Archive for the ‘resources to read’ Category
Posted by Marti Weston on March 15, 2012
KQED MediaShift posted a March 15, 2012 list of recently published articles on e-books and self-publishing. On this page you can also sign up for a regular self-publishing e-newsletter from MediaShift.
A Few More Self-publishing Resources From that I’ve Read Over the Past Few Months
Posted in 21st Century Learning, digital learning, digital parenting, electronic reading, i-Books and e-Books, iPhones and iPads, resources to read | Tagged: 21st century learning, digital literacy, digital parenting, e-books, e-publishing, i-books, self-publishing | 1 Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on January 23, 2012
So maybe, other than discovering that Wikipedia wasn’t working very well, you did not really get into all of the brouhaha about SOPA.
Fine, but if you read blogs or write for blogs or just do a lot on the web, you need to learn a lot about this issue. Below is a basic reading list, culled reliable press sources, to help you understand more.
What stands out in many of the articles, is how many of our representatives in Congress do not know or even understand enough about the digital world to be making policy about it. I wonder how many representatives and senators based a decision on a single staff memo or an index card with important (but perhaps poorly explained) bullet points? Right now the bill is not going anywhere, but this issue will come back.
Educate yourself by reading some of the articles below. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in digital citizenship, digital parenting, family conversations, parents and technology, privacy, resources to read | Tagged: Congress, digital parenting, online security, piracy, privacy, SOPA | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on January 18, 2012
What if our children had instant access to a library with thousands of books from countries all over the world — a place that invited them to drop by, read, and learn about one another (and without driving)? Imagine what they could find out about the world’s cultures, celebrations, languages, differences, and also about what they have in common.
Click here to visit the library.
That just about describes the mission of the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL), an online destination hosted at the University of Maryland. The massive website, with digitized books in 61 languages is the largest online collection of multicultural children’s literature, and everything on the site promotes reading and the love of diversity.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Bookmark It!, digital learning, digital parenting, digital world reading habits, resources to read | Tagged: Bookmark It, digital books, digital kids, digital parenting, education, ICDL, International Children's Digital Library, multiculturalizm, web resources | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on September 14, 2011
The beginning of a school year is a good time for families to set limits, explain rules, and in general, clarify expectations about technology use. Getting started in the fall, when everyone is off to a new grade and a fresh beginning, encourages healthy tech habits.
Depending on the age of your children, you may want to accomplish some or even all of the tasks on this list, encouraging everyone to think responsibly and become committed digital citizens.
Nine Back-to-School Technology Tasks
1. Place computers in central, well-traveled locations — away from bedrooms and private spaces.
2. Be sure adults, not children, are administrators on the computers in your home, including laptops.
3. Print and post rules and expectations next to each computer. Specify the times when you do not want your children using computers. Emphasize that your family rules are in effect when children go to a friend’s house. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in cell phones, copyright, digital photography, electronic communication, plagiarism, resources to read, setting technology limits, tech free time, writing for the web | Tagged: American Academy of Pediatrics, cell phones, digital parenting, family conversations, Hamlet's Blackberry, mobile phones, technology | 1 Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on August 28, 2011
Nixle helps to aggregate data sources during a disaster.
If you haven’t had enough of hurricane Irene, PC Magazine just published 10 Mobile Apps for Tracking Hurricane Irene. Some are free and other are downloadable for a small charge.
Applications come from government agencies like NOAA, but there are also some that are more survival oriented. One helps users develop and share a disaster plan.
Nixle, the application on the left, allows a user to set up connections with data sources so the information comes to you. Every app is not available for every mobile platform.
Check out the PC Magazine presentation, featuring something for every type of disaster tracking personality.
Posted in Bookmark It!, digital parenting, resources to read, social media, web research | Tagged: digital parenting, digital safety, disaster tracking, disasters, hurricane Irene, PC Magazine | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on May 20, 2011
Visit OnGuard Online
Are you searching for reliable tutorials to help you learn more about managing digital-age parenting topics? Check out the short book Net Cetera: Chatting With Kids About Being Online. Simple, straightforward, and easy to read, this publication covers most of the relevant digital topics, and its comprehensive table of contents is a ready-to-use outline that can help to guide virtual world family conversations. Net Cetera, published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is available as a PDF download or as a printed booklet. Moreover, the booklet can be ordered in quantity for a PTA, book club, church activity or other parent group.
