Fresh To Def: 10 Sites To Keep You Cool

Lets face it, it's not easy being cool...or staying cool. If you need a little help, check out these fresh to def cats. Their blogs and sites will keep you informed on all the newest and coolest viral videos, video games, comic books, films and TV shows, and tech news. But readers beware: these sites are NOT for teens.

A Little Bit On The Awesome Side:
http://albotas.com/
brown kidd is the king of all things rad. His blog highlights the best in otaku culture, video games, street art, toys, gadgets and TV + Film.

That Girl's Site:
http://www.thatgirlssite.com/
A blog dedicated to random cool things like "video games, movies, comics, manga, toys, zombies, and other geeky stuff."

Unruly Media's Top 100 Viral Videos:
http://viralvideochart.unrulymedia.com/?items=100
Find out what all the cool kids are talking about via Unruly Media's Top 100 Viral Videos list.

Hype Machine:
http://hypem.com/popular
Hype Machine scans all the music blogs to find out whose a buzz in the music blogosphere.

Kotaku:
http://www.kotaku.com/
The freshest gaming news around and constantly updated. Filled with videos, interviews and hilarious commentary.

Polyvore:
http://polyvore.com/
All the hottest fashion trends & styles. Inspired fashionistas compile their favorite pieces into style sheets for the whole world to gleam from.

VEVO:
http://vevo.com/
VEVO is all about music videos. You'll find all the hyped music videos on here, plus all your faves from the past.

IHEARTCOOLSTUFF:
http://iheartcoolstuff.com/
This whimsical blog is dedicated to the cute and awesome things found in the world of art, video games, vinyl toys, and comics.

4-Color Rebellion:
http://www.4colorrebellion.com/
Dedicated to the pop culture side of video games-- including fan art, industry news, mods and crafts, retro gaming and humor.

The Girl Gamer:
http://4thegirlgamers.blogspot.com/
Video game news, viral videos and the best in geek chic.

LOLZ: Geekage Wasteland

You have to hand it to the folks at ThinkGeek.com for this ingenious viral video. Their rendition of the Who's Baba O'Riley is performed using musical toys all available from their online store. The result is surreal and satisfying. Check out their online store for some really super awesome prize and gift ideas.
[Via The Girl Gamer]

LOLZ: Super Mario Bros. and Jersey Shore

Anyone who works with youth will be familiar with both with the Mario Bros. and the MTV Jersey Shore crew. This is what happens when you add them to the "situation"  

Teen Craft Supplies: OTC Novelty Glass Charms

 I'm sure most of you get the Oriental Trading Company catalog, but for those of you too busy to browse, I thought I'd share some of my favorite glass bead charms. Teens *love* novelty beads, and these cute animal and food charms will most definitely make them flip.

Links to OTC glass charms:

Food:
Ice Cream
Cupcakes
Snack Foods
Flat Fruit
Sushi
Gummie Bears


Animals:
Owls
Monkeys
Pandas
Penguins
Monsters/Aliens

Youth Research: The Evolution Of Remix Culture

If you work with youth, you MUST watch this video. It is an exceptionally insightful look into the world of user generated content, and the permeating power of cultural remixing. Proof that copying really is the greatest compliment of all? [Via Three Billion]

Teen Videos: Flash Mob Light Saber Video

This might not be something you'd want to see happen at your place of employment, but it is pretty cool. Star Wars fans organized a massive light saber duel at the Cabot Circus mall in Bristol, UK. You must admit their massive fine tuned choreography is simply breathtaking...lolz. It's madness but worth the add to your teen page/facebook/twitter/blog. [Via ALBOTAS]

Add A Splash Of Gaming Color to Your Walls

Originally designed for and published by GEE magazine, a German computer games magazine, this awesome video game poster is a great way to brighten up those egg shell walls in your teen area: Axel Pfaender's 'Love For Games' poster features a kaleidoscope of gaming controllers, disk formats, and handhelds-- both old school and new. Teens will get a chuckle out of identifying their favorites game peripherals and your walls will totally capture that oh so cool geek chic. [Via ALBOTAS]

Get yours here: Love for Games Poster by Axel Pfaender

CCPL Youth Services Blog Shows Some Pixelated Love!

