist buying it.

The authors point out that most people have not considered what will happen to their digital possessions...or even their digital identities...when they die. It's not as easy as keeping a list of all your passwords in your safe deposit box! There are a variety of legal, cultural, and technical issues that might prevent heirs from accessing these assets. What's a digital asset? The same kinds of items and heirlooms that people have been treasuring for generations: photos, home movies, letters, art, diaries, and more. As a family genealogist, I know that I love owning these kinds of items from my ancestors, but it never occured to me that much of my own legacy is digital (emails, blog entries, wikis, photos, youtube videos) and if I don't ensure that it can be saved and handed on, it will be gone forever and my decendents will have nothing to treasure. (OK...I'm not saying that my emails are literary masterpieces... but I know I'd absolutely love to have my great-grandmother's postcards to her sister. Same thing...different mediums.)

• This book is quite uncomplicated. The authors write in an easy, friendly style (important considering the topic!) and follow up each section with "Take Action" charts for you to fill in to complete tasks like inventory, listing passwords, or recording your wishes. There is an entire chapter on Social Websites and the authors have already done the research about what various popular social websites have in their terms of service regarding death. Even if the terms change, at least you know where to look. Another entire chapter covers online finances before the grand finish which wraps up with the authors' projections about what the future might hold. For example:


• as more and more people have to deal with these digital legacy issues, will some sort of standards or universal policies eventually be created?


• will the funeral industry provide more technology--like headstones with microchip messages & pictures? Will there be online memorial services available?


• as technology continues to grow and digital natives enter adulthood, will we reach a point when there is just too much content?
  

This book convinced me that it's not enough to be media-literate, I need to be media-responsible, too!

Awesome Parenting Moment (or not)

I have always thought of myself as a feminist. And then I became the parent of a girl and I question everything--hair styles, shoes, dresses, books, toys, movies, television, you name it and mostly, myself. I am fortunate to be partnered with a terrific guy who considers himself "the real feminist" in our relationship and genuinely loves having a daughter. He stayed home with her full-time for the first 2.5 years of her life and they have a relationship I envy. They bake, play dollhouse & legos, and then go break up bricks in our yard with a hammer for our ever-evolving brick path.

From a previous post, it is obvious we are struggling with the current princess/fairy (i.e. Disney-constructed narrative) phase of our almost four year-old daughter. Trusted friends tells us their daughters went through the same phase and they all grew up to be amazing individuals. They tell us pink and purple will not always be her favorite colors, she will eventually concede to wearing pants again and even consider having short hair. In an effort to combat the princess-who-has-no-agency syndrome she seems to buy into, we've read graphic novels with strong female characters who are awesome witches and princesses. We recently introduced her to the idea of a warrior princess. I pulled pictures of Xena and we even watched a short video on Youtube. The video was Xena kickin' a little ass and fighting for justice. I was thrilled Xena is built like a real woman--at least not a size 2--and curvy and strong. Her comment? Xena doesn't have pretty clothes like a princess should. Oy. I explained that, depending on the dress, it might not be practical for riding a horse, running or sword fighting. She ceded my point. I did an image search and was able to find a few pictures of Xena decked out but I could tell my daughter was not terribly impressed. Xena was no Cinderella.

Fast forward a few weeks and friends with two boys came over for dinner. My daughter and the eldest boy were 'sword fighting' with wooden spoons and I hear her say, "I am Red Sonja. Red Sonja is a good fighter and if she gets cut, she is tough, so I am her."

Red Sonja? Huh? Then I remembered we had done a double feature of Conan the Barbarian and Red Sonja one evening with friends. Yes, my daughter left her bed--it was a bit of a party after all--and watched perhaps 15 minutes of Red Sonja but it was months ago. And then I felt like the best parent ever. My daughter was finally buying the idea that a princess could be kick-ass and do a little ass kicking. Never mind that I exposed my child to a stupidly violent movie--it was a girl perpetrating the violence. Never mind that I exposed my child to just plain bad cinema. And double never mind that Red Sonja (and Xena for that fact) looks like a Visigoth street walker.

I am oddly proud of her picking Red Sonja as a role model, even if only for a one minute sword fight. More importantly, I want my daughter and other young girls to have warrior princess role models who don't necessarily look like, well....Visigoth street walkers. I would also like something that is certainly more age appropriate.

Suggestions, anyone?

"Who Are You?"

