I was fortunate enough to work with the Central Okanagan District in Kelowna British Columbia on Digital Wellness professional learning for teachers. Their philosophy matched mine: digital wellness is more than limiting screen time A part of that included working with Teacher Librarians spearheaded by Jenny Cartwright.
Jenny shared a curated list of picture books around their District’s criteria for Digital Wellness: Practice Mindfulness, Explore Learning, Be Safe, Connect Positively, and Think Critically. Picture books can be used with kids of any age as a way to provoke important conversations about ethical and responsible use of technology. There are some incredible books listed. Sometimes, it hard to fit a book under a specific category because it touches on many themes. I am so excited that our newest children’s book, Aubrey Bright in the Games we Play, published by Edumatch, is now available for purchase and has elements of safety, connecting positively, as well as thinking critically. This book is co-authored with Leigh Cassell, creator and founder of the Digital Human Library, and illustrated by a former student, Jun Fermani and follows our first book, Aubrey Bright in the Stories that Connect Us.
More about Aubrey Bright in the Games We Play
Let’s face it, video games have become an integral part of entertainment for children and adults alike and it gets a pretty bad rap. I blogged about gaming and literacy, several years ago. In this previous post, I look at gaming, when played in moderation, as an opportunity to build transferable skills.
Aubrey Bright in The Games We Play explores gaming safety in context and also dispels the stereotype that gaming is a boy’s pass time. But more than that, we wanted to create characters who are complex and interesting and aren’t just trying to teach a lesson about digital citizenship and gaming. We explore sibling connections, friendship and conflict as well as best practices for game play.
My niece and gamer, Ashlin, gave us feedback on the book and shared that she really liked the theme of friendship and resolving conflict that we explore.
Here are a few of the conversation starters we include in the book:
- When Maya and Aubrey argue, Aubrey’s emotions take over. She says things that are hurtful. What could Aubrey have said or done differently in that situation?
- What are some of the qualities you look for in a friend?
- What are some of the strategies you use to solve problems with your friends?
- What is a good in-game name? How do you choose a name to use online?
- Why is it fun to play games with your friends, as opposed to playing games alone?
- Why is it important to have limits on screen time?
- What advice does Ty give for staying safe online? What other ideas do you have?
- Did you find it surprising that Maya loves to game as much as Ty? Why or why not?
- What kind of activities do you like to do online and offline?
- Draw your avatar. What are your video game superpowers?
We’d love to hear your feedback and get an Amazon Review if you love the book as much as we do.