Digital Smarts Blog

Is your school trying to set a cell phone policy that works? For some background, read How to Manage Cell Phones in the Classroom on the Edutopia website to understand the issue more fully from a teacher’s perspective. Be sure to also read the comments section; almost every comment on the entry includes an anecdote about how the biggest issue with cell phones at school is parents who call at the wrong time, i.e. when their children are supposed to be paying attention in class. Don’t be THAT parent.

Is your school trying to set a cell phone policy that works? For some background, read How to Manage Cell Phones in the Classroom on the Edutopia website to understand the issue more fully from a teacher’s perspective. Be sure to also read the comments section; almost every comment on the entry includes an anecdote about how the biggest issue with cell phones at school is parents who call at the wrong time, i.e. when their children are supposed to be paying attention in class. Don’t be THAT parent.

With New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio's recent announcement that he intends to require teaching of computer science in all grades for all students, there is increased interest in even the very young learning to code. A recent article on the National Public Radio site takes on the topic of coding in kindergarten and lays out the pros and cons, concluding with a list of some coding resources – apps and toys – for teaching programming skills in elementary school.

With New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio's recent announcement that he intends to require teaching of computer science in all grades for all students, there is increased interest in even the very young learning to code. A recent article on the National Public Radio site takes on the topic of coding in kindergarten and lays out the pros and cons, concluding with a list of some coding resources – apps and toys – for teaching programming skills in elementary school.

Tap, Click, Read is a new book that offers ideas for teachers and parents about how to use media to encourage literacy and critical thinking in young children. With an alarming number of children in the US never becoming good readers, the authors promote the idea of "joint media engagement" (where adults and children learn from media together) in their discussion of media literacy. Research has shown that there is less "intentional viewing" of educational media today than in the past when, for example, parents and kids would watch Sesame Street together and then use what they watched in the real world to count objects or point out letters on a sign. Today parents and kids are more likely to be watching less educational programming together. For more information on this new book, read an interview with the authors on the PBS site.

Tap, Click, Read is a new book that offers ideas for teachers and parents about how to use media to encourage literacy and critical thinking in young children. With an alarming number of children in the US never becoming good readers, the authors promote the idea of "joint media engagement" (where adults and children learn from media together) in their discussion of media literacy. Research has shown that there is less "intentional viewing" of educational media today than in the past when, for example, parents and kids would watch Sesame Street together and then use what they watched in the real world to count objects or point out letters on a sign. Today parents and kids are more likely to be watching less educational programming together. For more information on this new book, read an interview with the authors on the PBS site.

More people have died while trying to take a ‘selfie’ than from shark attacks this year. So far, 12 people have lost their lives while trying to take a photo of themselves, while eight have died as a result of shark attacks, according to the Huffington Post. A 66 year-old tourist from Japan recently died after falling down some stairs while trying to take a photo at the Taj Mahal in India. In July, a woman from Mississippi was killed while visiting Yellowstone National Park and trying to snap a selfie with a bison.

Earlier this year the Russian government distributed an illustrated booklet to warn people of dangerous scenarios involved in taking such pictures as part of its Safe Selfie campaign. In a statement, Russian official Yelena Alekseyeva, said: “Our booklet reminds you of how to take a safe selfie, so it is not the last one you will ever take.” Just a fun factoid to help remind your kids to be careful where and when they take their selfies.

More people have died while trying to take a ‘selfie’ than from shark attacks this year. So far, 12 people have lost their lives while trying to take a photo of themselves, while eight have died as a result of shark attacks, according to the Huffington Post. A 66 year-old tourist from Japan recently died after falling down some stairs while trying to take a photo at the Taj Mahal in India. In July, a woman from Mississippi was killed while visiting Yellowstone National Park and trying to snap a selfie with a bison.

Earlier this year the Russian government distributed an illustrated booklet to warn people of dangerous scenarios involved in taking such pictures as part of its Safe Selfie campaign. In a statement, Russian official Yelena Alekseyeva, said: “Our booklet reminds you of how to take a safe selfie, so it is not the last one you will ever take.” Just a fun factoid to help remind your kids to be careful where and when they take their selfies.

In February 2007, a mother put up a 29 second video on YouTube of her toddler dancing while Prince’s song “Let’s Go Crazy” played in the background. Prince’s publishers objected and the mother filed a lawsuit.  This case has become representative of online clashes over copyright that have become commonplace since millions of ordinary people post similar candid videos of family and friends that may only incidentally include copyrighted media such as songs.