The FTC website, OnGuard Online, which features Net Cetera, is also a repository of information that can help parents to address concerns with their digital children. Each subject is covered with three sections, starting with a review of the “Quick Facts.” A more detailed explanation follows with a section of links that connect to additional online resources.
Topics include:
- Kids Privacy
- Computer Disposal
- Identity Theft
- Scams
- Social Networking
Visit OnGuard Online
The OnGuard Online site also included videos, PowerPoint presentations, games, and a host of games that are designed a bit like quizzes. Users can also sign up for a daily cyber tip e-mail.
This site, and especially the Net Cetera booklet, is useful for everyone in a family, including grandparents or other seniors. The type can be adjusted so that it is larger, and many of the topics covered provide information that is critical for aging family members to understand, and perhaps grandchildren can help do some of the teaching.
Posted in Bookmark It!, digital citizenship, digital parenting, online safety, online security, parents and technology, resources to read | Tagged: digital life, digital parenting, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Net Cetera, OnGuard Online | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on January 27, 2011
As usual, Common Sense Media is right on top of the latest media/television family dilemma, and the website has published a short piece to help parents talk with their teenage children about the MTV program, Skins. In Tough Talk: How Parents Can Use MTV’S Skins As a Jumping Off Point, Liz Perle writes, “MTV’s teen drama Skins (a remake of the even edgier British series) showcases every behavior that keeps parents of teenagers up at night.” Perle suggests conversation pointers that can help parents begin conversations on these all too nerve-wracking topics. While these subjects keep parents in a perpetual state of jitters, teenagers confront many of the issues the issues on a daily basis — though honestly the show itself seems overly contrived. Check out the article.
The point is – and this is a Common Sense Media mantra (about page) — no matter how uncomfortable the topic may be, the most important thing is to work hard to keep the dialogue going throughout the challenging teenage years. The conversations, even if they don’t go as smoothly as a parent wishes, nevertheless help adolescent kids think about making better choices.
Posted in family conversations, healthy media images, media literacy, parent child conversations, parent education, resources to read, risky behavior | Tagged: adolescence, Common Sense Media, digital parenting, ethical behavior, media literacy, media messages, teens | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on October 9, 2010
Parents and teachers are always on the hunt for a reliable Internet site that children can visit time after time and be certain of the quality and reliability of the content. The Internet Public Library (ipl2) fits the bill, a resource that is just as good for adults as it is for children. With a motto of “Information You Can Trust” the IPL2 is a searchable, subject-categorized directory of authoritative websites with links to online texts, newspapers, and other resources. Librarians review everything in the collection.
What to Check Out at the Internet Public Library Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in digital parenting, great sites for students, homework, Internet Public Library, parents and technology, research on the web, resources to read, teens and technology | Tagged: digital parenting, great web site for families, homework, homework help, Internet Public Library, IPL2, librarians, reference, reliable information, web resources | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Marti Weston on September 23, 2010
“Why use Wikipedia?” adults often ask. What they are really asking is, “Should my kids use Wikipedia, and is it a real reference?” For adults who grew up in the age of multiple volumes of well-documented references, it’s hard to wrap our minds around Wikipedia — and even harder use it.
Digital natives, however, consult Wikipedia all the time, and the number of users and the content is increasing. According to a 2006 review in School Library Journal, “The popular online encyclopedia, whose entries are written and edited by any user, may inspire trepidation, even fear, yet the behemoth is impossible to ignore.” So just who is writing for Wikipedia? A March 2010 MSNBC article Who Writes Wikipedia, describes a research project that aimed to develop profiles of writers who contribute content.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in digital parenting, generating content, parents and technology, research on the web, resources to read | Tagged: digital parenting, generating content, NIH, web research, Wikipedia | Leave a Comment »
