Latest Pew Internet and American Life Project survey results:

Three short little kid blogging tales to start off the New Year right:

1. ABC News named bloggers the “People of the Year,” and in the story, it mentions the “world’s youngest videoblogger”, 11-year old Dylan Verdi. I don’t know if you’ve seen Dylan’s video, but it’s a light-hearted, random look at her life, and, as can happen these days on the Internet, the blogosphere spread it like wildfire landing her on the evening news. Her father is hosting the video at the Internet Archive now since his bandwidth costs went sky high. His account of the events is simply great as well. In the article, here’s what she says about the experience so far:

“On my blog it allows people to post comments, and I have gotten comment upon comment upon comment,” she said. “It makes me feel really good that somebody else cares about what I have to say.”

One of those comments was left by my seven-year old daughter, who,…

2. …after we watched the video, asked “how did she do that?” with real interest. We’re talking about her doing a movie on her own now. Cool. Even better, though, was a random comment that she got on her own blog from two girls who are reading her posts:

Hello. My name is Amy, and my friend Hannah and I were reading your weblog. We like it very much. You write very funny stories! Please write more, we would like to read them.

One of her New Year’s Resolutions is to post at least a story a week, and last night I sat with her as she blogged her latest 200+ word post (with apologies to Garfield, I know.) At one point she turned to me and said, “you know daddy, my teacher doesn’t even know I have a blog yet. I’m going to tell her tomorrow.” I know she’d love to get some feedback…

3. Finally, I was just surfing through some of the student blogs we have here at my school and came across this post:

It’s Sunday, and I just worked a full weekend, and I am exhausted- but I have to tell you (if you are reading this) I love spending time, writing stuff on this weblog- whether it’s posting pictures or my blogs/beats.

Jordana’s obviously got that audience thing figured out, and it’s working for her. I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but I’ll say it again…kids never got a chance to write the way she’s writing BB (before blogs). And even though many won’t take to it like she has, I think it’s important to give students that taste of audience and voice anyway.

I used to coach with a guy who always told players to “take a picture” when things were going right. There are lots of these pictures out there, and this is what the Read/Write Web has in store. It’s no secret that I am still awed by the prospects.
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