Check out these cool fuse bead hearts from the folks at the CCPL Youth Services blog! Sweet! They used the 4YA pixelated heart program idea to make their own pixelated hearts. Love the frozen blue heart....::singing:: You're as cold as ice! Willing to sacrifice our love! Here's a little bit about how they prepared for their program:

(Link CCPL Youth Services 8 and 16-bit Love)

"I ordered my kit from koolstuff4kids.com. I ordered the Classroom Kit II, which seems to be an ok starter kit. It comes with 6,000 mix color beads, several small clear pegboards, along with ironing sheets and an idea book. Be forewarned that the mix bag does have a somewhat limited palette of colors (bright yellow, goldenrod, light sky blue, dark sky blue, white, lime green, kelly green, black, tan, brown, pink, and red). It seems like an impressive list, but if you want to do really cool detail shading, it can be a bit stilting. That wasn't really an isuue for the hearts, but when we do video game characters next month, I can see it being a problem, so I'll have to order more colors.


I printed out some the examples they had on the blog, and let my teens have at it. The advantage of having the clear pegboards is that you can put pictures underneath to help with the design. Unfortunately, I don't think mine were sized correctly, so they had to count pixels or make up their own designs instead. The project will go a lot faster if the colors are presorted, but if they're not, get them to help you with that - or just don't bother - hey, it takes up more time.


They really seemed to like this one. We used the finished product to make magnets or keychains (as seen above). I haven't done this with my teen boys yet, so I may be updating if they don't really like it. However, I've been pretty spot on with my projects (or they're just really nice and humor me)"

Innovative UK Work/ Study Program For Youth

Exciting news in the world of British education! The UK has recently launched an innovative new qualification program(me) for British youth. Through hands-on training and class room lectures, students will learn real life skills in some of the most cutting edge industries. Instead of waiting till after university to experience a career in a field they're interested in, students will be able to explore different career options while working closely with industry professionals. According to the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency The Diploma qualification offers a programme of study that involves a rich and creative learning experience. It's flexible and supports progression, preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether that's work or another qualification. It allows learners to choose their own goals, specialise and find out about areas of work they are interested in. It embraces work experience and applied learning – so students get to see how what they've learnt transfers between the field and the classroom."

It will be very exciting to see how the Diploma program develops. Our classrooms are quickly changing, our world even quicker, it's our job to make sure our youth are prepared.

Links:
The Diploma site for youth
Diploma programme information for educators and youth advocates

Hong Kong Teens Battle It Out In Pen Spinning Championships

I'm sure most teachers and librarians are familiar with pen acrobatics and drum solos...but this pen spinning contest held in Hong Kong takes it to a whole new level. It's always cool to see talented teens do their thing even if it's a bit wacky. Either way this is a great video to share with your teens or to post on your teen page (Via Boing Boing)

Percy Jackson Camp Half Blood Beads

I've been getting a lot of email requests for instructions on how to make Percy Jackson/ Lightning Thief Camp Half Blood beads.  I tried making my own last week, and I think they're not too shabby. Not perfect, (my green trident looks like a cactus) but recognizable. To make your own simply make small beads out of Crayola Model Magic and dry overnight. You can paint the details on them using Sharpie Poster Paint Markers (acrylic). When I was finished I simply strung them on a leather cord.

