Speakaboos Blog » 2009 » May

Wisconsin 5th graders score big on stock market–hypothetically

Andrew — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:51:37 +0000

I don’t know too much about the stock market, but this is either a beacon of hope for investors or further evidence of the irrationality of our economy: a group of four 5th graders from Neenah, Wisconsin won a statewide economics contest by turning $100,000 of imaginary money into $203,000 over ten weeks.The group of four girls, who say that if they actually had that much money they would “probably buy a lot of toys,” competed against teams all over Wisconsin, and won the grand prize: a trip to the New York Stock Exchange.For the full story, click here

Happy Memorial Day from Speakaboos and Super WHY!

Andrew — Mon, 25 May 2009 09:18:59 +0000

Our friends at PBS KIDS are airing a new Super WHY! 2-hour special, Hurray for Heroes, today in honor of Memorial Day. Check your local listings to find out when it’s on in your neighborhood!Also, if you haven’t been to Speakaboos.com lately, it’s not too late to see our newest features brought to you by Super WHY!:Kids Karaoke Educational Games New Printables

Will the future bring Robot Teachers?

Andrew — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:56:42 +0000

Saya, a lifelike robot with the ability to smile, scold and call roll, was tested in a Japanese classroom earlier this year. And since the logistical problems with programming a robot to teach children are very obvious, the robot’s developer, Tokyo University of Science professor Hiroshi Kobayashi, insists that the robot is meant to be a tool and not a replacement for humans.What I find most interesting about this story is that not only does Japan have an apparent shortage of teachers and labor, university professors there have the time and resources to build elaborate, expensive robots which are ironically impractical.Fun story though. Read more about Saya at NY Daily News.Photo: Koji Sasahara, AP

TV is bad for kids–when not safely secured in place

Andrew — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:52:52 +0000

Most parents will quickly attest to the way TV’s captivating glow draws their kids in. While much has been made over the possible negative effects of too much TV time, especially for kids under 2, perhaps many are overlooking the more tangible physical dangers of TV–a new study in the medical journal Clinical Pediatrics suggests that too many parents are underestimating their kids’ strength and ability to pull a TV off its shelf.The study concludes that the amount of injuries from furniture tip-over is on the rise, and TV, with all of its powerful allure, is the number one culprit. Download a pdf of the study here, but not before making sure all of your tip-able furniture is securely tied or bolted in place!