KIDS FIRST! Jury Blog

In April I wrote about involving kids in the process of reviewing films and other media, focusing on ages 12-18. Getting kids ages 8-12 to open up, though, has it’s own special challenges.

Children in this age group relate to more complex plots and characters than their younger counterparts. They like to compare what they see to their own experiences. They are interested in environmental issues, sports, science fiction, fantasy and how things work. Since kids easily succumb to peer pressure and tend to repeat feedback from the first respondent, you should remind them that there are no wrong answers.

Another fun way to get honest answers from your jury is to make copies of the evaluation form for each child and have them write their evaluations. Share the them with the group and discuss the different points of view, reinforcing that everyone’s opinion matters. You can also introduce new vocabulary such as antagonist, protagonist, or discuss production values or accuracy with them. You can also discuss the issue of gratuitous or nongratuitous violence, bias and stereotyping, and replicable unsafe behavior.

At this age kids are highly influenced by what they have seen in the media. Portrayals of gender, racial or religious bias can mold their opinions. It is especially important to include them in the review process, to help them to become more critical of the images they see. With your help, kids can grow up to be adults who think for themselves and are capable of making good decisions.

To learn more, contact our Jury Manager or sign up to take our Jury Training Course.

Our next 2-part class is scheduled for Monday, June 8 (Part 1) and Wednesday, June 10 (Part 2) at 8:30pm Eastern Time. This means that you can complete your training in just one week, instead of the 2 weeks for previous classes.

The course fee of $30, with discounts available for educators and producer incentives, is fully refundable once you’ve completed your training and reviewed your first six films with your jury. The training takes place in the comfort of your own home, using only a telephone or headset and a computer (internet access is required, though hi-speed is not necessary.)

In this class, you will learn how to evaluate children’s media based on our standardized criteria and to work with a group of kids to help them become critical media viewers. Kid’s juries are made up of at least five kids in a particular age group. All approved DVDs, CDs and video games are yours to keep, so it’s also a great way to build up your media library, or help out your local school, church, library or other youth organization. And KIDS FIRST! reviews appear on our website and in parenting magazines.

To sign up for the class, fill out our juror application form, or email the Jury Manager for more information.

Wondering what to do with all that extra time with the kids this summer? Some days just too hot or rainy to play outside? Why not start your own Junior Film Critics Club?

Our next 2-part class is scheduled for May 12 and May 19. There will be day sessions at 1pm Eastern Time and evening sessions at 8:30pm Eastern Time. The course fee of $30, with discounts available for educators, is fully refundable once you’ve completed your training and reviewed your first six films with your jury. The training takes place in the comfort of your own home, using only a telephone or headset and a computer (internet access is required, though hi-speed is not necessary.)

In this class, you will learn how to evaluate children’s media based on our standardized criteria and to work with a group of kids to help them become critical media viewers. Kid’s juries are made up of at least five kids in a particular age group. All approved DVDs, CDs and video games are yours to keep, so it’s also a great way to build up your media library, or help out your local school, church, library or other youth organization. And KIDS FIRST! reviews appear on our website and in parenting magazines.
To sign up for the class, fill out our juror application form, or email the Jury Manager for more information.

A key piece of our media literacy program is getting kids to think and talk about what they watch, play or listen to. But sometimes this is tricky. Our trained jurors watch a lot of DVDs throughout the course of the year and find our training and their experience helpful in getting kids to talk about their feelings.

Kids, ages 12-18, often considers themselves adults, even though they may vacillate between juvenile and mature behavior. They are critical thinkers and, when directed, can be incredibly insightful. Provocative, open forum discussions can be held over issues such as loyalty, honesty and friendship.

They also will succumb to peer pressure, particularly if there are strong personalities in the group. If you think this is a problem, ask them to write their thoughts on paper. You can then share this information with the group anonymously. Girls and boys may have quite different interests at this age too. You might consider single-sex groupings occasionally for more in-depth responses. Try it both ways, to see if the responses vary. You will find this to be an excellent opportunity for introducing new concepts and vocabulary.

You can even set up a TV show and let your kids pretend they are professional reviewers. Let them interview each other for more fun and interactivity.
KIDS FIRST! jurors have some of the best ideas. If you’d like to share an idea or a project that works well for you, please email it to the Jury Manager and we can include it in future blogs. In subsequent blogs I will include tips for other age groups as well.
For more great ideas, or to become more involved with KIDS FIRST!, sign up for our next Jury Training Course or contact the Jury Manager.

