Posted in digital parenting, good books to read, homework time, learning and the brain, parents and technology

Multi-tasking is a Myth, Researcher John Medina Maintains

Posted on by Marti Weston

Many of us may need to rearrange the way we work, reconsider our understanding of multi-tasking, and rethink how we supervise our children during homework time. According to Professor John Medina, the brain cannot multitask efficiently.

Dr. Medina, a respected molecular biologist who teaches at the University of Washington, published Brain Rules in 2008, and his book spent many weeks on the New York Times best seller list. In this entertaining read he discusses 12 important brain rules with one chapter devoted to multitasking. Addressing the widely accepted view that in the digital age we all multi-task effectively, Dr. Medina explains why the brain has trouble with multi-tasking and why this practice can cause trouble for learners, workers, and especially for pre-teens and adolescents. Many entertaining video explanations of the 12 brain rules are posted at his website. Continue reading “Multi-tasking is a Myth, Researcher John Medina Maintains” →

Posted in acceptable use, cell phones, digital citizenship, media literacy, online safety, parents and technology

Media in a Child’s Bedroom?

Posted on by Marti Weston

As parents, we make decisions every minute of the day — some based on things we really know. Others assumptions turn out to be based on things we have heard or believe. It’s the latter assumptions that cause us the most problems. In today’s media-centered world people make interesting decisions about the access their children have to television and computers, some of them based on what is known and some not.

Most people know about the need to limit television, understanding that too much TV viewing can lead to quality of life and health issues. The document, Setting Limits of Screen Time, posted at the Center for Media and Child Health (CMCH), provides ideas and suggestions with links to some of the published research about children and television viewing.

Continue reading “Media in a Child’s Bedroom?” →

Posted in online safety, parents and technology, risky behavior, social networking

Modifying Adolescent Risky Behavior on Social Networking Sites

Posted on by Marti Weston

The impulse-driven and wild-West environment of social networking sites encourages pre-adolescents and adolescents to “publicly display references to behaviors that are both personal and associated with health risks, such as sexual behaviors.” This article, Reducing At-Risk Adolescents’ Display of Risk Behavior on a Social Networking Web Site, published in the January 2009 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine is a riveting journal article.

Of interest to parents, the article reports how a physician researched at-risk behavior concerning sex or substance abuse openly posted by teenagers on social networking sites. Although it contains some complex statistics and research language, the article is available free for downloading and worth the time it takes to read.

A pediatrician, at the time of the research from the University of Washington Medical School, Megan A. Moreno, MD, M.S.Ed, MPH (Dr. Meg), identified public adolescent social networking profiles that featured risky behavior. She wondered whether hearing directly from a physician via e-mail about risky behaviors depicted on the social networking sites might influence how the young people represented themselves on-line and might perhaps encourage them to make healthy changes in their profiles.

Continue reading “Modifying Adolescent Risky Behavior on Social Networking Sites” →

Posted in acceptable use, cell phones, digital citizenship, online safety, parents and technology

Pay Attention to Potential for Cyber-bullying Before it Starts

Posted on by Marti Weston

An article in today’s New York Times, Online Bullies Pull Schools into the Fray, describes the enormous difficulties that texting, e-mail, Facebook, and other unlimited online activities cause for Middle School students, their parents, and their schools. Take some time to read it and reflect.

My reflection leads me to think that while cyber-bullying is the immediate problem, the larger issue is the need to change the way parents and their children think about digital tools. While me must always address problems, it seems way too late to effectively change errant digital behavior in Middle School if students have not received years of training in the art of digital citizenship long before they arrive in sixth grade.

Behavior and digital behavior go hand-in-hand. Parents regularly address civil, polite, and respectful behavior from the moment a child arrives at his or her first play-group. Does digital behavior get the same parental attention? The moment a child sits at a computer or sees mom and dad working on e-mail, the citizenship lessons should extend to the digital world. If the conversation does not start until a child gets a phone that texts and takes pictures — an entertaining toy from perspective of the youngster — it is way to late.

Continue reading “Pay Attention to Potential for Cyber-bullying Before it Starts” →

Posted in digital citizenship, digital parenting, online safety

Protecting Personal Information: The Jigsaw Puzzle Metaphor

Posted on by Marti Weston

Parents can use the jigsaw puzzle metaphor to illustrate how easily one online person can gather personal information about another individual.

In the digital world just two revealed personal facts provide enough information to help someone figure out and learn more about a person. While today’s online kids all know not to share a combined first and last name, they are less savvy about combinations such as a first name and an athletic team or school identification — details that can be combined and used to identify even more information about a child.

The jigsaw metaphor, which I’ve used for years with fourth and fifth grade students, concretely illustrates how it’s possible to figure out information.

Continue reading “Protecting Personal Information: The Jigsaw Puzzle Metaphor” →

Posted in acceptable use, cell phones, parents and technology, resources to read

A Cell Phone is Fun, but It’s Not a Toy

Posted on by Marti Weston

Even though most children now have cell phones, and while these devices seem like a necessary accessory for pre-teens and adolescents, parents should remind their children — on a regular basis — that cell phones are not toys. Mobile phones are sophisticated communication tools that also happen to entertain in many ways. They are fun to use, however, all family members need to learn as much as possible about the power of cell phones. The 2009 document Cell Phone Guide for Families With Children: Everything You Need to Know, written by Carnegie Mellon University’s My Secure Cyberspace, provides comprehensive information on cell phones. Another document from the same source is Should Your Child Have a Cell Phone?

A gadget orientation is critical. Before handing over a new mobile phone to a child, take the time to go over general guidelines and expectations. Review these expectations regularly, and update them each time a child’s gets a phone upgrade. Parents may also consider setting up a cell phone contract that spells out how a cell phone expectations and possible consequences when a child breaks the rules.

Continue reading “A Cell Phone is Fun, but It’s Not a Toy” →

Posted in digital citizenship, parents and technology, resources to read, Uncategorized

Parents, Please Don’t Belittle Yourself

Posted on by Marti Weston

Recently, while on vacation, I found myself talking to parents of middle school children at the local swimming area. As often happens, we spoke about children, jobs, and the wonders of vacation. When they inquired about what I do, I mentioned that I concentrate on educational technology and teach in a K-12 school.

Almost as soon as the people heard about my work, they began talking about technology and media — their lack of skill and understanding, their children’s immense comfort and skill, and how their kids can solve almost every computer problem in the house. A few minutes later I listened to their concerns about social networking, YouTube, Facebook, and how much time their children spend on the computer at home and on their smart phones just about anywhere.

I asked who sets up the computer in the house?  One of the children, most answered. I asked who does the system upgrading?  The children. I asked whether either parent had a Facebook or Twitter account?  No, some of them said. Not enough time –too busy.

Continue reading “Parents, Please Don’t Belittle Yourself” →