I painted the beads in these color patterns:

- Black bead with green trident
- Blue bead with cyclops eye
- White bead with crossbow
- Red bead with maze
- Blue bead with the Empire State Building
- Craft paint sealer (optional)

To make a similar necklace follow these directions:

Materials:
Acrylic Paint Pens 
Crayola Model Magic
Leather cord


Instructions:
1. Roll a little bit of Crayola Model magic into a small ball about the size of a small marble.
2. Take a pencil tip and pierce the bead through the middle to make a whole. It should be big enough to fit your leather cord.
3. Let beads dry overnight

4. Using a fine tipped paint marker draw the symbols you wish on each bead. Let dry on paper.

5.  String them on a leather cord

Teen Digital Content Creation: GoAnimate

I have a group of teens at my library that are always discovering the most amazing online computer games. I'm always shocked to hear that these games are free too, as I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that these "free to play/ ad-supported" games are generally graphically superior and a heck of a lot cheaper than my my barley last generation PS2 video games. Certainly the business model of digital entertainment is changing, with micro-transactions and ad supported gaming, today's youth are getting less and less reliant on pay-before-play entertainment choices.

Not only are there a ton of awesome free games to enjoy on the internet, I'm also learning that there are also many amazing free-to-use digital content creation online apps. My latest favorite discovery (thanks webYA blog!) has to be GoAnimate an online animation program where users can create short animated films featuring popular cartoon characters and custom avatars.

I have to admit that GoAnimate's online animation program blew me away. Amazingly simply to use, I created my very own animated short in one afternoon. The process is quite straight forward as well. After signing up with my email address, I was offered right away to make my own *free* custom character,  after I made my little animated fella I wanted to make him a friend, which of course I could-- for $1.00 of credits (this is where the micro-transactions come in). I was so charmed I quickly clicked the PayPal button.

You don't have to spend anything actually to use GoAnimate. Each animation module (featuring numerous licensed characters like Street Fighter, Star Trek and Domo Kun) features a ton of useable characters, items and backgrounds to pick from. Animations are simply created by dragging and dropping the elements onto the animation stage and selecting actions for each item and character. Each scene can be limited to 1-4 seconds, allowing you to create dialogues and action sequences. To finish your project you can add your own music and sounds by uploading files to your account. It's really that easy, and the outcome is pretty dang cool and quite polished.

If you are looking for a new teen program to freshen up your digital media workshops, GoAnimate is an an absolute must have.

Links:
GoAnimate.com: The original site for online animation
GoAnimate Domo Kun: Animate your own little brown furry monster

Here's some of my favorites:








Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

Great Teen Friendly Recipes

Perhaps the most universal fact about teens is that they love to eat. If you are fretting over an upcoming event and worried that not enough teens will come, simply advertise that you'll be serving snacks. They will show up. This is why cooking programs are always such a hit; teens not only learn a new skill but they also get to chow down. If you are looking for some super teen friendly (and easy) recipes, check out these recipes below:

This list is certainly not complete. Have something you would like to add? Leave a comment and a link!

Sandwiches and Savory dishes:
Loaded Grilled Cheese Sandwiches 
Quesadillas 

Mexican Pizza
French Bread Pizza 

Hot Dogs 

Taco Dip 


Desserts:
Smores Cookies
Vampire Cupcakes
Rainbow Cupcakes
Candy Sushi
Cookie Ice Cream Blizzards
Chocolate Pudding
Yogurt Parfait
Fruit Pizza

Drinks and Milkshakes:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake

Oreo Milkshake
Make Your Own Sodas
Fruit Smoothies 

Great teen cook books:
Teen cook Sam Stern's cook books (*love these books*)
Eat Fresh Food: Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs (for healthier choices)
Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat
Big Snacks, Little Meals: After School, Dinnertime, Anytime
Super Sandwiches: Wrap 'em, Stack 'em, Stuff 'em
Delicious Drinks to Sip, Slurp, Gulp & Guzzle

Links for great recipe ideas:
Cut Out + Keep (where I got a bunch of these recipes. Supernovally awesome)
Martha Stewart Kids (great ideas not just for the kiddles)
All Recipes (great ideas with pictures!)
Cooks.com (user submitted recipes)
Food Network