Are You Distracting Teachers?

It’s difficult for all of us to fight the urge to check email, text messages, social networks, and/or app info on our cell phones, computers, and other digital devices. Schools often have rules against teachers making and answering personal calls while they are teaching, but do parents contribute to the problem for teachers?

Peter DeWitt in his Education Week article, “Do You Check Your School E-Mail Too Much”, reminds parents to recognize that teachers have lives outside of school and expecting instant answers can distract teachers from their jobs. We’ve talked about this before in this blog and in articles on this site. Make sure you are respectful of a teacher’s time when emailing and let them know when an instant answer is not necessary.

Is It Possible to Make Cell Phones and School Compatible?

I found the comments that go with an article entitled, “Is texting in school a right? Can we make school and cell phones compatible?,” in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution fascinating. They reflect the premise that so much of the population expects that school will be taught exactly the same way it was when they were in school – sans technology. The world, though, is not the same. Technology is here and we need to figure out how to incorporate it into the average class with the average teacher on an average day. It is not going away and, as kids continue to find their personal technology more fascinating than their teachers, teachers need to figure out how to harness the power of technology into their teaching.

I actually found it rather funny that the author of the article bemoans the fact that so many teens seem to be looking downward all the time. We used to moan and groan that kids did not read and write enough.  Now, they do it all the time, but because it is not what we think they should be reading and writing, it is a problem. The bottom line is that technology should help kids look out at the world in new ways. We need to figure out how to balance looking down and looking up into a useful educational experience.

Is It Social Suicide Not Having the Right Smartphone?

Getting a lot of pressure from your teen or tween about having an iPhone or other “right” smartphone? Take a look at “Q&A: Is not having an iPhone really social suicide for kids?” for a very balanced explanation that weighs the pros and cons and cites ways for you to keep some control over the situation.

Distracted Driving Continues as Big Issue for Teens

A survey of teens and young adults, by Bridgestone Americas, found that many have engaged in distracted driving, such as receiving e-mails and text messages or browsing social media sites, while behind the wheel. Teen drivers are more likely to engage in distractions while driving if they are alone in the vehicle, the survey found. That's when 95% said they are most likely to talk on the phone without a hands-free device.

Social Media Rumors Cut Both Ways

School districts are complaining that students are more and more often texting and tweeting about things that happen during the school day, often without getting all the facts, causing consternation among parents, teachers, school administrators, and even law enforcement. Here’s an example: a student accidently cuts himself in art class and someone sees him bleeding in the hall on the way to the nurse’s office, a text goes out and suddenly there are rumors flying around that someone got knifed at school. Parents call the school in a panic and the police get called, as well, long before the school has had a chance to check out the facts for itself.

While many schools acknowledge that texts and tweets can let kids reach out to parents when something serious is happening at school, such as a lockdown, to let them know they are safe, sometimes this happens before schools can get a notification out and that causes confusion. Schools, now, are finding that they have to use social media to spread the correct information just as quickly. It’s an issue of social media management and damage control and it is a new area for schools, some of whom find themselves out of their depth at this point in time.

Online Shoppers Targeted By Cybergangs

Holiday shopping time is a great time for cybercriminals. So, what can you do to stay safe?

• Browser update: Make sure you are running the most recent version of your Web browser. Outdated browsers without the latest security update can leave your computer vulnerable to viruses.

• Social-media scams: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social networks are littered with unsafe Web links for bogus "shopping deals" and "coupons." IF it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

• Going mobile: If you shop on your smartphone, pay attention to where you put your sensitive personal information. Cybercriminals can hack into text messages and e-mails to grab banking and shopping account information.

Homework and Mobile Devices

More than a third of tweens and young teenagers in the United States said they are using smartphones to do homework, according to a survey released recently, with Hispanic students using them at a higher rate than African-Americans or whites. So, maybe they really are telling the truth when they say they are doing their homework when on the phone. Of course, there was no grade correlation with this survey, so who knows?

Coming Soon Perhaps: Bendable Devices

Teachers and parents worry over dropped smart phones and digital devices, but that won’t be a problem when bendable, unbreakable digital devices come on the market. Samsung is working on “mass production of displays using plastic rather than glass”, and Sony has been working on it as well.  There are prototypes, but the companies have not solved the problems involved in mass production. Unbreakable digital devices, when available and affordable, will certainly be welcomed in schools and at home.

Getting Help Finding the Right Apps

A recent article in The New York Times has some good advice on finding the best apps for iOS and the Android platform. With over a million apps in the apps stores for each platform, we could all use a little help.

A Dollar A Day to Store Their Cell Phone

Since it is still an offense to carry a cell phone to school, many teens in New York City (at least those at the schools that have metal detectors) pay one dollar a day to leave their cell phone in a truck parked nearby. That adds up to $180 a year. Some PTA officials have asked permission to set up shop inside the school buildings instead, but the district has so far refused.  What does your district do and how do you feel about it?