Recently the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco cleared the way for the case to go to trial, and they set a guideline that may change the way media companies police their holdings online. In its decision, the three-judge panel ruled that copyright holders must consider fair use before asking services like YouTube to remove videos that include material they control. “This ruling sends a strong message that copyright law does not authorize thoughtless censorship of lawful speech,” Corynne McSherry, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s legal director, said in a statement. The EFF represented the mother who posted the original video.

In February 2007, a mother put up a 29 second video on YouTube of her toddler dancing while Prince’s song “Let’s Go Crazy” played in the background. Prince’s publishers objected and the mother filed a lawsuit.  This case has become representative of online clashes over copyright that have become commonplace since millions of ordinary people post similar candid videos of family and friends that may only incidentally include copyrighted media such as songs.

Recently the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco cleared the way for the case to go to trial, and they set a guideline that may change the way media companies police their holdings online. In its decision, the three-judge panel ruled that copyright holders must consider fair use before asking services like YouTube to remove videos that include material they control. “This ruling sends a strong message that copyright law does not authorize thoughtless censorship of lawful speech,” Corynne McSherry, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s legal director, said in a statement. The EFF represented the mother who posted the original video.

For years, most of us have bemoaned the advertising that pops up when we use our phones and tablets. Recently Apple has enabled ad-blocking apps through its new mobile operating system, but now there is backlash as web publishers are fretting that ads on their sites can’t be viewed because of the blockers, threatening these publishers’ livelihood. All of this prompts a new discussion of the ethics of ad blocking. The bottom line is that advertising underlies much of how the internet operates, making it possible for free or low cost content to be offered, yet still allowing people to make a living off what they create. While ad blocking is not new, the number of people installing ad blockers is increasing and could hurt small and independent content publishers in particular, who depend on ads for 50 to 75% of their site’s revenue.

For years, most of us have bemoaned the advertising that pops up when we use our phones and tablets. Recently Apple has enabled ad-blocking apps through its new mobile operating system, but now there is backlash as web publishers are fretting that ads on their sites can’t be viewed because of the blockers, threatening these publishers’ livelihood. All of this prompts a new discussion of the ethics of ad blocking. The bottom line is that advertising underlies much of how the internet operates, making it possible for free or low cost content to be offered, yet still allowing people to make a living off what they create. While ad blocking is not new, the number of people installing ad blockers is increasing and could hurt small and independent content publishers in particular, who depend on ads for 50 to 75% of their site’s revenue.

Just for fun, set up your Facebook page like a pirate for a day and see if anyone notices. All you have to do is switch the primary language of your page as shown in this video. It’s all in fun, but a good reminder that people are not always as they seem to be online.

Just for fun, set up your Facebook page like a pirate for a day and see if anyone notices. All you have to do is switch the primary language of your page as shown in this video. It’s all in fun, but a good reminder that people are not always as they seem to be online.

Want to see something amusing? Take a peek at this short clip of people’s reactions when they actually read and understand the permissions they are giving away when starting to use a new app. Of course some apps are better at protecting your privacy than others, but take a look at this list of seven apps that are among the worst. Do you play “Words with Friends” or “Angry Birds”?  You may be surprised to find they are on the list.

Want to see something amusing? Take a peek at this short clip of people’s reactions when they actually read and understand the permissions they are giving away when starting to use a new app. Of course some apps are better at protecting your privacy than others, but take a look at this list of seven apps that are among the worst. Do you play “Words with Friends” or “Angry Birds”?  You may be surprised to find they are on the list.

Flash card makers, note-taking enhancers, and graphing calculators are just some of the simple apps that can make schoolwork more organized and manageable, and, if possible, more fun. You and your kids should take a look at the free and inexpensive apps recommended by the New York Times Personal Tech blog.

Flash card makers, note-taking enhancers, and graphing calculators are just some of the simple apps that can make schoolwork more organized and manageable, and, if possible, more fun. You and your kids should take a look at the free and inexpensive apps recommended by the New York Times Personal Tech blog.

Is your school or parent/teacher organization looking for ways to promote family engagement using technology and other support systems? If so, check out the resources on the Harvard Family Research Project web site for innovative technology ideas on how to get started linking families, schools, and communities to support success in school and in life.

Is your school or parent/teacher organization looking for ways to promote family engagement using technology and other support systems? If so, check out the resources on the Harvard Family Research Project web site for innovative technology ideas on how to get started linking families, schools, and communities to support success in school and in life.