5 Ways to Teach Kids to Use Technology Safely
Posted on 31. Jul, 2012 by lynette.
It is safe to assume that our schools will most certainly be wired for improving learning and teaching, if not today, then soon. We expect and should continue to expect that obtaining the tools of technology are not the end, but a means to helping our kids learn the skills that will propel them into jobs and careers that will later benefit themselves and society.
But I challenge the assumption that the job of teaching kids to be good citizens of the Internet is solely within the purview of schools. Parents are most often the first to introduce kids to technology. Kids are also able to connect online both at home and at school, but increasingly in the places in between. This is largely driven by the rise of mobile devices in more and younger hands, without adult supervision. So a community approach to teaching kids to think critically on their own about what they are saying, doing, and sharing online is more important than ever.
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4 Things You Can Do This Internet Safety Awareness Month
Posted on 15. Jun, 2012 by lynette.
June is Internet Safety Awareness month in the U.S., but it’s a great time for everyone everywhere to stop and take a few moments to educate yourself and your family about all matters concerning digital literacy, safety, and responsibility.
Here are a few things you can do immediatley to help you learn or teach your kids about safe, responsible technology use. Take 15 minutes to do one of these things this month. And do them all at some point soon.
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Are Families No Longer A Priority For The Video Game Industry?
Posted on 12. Jun, 2012 by lynette.
As summer nears, the hours logged by kids and families with entertainment such as video games are about to go up. Guest blogger Johner Riehl, founder of Family Friendly Video Games, has some great insight into the trends in video games and provides resources below to help you as you decide which games are best for your family this summer.
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Facebook for Kids: Is it That Alarming?
Posted on 06. Jun, 2012 by lynette.
A Wall Street Journal article this week has stirred again a discussion about Facebook allowing those under 13 to use its site. Mark Zuckerberg once addressed it in public, when asked about it.
It strikes me as odd as Facebook’s stock continues its slide that such a story would be resurrected, and wonder if the opposite were true, we might never have heard of this again – until perhaps Facebook actually had opened its doors to those under 13.
But besides the suspicious timing of this story, I still wonder why an arbitrary age set by the laws of 1 country that compromises only some of the 900 million Facebook users worldwide creates panic among some of us.