Digital Smarts Blog

A recent online survey conducted by McAfee has found that about 62% of teenagers in the US say they have seen or heard of another student using technology to cheat in school. The firm surveyed about 3,902 high-school students in the US, Australia, Canada and the UK. Students say it is easy to take a cell phone photo of notes or test answers, then peek at it surreptitiously while taking a test. Many respondents did note, however, that vigilant teachers will be on the lookout for those wayward glances.

A recent online survey conducted by McAfee has found that about 62% of teenagers in the US say they have seen or heard of another student using technology to cheat in school. The firm surveyed about 3,902 high-school students in the US, Australia, Canada and the UK. Students say it is easy to take a cell phone photo of notes or test answers, then peek at it surreptitiously while taking a test. Many respondents did note, however, that vigilant teachers will be on the lookout for those wayward glances.

Thinking about sending your child’s teacher an after hours email? You might want to wait until the next school day. Some educators in Australia are asking for a break from the burden of answering emails sent by parents after hours and on weekends. The State School Teachers Union there says that some parents expect lengthy, instant responses, which is why they are seeking to include a provision that offers teachers a reprieve in their contracts.

Thinking about sending your child’s teacher an after hours email? You might want to wait until the next school day. Some educators in Australia are asking for a break from the burden of answering emails sent by parents after hours and on weekends. The State School Teachers Union there says that some parents expect lengthy, instant responses, which is why they are seeking to include a provision that offers teachers a reprieve in their contracts.

Playing the video game Minecraft may help boost students' social and emotional skills, according to a recent survey from Getting Smart and Microsoft. Data shows that 86.6% of teachers who use the education version for group play in their classrooms said playing Minecraft had a positive effect on students' communication skills, including problem-solving (cited by 97.7 percent), creativity (95.5 percent), critical thinking (93.3 percent) and collaboration (91.1 percent).

Playing the video game Minecraft may help boost students' social and emotional skills, according to a recent survey from Getting Smart and Microsoft. Data shows that 86.6% of teachers who use the education version for group play in their classrooms said playing Minecraft had a positive effect on students' communication skills, including problem-solving (cited by 97.7 percent), creativity (95.5 percent), critical thinking (93.3 percent) and collaboration (91.1 percent).

Do you know what the policies are at your child’s school for visiting sites like Blogger, Facebook, Google +, Skype and Twitter? In Indiana, the Department of Education has complied a map that includes every school district in the state with information about their technology plans and social media policies. It is a good resource for parents to learn about the policies that are in place and the kind of technology that is being offered to students, including guidelines on filters, access at home and the use of social media sites. Even if you don’t live in Indiana, it can be informative to get a glimpse of how other districts handle technology use and what they do when social media influenced issues arise.

Do you know what the policies are at your child’s school for visiting sites like Blogger, Facebook, Google +, Skype and Twitter? In Indiana, the Department of Education has complied a map that includes every school district in the state with information about their technology plans and social media policies. It is a good resource for parents to learn about the policies that are in place and the kind of technology that is being offered to students, including guidelines on filters, access at home and the use of social media sites. Even if you don’t live in Indiana, it can be informative to get a glimpse of how other districts handle technology use and what they do when social media influenced issues arise.

Leaders in some school districts are placing limits on when -- and how often -- parents can check online grade portals, writes teacher and author Jessica Lahey. In a commentary in The New York Times, she shares the potential downside of parents "overchecking" grade portals, writing that in high-pressure school districts, parents will view the district’s invitation to constantly monitor grades and scores on the portal not as an option, but as an obligation. This obligation adds to the mounting anxiety students and parents feel in these districts.

Leaders in some school districts are placing limits on when -- and how often -- parents can check online grade portals, writes teacher and author Jessica Lahey. In a commentary in The New York Times, she shares the potential downside of parents "overchecking" grade portals, writing that in high-pressure school districts, parents will view the district’s invitation to constantly monitor grades and scores on the portal not as an option, but as an obligation. This obligation adds to the mounting anxiety students and parents feel in these districts.

Teaching coding to kids is a trend that is on the rise. A number of children’s books are using fictional storylines to teach the fundamentals of coding -  Girls Who Code is releasing two books, a fiction novel called "The Friendship Code," and an illustrated coding manual, and Gene Luen Yang’s best-selling graphic novel series “Secret Coders” follows a group of kids who discover that their school’s janitor has a secret underground coding school. There are also a number of organizations that have developed apps and online lessons to teach kids coding as well.  Code.org provides free online coding lessons, and has crafted coding curriculums for elementary, middle and high school students. Scratch Jr, a coding program designed for 4- to 7-year-olds, now has some five million users, and last year, Apple released a free app to teach the programming language Swift.