People are raving over our new Juror Training Course. Teachers, parents, grandparents, providers of youth services and producers are among our most recent graduates. Jason, from the Beloit International Film Festival joined us in February and had this to say…

“The training immediately equipped me with the tools necessary to both be an affective critic as well train and build a team of young critics in my area. I was also able to use the training to conduct several large educational sessions for 5th graders as part of the Beloit International Film Festival in 2009.”

Contact the Jury Manager for more details or information on our upcoming classes!

Our March dates have been announced. Several trainees have joined us for our newly formatted course in January and February. Now it’s your chance to get involved!

March classes will be held on two consecutive weeks, offering both day and evening options. Thursday, March 19 and Thursday, March 26. This is a two-part course which will prepare you for becoming an official KIDS FIRST! Juror and to facilitate a Children’s Jury. To complete the course, you must be available for one of the sessions on both of these March dates. To become an active juror, you will need access to at least five kids in a particular age group. However, you are welcome to take the course just because it interests you.

You will complete this course from the comfort of your own home or office. All you need is access to a computer, the internet, email, and either a phone or headset. You will need at least one child (under 18) to help you complete the second portion of the training.

For information about the jury program, a downloadable pdf registration form, and the course fees (refundable to anyone who becomes an active KIDS FIRST! Juror), visit the Jury Page on our website.  You can also email the Jury Manager with questions or if you would like to take the course but are not available at those times.

Hope to see you there!

Missed the February Jury Training class? Don’t panic, we will be offering another class the second week of March.

Our February Jury Training class is turning out to be even more successful than our first try at the new format in January. Therefore, we have every reason to believe that March will be an even bigger success. The new dates will be announced in the next blog, but send your interest to the KIDS FIRST! Jury Manager, so we can make sure you get early notification. You can also fill out the standard online application form, and you will automatically be put on the list to recieve updates. The March specific form will be on the site before the end of the month and linked from the Jury Blog.

Come make a difference and join the KIDS FIRST! team of jurors. It’s loads of fun and the kids in your life will thank you for it.

The next FREE jury training course will be held on February 12, with follow up on February 17, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern Time (you choose day or evening classes.) Dates and times are subject to change.
Our first trial of the new course format was very successful. However, we’ve decided to extend the free offer for two more months so you can help us make it perfect. To sign up for the February dates, download this form and email it to Lauren Longworth, Jury Manager. It’s important that you sign up by February 9, both to ensure a space and because class times are subject to change depending upon enrollment. Please also contact us if you would like to join the class and need to set up a different time and/or dates, or if you would just like more information. You will need access to a computer and either a headset or telephone during class time.

KIDS FIRST! needs your help to roll out it’s new juror training program. Part web-based, part interactive seminar, it can all be done from your home. For the first 50 people who sign up for these trial classes, the $40 training fee will be waived. The training is open to everyone, but you will need access to a group of at least 5 children in a particular age group to become an active KIDS FIRST! Juror.

Download the Registration Form and email it to jury@kidsfirst.org or or fax to 505-986-8477. Visit our website for more specific information about becoming a juror.

Sign up by Thursday, January 1, to ensure a space in our next classes.You will be signing up for 2 classes, part 1 the first week and part 2the second. You need to be able to attend both phone sessions, or contact me for special arrangements.

Dates for the classes are as follows:

Week 1 - 1/8/09 - Thursday 2 p.m. EST; 1/8/09 - Thursday 8 p.m. EST; 1/10/09 - Saturday 4 p.m. EST

Week 2 - 1/15/09 - Thursday 2 p.m. EST; 1/15/09 - Thursday 8 p.m. EST; 1/17/09 - Saturday 4 p.m. EST

Here’s how you can get started:

STEP 1: Request a registration form. Please complete and return the form by email, fax or mail no later than January 1, 2009.

STEP 2: You will receive a confirmation by email, with instructions.

STEP 3: Call in to our class using the instructions sent by email. YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE ACCESS TO A PHONE AND A COMPUTER, OR A COMPUTER WITH HEADPHONES AND MICROPHONE, TO ATTEND THE CLASS.

Space is limited; so don’t delay! If you have any questions, email me at jury@kidsfirst.org