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Technology can help teachers find new tools too!

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Technology can help teachers find new tools too!

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TinyTap is a social platform which empowers families, teachers and students to learn from each other by creating their own personalized interactive lessons and games and playing thousands of new ones shared daily by a worldwide community of educators and learners worldwide.

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Get those students talking without fear of laughter or judgement! 

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Get those students talking without fear of laughter or judgement! 

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We express ourselves in different ways. On Flip, you can use our simple and fun built-in camera to record your thoughts, add effects and share within your Flip group as video, audio only or text in your web browser or mobile app.

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Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

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Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

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Technology can help you... or your child if you let it. 

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Technology can help you... or your child if you let it. 

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While many of us were growing up, technology was treated very differently than it is today. It has always been a hot conversation topic, of course, but the concept of tech had not permeated our daily lives as heavily as it has today.

In the digital age, we have accepted major advanced in technology as part of our everyday activities. In a lot of cases, this has lead to completely different approaches in how we deal with certain things such as parenting.

Thankfully, there is a lot of tech that can help us become better parents and take care of our children and their growing needs.

Technology is a tool; all it matters is how you use it

Too many people still cling to the old adage of technology being detrimental to children and their developing minds. We often focus too much on the disadvantages that come with ubiquitous technology rather than focusing on the many benefits.

For instance, parents today should feel much safer with letting their kids out of the house as they can find them at pretty much any point, regardless of where they are or what they were doing.

A couple of decades ago, kids would simply go out and return "before the sun sets". While this gave children of those days a unique sense of freedom and, in some cases, personal responsibility, the truth is that it wasn't always safe.

Now, if our kids go out with their friends, we can simply call them and know exactly what's happening with them. Of course, you still need to create a working relationship with your kids but that's another story entirely.
Technology for parents is especially useful for young kids
When your kids grow older, you learn to respect their wishes, their privacy, and their own abilities to keep themselves safe. A 16-year-old, for example, does not necessarily need constant monitoring while they are out of the house.

However, kids these days have so many different activities. Both parents and kids are busy all the time, which means that parents are not often able to be with their kids as much as they might want.

In those scenarios, having technology that can help you track and monitor what your kid is doing can be incredibly helpful. Parental control apps and services are immensely useful and more parents should be taking advantage of them.

Keeping your kids safe and sound is a top priority

Say, for instance, that your kid gets off school everyday while you are still working. After school, they have to head over to an extracurricular activity that's not near your home and they have to use public transport or walk from school by themselves.

That scenario sounds quite tense for parents as it gives them absolutely no control over the situation, despite the fact that the child is doing nothing wrong; in fact, they are simply participating in an activity.

In the case of young kids, a parent may wish to use an app like Apple's Find My Friends to see exactly where their child is at all times. This may seem like an invasion of privacy but when it comes to young children, safety is a top priority.

The point is, technology simply provides solutions to very real issues that parents might be facing. Take the Greenlight card as an example. Instead of having to deal with a cash allowance, you can simply give your kids a debit card that you can control from your phone so dealing with a child's allowance can be an easy and secure process every time. It gives parents the control over how much and where their kids are spending their money and it's way safer than cash.

Technology can put your mind at ease

Having a kid in this day and age can be very frantic. Children these days have a lot more on their plates than they used to, and so do many parents who have to manage their own work-home balance.

Technology can give you peace of mind in many different situations and it's all about taking advantage of that little fact.

If your kids are spending too much time on the Internet, for example, you can talk with them and then use a parental control app to monitor whatever they are doing and enforce your house rules.

When your kid is out of the house, you can use technology to keep them safe and sound at all times, from making sure that they don't run out of money to ensuring that they travel safely between places as you check up on them.

The digital age may have brought with it some dangers but it has also brought many wonders. So if you are a worried parent, try to think of technology as a helpful assistant rather than something to be afraid of.

Read next: What my baby taught me about UX design

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How technology can help you and your kids long as you let it

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While many of us were growing up, technology was treated very differently than it is today. It has always been a hot conversation topic, of course, but the concept of tech had not permeated our daily lives as heavily as it has today. In the digital age, we have accepted major advanced in technology as ...

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Still haven't convinced you to let your student have access to technology? Check out this article.

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Still haven't convinced you to let your student have access to technology? Check out this article.

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10 Reasons Today's Students NEED Technology in the Classroom

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With an increasing emphasis on personalized learning and mobility, using technology in the classroom is a must for schools today. Here are 10 reasons why.

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Fine, I'll allow technology. How do I get started?