Teaching coding to kids is a trend that is on the rise. A number of children’s books are using fictional storylines to teach the fundamentals of coding -  Girls Who Code is releasing two books, a fiction novel called "The Friendship Code," and an illustrated coding manual, and Gene Luen Yang’s best-selling graphic novel series “Secret Coders” follows a group of kids who discover that their school’s janitor has a secret underground coding school. There are also a number of organizations that have developed apps and online lessons to teach kids coding as well.  Code.org provides free online coding lessons, and has crafted coding curriculums for elementary, middle and high school students. Scratch Jr, a coding program designed for 4- to 7-year-olds, now has some five million users, and last year, Apple released a free app to teach the programming language Swift.

While social media has certainly helped fuel a set of behaviors dubbed "bro culture", it is also helping to stop its spread.  In the wake of recent accounts of sexual harassment and assault of women in the tech industry, a spotlight has been placed on “bro culture” which has become synonymous with the dangerous normalization of sexual objectification, harassment, assault and homophobia. In a recent article in The New York Times, author Ana Homayoun looks at the phenomenon online and shares information about several programs that aim to teach healthy behaviors to youth. One violence prevention program called Green Dot had more than a 50 percent reduction in the self-reported frequency of sexual violence and bullying by high school students. The program works with students to shift responsibility from victims to bystanders. Teaching young people that members of a community look out for one another may help reduce the spread of bro culture and other kinds of bullying, advises Homayoun.

While social media has certainly helped fuel a set of behaviors dubbed "bro culture", it is also helping to stop its spread.  In the wake of recent accounts of sexual harassment and assault of women in the tech industry, a spotlight has been placed on “bro culture” which has become synonymous with the dangerous normalization of sexual objectification, harassment, assault and homophobia. In a recent article in The New York Times, author Ana Homayoun looks at the phenomenon online and shares information about several programs that aim to teach healthy behaviors to youth. One violence prevention program called Green Dot had more than a 50 percent reduction in the self-reported frequency of sexual violence and bullying by high school students. The program works with students to shift responsibility from victims to bystanders. Teaching young people that members of a community look out for one another may help reduce the spread of bro culture and other kinds of bullying, advises Homayoun.

In one Arizona district, high schools have implemented a "traffic light" system to help with managing digital device use in the classrooms. Posters in individual classrooms display red, yellow or green signals indicating if students can, or cannot, use their digital devices during class. Students say it lets them know what to expect when coming into a class and gives them a break to concentrate on the tasks at hand. They also say it helps keep them from getting their phone confiscated.

In one Arizona district, high schools have implemented a "traffic light" system to help with managing digital device use in the classrooms. Posters in individual classrooms display red, yellow or green signals indicating if students can, or cannot, use their digital devices during class. Students say it lets them know what to expect when coming into a class and gives them a break to concentrate on the tasks at hand. They also say it helps keep them from getting their phone confiscated.

Did you know that not all “hackers” are criminals? Many organizations are looking for white-hat hackers -- people who break down malicious code -- to help defend against cyberattacks, writes malware researcher Amanda Rousseau in a recent article in Teen Vogue. She offers four reasons why students, especially girls, should consider this career path, including the high demand for these jobs and the opportunity to positively affect the world and make a difference in people’s lives.

Did you know that not all “hackers” are criminals? Many organizations are looking for white-hat hackers -- people who break down malicious code -- to help defend against cyberattacks, writes malware researcher Amanda Rousseau in a recent article in Teen Vogue. She offers four reasons why students, especially girls, should consider this career path, including the high demand for these jobs and the opportunity to positively affect the world and make a difference in people’s lives.

With school starting you might want to check out this list of digital safety resources suggested by the National PTA. This time of year is a good time to create a contract with your family on how to responsibly use digital devices and to set down some guidelines/rules. One great tool for guiding you through that process is the Smart Talk site sponsored by the National PTA and LifeLock. The process has three steps. Together with your kids you consider various categories including safety and privacy, screen time, apps, texting, and social media, just to name a few. The site guides you through a series of questions that will help you set the ground rules for each category. You can also print your own customized agreement and post it where everyone in the family can see it. The site streamlines what can sometimes be an uncomfortable process and helps keep the conversation on the topics that need to be covered.

With school starting you might want to check out this list of digital safety resources suggested by the National PTA. This time of year is a good time to create a contract with your family on how to responsibly use digital devices and to set down some guidelines/rules. One great tool for guiding you through that process is the Smart Talk site sponsored by the National PTA and LifeLock. The process has three steps. Together with your kids you consider various categories including safety and privacy, screen time, apps, texting, and social media, just to name a few. The site guides you through a series of questions that will help you set the ground rules for each category. You can also print your own customized agreement and post it where everyone in the family can see it. The site streamlines what can sometimes be an uncomfortable process and helps keep the conversation on the topics that need to be covered.