Digital Smarts Blog

Pearson and NBC News Education Nation have teamed up to call upon parents, grandparents, other family members and even teachers to think about ways they can support – both digitally and otherwise -- the students in their lives. With the school year creeping up, it is almost time to launch into a new season of routine – from homework to after-school activities and school lunches to family dinners. Parents and caregivers are asked to participate by sharing their School Year’s Resolution with the Parent Toolkit community starting August 3^rd at 12pm ET and ending September 8^th at 12pm ET. There are multiple ways to share resolutions – by simply writing it, uploading a photo, or sharing a link to a video. Those who share their resolution will be entered to win a $250 gift card to Amazon.com for back‐to‐school supplies.

Pearson and NBC News Education Nation have teamed up to call upon parents, grandparents, other family members and even teachers to think about ways they can support – both digitally and otherwise -- the students in their lives. With the school year creeping up, it is almost time to launch into a new season of routine – from homework to after-school activities and school lunches to family dinners. Parents and caregivers are asked to participate by sharing their School Year’s Resolution with the Parent Toolkit community starting August 3^rd at 12pm ET and ending September 8^th at 12pm ET. There are multiple ways to share resolutions – by simply writing it, uploading a photo, or sharing a link to a video. Those who share their resolution will be entered to win a $250 gift card to Amazon.com for back‐to‐school supplies.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin (UTA) recently took another look at anti-plagiarism detection software and found that it is not terribly accurate. This revelation, similar to the same results found 2 years ago when UTA did a similar study, is fueling renewed debate about how the software is used, especially in K-12 education where teachers often use results from a scan of a student project to punish students rather than as a tool to teach them how to write and cite correctly. The researchers warn that teachers who use the software as their sole means of evaluating student papers for originality are experiencing a “measure of false security, like having people take off their shoes at the airport.”

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin (UTA) recently took another look at anti-plagiarism detection software and found that it is not terribly accurate. This revelation, similar to the same results found 2 years ago when UTA did a similar study, is fueling renewed debate about how the software is used, especially in K-12 education where teachers often use results from a scan of a student project to punish students rather than as a tool to teach them how to write and cite correctly. The researchers warn that teachers who use the software as their sole means of evaluating student papers for originality are experiencing a “measure of false security, like having people take off their shoes at the airport.”

Just for fun, take a look at these 16 tweets about kids, parenting and perceptions about technology that appeared on The Huffington Post site.  The tweets provide a humorous commentary on the generation gap between parents and their “digital native” kids.

Just for fun, take a look at these 16 tweets about kids, parenting and perceptions about technology that appeared on The Huffington Post site.  The tweets provide a humorous commentary on the generation gap between parents and their “digital native” kids.

Facebook can't challenge warrants, on its users' behalf, that demand personal data, a New York court has ruled, meaning the social network will now be required to hand over data on hundreds of people accused of Social Security fraud. It is unclear whether Facebook will appeal. "We continue to believe that overly broad search warrants ... are unconstitutional," Facebook said on their site.

Facebook can't challenge warrants, on its users' behalf, that demand personal data, a New York court has ruled, meaning the social network will now be required to hand over data on hundreds of people accused of Social Security fraud. It is unclear whether Facebook will appeal. "We continue to believe that overly broad search warrants ... are unconstitutional," Facebook said on their site.

Young children learn by example, often copying the behavior of adults, which includes imitating how parents use digital devices. Multiple studies on the subject are taking place; what researchers often observe is that the first thing parents do is check their phone before they stop to eat with a child, get to a children’s sporting event, or arrive home from most anywhere. They often give the device more attention than they do their child. Researchers also found that these and other lapses often cause children to act out in order to get their parents’ attention. One researcher even reported a four year-old complaining: “I feel like I’m just boring. I’m boring my dad because he will take any text, any call, any time, even on the ski lift.” In response, a family therapist suggests parents “make time for real-life activities with your kids that let them know that they’re worth your time and undivided attention. Do things together that nourish your relationship.” For more tips see 5 Ways to Save Yourself from Device Addiction on the Common Sense Media site.