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Fine, I'll allow technology. How do I get started?

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7 smart ways to use technology in classrooms

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Elementary school teacher Kayla Delzer’s students tweet, post on Instagram and watch YouTube in class. Here’s why she thinks all kids should do the same.

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Project from a device to all other devices in the classroom

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Project from a device to all other devices in the classroom

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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Organization at it's finest!

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This cheap and safe way is a great thing to get your students used to typing.

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This is a great way to make reading come alive and help students connect with the story on a deeper level.

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It all started when author Mona Kerby visited Grandview Library in 2008 to talk to 2nd graders about her book Owney, The Mail Pouch Pooch. In 2009, Ms. Kerby visited the class via Skype. The children and their teachers cheered when Ms. Kerby "appeared" on the Smart Board. Ms. Kerby talked about Owney and the process she went through to research, write, and publish the book. Several of the children asked Ms. Kerby questions and the whole group enjoyed waving at and thanking Ms. Kerby for "visiting".

The mission of the Skype an Author Network is to provide K-12 teachers and librarians with a way to connect authors, books, and young readers through virtual visits. Wouldn't it be great to invite authors into your classroom or library to video chat with students before, during, and/or after reading their books? We are growing a list of authors who want to make that connection with you via Skype. Visit our Skype Overview page to learn more about Skype.

Marsha Diane Arnold- May 2016

Marsha Diane Arnold Skyped with Bridges to Learning PreSchool in Kansas on May 11th.

The children had recently performed a Mother's Day play of their favorite "Marsha" book, Roar of a Snore.

After the Skype visit, the children enjoyed another favorite "Marsha " book, Prancing Dancing Lily. It was especially fun for Marsha as Kingman, Kansas is her home town and the teacher is her cousin's daughter-in-law.

Bruce Hale- March 2015

The 3rd graders at Bethesda Elementary participated in their very first Skype session today with the author Bruce Hale and we could not be happier about choosing him to be our "pilot program" author. Bruce Hale has a great balance of humor and information in his presentation of how he became an author. The students were completely engaged in the full lesson listening,laughing and learning the whole time.

He has a great message for students about perseverance and using your imagination to create stories. We 100%recommend contacting Bruce for a Skype or school visit and hope to be able to do so again ourselves in the future!
Megan Despot
Bethesda Elementary School

Marsha Diane Arnold- January 2015

I look so delighted here. And I was! Skyping with a school in Hyderabad, India. Before questions, the students all greeted me: Good Morning, Miss Marsha.

Abhinesh says: Good Morning Marsha Madam. My name is Abhinesh from PP2F. I am happy that I met an author on the screen. I also wrote 3 stories, I told you when my turn came during the session. I forgot to tell that I am only the illustrator for my books. You gave me the idea of choosing the name for my character in my stories. I told my mom to search on the computer and internet for the character name. I want to listen to your story Heart of a Tiger. I want to talk to you again. Thank you.

Nikitha says: Good Morning Madam.I am Nikitha. I was so happy when you answered my doubts regarding stories and the story you shared with us was real fun.

Garrett Burke- January 2014

Garrett Burke's coin idea became half a billion California State Quarters honoring John Muir in Yosemite Valley. Now, as the creator of the award-winning book "Quarterama," he reveals the surprising histories, innovative people, and natural wonders seen atop all 50 State Quarters.
"We just had parent/teacher conferences and several parents mentioned how much their child talked about what they had learned. Two told me that their children are now collecting coins! Mr. Burke is wonderful with children. My students want to meet with him again!" - MAINE -

"Mr. Burke was gracious enough to address my 30 freshmen students in U.S. History and it was a GREAT experience from start to finish! They were amazed at the relevancy of symbolism in currency and how it impacts their world." - WISCONSIN -

"Thirty minutes went by so quickly, it was a mix of him, pictures, and video. I would highly recommend this lesson, it was fabulous!" - OKLAHOMA -

"Mr. Burke's presentation was out of this world! I loved the "Screen Sharing", which enabled him to show us various video clips and snippets from his book 'Quarterama', all the while narrating over them." - NEW YORK

Teacher Reviews

"My 3rd Grade students were focused throughout this high-interest lesson. They LOVE the book and it made for some very interesting pre-teaching. The discussion continued long after the lesson was complete and I am positive it has continued at home too. I had parents who said they wished they could have sat in on the lesson as well." -
CALIFORNIA -

Martha Rodriguez- July 2013

We had the pleasure of Skyping with Martha Rodriguez, and found her to be a dynamic and special person. She is flexible and accommodating, aligning her schedule to match the needs of our school. We were fortunate to have her meet with our third graders during five class sessions. For each group of students, she devised separate engaging and creative activities. Not only did we laugh when we read her humorous story, but we were again entertained and inspired by her games, which were designed to get our creative juices flowing.

