Posted in digital learning, digital parenting, parents and technology, teaching

The Virginia Earthquake: Oh How I Love Teaching and Technology

Posted on by Marti Weston
My upstairs hallway

Yesterday in the District of Columbia (my school) and Virginia (my home), we had an earthquake, the largest quake in our area in 70 years. At school things rumbled and doors slammed, so most of the adults, who were preparing for the start of the school year, headed outside for a bit. At my house I returned to find pictures askew. A few things fell on the floor at home, but my neighbor checked on the house and picked them up before I arrived.

But here’s an interesting observation. On a day in August, when teachers like me are getting ready for the start of school — and bemoaning the end of summer just a bit — I found myself wishing the students were already back in school, because I know how special “the day after” can be for young learners and for me, too. Continue reading “The Virginia Earthquake: Oh How I Love Teaching and Technology” →

Posted in parents and technology

Cool TechTips from David Pogue

Posted on by Marti Weston

I’ve been carrying this May 18, 2011 article, The Ins and Outs of Using Gadgetry by New York Times tech guru, David Pogue, for three months. Actually, it’s worth carrying around so you can pull it out and get a few quick, and very helpful tips for whatever gadget you happen to be using.

Click to watch Pogue's 2006 TED Lecture.

Here are a few examples:

  • Skipping all of those irritating introductory messages on cell phones
  • Ensuring your digital camera focuses
  • Highlighting the address bar in your browser without taking time to grab the mouse
  • Using a few quick edit tips when you are writing
  • … and much more

I’ll admit to being a bit of a Pogue groupie. He always seems to have the answers, and if he doesn’t, he calls around (or messes around with the gadgets) until he does.

A Few David Pogue Links Continue reading “Cool TechTips from David Pogue” →

Posted in Back-to-school digital reading, digital parenting, online security, parent education, parents and technology

Filters: To Install or Not to Install? That is the Question! Back-to-School 2011 #1

Posted on by Marti Weston

It’s almost back-to-school season, I’ve just been asked for my opinion about home network filters, and I’ve answered the way I always do: protective software programs are fine but limited.

Yes, filters keep a certain amount of inappropriate content away from children, but the problem of access is not solved simply by protecting home computers and networks. Over the course of a day or week, a child encounters many other connections to the world wide web — on laptops, smartphones, iPads, computers, in other people’s homes, and maybe even at a parent’s office. Not to mention all of the inappropriate advertising…

Continue reading “Filters: To Install or Not to Install? That is the Question! Back-to-School 2011 #1” →

Posted in cell phones, digital parenting, online safety, online security

Clear Explanation About Cell Phone Hacking

Posted on by Marti Weston

Think seriously about securing the cell phones in your family. Over at NetFamilyNews Ann Collier has written a clear explanation of hacking and spoofing (and some links, too).

If you find you are glued to the news from Great Britain’s News Corp scandal, but still a bit fuzzy about how to implement better security on your own mobile phones, please read Collier’s post.

Continue reading “Clear Explanation About Cell Phone Hacking” →

Posted in parents and technology

10 Safe(r) Social Networking Sites for Younger Kids

Posted on by Marti Weston

Over at KQED News, Linton Weeks wrote a July 11, 2011 article describing the need and desire of younger children to participate in social network activities (despite the expressed doubts of many parents). In his article, 10 Safe Social Networking Sites for Younger Kids, he lists ten kid-friendly social networking sites along with editorial comments on topics such as privacy and parent administration options.

If I were writing the headline, I would use the word “safer.” Why safer?  Continue reading “10 Safe(r) Social Networking Sites for Younger Kids” →

Posted in digital parenting, future tech employment, kids changing lives, parents and technology

Are Technology Jobs Really Out There for Your Kids?

Posted on by Marti Weston

Lots of parents think about the types of jobs their children will hold as adults, but today these days fast-paced technology changes loom large, so adults may need to adopt a new mindset when it comes to understanding the ever-changing nature of employment that today’s children will encounter.

In a July 12, 2011 column in the New York Times, Pulitizer Prize-winning writer Thomas L Friedman (The World is Flat), writes about jobs and the technology world. (or as he often calls it the “flat world”). In his opinion piece, The Start-Up of You, Friedman points out that all of the employees from the big, but newish tech firms (such Facebook, Twitter, and Groupon) can fit into Madison Square Garden with seats to spare. Basically, these firms are not creating that many jobs.

Continue reading “Are Technology Jobs Really Out There for Your Kids?” →

Posted in digital parenting, parent child conversations, parent education, parents and technology, social media, social networking

Learning More About What You Don’t Know

Posted on by Marti Weston

I am just back from a huge technology conference in Philadelphia, the International Society for Technology in Education(ISTE), and I blogged from the event uploading nine or ten entries on a separate MediaTechParenting page. I also tweeted — sometimes using Twitter myself and at other times just watching, reading, and processing the tweets of others.

During the week — before, during, and after the conference — Twitter was my most important communication too. Over the four days it let me know where especially great workshops and presentations were occurring, helped me discover other people who shared my interest, kept me up-to-date about who was blogging, informed me about presenters who were sharing resources beyond their presentation rooms, and yes, even announced the location of the special snacks each afternoon. Without the #ISTE11 Twitter handle, and also the continuing backchannel tweets on #edtech and #edchat, my week would have been slower, less interesting, and nowhere near as dynamic.

Continue reading “Learning More About What You Don’t Know” →