Apps

Keeping in line with many popular media including books and television programs, apps for kids are also beginning to reflect diversity. Toca Boca is one of the leading children’s app developers and its goal is that "no kid should ever feel excluded by Toca Boca." In Toca Life: School, kids interact with 32 characters, representing different races, ages, backgrounds and physical abilities. The app allows kids to move the characters in and out of the five scenes to act out stories set in a school location. In each scene, players will find a wheelchair, so that any character can be placed there to tell a story. Biracial families show up in apps such as Goldilocks and Little Bear from Nosy Crow. Stereotypes as quashed in apps like Fox & Sheep's Little Farmers - Tractors, Harvesters & Farm Animals for Kids where both males and females appear driving the big machinery.

Jenny Grabiec, the Director of Technology at The Fletcher School, has a free book out called iCan with iOS: Apps, Tools & Strategies for Students with Learning and Attention Issues, but as she points out in an article on the Edutopia site, assistive technology can benefit all students. Grabiec states that for all students, with or without learning differences, using text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools are shown to read longer, write longer, and show a great improvement in spelling. Clock apps, with timers and alarms, can help students stay on task and be used for important reminders during the day. Interested in these kinds of apps? Take a look at the Edutopia Assistive Technology: Resource Roundup as well.

Jenny Grabiec, the Director of Technology at The Fletcher School, has a free book out called iCan with iOS: Apps, Tools & Strategies for Students with Learning and Attention Issues, but as she points out in an article on the Edutopia site, assistive technology can benefit all students. Grabiec states that for all students, with or without learning differences, using text-to-speech and speech-to-text tools are shown to read longer, write longer, and show a great improvement in spelling. Clock apps, with timers and alarms, can help students stay on task and be used for important reminders during the day. Interested in these kinds of apps? Take a look at the Edutopia Assistive Technology: Resource Roundup as well.

When iOS 11 comes to iPhones (and iPads) this fall, the new operating system will include a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode users can turn on. When the feature is activated, your iPhone can tell when you may be driving and will automatically mute your notifications so the screen remains dark. You can also set up your device to send your favorite contacts an automatic reply to tell them you are driving and will get back to them when you arrive. An excellent idea for all drivers, especially teens, so be sure to check it out this fall.

When iOS 11 comes to iPhones (and iPads) this fall, the new operating system will include a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" mode users can turn on. When the feature is activated, your iPhone can tell when you may be driving and will automatically mute your notifications so the screen remains dark. You can also set up your device to send your favorite contacts an automatic reply to tell them you are driving and will get back to them when you arrive. An excellent idea for all drivers, especially teens, so be sure to check it out this fall.

Keeping up with social media and the constant stream of new apps emerging can be overwhelming for parents. A recent article entitled Tips Toward a Safe and Positive Social Media Experience offers tips for digital safety. The article also includes a list of harmful apps, such as Calculator%, a secret app that looks like a calculator but is actually a vault for hiding photos and videos, and Blue Whale, a suicide challenge app that attempts to prod children into killing themselves. The app is a haven for child predators and it is common for children to be blackmailed and bullied into completing the game where a final task is suicide.

Keeping up with social media and the constant stream of new apps emerging can be overwhelming for parents. A recent article entitled Tips Toward a Safe and Positive Social Media Experience offers tips for digital safety. The article also includes a list of harmful apps, such as Calculator%, a secret app that looks like a calculator but is actually a vault for hiding photos and videos, and Blue Whale, a suicide challenge app that attempts to prod children into killing themselves. The app is a haven for child predators and it is common for children to be blackmailed and bullied into completing the game where a final task is suicide.

What was that ding? Was it your laptop, smartphone, tablet or other digital device letting you know that yet another text, email, news alert, or Facebook message has arrived? That’s great for you – if you don’t mind a huge negative impact on your performance and concentration throughout the day – but for everyone around you it can get very annoying very quickly. Try reading up about notification options on your iPhones and iPads or on your Android device. And while we are at it, here is some advice on how to ask other people to turn off those alerts.

What was that ding? Was it your laptop, smartphone, tablet or other digital device letting you know that yet another text, email, news alert, or Facebook message has arrived? That’s great for you – if you don’t mind a huge negative impact on your performance and concentration throughout the day – but for everyone around you it can get very annoying very quickly. Try reading up about notification options on your iPhones and iPads or on your Android device. And while we are at it, here is some advice on how to ask other people to turn off those alerts.

If you are reading this you may be thinking that you and your family already use Facebook so what does it mean to “master” it? Well for one thing, would you like to opt out of advertisements or remind yourself how someone got on your friends list? Perhaps it would also be good to set up a legacy contact just in case something happens to you, in case of emergency? To find out how to do all of these things and more, check out Kim Komando’s page on the USA Today site entitled These 7 tips will help you master Facebook.