Cyberbullying in New York City schools rose 19% in the 2015-16 school year, according to data from New York State's Education Department. Officials say the city spends more than $47 million annually on programs and staffing to combat the issue, yet there were still over 900 reported incidents last year. These figures may cause authorities to rethink their strategies on bullying prevention.
Cyberbullying in New York City schools rose 19% in the 2015-16 school year, according to data from New York State's Education Department. Officials say the city spends more than $47 million annually on programs and staffing to combat the issue, yet there were still over 900 reported incidents last year. These figures may cause authorities to rethink their strategies on bullying prevention.
If you are not familiar with the site Tech with Kids, you may find it to be a great source of balanced reviews of media for children from experts in the field. Recently the site updated some of their recommendation lists with a focus on diversity, including Apps That Celebrate Our Differences, Kid Apps Showing Diversity, and Girl Power in Apps. Also new on the site is a list of Book Apps for Older Readers. This list contains 10 great book apps for kids ages 7-14.
If you are not familiar with the site Tech with Kids, you may find it to be a great source of balanced reviews of media for children from experts in the field. Recently the site updated some of their recommendation lists with a focus on diversity, including Apps That Celebrate Our Differences, Kid Apps Showing Diversity, and Girl Power in Apps. Also new on the site is a list of Book Apps for Older Readers. This list contains 10 great book apps for kids ages 7-14.
With the proliferation of “smart” home devices like Amazon’s personal assistant known as Alexa, The New York Times offers some security tips to ensure that your purchase doesn’t become a sci-fi-movie surveillance nightmare. Some of the recommendations from experts include carefully reviewing privacy policies, making sure the device has security features built in, and putting it on a guest Wi-Fi network so it can’t be used to snoop through your data.
With the proliferation of “smart” home devices like Amazon’s personal assistant known as Alexa, The New York Times offers some security tips to ensure that your purchase doesn’t become a sci-fi-movie surveillance nightmare. Some of the recommendations from experts include carefully reviewing privacy policies, making sure the device has security features built in, and putting it on a guest Wi-Fi network so it can’t be used to snoop through your data.
Identity theft has been called the “crime of the 21st century.” When your identity is stolen, there are so many potential issues to deal with (changing passwords, closing accounts, dealing with fraudulent charges, placing fraud alerts with the credit bureaus) that you may forget about potential tax fraud. Armed with your personal information, identity thieves can file a fraudulent tax return in your name and receive a refund before you realize your information has been compromised. Sometimes taxpayers are unaware of the breach until they have problems filing their taxes. What do you do if you fall victim to tax-related identity theft? There are several steps to follow in the article Beware of Tax Identity Theft if you believe you are being targeted.
Identity theft has been called the “crime of the 21st century.” When your identity is stolen, there are so many potential issues to deal with (changing passwords, closing accounts, dealing with fraudulent charges, placing fraud alerts with the credit bureaus) that you may forget about potential tax fraud. Armed with your personal information, identity thieves can file a fraudulent tax return in your name and receive a refund before you realize your information has been compromised. Sometimes taxpayers are unaware of the breach until they have problems filing their taxes. What do you do if you fall victim to tax-related identity theft? There are several steps to follow in the article Beware of Tax Identity Theft if you believe you are being targeted.
Despite evidence that students who have taken standardized exams on the computer tend to score worse than those who took the tests on paper, educational groups are pushing schools to do assessments online. There are definite advantages, such as quicker feedback on performance, the ability to cater to different kinds of learners through a variety media formats, and a faster assessment of data to help with and remediate student performance. What do parents need to know about getting kids ready to take tests online? Studies have shown that kids perform better when they have access to technology in and out of school, are required to use it for school assignments, and use technology in more powerful ways – including writing, manipulating data, creating projects and knowing how to type. Make sure your kids are using the computer for more than playing games, know how to use the basic functions of a word processor even at a third grade level, and start learning how to type when it is appropriate.
Despite evidence that students who have taken standardized exams on the computer tend to score worse than those who took the tests on paper, educational groups are pushing schools to do assessments online. There are definite advantages, such as quicker feedback on performance, the ability to cater to different kinds of learners through a variety media formats, and a faster assessment of data to help with and remediate student performance. What do parents need to know about getting kids ready to take tests online? Studies have shown that kids perform better when they have access to technology in and out of school, are required to use it for school assignments, and use technology in more powerful ways – including writing, manipulating data, creating projects and knowing how to type. Make sure your kids are using the computer for more than playing games, know how to use the basic functions of a word processor even at a third grade level, and start learning how to type when it is appropriate.
