My goal is to limit tech use this summer for my children. School will be out soon and  I know my children will try to spend as much time plugged in as possible.  I do not want to repeat last summer. I am trying to do my best to place limits on screen time by establishing some rules around technology use.

     I would like to start the summer vacation with rules in place to prevent my children from spending countless hours in front of the television or the computer. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to accomplish this? I think the best way to limit tech use is getting a list of house rules in place. Any tips you can share would be great!

                                    Looking for summer suggestions

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An online safety list for parents

      Do you know the ten things you should never share online? Social School 101 has prepared an online safety list for parents to use as an important reference to protect their children.  Every parent worries about online safety and whether or not their children reveal far more online than they should. Keeping children safe on the Internet requires constant supervision and reminders about what they should and should not share online.

     Many times children may give away personal information unwillingly. There are many ways this can happen.  Children and teens can become victims by people impersonating a friend, an online marketer, talking to strangers in chat rooms, or not realizing how many people will see and share their comments.  Social media and digital tools are great for sharing but there are some things that should never, ever be mentioned online.

     Are your children revealing too much online?  Do they really know and remember to use online safety precautions daily? Here is a list to keep on hand of useful reminders. Every six to eight weeks review these with your children because we all need to be vigilant about our information online.

 10 Things That Should Never Be Shared Online

1. Date of birth- Revealing your date of birth can lead to identity theft.
2. Where you live- Your location can be revealed in photos by geo-tagging or revealing information inside the photo like a street sign.
3. Passwords- This is an area of concern if you have pre-teens or teenagers. Many times close friends share passwords or boyfriend and girlfriend share their passwords. If the relationship ends, this leaves their social platforms open for damaging posts or emails.
4. Recent Purchases- Innocently sharing the arrival of a new computer or big screen television then including photos could alert strangers about where they can find  tempting items they would like to acquire.
5. Dates of big events- Planning a vacation to Hawaii with your relatives or a destination wedding? Again, you are revealing information to strangers about when you will be home and when you are leaving town.
6. Photos- Many times information captured in a  photo can identify your location. Things like the name of a school on clothing, license plates, and street signs all give away important details.
7. Relationships-Revealing the details of a scorned relationship online, the nasty comments about a break up, or escalating a fight over a friendship breakup online is exposing and hurtful. It is easy for teens to be pulled into a flame war.
8. Revealing names- People are still doing it even though they know they shouldn’t. Revealing the names of people or children in photos is risky.
9. Home alone- Innocently, emailing a friend to say, “ my parents just went to the movies and I am so bored at home” could be a disaster if the message gets forwarded to hundreds of people at school. Surprise, there is an instant party at your house.
10.  Inappropriate comments- Emails and the online comments your children make are just like writing in a permanent marker. They are permanent reminder and cannot be erased.

     This is a list about online safety  precautions you will hopefully refer to again and again. Remember to be sociable and share this with other parents. Keeping our children safe online begins with parents taking the steps to become Digital Parents.

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An Instruction Book for Parenting

     Wouldn’t it be wonderful if children came with an instruction book?  For any parent, a book with instructions on A Parent’s Guide To Social Media, would be wonderful to have when you needed answers in a hurry.

     Let’s be honest, when it comes to social media parenting, how much do you know? Do you shrink away from the subject when it comes up in conversation? Is it on your list of things you will learn one day soon?

     It may surprise you to learn that there are many parents just like yourself who have concerns about social media parenting but do not know where to find answers. All of the sudden your children seem to live online. They also seem to be very comfortable using the Internet and you feel left in the dark.

A Parent’s Guide To Social Media: The Answers You Need

     If you find you are in need of a digital education, then we would like to give you the answers you need to know. We create smarter parents everyday. Today, you can get started on becoming a confident digital parent with our streaming educational documentary, A Parent’s Guide To Social Media: Ages 3-8. Get the answers you need to parent the first Digital Generation.

     At Social School 101 we believe every parent matters!

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13 On Facebook?

      Is 13 the best age to be on Facebook? If you are the parent of a pre-teen then you will know how popular this question is among your children, teens, and other parents. What is the best age to be on Facebook? If not 13, then what should it be?

     Most parents do not realize that Facebook did not establish the age restrictions for their social platform. Actually, Congress decided that 13 was the best age for Facebook. Congress created the C.O.P.P.A. law or Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act  to protect children from advertisers. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children are very impressionable and do not have the age appropriate skills to discern the truth in advertisements. Therefore Congress created the law before Facebook was even invented. Ms. Social gave a detailed explanation about this topic earlier. You can find her response here.