Trend Micro announced the winner of their 2011 "What's Your Story" Internet Safety Video Contest today. The video "Who Are You?" was recognized, and rightfully so, in my opinion. This powerful video combines the strength of the message with a poetic twist, and adds a punch with some well-placed text with innovative graphic design. It is well worth a watch by every parent, child and teen touched by media today.



Watch and be inspired. Check out this link for more info on the contest:

http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/trendmicro/49807/

The Power of Social Networking

In recent months, world events in Egypt and throughout northern Africa have shown us the power of social media in bringing about change. Not only was Facebook where the revolutionary protests in Egypt began, it was a deciding force in organizing the people to change the way their country was being run.

Now a Web start-up known as Storify has started collecting trends making news from sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. The importance of a site like this, is that it shows the power of social networking. The events trending on Storify will be looked at by journalists to see what events are changing and affecting the news.

I find a site like this is signify a change in the ways that we look at social networking. Facebook has moved from being a site where people collected friends and party pictures to a way to connect and network with others in their industry. What people post on these sites is now something taken seriously both by people who have access to your newsfeed and to people who may not even know you.

The change in social movements from having to meet in person, to being able to share information and opinions online has drastically changed the way that changes will be made in modern society.

Now news networks like Al Jeezera have news programs based on the findings of social network trends. What a networked and connected world we live in where something posted online can become network news as long as enough people are involved and interested in your event.

For more information on Storify, read this New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/25/technology/internet/25storify.html?_r=1&ref=technology

Literature’s Secret Scandal: Encouraging Print Literacy

When parents walk from the kitchen to the living room, they will often find their children rapidly changing channels in an attempt to prevent the authoritative eyes from glimpsing the latest reality television shows or disreputable talk shows. There are few people in this world (including children) who are not drawn to a scandal; the evidence for this statement can be found in popular television series, the movies, and even in the news. While this can be very disconcerting in many aspects of life, there are actually times when teachers can make use of this impulse. Why not harness this characteristic and apply it to the problem of encouraging children to read?

In an article entitled “Banned Books Week: It’s Your Freedom We’re Talking About” that appeared in the CSLA Journal, Caroline Gill “introduce[s] the concept of intellectual freedom and censorship” and encourages students to read by making use of the wide variety of banned books that can be found in the Palms Middle School library (15). The school teaches the students the key information associated with the banned books in their library. For example, the students can identify challenged books by “[y]ellow labels on the spines” (15). Also, there is a bibliography of banned books to which the students can refer. Each book has a card with it that explains why it is being challenged. The students then browse the books and pick one they would like to use for a report. They read the book “with the purpose of understanding both what the author wanted to communicate and what words or ideas censors found to be objectionable” (15). After the report, the students write the author of the book a letter explaining what they thought was good about the book. Gill concludes by discussing a “suggested timeline for Banned Book Week” that may help other schools and teachers become involved in a similar project (16).

While Gill mainly uses her unit on banned books to teach about freedom of speech, I believe that this kind of unit could be even more useful if implemented as a way to help motivate students. It appeals to the students’ interest in scandal. The knowledge that someone out there does not want them to read the book makes the book sound enticing. (I admit it: when I was reading about the different challenged books, I immediately picked up The Catcher in the Rye and began reading.) This is one time when librarians can take advantage of students’ need to challenge authority. While some parents may object at first, I think a well thought out response will definitely help sway them because most parents want their children to enjoy reading. The teacher just needs to explain that if the students are actually interested in the book and curious as to why it was challenged, they will feel much more motivation when it comes to reading. This curiosity can drive them to actually completing and enjoying a book that otherwise would have failed to spark an interest.

Work Cited

Gill, Caroline. "Banned Books Week: It's Your Freedom We're Talking About!." CSLA Journal 29.1 (Fall 2005): 15-16. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 26 Apr. 2011.

Always Inspired in the Library

Today when I walked into the library, I stopped, as I always do, to read the trivia question for the day. This what today's read:

From what movie is this famous screen shot?









I immediately thought of the cine-literacy that we have been talking about, and realized that we can teach students and patrons in many ways (even with simple trivia questions). The students at RB are very into the trivia questions in the library, and since today was a candy day, they went to work. Many quickly jumped on the internet to search for the answer. In this, they were displaying skills of media literacy because they had to find the best (and quickest) way to search and find the answer. This question was not an easy one for them, due to their age, so finding the answer was not an easy one. I watched students throughout the afternoon, while I was in the library for my practicum, work feverishly to answer the question. Some even became frustrated because classes were scheduled in the library and there were no computers for them to use.