Students who come to school sleepy may be tired because they wake up during the night to check social media, according to a recent study by British researchers which looked at data for more than 900 young people between ages 12 and 15. Data shows 1 in 5 students reported waking up to check social media. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that teens get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night. Making sure that a regular sleep pattern is kept is extremely important so that teens can maintain their internal clock and function optimally.
Students who come to school sleepy may be tired because they wake up during the night to check social media, according to a recent study by British researchers which looked at data for more than 900 young people between ages 12 and 15. Data shows 1 in 5 students reported waking up to check social media. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that teens get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night. Making sure that a regular sleep pattern is kept is extremely important so that teens can maintain their internal clock and function optimally.
What side of the digital divide is your school on? Is it on the side where parents and teachers are asking to keep computer time to a minimum because students have plenty of digital time at home with their own devices? Or are you on the other side - the kind of school where teachers and administrators are literally going dumpster diving to help kids get the equipment they desperately need to learn tech skills for the global economy they will be facing? Take a look at this article entitled Not All Towns are Created Equal, Digitally to learn more about the challenges a town like Greeley Colorado faces when sitting on the lower tier of the digital divide.
What side of the digital divide is your school on? Is it on the side where parents and teachers are asking to keep computer time to a minimum because students have plenty of digital time at home with their own devices? Or are you on the other side - the kind of school where teachers and administrators are literally going dumpster diving to help kids get the equipment they desperately need to learn tech skills for the global economy they will be facing? Take a look at this article entitled Not All Towns are Created Equal, Digitally to learn more about the challenges a town like Greeley Colorado faces when sitting on the lower tier of the digital divide.
While you have probably read numerous articles about the dangers of parents “oversharing” online when it comes to their children, it always seems to bear repeating that privacy is a fleeting thing at best. For example, while you may feel safe knowing Facebook has some privacy protections, did you know that when you post something, including your children’s pictures, you grant them the license to use and display that content? As the author of the article Do Our Children Want To Be On Social Media? reminds us, “kids are taught at school never to reveal personal information such as their birthday, their address, their school, or the names of their friends or pets. Meanwhile parents may be posting photographs of beaming pigtailed children in school logo tee shirts, standing outside their own numbered front doors. Scroll down a bit to find their friends’ pictures name identified at a party, and throw in the family dog, and you have everything you ever need to hack their future email and banking passwords, never mind anything more sinister.”
While you have probably read numerous articles about the dangers of parents “oversharing” online when it comes to their children, it always seems to bear repeating that privacy is a fleeting thing at best. For example, while you may feel safe knowing Facebook has some privacy protections, did you know that when you post something, including your children’s pictures, you grant them the license to use and display that content? As the author of the article Do Our Children Want To Be On Social Media? reminds us, “kids are taught at school never to reveal personal information such as their birthday, their address, their school, or the names of their friends or pets. Meanwhile parents may be posting photographs of beaming pigtailed children in school logo tee shirts, standing outside their own numbered front doors. Scroll down a bit to find their friends’ pictures name identified at a party, and throw in the family dog, and you have everything you ever need to hack their future email and banking passwords, never mind anything more sinister.”
Often parents are asked to think about how they can be better models of media use for kids but many question what they can do. Why not try logging your media use for a week just to see when and how you use digital media, how often and for how long? Ask kids to do the same… it could lead to a very interesting discussion.
Often parents are asked to think about how they can be better models of media use for kids but many question what they can do. Why not try logging your media use for a week just to see when and how you use digital media, how often and for how long? Ask kids to do the same… it could lead to a very interesting discussion.
From magazines to Instagram, there seems to be a constant stream of images of perfect-looking men and women that fill our everyday lives. How can you prepare your kids to understand that these unrealistic faces and bodies are “touched up” so they don’t feel inadequate in comparison? An article on the Common Sense Media site entitled The Ugly Truth Behind Pretty Pictures discusses 6 different ways to approach the subject with your kids. One suggested idea is playing “spot the Photoshop” where you challenge your kids to spot the retouching on any ads or photos you come across. Or, let your kids use a free photo editor on your phone or computer to edit some pictures of themselves or you. It is pretty easy to make someone look better or worse very easily… just make sure to keep your sense of humor!
From magazines to Instagram, there seems to be a constant stream of images of perfect-looking men and women that fill our everyday lives. How can you prepare your kids to understand that these unrealistic faces and bodies are “touched up” so they don’t feel inadequate in comparison? An article on the Common Sense Media site entitled The Ugly Truth Behind Pretty Pictures discusses 6 different ways to approach the subject with your kids. One suggested idea is playing “spot the Photoshop” where you challenge your kids to spot the retouching on any ads or photos you come across. Or, let your kids use a free photo editor on your phone or computer to edit some pictures of themselves or you. It is pretty easy to make someone look better or worse very easily… just make sure to keep your sense of humor!