What is your opinion?

     Is 13 the magic number to be on Facebook? Did your children want to be on Facebook before they turned 13? Do you think Facebook is where teens are online or have they abandoned Facebook for other platforms? Do you feel at 13, teens know enough about online safety and what they should never share online?

Public Opinion Agrees 13 Is an Appropriate Age to Get a Facebook Page infographic by SodaHead.

 

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Our Top Picks For Summer Vacation

     Social School 101 has a great summer book list full of creative ideas to keep kids entertained on their summer vacation. We have created our featured reading list of  top picks for summer vacation to get you started on the months and days to come.

    Are you wondering how you will keep the kids entertained all summer? If you are trying to avoid countless hours spent in front of digital screens or the television, we have some great suggestions. It is time to start planning ahead for activities to keep kids entertained during the summer vacation season. With busy Moms and Dads in mind, we have a selection of books offering great tips.

     Summer vacation can be a time to create rich memories and also develop new interests. These books will spark some ideas so you can begin to plan the best summer vacation ever. We had a difficult time deciding on our favorite.  In fact, we will be offering more selections for summer vacation in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned for more great reads. We think you have a hard time picking a favorite!

    Wishing you a wonderful summer vacation season to come!

http://www.amazon.com/Family-Managers-Guide-Summer-Survival/dp/B001SARAVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367354490&sr=8-1&keywords=family+managers+guide+to+summer+survival

http://www.amazon.com/Staycation-Jar-Creative-Silliness-ebook/dp/B009BXCJW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367354700&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Staycation+jar

http://www.amazon.com/Places-That-Change-Your-Childs/dp/1426208596/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367354785&sr=1-1&keywords=100+Places+That+Can+Change+Your+Child%27s+Life

http://www.amazon.com/Best-Everything-Families-Travelers-Geographic/dp/1426203942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367354863&sr=1-1&keywords=10+Best+Of+Everything+For+Families

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     How do you feel about striking a bargain with your child? I am referring to the popular and latest trend of using a contract with your teen. I would like to tell you why I think contracts for cellphone use, social media, and prom, are a bad idea.

     We all have rules we have to follow in life. I am struggling to see why parents have to use a written social media contract to enforce what should be understood in the first place. Are parents using it as a last resort after everything else failed or do they consider it the first line of defense in enforcing the rules right from the start?

     Isn’t it like paying your child to make good grades? Doing well in school benefits your child without offering a bribe to do what they were suppose to do in the first place. Am I missing something about formalizing an agreement with a piece of paper and using social media contracts?

                Striking against contract in Virginia

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Published by: Harper Thorsons

Challenges Raising Girls

     Raising daughters in today’s modern culture is harder than any other time according to Steve Biddulph in his newly released book, Raising Girls.  Parents are confronted with numerous challenges when it comes to raising daughters. Issues include bullying, eating disorders, suggestive advertising, body image concerns, navigating social media, and finding their own identity in a world that begs them to conform. Mr. Biddulph states, “ In the last ten years there has been a big change in the lives of girls. And it is affecting them at every age, from babyhood to teens.”

     I think every parent would agree that children grow up much faster today compared to their own childhoods. There are many factors that contribute to how being a child or adolescent in today’s society is not an easy task to navigate. Looking specifically at our daughters, there are numerous negative occurances that prevent girls from building confidence, having positive friendships, and developing personal interests that bring them fulfillment. There are many challenges to raising daughters preventing them from flourishing. Let’s take a look at some of the areas that can create roadblocks to their development.

     Companies have realized the potential profit in marketing to pre-teen and teen girls. By marketing makeup and fashion in images and magazines, girls are made to feel inadequate. Before girls can decide for themselves, magazines and advertisers strongly influence what is acceptable. This leaves girls conforming to advertisers instead of deciding for themselves. They never develop their own instincts.

     Mr. Biddulph believes the ages between 10-14 are crucial for girls. These fours years are a critical developmental period and girls should be given time to grow. He believes that far too often girls are rushed to grow up. They feel pressured to grow up sooner. Because of this, he believes that some girls have lost as much as four years from their childhood.

     Childhood has changed and during the rapid transformation many of our daughters are missing out on having fun and experiencing childhood. Many girls feel rushed resulting in confusion, unhappiness, eating disorders, and sometimes turning to drugs and alcohol.

