Media News

Bill Harley, Grammy Award-winning singer/storyteller is encouraging kids, classes, after school programs, and families to make a video based on a song by Harley. The video can be comprised of live-action, animation, a slide show of photos and drawings, or a combination of these elements. So that all the 14 songs are chosen by contestants, send an email to Michele@billharley.com with your top three song choices, and one of them will be selected for your project. Among the Harley songs are “Pizza Shake,” “Mom and the Radio, “Pirate Song,” “There’s a Pea on My Plate,” and “Monsters in the Bathroom.” Completed videos must be received by December 4, 2009. A grand prize winner and three runners up will be selected and receive a selection of CDs autographed by Harley. Go to Harley’s Web site, billharley.com/videocontest.asp, for a complete list of songs and entry information.

Viz Media (viz.com) has teamed up with Disney-ABC Cable Networks Group to televise the animated series, Naruto Shippuden, on Disney XD (DisneyXD.com), a new cable channel that features both animated and live-action programming for kids ages 6 to 14.

Media Infusion (pbs.org/mediainfusion), PBS’s Teacher’s blog that “focuses on practical ways to integrate multimedia resources and technology into the classroom,” has added Janet English to their roster of bloggers. English, an educator and digital media expert, will “help educators discover methods for infusing their instruction with media to create rich, engaging learning experiences that improve student learning across grade levels and curriculum topics.” For example, in September, English focused on Ken Burns’s documentary, National Parks: America’s Best Idea.