I talked to our library, and she said that she found the question and answer online at Squidoo. Some of the students asked her where she found the trivia, after they answered the question correctly, and they continued to surf the site on their own.

Every day, Alicia challenges the students with trivia, and often times, the questions are focused on media literacy or finding the answers to the questions sparks the students to use media to find the answer. What began as just a simple concept has had some unforeseen positive effects.

Youth Media

For the 2009-2010 school year I was fortunate to participate in the Youth Media Workshop in Champaign-Urbana sponsored by WILL. The goal of the program was to empower young people, specifically African-American youth, and increase connections between generations in the Champaign community.

http://www.will.uiuc.edu/community/youthmediaworkshop/default.htm

The team of adults working with our students included a classroom teacher from Jefferson, one University of Illinois intern, two WILL staff members and myself. Our school’s workshop was for African-American girls. The girls were all recommended by teachers and then completed an application for final admission. Throughout the year we discussed and worked on a variety of skills including goal setting, interviews, community history, camera work, editing and production. The girls met weekly for instruction at the beginning of the year and then began interviews towards the end of the year. Every week was a delight. The girls learned about generational differences in topics like education, fashion, sports, and family values. Their support and encouragement of each other throughout the year was beyond my expectations. Overall the project was a great deal of fun and you can still see some of the photos archived online at http://illinoisyouthmedia.org/projects/year-7/search/jefferson

Another great feature of the program was monthly meetings where we met with leaders from the other middle schools and past project coordinators. It was so valuable to be able to share with the other teachers that were trying to help teens find their voice.

During the project I got to watch our students develop at different rates. One student in particular, Sonie, showed exceptional interest and talent in research, interviewing and production. And she had a strong storytelling voice. I was inspired by her exit interview as she talked with passion about being dedicated to achieving her full potential and wanting to inspire her peers to commit to their educational opportunities as well. I was very excited to learn that she was awarded an internship this year at WILL as part of the Letters to the Future 150th Anniversary of Champaign, Illinois celebration. She continues to work with members of the WILL team to increase her skills and work towards being a better reporter. Her most exciting moment this year has been getting to interview Allison Krauss! Feel free to watch her videos or read her blog at http://illinoisyouthmedia.org/projects/letters-to-the-future

One of the things I liked the most about participating in this program was the level of excitement the students showed at being responsible for creating and publishing their interviews. The question then becomes, if we know students are interested and motivated to use and learn about technology, then why are we not incorporating more hands on technology into their daily education? Why are schools trapped in a 20^th century educational mindset? The future that students are being educated for includes all kinds of technology and requires a completely different skill set than just 20 years ago. So how can we rationalize not making sure every student has the necessary skills for the future? There has long been an achievement gap in core subjects like reading and writing between certain ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but I think the disparity between student access to technology is also a concern. Clearly creating groups and opportunities like Youth Media is an ideal way to get kids involved. And being actively involved is another beauty of this program. Students are expected to share ideas and are given a voice. This type of empowerment is critical in their development as active participants in society.

In the future, I think it would be great to offer this kind of work as part of a language arts or social studies class. The research and production made the learning authentic since they were all working towards publication of their interviews. Until education is dictated by something other than state and national tests I don’t see this getting worked into the curriculum any time soon. And that is unfortunate.

Really Big Books: Incorporating ebooks into Storytime

On Friday, April 8th, I attended the Laconi session on eReaders and Libraries. During the session they discussed the different types of eReaders and how they work, how to use eReaders with Overdrive, and ideas for using eReaders in the library. One idea in particular that caught my attention was incorporating eReaders and ebooks into storytime sessions. They did a demonstration in which they hooked an ipad2 up to a projector and displayed an ebook on the projection screen. They read the book to us as one would in a storytime, with the ipad allowing them to simulate the actual turning of the book pages as they read.

It was absolutely awesome!!!

This program idea really got our wheels turing, and we were very excited to discuss it further to see if this was something that would work in our library and for our patrons. At the end of last summer we had a major leak in our YS supply room. About half of our big book collection was damaged and had to be removed from the collection. We recently received the budget to replace those items, however, many of the titles are out of print, and unfortunately there have not been many new titles made into big books we could purchase instead. We decided to approach our Library Director and share the program idea from Laconi with him. We talked to him about using some of our big book budget to purchase an ipad2 and some children’s ebooks from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. He loved the idea, and we have decided to test out the idea with our summer drop-in storytimes.