     Do you agree with Mr. Biddulph? Are we shortchanging our daughters? Are they rushed through childhood without giving them proper time to develop?  As a parent do you think the challenges of raising daughters is something we should be talking about more?

The post Raising Daughters: Is It Harder Than Ever? appeared first on Social School 101.

Springpad Can Organize Your Life

     Springpad is a free online app that helps you organize your life into visual boards that you can retrieve at a moments notice.  It has endless possibilities and is personalized to your information and your everyday life.

      We all have too much to do and too little time to stay organized. If you have ever wondered where you can collect all those pictures, ideas, projects, and tasks in one place, then you will welcome the simplicity this app will provide.  Springpad organizes your life into boards. Here are just a few examples of the spaces you can create. You can organize a move, save your children’s artwork, save your own artwork, list your favorite recipes, plan your next vacation, store your craft ideas, gather inspiration for your dream house, make lists of future projects, or share a board within your group. It is a great way to collect ideas that you are interested in, add descriptions under each photo, or share with public boards.  Your collections can be private or shared. You can even scan barcodes and save information with the smartphone app.

   6 Reasons You Will Love Springpad

1. Anything you clip is called a “spring.” Springpad gives you the ability to add notes keeping all your info in one place.
2. It is personalized and relates to your interests. You may want to start a board on a surprise anniversary project. This would be a great place to keep your project hidden until you are ready to reveal your party.
3. There is not a limit on the number of private boards you would like to have.
4. It allows you to take notes, clip something from the Web, make a to-do-list, add a deadline, or store images and videos.
5. You select how you want to organize and label your boards by choosing the name, color theme, project, or description.
6. Springpad gives you the option to change the order of your selections by dragging and dropping. This allows for more flexibility and priority on your “springs.”

     I am sure you can think of many ways Springpad can organize your life!

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Flipped Classrooms

     Are you in favor of  flipped classrooms? Do you wish your child attended a school where they use this new method of learning?

     Flipped classrooms are a new approach to learning where students actively take part in self teaching the lesson before attending class.  Salman Khan in his book, The One World Schoolhouse, believes flipped classrooms benefit students as well as teachers.There are several ways this is done. New material is assigned the night before. Students either read a chapter, watch a video, or research the topic to be discussed in class the next day. This has several benefits. Students come to class with prior knowledge about the subject to be discussed. Students take responsibility for their learning. The teacher is left with more time to give instruction to students that require extra help. Students who comprehend the lesson are allowed to do their work independently and advance.

     Teachers are beginning to eliminate lecture type learning and replace it with self directed learning. The old way of teaching referred to as ” the sage on stage” is being replaced by students learning material with an introductory lesson prior to class.

     What do you think about the flipped classroom?

The Fuss Over Flipped Classrooms infographic

 

The post Flipped Classrooms: Pros and Cons appeared first on Social School 101.

Social School 101 continues our series on Socially Speaking. We find those social media terms you hear in the news or read online and offer a more detailed definition to help parents stay up to date. We broaden your social media knowledge. Today we will focus on: data mining. This is becoming more prevalent in the news and our daily lives.

Data mining: noun or verb Data mining is a new field of study involving a combination of computer science and statistics. It involves searching through vast amounts of computer data also known as big data.  The new information discovers patterns in data sets that reveal behaviors or trends of consumers or individuals.  An example would be that companies would use this data to make predictions on how consumers shop or use products.

The airline had decided to use data mining to gather information about passengers. They were looking for the optimal flight times passengers wanted to travel between New York City and Miami. 

The post Socially Speaking: Data Mining appeared first on Social School 101.

     Our teenage daughter is very, very upset with us. We have recently purchased security software for her cellphone. For ten dollars a month, we are sent alerts if anything inappropriate appears on her cellphone. She considers it “spying” on her friends and personal messages. She says it is “an invasion of her privacy.” We feel just the opposite.

     My husband and I feel that by adding security on her cellphone it provides an extra layer of protection. We will be sent alerts for profanity, anyone added to her friend’s list, mentions of drugs or alcohol, and bullying, etc.

     Do you feel parents should monitor their children’s email, texting, and cellphones?  We are just curious what your opinion is on the subject. Is it spying or smart parenting?

                                         Daughter in Distress

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10 Things Surprising Facts About YouTube 

    YouTube has been a phenomenal success but I think we have discovered ten surprising things you did not know about You Tube.  Think of it as YouTube Trivia.

