teaching tool for k-12 educators Brand Spanking ) New Doug— Finding Solutioi v by Doing the Right Thing Uncover Solutions with ABC News Scholar-Athletes: Organized and On the Ball >* «pV ABC in Step with New Children's Programming connection Guidelines A new children's television mandate from the Federal Communications Features Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC, Children's Programming Guidelines should be encouraging to educators. Issued Aug. 8,1996, the new rules are Solutions designed to strengthen the Children's Television Act of 1990. They require all 'Brand Spanking New Doug' television stations to air a minimum of three hours of educational/information­ Scholar-Athletes al programming weekly between 7:00 Afterschool Specials a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Only regularly scheduled programs Children First that are one-half hour or longer and that educate and inform children ages 'First Do No Harm' 16 and younger meet the new order. General audience programming with Weather Studies incidental educational value does not 'Schoolhouse Rock' qualify. The FCC rules are important because each broadcaster's license to Kidzine operate is tied to providing the mini­ mum three hours of service to children. If the FCC disagrees with a station rogram Schedule about which programs meet the educa­ tional/informational mandate, the oss the Curriculum broadcaster's license could be in jeop­ ardy. Current Events and Social Studies "ABC TV is enthusiastic about con­ Humanities and Language Arts tinuing its long history of serving the public's interest through children's Making Literacy Connections programming," says Christine Hikawa, ABC's vice president of Broadcast ABC Kids Movie Matinee Standards and Practices. "The new rules coincide with our commitment to Family Fun add new programs to our popular edu­ ABC Sports cational offerings, such as the Weekend Specials, our book-based series that we have aired for more than a decade. We Value Your Feedback "The new FCC rules also require ABC Classroom Connection is published for teachers by that stations identify educational pro­ ABC, Inc. Comments and letters to the editor are grams on the air. In addition, ABC's welcome. Please send to ABC Classroom Connection, children's programs with educational value will be identified in television pro­ 105 Terry Drive, Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-9988. gram guides and in our affiliates' public Call the ABC Hotline at 800-647-4ABC; fax to files to help parents make sound selec­ 12-456-1274 or use [email protected] for e-mail. tions for young people." a b c classroom connection ©KIDSNET 1997 To order your free subscription to the Connection fill out the attached postage paid card OP for immediate service call 800-746-4ABC Sign up for ABC Classroom Connection Whatever the subject, there's something The Best for everyone! in Programming and Classroom Yours FREE Put an easy-to-use video resource guide at your fingertips Instill healthy viewing habits in students Supplement your curriculum with award- winning programs Help TV play a positive role in education Stay current with what your students are watching FIRSTjZJ Initiative Don't Jus>tL Watc itiorh the Newsi. Use It! our students may or may not end And finally, good storytellers are ask, "What have I learned that is rele­ up with a job in a news room. also good talkers. This is not to say that vant, is compelling, and will have an YBut young people who develop they speak with perfect English. In fact, impact?" To decide, you have to learn the critical thinking skills and decision­ their language is usually quite simple about the world around you. Be curi­ making know-how used in the news and their sentences very short. The ous. Ask questions! room, can shoot for high career goals in important thing is to convey a sense of Everyone has a story to tell, and peo­ many fields. Employers are looking for confidence and enthusiasm. As any ple will surprise you. Telling their story is people who can systematically gather good storyteller knows, those qualities the next challenge. Getting the facts right information, analyze it and communi­ are contagious. is the greatest responsibility of all. I have cate it clearly. Michele Norris covers the education learned there are no dumb questions. I Learn from ABC News "Solutions" beat. Her on-air reporting has included ask and ask until I am sure I understand. correspondents who appear each the White House, political campaigns, the With every story, I hope you meet Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on budget, criminal court and affirmative someone you would not meet otherwise "World News Tonight with Peter action. As a print journalist, she special­ and learn something you did not