May 13 Link Roundup
(image credit SWinxy and used under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0)Hello and welcome to the inaugural Silvertree blog!
News
Kids and Tech
Tabletop Gaming
Non-profit and Activism
Education and Youth Wellbeing
News Roundup
Raising Tech Savvy Kids
Danish Study Examines Family Learning Environments
As a data geek I always love a good typology that really lays out the different variables clearly. And as a parent I really like seeing how other families approach child-rearing. Enter this study by Danish researchers that examines the different types of family environments and how each approaches things like cultural capital, media consumption and structured vs. unstructured play.
Roblox’s No-good, very bad interview
In a recent interview with Eurogamer the head of Roblox made some statements about the platform that they had to almost immediately walk back. The statements about how the game monetizes child labor were crass, but do actually reflect how the game uses kids to make money. Read the whole article, it lays out the way this game works and the incentives it offers to kids vs. the money it makes off of them in pretty stark terms. Personally, Roblox is one of the few game that I have banned for my kids. Their approach to kids and gaming is basically the most toxic form of prosumption you can find, but also an approach that is the envy of many other game studios.
Tabletop Industry Bonus Actions
Are you a tabletop industry creator? Or do you know one?
If so, please consider filling out Silvertree’s 2024 Tabletop Trends Survey. My intention is to be able to provide the industry with better information regarding how new technologies are impacting a variety of related tabletop industries. I am particularly interested in the experiences of smaller creators who often get ignored.
Brazilian Designers Combine Game Design with Social Justice
I was encouraged while reading about efforts by Brazilian game designers to bring their unique cultural vision to the tabletop. As anyone who has played tabletop (or even most computer) games can tell you, the settings and influences are overwhelmingly Eurocentric. And while East Asian influences have been gaining ground and popularity in recent decades, the fact remains that we have far too few games that speak to the kinds of gaming and play that exist in large swathes of the world, including South America, Africa, Central and Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Upcoming major tabletop events of interest
(Note: If you’d like to set up an in-person meeting I will be attending Gamex, ComicCon, Gencon and Gateway this year, send me an email to get on my schedule)
Geekway St. Charles, MO May 16-19
MarCon Columbus, OH May 17-19
Comicpalooza Houston, TX May 24-26
Gamex Los Angeles, CA May 24-27
KublaCon San Francisco, CA May 24-27
UK Games Expo Birmingham, UK May 31 - Jun 2
Origins Columbus, OH Jun 19-23
Gamescom Latam Sao Paulo, Brazil Jun 26-30
Dice Tower East Orlando, FL Jul 3-7
CONvergence Minneapolis, MN July 4-7
Dexcon/Dexlite Norristown, NJ July 4-7
Fan Expo Denver Denver, CO July 4-7
Comic Con San Diego, CA July 25-28
Gencon Indianapolis, IN Aug 1-4
Gamescom Cologne, Germany Aug 21-25
PAX West Seattle, WA Aug 30 - Sept 2
Gateway Los Angeles, CA Aug 30 - Sept 2
Spiel Essen Essen, Germany Oct 3-6
Non-profit and Activist News
Campus Protests Continue
Despite scolding from politicians it seems like college students are determined to continue to protest against Israeli aggression in Palestinian occupied territories. There’s a lot of misinformation about these protests circulating but if you, or a college student you know, is planning to attend one be sure to be up to date on your rights and the limits that might get you arrested. This guide by FIRE offers some tips, and the National Lawyers Guild is always a good resource for legal rights.
Successful Union Drive in the Deep South
With May Day just recently passed, let's check in on the US labor movement which has seen something of a resurgence in recent years. April 19 marked a significant victory for VW auto workers in Chattanooga, TN. Significant because states below the Mason-Dixon line have historically been difficult to organize and virulent anti-union among both management and rank and file workers. Whether this is a one-off or if it represents an emerging shift will be tested later this month when Mercedes workers in Tuscaloosa, AL vote on unionization.
Rose City Counter-Info Torches Cop Cars
On the other side of the May Day coin there was this action by Rose City Counter-Info that involved the destruction of 15 police vehicles, but no injuries to any people. The anarchist group claimed that the action was in solidarity with a variety of causes, but most notably was done in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The organization went on to claim that the action was a proactive attempt to stymie a planned effort by Portland police to raid campus occupations. While May Day is largely ignored in the US, it is still seen as a significant day by many leftist organizations, particularly those with strong international ties.
Education and Technology
Using the Science of Learning to Provide Better Education
If you are an educator or education administrator who wants to stay up to date on the latest science of teaching then this series by Edutopia might be your jam. It combines a science of learning approach with the whole child and interest driven learning to present some best practices for educators. And if that’s all to buzz-wordy for you the tl;dr is that it is an attempt to synthesize current research in a way that connects with K-12 educators.
Wellbeing Resources for K-12 Educators
Many educators have noted the rise of mental health complaints among young people. The US Surgeon General has even gone so far as to label the mental health challenges of young people as an epidemic. If you want to try to address these issues in your classroom consider this collection of resources from the always-excellent Common Sense Media.
