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With Google's free online calendar, it's easy to keep track of life's important events all in one place.

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7 Ways Technology Is Impacting Modern Education

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Spread the loveTechnology in the classroom can be so much more and so much better than the stereotypical cell phone going off in the middle of class. Technology can actually be a major tool, both in terms of pedagogical resources and in terms of connecting with the younger generations.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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A month-by-month guide filled with the advice, tools, and online resources you'll need to help your children have a school year packed with fun and learning.

40 ways to help your kids learn more!

What's inside:
Talking with your child's teacher / Homework helpers Easy ways to get involved at school / Fun family activities
Join Us! Pledge to have your child read 20 minutes daily.
The start of school is the most exciting time of the year for students!
They want to meet their teachers, catch up with their friends, and begin exploring a whole new world of knowledge. As exciting as these first weeks of school are, your children can't do this on their own. They need your help to get ready-now and every day. You need to read aloud to young children to reinforce the importance of literacy. You have to be ready to help them when they're stuck on homework. You should make sure they have a nutritious lunch every day. You need to build relationships with their teachers so you're all working together to provide your children the best learning experience possible. Helping your children with school is one of your most important jobs as a parent. That's why the U.S. Department of Education, National PTA, and Parenting have teamed up to bring you Countdown to School Success. This booklet takes you step-by-step through the typical school-year calendar, explaining how you can help your children at home, support them in the classroom, and assist their teachers as they address each of your children's unique abilities. We hope your whole family enjoys following this road map to the exciting year ahead.

Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education

Betsy Landers
National PTA President

Ana Connery
Parenting Editorial Director

September

1. Reach out to your kids'teachers Attend meet-theteacher night, orientation, or other welcome events, but don't stop there. Make a point of introducing yourself and learning about class activities and expectations for the year. Find out how each teacher prefers to communicate.

Many use e-mail as the main form of contact, but phone calls and conferences (make an appointment first) are usually welcome, too. For more advice on building a parent-teacher relationship that will last the entire year, as well as links to all the websites featured in this guide, go to parenting.com/success.

2. Get in the groove Establish healthy at-home routines for school days, such as consistent waking times and getting-ready patterns. Decide on a regular homework time, and create a comfortable, quiet work space. Set bedtimes that allow elementary-age kids to get 10 to 12 hours of sleep; teens should get 8½ to 9½ hours.

3. Time things right Stay on top of everyone's school, activity, and work schedules with a free online calendar or a smartphone app.

4. Pack smart Make sure your child's backpack never weighs more than 10 to 20 percent of his body weight; heavy packs can strain developing muscles and joints. Encourage your child to use both straps, and tighten them so the pack hangs close to the body, about two inches above your child's waist.

October

1. Fuel up Children who eat a healthy breakfast each day have more energy available for learning. Try simple, protein-loaded options like homemade scrambled-egg-and-cheese breakfast burritos, waffles smeared with nut butter, or yogurt-and-fruit smoothies.

2. Become a class parent You'll develop a closer relationship with the teacher and will get an inside look into what goes on in the classroom, usually without having to commit a ton of time. Class parents organize other parent volunteers for parties and events, may help the teacher create a newsletter, or might document the school year in photos. Ask the teacher what his or her specific needs will likely be this year.

3. Seek extra help Does it seem your child is going to have trouble keeping up? Ask the teacher about school-provided tutoring programs and resources to help reinforce his or her learning outside of class. Many also offer extra help during office hours before or after school.

November

1. Review that report card Pay careful attention to all progress reports, but particularly the first one-it will be coming soon if your child hasn't received it yet. You want to get help for any problem areas before your child falls too far behind. Ask your child's teacher how grades are determined and for suggestions on how your student can improve. Review grades and the teacher's comments with your child-always starting with something she's doing well, then pointing out areas that need attention, and ending with something positive again.

2. Make over your meals November is National PTA's Healthy Lifestyles Month, so think carefully about what your kids are eating at home and in school. Ask your school lunch director for nutritional information if it isn't available. Work with your PTA and school district to improve the menu if necessary. For more healthy eating and lunch-packing tips, go to pta.org/goodchoices and choosemyplate.gov/kids.

