Implementing Take the Challenge School and Community Wide Kristine Paulsen Educational Consultant [email protected] [email protected].

Implementing “Take the Challenge” School and Community Wide

Kristine PaulsenEducational Consultant

[email protected] 906 280 4115

www.TaketheChallengeNow.net

The Student Media Awareness to Reduce Television (S.M.A.R.T.) curriculum was developed by Stanford

University for 3rd or 4th grade students.

In randomized controlled trials the S.M.A.R.T. curriculum was proven to:

• Reduce children’s TV and video game use• Reduce obesity and weight gain• Reduce aggression in class and on playground• Reduce children’s requests for toys advertised

on TV

Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District developed Take the Challenge Take Charge, a preschool through high school, media education curriculum which was inspired by the SMART curriculum. It includes lessons that are integrated into language arts, math, science, and social studies.

Scary Statistics• Students spend an average of 7 ½ hours a day on

media entertainment (Kaiser Foundation Survey 2010)• That equals 1,650 hours a year watching TV,

1000 hours playing video games, movies, etc. • Total of 2,700 hours, that same student only spends

1000 hours a year in school.• 73% of parents say they would like to limit their

children’s TV viewing.• In 2007 the U.S. video game industry sales topped out

at $18.8 BILLION!

The Josephson Institute of Ethics surveyed 43,321 teenagers.

• 47% said they had been “bullied, teased, or taunted in a way that seriously upset them.”

• 50% said they had “bullied, teased, or taunted someone at least once.”

Why has the violence increased?1. The American Medical Association2. The American Psychological Association3. The American Academy of Pediatrics

These three have looked at 30 years of research and agree that media violence is a causal factor in the violent behavior we are seeing in our children today. Viewing entertainment violence can lead to increase in aggressive attitude and behavior.

The effects are measurable and long lasting.

Violent Video Game ResearchRepeated exposure to media violence is a stronger influence on aggressive behavior than is living in poverty, engaging in substance abuse, or having abusive parents.

–Dr. Bushman University of Michigan

Technology is taking the violence one step further.

The Nintendo Wii system and Playstation now have teenagers acting out virtual murders. When armed with a knife, players have to move their arms in a stabbing motion.

You are learning the muscle memory necessary to do those acts, to stab someone, to chop someone, to shoot someone. It’s one step closer to a virtual reality in which you are actually doing these things to people. There’s new evidence that this type of violence can leave a lasting impression on young minds.

Dr. Michael Rich, Director Harvard Medical School Research Center on Media and Child Health, 2007

[Update]

Adolescents who expose themselves to video game violence were:

• more hostile• reported getting into arguments with teachers

more frequently• more likely to be involved in physical fights• performed more poorly in school

Regardless of how many other risk factors are present in a youth’s life, playing a lot of violent games is likely to increase the frequency and the seriousness of his or her physical aggression, both in the short term and over time as the youth grows up.

Brain Scan ResearchIndiana University School of Medicine

Brain activity while playing a video game.

Effects of Media Reduction On Playground Aggression

Average of Eight Schools

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

PRE POST

8 Schools

Effects of Media Reduction On Negative Classroom Behavior

K-6th Grade

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

PRE POST

K-6th

Effects of Media Reduction On Aggressive BehaviorYouth Correctional Center

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

PRE POST

8th-12th

Powerpuff Girls

Watch our kindergarten crime fighters kick major villain butt!

Impact of No TV on 4th Grade MEAP (Jan. 2005)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Math Writing

No TVTV

Impact of No TV on 4th Grade MEAP (Fall 2005)

0102030405060708090

100

Math Writing

No TVTV

Impact of No TV on 4th Grade MEAP (Fall 2006)

0102030405060708090

100

Math Writing

No TVTV

Impact of No TV on 4th Grade MEAP (Fall 2007)

0102030405060708090

100

Math Writing

No TVTV

In randomized controlled trials the S.M.A.R.T. curriculum was proven to:

Reduce children’s requests for toys advertised on TV

Dartmouth Medical School published the results of a 10 year study on the effects of exposure to movie smoking.

• They concluded 35% of habitual smoking in teenagers and young adults can be directly attributed to earlier exposure to movie smoking.

• Movie smoking exposure was a stronger predictor of habitual smoking than having a parent or friend who smokes.

% of 7th grade students that had smoked at least 1 cigarette during their life. (66% Decrease)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

2003/04 2005/06 2007/08 2008/09

DSISD

% of 7th grade students that at least 5 drinks of alcohol within a couple hours during last 30 days.

(81% Decrease)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

2003/04 2005/06 2007/08 2008/09

DSISD

% of 7th grade students that had used marijuana 1 or more times during the last 30 days. (72% decrease)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

2003/04 2005/06 2007/08 2008/09

DSISD

What do students say?

• “I like being in the program and doing different things. My dad taught me a hard grown-up card game. It was fun.” - Allison

• “Instead of watching TV I went outside, played cards and read my advanced reading book. I feel like my life is much better.” - Hailey

What do parents say?• “I used to think we were a close family until we

turned off the TV for a week. Now we know what it really means to be close.”

• “We played board games, outside games, we also talked about feelings and things we would like to change with our family. We found out we enjoy our life more without TV.”

• “Our children realize there are other things to do besides watching TV. Love the idea that I could blame the principal!”

What do 8th grade students say?

The TV Turnoff program affected me by actually a lot. My grades went up big time. The prizes were awesome, the whole program itself was not too long at all. I could have done the program longer. Even though I didn’t win any prizes, I still am happy I did the program.

What do 8th grade students say?

• What I liked about TV Turnoff is that you find that there are other things to do besides TV. I usually couldn’t find anything to do besides TV when Mom would tell me to get off. I thought that was really cool, when you do that for a long period of time it began to get really easy to find things to do.

What do 8th grade students say?

• I think the TV Turnoff should have been before football season. It was really tempting for me to watch some of my favorite football teams go at it. Other than that the TV Turnoff really had a positive affect on me. I think that it worked great. At first I didn’t think that TV had any negative affects on people. But after doing it, I was concentrating better, doing my work better and I was more organized.

Helping families Reduce TV and Screens

is one of the most important gifts that teachers and

communities can give their students.

FAMILYFAMILY

FUNFUN

NIGHTNIGHT