    YouTube has been around for so long that you probably just take it for granted.  Although many have tried to imitate ( Hulu, Vimeo, Blip.tv.) YouTube still remains on top.  Purchased by Google in 2006 for an unbelievable price of $1.65 billion of stock, they had only been in business for eighteen months. This is very comparable to Instagram, the photo sharing service, which was  recently purchased for one billion dollars.

10 YouTube Trivia Facts

1. Three early employees of PayPal started YouTube. Their first office was inside a garage, so typical of  a tech start up.
2. Time magazine showcased  a YouTube screen as the “Person Of The Year” in 2006.
3. You can still view their very first video titled, “ Me at the Zoo.”
4. In 2012, approximately 60 hours of new videos were uploaded every minute.
5. It is the third most viewed website, preceded by Facebook and Google.
6. Only 30% of the YouTube traffic exists in the United States. 70% is in foreign countries.
7. Over 4 billion videos are viewed a day.
8. Over 800 million viewers visit the site each month.
9.  They just celebrated their 8^th birthday on Valentine’s Day, February, 14^th.
10.  In 2011, there were 140 views for every person on Earth.

     I think for a company to have been in business for eight years, they have an amazing story that is worth sharing.

The post YouTube: 10 Things You Did Not Know! appeared first on Social School 101.

Let Simple Wash Clean Your Facebook and Twitter Accounts

     SimpleWash can quickly give you a squeaky clean online reputation in your Facebook and Twitter accounts.  Formerly known as FaceWash, this app was designed by three college students who realized the importance of making a positive impression online.  Simple Wash was designed for anyone who is concerned about digital dirt on their social platforms.  If you know someone applying to colleges, someone graduating and looking for a job, or someone who could use an overhaul on their questionable timeline activities, then you should suggest SimpleWash as a solution to remove negative material and make their online reputation sparkle.

5 Steps to for using Simple Wash

1. The app is free. Begin by entering your personal information and select either Facebook or Twitter. Check their Terms and Privacy Policy.
2. The app is pre programmed for keywords or questionable content. The app will scan through the content, comments, wall posts, and status updates looking for offensive language, references to drugs or alcohol. At this time, it only scans words and not images. You will have to remove any offensive or questionable photos yourself.
3. SimpleWash allows the user to decide if they want to “delete” the content or keep it.
4. Don’t see what you are looking for?  Did it overlook the Roman Toga Party from last year? You also have the option to enter the words in the search bar to further clean your image online.
5. The last step is to decide if your account showcases your online activity in the best possible way.

     Let SimpleWash wash away the dirt from your Facebook and Twitter accounts leaving you squeaky clean online.

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Securing Your Phone

     Let’s be honest. Is your phone protected ? Do you secure your phone from hacking or are  you just keeping your fingers crossed that it will never happen to you?

     Taking precautions is the first step to keeping your information safe.  We have mentioned what you can do about  smartphone safety before but helpful reminders are always appreciated. Eaves dropping, phishing attacks, and mobile pickpocketing are just a few areas of concern for cellphone owners. You wouldn’t want all your personal data to be exposed to strangers? Learn the steps you can take today to securing your phone.

The post Is Your Phone Protected? appeared first on Social School 101.

Gifts For Mom

     You know that special day is just around the corner and we have an appealing list of Mother’s Day gift ideas to choose from. Our Mother’s Day gift list is the perfect time to think pink. Yes, the color pink is irresistible and we have some great ideas to make your shopping easier for that special Mom on your list. You might say they are “pinkalicious!”

     We searched all the perfect places and found a variety of gifts for Mother’s Day 2013. Every Mom would love to start her day with a steaming cup of expresso from a hot pink machine.  If your looking for ways to give Mom some fun in the sun, why not check out these hot pink sunglasses or maybe consider a car in shimmery pink.  Still searching for that perfect pink gift? We have plenty more gift ideas to make the giving easier.

Happy Mother’s Day!

HenriBendal.com Choose Me Chiffon Scarf - $138

DeLonghi Kmix 15 Bars Pump Espresso Maker – $299.95

Ray-Ban ‘Classic Wayfarer’ 50 mm Sunglasses – $150

J. Crew Havana Clutch – $88

Dash & Albert Rug Company Yacht Stripe Pink – $208

Chevrolet Spark in Pink – $12,185 list

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