December

1. Help end bullying Take the time to talk with your children about any bullying behavior they may have seen going on at school. Before you begin the conversation, go to pta.org/bullying and stopbullying.gov to learn what you can do as a parent to instill an attitude of acceptance in your children and get help with bullying behavior if your family needs it.

2. Remember the teacher A simple holiday token is nice if you can swing it. Teachers particularly appreciate cards from their students, and gift cards for their favorite book, crafts, or office-supply stores. Teachers often replenish classroom supplies out of their own pay, so gift cards help cut the cost.

3. Practice cyber safety If your children will be spending more time online during the winter break, or if they get a new laptop or smartphone as a gift, be sure to review family rules and online behavior.

January

Dream big Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on January 16 by encouraging your kids to complete the sentence "I have a dream that...," and then e-mail, tweet, or post on Facebook their own hopes for the future.

February

Schedule a midyear checkin with the teacher Discuss your children's progress and how homework is going. And always reach out to teachers when important changes are happening in your family's life, such as the death of a relative, a move to a new home, or anything that might affect your children's behavior or performance at school-so the school staff can offer support as well.

March

Get ready for test day Many schools will begin standardized testing this month or next. Make a note of the schedule on your family calendar so you can be sure your children get a good night's sleep and eat a healthy breakfast on test days.

April

1. Go a little greener Commemorate Earth Day on April 22 by planning an activity for your entire family, such as joining a local park's litter-cleanup team or planting a tree on your block. Check out your school-district website to see what they have on tap for students and their families.

2. Share your career Lots of parents and kids will participate in Take Your Child to Work Day on April 26, but why not teach your child's entire class about your job? Offer to visit and talk about your career, and encourage other parents in the class to do the same.

3. Thank your school staff These overlooked helpers are often the ones who keep things working smoothly for your children, so take time to recognize school office staff during the week of April 22 to 28, which is Administrative Professionals Week. Join with other parents to give a gift card or flowers, or have your kids make a card of their own.

May

1. Get a move on It's National Physical Fitness & Sports Month, and your child may soon be taking the annual President's Challenge physical fitness test as part of gym class. Prep your child for it-as well as your school's field day, a favorite spring event with kids everywhere-with some family recreation activities. Take walks after dinner, go on a weekend bike ride, or have chin-up contests on the monkey bars at a nearby playground. For more fitness ideas, check out letsmove.gov, fitness.gov, and presidentschallenge.org.

2. Keep kids safe The weather has warmed up and school's almost out for the summer, which means kids will be spending more time outdoors on their own. Give them a refresher course in safety whether they're bike riding, swimming, or playing indoors on game systems. For more tips, go to pta.org and click on "Topics: Child Safety."

3. Give props to your children's teachers As the school year winds down, encourage your children to write thank-you notes to their current teachers. Prompt younger kids with suggestions like "Something new I learned this year was..."or "My favorite part of this school year was...." Work with your PTA to bring in coffee, baked goods, or lunch items during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7 to 11.

June

1. Challenge your children to a readathon See who can read the most books this summer, with each one slightly more challenging than the last. Make it happen by setting a designated family reading time, when the whole gang curls up with a good book, parents included.

2. Minimize summer brain drain Look for fun ways to keep your children's academic skills sharp during the warm weather ahead. Consider signing them up for camps, and visit nature centers, museums, and libraries as a family.

Join Mom Congress! at facebook.com/momcongress to stand up for great schools.

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A month-by-month guide filled with the advice, tools, and online resources you'll need to help your children have a school year packed with fun and learning. 40 ways to help your kids learn more! Talking with your child's teacher / Homework helpers Easy ways to get involved at school / Fun family activities Join Us!

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With screens virtually everywhere, monitoring a child's screen time can be challenging. To complicate matters, some screen time can be educational and support children's social development. So how do you manage your child's screen time? Here's a primer on guiding your child's use of screens and media.

The problems with screens

Too much screen time and regular exposure to poor-quality programming has been linked to:

Obesity

Inadequate sleep schedules and insufficient sleep

Behavior problems

Delays in language and social skills development

Violence

Attention problems

Less time learning

Keep in mind that unstructured playtime is more valuable for a young child's developing brain than is electronic media. Children younger than age 2 are more likely to learn when they interact and play with parents, siblings, and other children and adults.

