Tag: Kids These Days

Laughing Matters

Everyone knows that maintaining a good sense of humor is important in everyday life - especially when it comes to the ups and downs of raising a family. On this program we'll explore how we can all insert more laughter (the best medicine!) into our day-to-day lives while learning to laugh more as a family. We'll find out why laughing is good for the bodies, minds and spirits of people of all ages and why with humor educator Mark Kay Morrison, medical laughter researcher Dr. Lee Berk and Scared Scriptless Improv's Jason Martin.

Life’s Detours

Sometimes life detours. Even the most organized plans can change and things don’t always happen as we expect. Especially when it comes to family life - a new baby, a marriage, a divorce, falling in love, a death - these are all things that can cause detours in our lives. This time on KTD, we’ve gathered touching, funny, amazing, heartbreaking and uniquely Alaskan stories from those who've experienced a detour in their life - a young family whose complicated pregnancy meant relocating to a new city, a novelist who detoured from Mongolia to Alaska, a single mom of three teens in Ohio who moved to a rural Denali homestead for the love of a dog musher and an injured Olympian gets back on track. And much more! KSKA: Tuesday 6/19 @ 2p & 7p

Fatherhood Then & Now

With Father's Day coming up, we at Kids These Days! thought it the perfect time to explore the role of fathers through history. How have dads changed, and how have they stayed the same through wars, civil rights movements, evolving social expectations and shifting economic times? We'll learn about the growing Alaska Native Fatherhood Movement and the groups that advocate for an active, engaged father (or father figure) in every child's life - and why it matters. Join us for this discussion that spans decades, cultures and a country as we look at dads in the USA, then and now. KSKA: Tuesday 6/11 @ 2p & 7p

Inside the Teenage Brain

New technologies are giving us an unprecendented view of the inner-workings of our brains. So this time on Kids These Days!, we're talking about brain development during a child's teenage years. Adolescent development expert and author, Dr. Laurence Steinberg & UAA's Dr. John Petraitis join us to discuss how your teen's odd or risky behavior could be explained by normal adolescent brain development. Plus, motivational expert to the teens, Josh Shipp aka 'The Teen Whisperer' and a new Dr. KTD. KSKA: Tuesday, 6/5 @ 2p & 7p

Dating & the Family

Looking for love, companionship and a life partner means dating - for better or for worse. So this time on Kids These Days! we're exploring what happens when mom or dad start dating again after a divorce or death of a spouse, and we'll also turn an eye to teens and dating - how are the kids these days doing relationships (or not). Plus, Susie Carter, founder of Alaskan Men magazine offers her best advice from 25 years of matchmaking. KSKA: Tuesday, 5/29 @ 2p & 7p

Teacher Appreciation

Whether you graduated last week or 30 years ago, chances are that there was a standout teacher at some point in your school career. Perhaps they had a unique teaching style. Maybe they took extra time or showed you special kindness. Or, they may have seen the potential in you earlier than anyone else. So on this program we celebrate and appreciate those educators who have made us all better people as a result of their work. We're joined by special guests Anchorage School District Superintendent, Carol Comeau, and two previous Alaska Teachers of the Year, Lorrie Heagy and Patricia Truman. KSKA: Tuesday 5/22 @ 2pm & 7pm

Motherhood Throughout History

This Mother's Day special explores how motherhood has evolved since the Greek and Roman times. We'll be looking at moms through the ages as well as discussing modern trends in motherhood with our guest Dr. Shari Thurer, author of Myths of Motherhood: How Culture Reinvents the Good Mother. It's a fascinating discussion on family structure, societal expectations and the importance of moms. KSKA: Tuesday, May 8 @ 2p & 7p

Get Ready for College!

Preparing for college can be an entire family affair, not to mention the teachers and counselors who all pull together to help a young person get ready to succeed in higher education. This time on KTD we're talking about what it takes to get to university - and once accepted - how to do one's best during those college years. For this conversation we check in with advisors from two of Alaska's higher learning institutions: University of Alaska, Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University. KSKA: Tuesday 5/1 @ 2p & 7p

The Cultural Education Debate

Place-based education means learning about the immediate environment and cultural history and heritage, too, as part of a student's overall education. This time on KTD educators Paul Ongtooguk and Lynda Prince, join host Shana Sheehy in the studio to talk about the philosophy behind the movement and explain its origins. And we'll hear from Dr. Ben Chavis, a School Choice supporter who is critical of the idea that schools should teach culture. KSKA: Tuesday 4/24 @ 2p & 7p

All About Autism

Autism is being diagnosed with more and more frequency; recent reports say 1 in 88 kids in the United States have it. So next week on Kids These Days! we're talking about autism spectrum disorders wit our guests Teresa Hirst, ANP and Kris Green, Autism and Services Manager for the State of Alaska. We’ll learn about screening, supports and resources for Alaska families, and what's changing for autism when new diagnostic criteria come out in 2013. KSKA: Tuesday 2/17 @ 2p & 7p