Our summer drop-in storytimes usually draw in a large group, and because of this we really need big books available so all patrons can see and engage in the session. Being able to project a book onto the screen would really enhance the experience for patrons, and ensure that all children could see and follow the story. Due to the size of these storytime sessions we usually have two librarians running the program, so while one person is at the projector in the back operating the ipad and ebook, the other will be at the front of the room reading the book and guiding and engaging the group with the book. When the book is completed, the person operating the ipad will turn the projector off, while the other transitions the group into the next activity.

What really excites me about trying out this new program is the number of books it will allow us to share with our storytime groups. With a larger group a normal size picture book is too small, and it makes it difficult for everyone to follow along and for the children to stay engaged with the story. Big books work great, but for some reason there are not many newer title available in big book format, so there is a small collection to choose from. There are many big books avaiable for older titles, but not titles that are necessarily ideal for the age group we are working with. Therefore, it sometimes feels like we are having to settle on certain titles for storytimes, rather than sharing ones we know the little ones would really love and get into.

Being able to download and project ebooks with the ipad2 will give us access to so many more books that will be appropriate for our storytimes. We will be able to download books from Overdrive or purchase them from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. We haven’t tried it yet, but we also subscribe to tumble books, so we may be able to pull up books from there as well. We will have so many more options avaiable to us, and they won’t be just big books, but really big books every patron will be able to see during storytime.

Of course some of us have our reservations. There are concerns over whether patrons will like this format, and if they might be upset we are presenting books to children in digital form rather than sharing the physical book. Some feel there will be children who will not be as engaged with this format, and may get distracted and not participate. Several people have expressed concerns with setup and operation of the ipad and projector, and whether it will be too much of a hassel to use. I agree that some of these issues may come up, but I am still very excited to try it out and see how it goes. I think it is an awesome idea that many of our patrons will be excited about as well.

Banking for the Young

“Not Your Mama’s Account!” The catchphrase alone makes me want to stay as far away as possible from Vantage Credit Union’s banking website and remain secure with my standard online account through Regions Bank. However, I’m not in the target audience of 18-25 that Vantage Credit Union is trying to draw in through its partnership with Young & Free St. Louis.

I first saw the commercial yesterday as the announcer boasted the website’s ability for users to “tag” their spending to make and maintain their budgets. Intrigued, I checked out their website to see the new direction online banking maybe headed as the Net-Generation continues to mature. The site did offer the tagging feature, but it also has a blog with recent posts such as “Why Do Gas Prices Vary So Much” and “What is a 401(K)?” There are also videos hosted by youthful spokesmen that provide tips for saving money and getting out of debt. For those with more specific questions, they can post them on the website (while also entering their email addresses for a chance to win prizes!). I most appreciated the “Tips and Tools” page that had different debt, savings, and loan calculators as well as tips and links for auto, home, and student loans. This website knows its target audience well as it doesn’t require a minimum balance, offers free checking for those under 25, mobile banking through Twitter, $200 savings on closing costs for first-time home buyers, and they soon will have an iPhone app for free electronic depositing. What more can a recent high school graduate ask for?

The commercial I saw seemed cheesy and had me wary, but it is through a bank and sponsored by Young and Free, a company that already has set up similar partnerships in seven other states and two Canadian provinces. The more I think about it, especially in relation to what we have discussed in this course, the more surprised I am that I haven’t seen something like this sooner. This website takes a skill that most young adults lack, Personal Finance, and presents it in the way they are most comfortable receiving information: blog posts, Twitter feeds, and videos. Their literacy with those formats will hopefully enable them to get a better handle on their finances. I don’t imagine many college students walking into a bank to talk about managing debt, but I do envision their comfort with pulling up the latest debt reduction video on their smart phone. I definitely think they will at least take more initiative with maintaining their bank accounts as they will now have the ease of access through their already frequently visited Twitter accounts. While it may not be my preferred way to bank (I can’t even bring myself to get the Regions Bank app), I’m too old for Young & Free St. Louis, and eventually may be forced to adapt if this becomes the new model for banking.

Website: http://www.youngfreestlouis.com/