Young children learn by example, often copying the behavior of adults, which includes imitating how parents use digital devices. Multiple studies on the subject are taking place; what researchers often observe is that the first thing parents do is check their phone before they stop to eat with a child, get to a children’s sporting event, or arrive home from most anywhere. They often give the device more attention than they do their child. Researchers also found that these and other lapses often cause children to act out in order to get their parents’ attention. One researcher even reported a four year-old complaining: “I feel like I’m just boring. I’m boring my dad because he will take any text, any call, any time, even on the ski lift.” In response, a family therapist suggests parents “make time for real-life activities with your kids that let them know that they’re worth your time and undivided attention. Do things together that nourish your relationship.” For more tips see 5 Ways to Save Yourself from Device Addiction on the Common Sense Media site.

The Harvard School of Public Health Prevention Research Center has a new guidebook on how to set limits on digital device use for both kids and parents called Outsmarting the Smart Screens. Tips are included on how to limit the amount of time children and parents spend in front of the television, computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets.

The Harvard School of Public Health Prevention Research Center has a new guidebook on how to set limits on digital device use for both kids and parents called Outsmarting the Smart Screens. Tips are included on how to limit the amount of time children and parents spend in front of the television, computers, video games, smartphones, and tablets.

There are a large number of devices that can be controlled with apps on your smartphone, and the list is continuously growing. Home theater systems and security cameras are probably some of the most familiar app-controlled systems, but cars, toys and even home automation are also making fast inroads. As you make use of more and more of these innovations, it will be even more important to keep your phone protected from hackers.

There are a large number of devices that can be controlled with apps on your smartphone, and the list is continuously growing. Home theater systems and security cameras are probably some of the most familiar app-controlled systems, but cars, toys and even home automation are also making fast inroads. As you make use of more and more of these innovations, it will be even more important to keep your phone protected from hackers.

The “Internet of Things” has become a catch phrase for how the tech industry hopes to connect everything in our lives to technology, so it should not be surprising that kids too are being targeted. Devices for everything from monitoring sleeping patterns of babies to tracking devices for toddlers are being readied and marketed. Fuhu, a Los Angeles company known best as the producer of the Nabi tablet for children, is one of the leaders in the field and plans on releasing new devices as early as this holiday season that coordinate with the Nabi tablet.

The “Internet of Things” has become a catch phrase for how the tech industry hopes to connect everything in our lives to technology, so it should not be surprising that kids too are being targeted. Devices for everything from monitoring sleeping patterns of babies to tracking devices for toddlers are being readied and marketed. Fuhu, a Los Angeles company known best as the producer of the Nabi tablet for children, is one of the leaders in the field and plans on releasing new devices as early as this holiday season that coordinate with the Nabi tablet.

Wondering about the right age to give a cell phone to a child? How about choosing the right service plan? Need to compose a list of rules or keep track of family cell phone use? A new section on the Common Sense Media site called Cell Phone Parenting can help. These questions and others are dissected, discussed and enhanced with real life experience comments from other interested parents.

Wondering about the right age to give a cell phone to a child? How about choosing the right service plan? Need to compose a list of rules or keep track of family cell phone use? A new section on the Common Sense Media site called Cell Phone Parenting can help. These questions and others are dissected, discussed and enhanced with real life experience comments from other interested parents.

To someone who doesn’t know what one is, a “Hackathon” might not sound like an educational event appropriate for students, but it is actually a unique learning experience that provides a chance for students to spend extended time working on technology based projects instead of being restricted to a 45-60 minute class period in school. Loosely defined, hackathons are events where people with diverse skills work collaboratively to create solution-oriented technology. All students benefit from hackathons, according to Claire Shorall, a former instructional coach and STEM teacher at Castlemont High School in California. "The exposure and access that hackathons have provided to my students -- from introductions to new technologies to networking with engineers of color -- has been trajectory changing," she writes in a blog post. If you have a child interested in the tech field, check with your school to see if they have opportunities to send students to a local hackathon experience.

To someone who doesn’t know what one is, a “Hackathon” might not sound like an educational event appropriate for students, but it is actually a unique learning experience that provides a chance for students to spend extended time working on technology based projects instead of being restricted to a 45-60 minute class period in school. Loosely defined, hackathons are events where people with diverse skills work collaboratively to create solution-oriented technology. All students benefit from hackathons, according to Claire Shorall, a former instructional coach and STEM teacher at Castlemont High School in California. "The exposure and access that hackathons have provided to my students -- from introductions to new technologies to networking with engineers of color -- has been trajectory changing," she writes in a blog post. If you have a child interested in the tech field, check with your school to see if they have opportunities to send students to a local hackathon experience.