License to Drive

Car, boat or snowmachine, driving is a reponsibility, a privilege, a rite of passage, a danger and a freedom at any age! This time on KTD we're exploring all the facets of what it means to be young with a license to drive in Alaska with our guests, Don McDermott, a retired-educator-turned-driving-instructor, and Lt. Arthur "Tom" Dunn, the deputy commander of the Alaska Highway Patrol. We'll discuss safety issues, driver's ed, licensing, preventing drunk driving and why modern teens aren't getting their licenses as early as teens of yore. KSKA: Tuesday 4/10 @ 2pm & 7pm

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is changing the way we do so many things - how we communicate, navigate and regulate our every day lives. So how is it changing the way that we educate? We'll explore what technological innovation means to the future of classroom learning with Dr. Mark Bailey, an Oregon professor who is developing "play-based" digital curricula for early learners, and with Amanda Duvall, an Alaskan teacher who educates educators on using technology. That and distance learning in rural Alaska and we'll look at video games in a new light! KSKA: Tuesday, 4/3 @ 2pm & 7pm

Developing Sexual Identity

Growing up means forming a solid sense of your self, figuring out who you are and what you like in order to eventually become a fully realized adult. When a young person begins to identify as GLBT (gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender) it can be a difficult time in an already fragile period of life. So, what is "coming out" truly like for Alaska's rural and urban youth and how can loved ones can best support these kids as they struggle to accept themselves - and to be accepted? The president of Alaska PFLAG and two of Alaska's young GLBT leaders join us to discuss developing a sexual identity. KSKA: Tuesday 3/27 @ 2pm & 7pm

Springtime & Your Family’s Health

Can you feel it, too? The days are getting lighter, the temps a little warmer and our cabin fevers are starting to break. Next time on KTD we're exploring what effect the springtime change of season has on the bodies and the minds of people of all ages. We'll talk camping, hiking and the outdoors with Babes in the Woods author, Jen Aist; we'll learn about sun and vitamin D from Dr. Matthew Benson and we'll ask: "Is there really a medical explanation behind spring fever?" KSKA: Tuesday, March 20 @ 2pm & 7pm

Raising Spiritual Kids

Youth leaders from Alaska's Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities join us to discuss the value of raising children to have faith in a higher power. We'll explore why some kids will choose to reject their parents' religion, while others will remain devout in the faith of their childhood. Afshan Mohammad, Principal of Al- Noor Academy Sunday Islamic School, Rabbi Michael Oblath from Congregation Beth Shalom, and Mark Zweifel, District Youth Director of the AK Ministry Network are guests. KSKA: Tuesday, 3/13 @ 2pm & 7pm
High school-age children sit at desks appearing to work on an assignment with pends and paper

Standardized Testing

Assessing students' progress means a regular battery of standardized tests, a fact of life in most public schools - so how are Alaskan kids measuring up? We'll look at the history of this kind of testing, the current tests our kids take, and we'll also learn about the new, proposed standards for Alaskan K-12 students that could be implemented this fall if they are adopted. Guests from the Department of Ed and the classroom join us to discuss. KSKA: Tuesday, 3/6 @ 2pm & 7pm

Children & Pharmaceuticals

More and more kids are being prescribed medications. From psychotropic prescriptions to pills for obesity-related diseases, the rate of meds given to kids is increasing at a higher rate than any other age group. Caregivers have questions about this, and about side effects and dosages too, so we'll be exploring all things pharmaceutical next time with our guest, Dr. Shubu Ghosh, an Anchorage-based child psychiatrist. KSKA: Tuesday, 2/28 @ 2p & 7p

Developmental Milestones Ages 0-3

They grow up so fast, don't they? This time on KTD! we're talking about early developmental stages - where should very young children be developmentally at one year, two years, three years? And where can caregivers find help and support if their children aren't meeting those recommended milestones? We'll meet some of the resources available to help caregivers learn how to support their growing little ones with the state's Early Intervention Manager, Erin Kinavey and Dr. Donna Galbreath who's in a new film all about keeping "Babies on Track". KSKA: Tuesday, 2/21 @ 2pm & 7pm

Romance & Sex After Kids

To celebrate Valentine's Day week, Kids These Days! is hosting a discussion about sex and romance after kids. We'll talk with Alaskan relationship and sex therapists, Chris Reynolds and Rebecca Love, about the common issues couples face in the bedroom, and they'll share ideas for moms and dads who want to keep the magic alive. KSKA: Tuesday, 2/14 @ 2p and 7p

Alaska’s Juvenile Justice System

When young people are processed into a justice system, an arrest and a courtdate are only the very beginning of the correctional journey for juvenile offenders - one that hopefully ends with successful rehabilitation. So, how does the juvenile justice system in Alaska work? And what does successful rehabilitation look like? To find out we'll speak with Brian Petrilla, a teen-bankrobber-turned-adult-probation-officer and Rob Wood, the Deputy Director of the Alaska Division of Juvenile Justice. KSKA: Tuesday 2/7 @ 2p and 7p