know. Jennings." They search the nation for ized in education, children and the prob­ It is knowledge that leads to success. creative American problem solving at lems that plague America's inner cities. Carol Lin reports from ABC News in work. We turned to three "Solutions" Los Angeles and frequently focuses on correspondents for hints on honing the Ned Potter—Technology, ways that young people in their twenties thinking and communication skills that Science and the solve problems. Before joining ABC, she lead to success at school and in the Environment Beat was a TV anchor and reporter covering workplace. The information revolution is an breaking news, political campaigns, the We asked, unintended lie. It's really a "data revo­ effects of drought, and the White House. "What can young people do lution" and it is overwhelming us. I to develop a refined eye for need to tell stories that Selected Resources matter to people, not add In Print identifying important Death by Cheeseburger: High School Journal­ to the din. information, placing it in a ism in the 1990's and Beyond. Arlington, meaningful context and So if a paper appears VA: The Freedom Forum, 1994. in a scholarly journal, I Making the Rules: A Public Achievement delivering it clearly?" Guidebook—For Young People Who Intend first call the authors—but to Make a Difference by Melissa Bass. then I call other experts in the field for Center for Democracy and Citizenship at Michele Norris— perspective. I have developed a little the Humphrey Institute, University of Education Beat network of people to whom I go to, ask­ Minnesota, 1995. 612-625-0142. The Kid's Guide to Social Action: How to Long before there were televisions, ing not only, "What is the story?" but Solve the Social Problems You Choose and or radios or computers, people got their also, "How much does it matter?" Turn Creative Thinking into Positive Action news from village storytellers who kept Ned Potter analyzes and reports on by Barbara A. Lewis. Free Spirit Publishing, 1991. history alive through their words. issues including global warming, popula­ "The Problem-Solving Habit," a Summer Today, that's what journalists tion, environmental policies, the U.S. Home-Learning Recipe for Parents and do. Good storytellers are Space program and technology advances. Children for Grades 9-12 by Dorothy Rich. The National Education observant. They notice He has also written for print publications Association and the Home and School ffl whether the sky is blue or about technology developments and the Institute, 1994. Call 800-USA-LEARN. | cloudy or gray. They remem­ human costs of the artificial heart. Organizations ber if someone's hair is curly Do Something —This organization offers training, guidance and financial resources or straight, blue or blond, long or short. Carol Lin—General Beat for young leaders of all backgrounds They are also good listeners. They For a journalist, the only constant is whose solutions help build their commu­ ask questions if they don't understand change. Every day, I nities. Contact Do Something, PO Box 2409 JAF, New York, NY 10116. something, so they, in turn, can later meet new people and I 212-978-7777. explain it to their audience. This is par­ go to new places. As a Odyssey of the Mind—A non-profit mem­ ticularly important with complicated correspondent for ABC bership organization encourages creative team-based problem solving in schools. information. It's hard to explain some­ News, I have to make Contact OM, PO Box 547, Glassboro, thing unless you understand it yourself. some tough choices. I NJ. 609-881-1603. winter 1997 ©KIDSNET 1997 Brand Spanking New Doug Finding Solutions by Doin' the Right Thing \/ ou're walking down the street Doug learns to navigate the minefield and you find $14,000 and no of growing up. Fans are being _JL_ one in sight. What do you do? Doug's greatest kid power is his If you're Doug Funnie, Jim Jinkins's active imagination. In every episode, treated to two everykid hero of "Brand Spanking New viewers see Doug imagining himself as episodes of Doug," you instinctively turn the money the town's hero, or its biggest laughing "Brand Spanking over to the police, even though every­ stock. "Fantasy is extremely important," one thinks you're crazy. Jinkins emphasizes. "I grieve the day New Doug" on It's this "do-the-right-thing" value anybody decides he's too old to fanta­ Saturdays, at 8:30 that Jinkins hopes to instill in the par­ size. For Doug, it's a way of playing out ents and kids who watch the show. the jumble of emotions in some sort of and 9:00 a.m., "Doug is just the average person who exaggerated and yet tangible way." and no one could isn't perfect," says Jinkins. "Every week Besides playing out the best scenarios, be happier than he gets off the track.