By age 2, children may benefit from some types of screen time, such as programming with music, movement and stories. By watching together, you can help your child understand what he or he is seeing and apply it in real life. However, passive screen time shouldn't replace reading, playing or problem-solving.

Developing screen time rules

The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages media use, except for video chatting, by children younger than 18 months. If you introduce digital media to children ages 18 to 24 months, make sure it's high quality and avoid solo media use. For children ages 2 to 5, limit screen time to one hour a day of high-quality programming.

As your child grows, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work as well. You'll need to decide how much media to let your child use each day and what's appropriate.

Consider applying the same rules to your child's real and virtual environments. In both, play with your child, teach kindness, be involved, and know your child's friends and what your child does with them. Also, keep in mind that the quality of the media your child is exposed to is more important than the type of technology or amount of time spent.

To ensure quality screen time:

Preview programs, games and apps before allowing your child to view or play with them. Organizations such as Common Sense Media has programming ratings and reviews to help you determine what's appropriate for your child's age. Better yet, watch, play or use them with your child.

Seek out interactive options that engage your child, rather than those that just require pushing and swiping or staring at the screen.

Use parental controls to block or filter internet content.

Make sure your child is close by during screen time so that you can supervise his or her activities.

Ask your child regularly what programs, games and apps he or she has played with during the day.

When watching programming with your child, discuss what you're watching and educate your child about advertising and commercials.

Also, avoid fast-paced programming, which young children have a hard time understanding, violent content and apps with a lot of distracting content. Eliminate advertising on apps, since young children have trouble telling the difference between ads and factual information.

Setting limits for older children

Establish clear rules and set reasonable limits for your child's use of digital media. Consider these tips:

Encourage unplugged, unstructured playtime.

Create tech-free zones or times, such as during mealtime or one night a week.

Discourage use of media entertainment during homework.

Set and enforce daily or weekly screen time limits and curfews, such as no exposure to devices or screens one hour before bedtime.

Consider using apps that control the length of time a child can use a device.

Keep screens out of your child's bedroom and consider requiring your children to charge their devices outside of their bedrooms at night.

Eliminate background TV.

Encouraging digital literacy

At some point your child will be exposed to content that you haven't approved and devices without internet filters. Talk to your child about the situations that could occur and the behavior you expect.

Encourage your child to think critically about what they see on their screens. Ask your child to consider whether everything on the internet is accurate. Does your child know how to tell if a website is trustworthy? Help your child understand that media are made by humans with points of view. Explain that many types of technology collect data to send users ads or to make money.

Teaching appropriate behavior

Online relationships and social media have become a major part of adolescent life. Experts suggest that it's OK for your teen to be a part of these worlds - as long as your child understands appropriate behavior. Explain what's allowed and what's not, such as sexting, cyberbullying and sharing personal information online. Teach your child not to send or share anything online that he or she would not want the entire world to see for eternity.

No matter how smart or mature you feel your child is, monitor his or her online and social media behavior. Your child is bound to make mistakes using media. Talk to your child and help him or her learn from them.

Also, set a good example. Consider that your child is watching you for cues on when it's OK to use screens and how to use them.

You'll likely need to continue to guide, manage and monitor your child's use of screens and media as he or she grows. But by developing household rules - and revisiting them as your child grows - you can help ensure a safe experience.

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Show references

1. Beyond screen time: A parent's guide to media use. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/patiented/article/doi/10.1542/peo_document099/79942/Beyond-Screen-Time-A-Parent-s-Guide-to-Media-Use. Accessed Dec. 9, 2021.

2. Ratings: Making healthy media choices. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/patiented/article/doi/10.1542/peo_document083/80048/Ratings-Making-Healthy-Media-Choices. Accessed Dec. 9, 2021.

3. Screen time and children. American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF-Guide/Children-And-Watching-TV-054.aspx. Accessed Dec. 9, 2021.

4. Stigilic N, et al. Effects of screentime on the health and well-being of children and adolescents: A systematic review of reviews. BMJ Open. 2019; doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023191.

5. Altmann T, et al., eds. Media. In: Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5. 7th ed. Bantam; 2019.

6. Flais SV, ed. Media. In: Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12. 3rd ed. Bantam; 2018.

7. Madigan S, et al. Associations between screen use and child language skills: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. 2020; doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.0327.

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