The opportunity to meet with an authentic author is truly inspiring for our young writers, and Martha was a blessing to our school.

Carrie Stepeck, Librarian, Bungay School, Seymour, Connecticut

May 2013

Martha helped the students aspire towards becoming authors themselves. Every single studentwas actively engaged in her Q & A session and her fun writing activities that sparked the students' imaginations.

This was her second year of visiting our school and each time the studentslove to hear from her. They always comment on how much they enjoy her books. We are so fortunate to have found such a wonderful author to help our third graders with their author study project by Skyping with us from Florida to Hawaii. She enriched our students' learning with her wealth of ideas and inspiration.

Thank you Martha!Laurel Taylor, Library Media Specialist/Tech Coordinator JK-6

Bruce Hale-March 2013

Last week we had a Skype visit with Bruce Hale and he was fantastic. I loved the way he engaged the students. It was almost like he was in the room. The studentsfelt like he was there and had a great time interacting with him. He shared a Slideshow with me to show students so they could see what he was talking about and how he became a writer. He was funny, entertaining and very informative. The students loved that he drew pictures as well. My son was in the audience and he even tried to draw Chet Gecko the nextday after watching Bruce.

I highly recommend him to any school. He was so easy to work with, so kind and so on target. He was as good with Kindergarten as he was with the older grades and he saw every grade except 5th because we could not fit it in their schedule. I would certainly have him again. Way to go Bruce!

Clarissa Grindle, Librarian
Great Oaks Elementary
Round Rock Independent School District

Marsha Diane Arnold- February2013

In celebration of Lily's new adventure, I'm offering a special price for Skype visits if booked by the first day of spring, March 20th. For those who take advantage of the Lily Special, I will Skype with yourclass or school for a "song". Just $90 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, which can include a slideshow, reading a story with your students, showing them around my office, answering questions, and more! Email me at marshaoak@mac.com to book today.

Lisa Ard- February 2013

"I can't thankyou enough for taking the time to speak with our fifth graders. We had over one hundred 10 and 11 year-olds in attendance, all of whom had been anticipating your visit for weeks, since we began reading Fright Flight.

I wish you could have heard the discussions we had after the session. The students were inspired with a new excitement for writing as they shared their favorite piece of advice from you.

I overheard a couple of students discussing how they were going to buy little notebooks over the weekend, so that they could startrecording their ideas. When students are able to learn from an expert in a field, it takes their learning to a new level. Thankyou for seeing the value in that and taking the time to help develop young writers."

Michele Colebrook,
5th grade teacher, Timberline Elementary

Dear Marsha,

You are such a delightful person! The children just beamed during our follow-up conversation. They just couldn't believe that they were actually talking to you! I am confident that we made a memory for them that will have an impact for years to come! Thankyou for sharing your experience with us. Perhaps we can do it again nextyear! I will be in touch.

Please continueSkyping! Our students may never experience talking to a published author without this kind of opportunity as we are unable to afford the fees that are incurred when an author has to travel to be here. It is truly invaluable. I appreciate your willingness to participatein this type of experience to expose our students to the wonderful world of reading and writing.

Thankyou againfor such a lovely conversation!
Carla Laney
Manning Early ChildhoodCenter
Manning, South Carolina

Wouldn't they make great ticklers for a Skype Visit! If you've written a children's picture book with a nature theme,Professor Arnone may be interested in creating a talk for your book!

let me know mailto:sachauncey@gmail.com.

Our goal is to set upwho are willing toare initiated via email and/or a networkof authors participatein Skype conversations with studentsin classrooms and libraries. This wiki provides a page for each author who joins the network. Our author template ensures consistency of content and keeps things simple for authors, teachers, and librarians. The author pages provide procedural and contact phonebetween the author and the teacher and/or librarian.

information.
Once you are comfortable with "Skyping" you can try additional web-based technologies to enhance your visits, for example:

Take a lookat Mona Kerby'spage as an example.

Arrangements for Skype visits Authors offer two types of visits:

No Charge - Meet the Author Visits - 10 to 15 minutes

In-Depth Visits - Time and fee determined by each author

Next Steps

The possibilities for collaboration are many. If you have used other tools during your sessions, please start a "Discussion" to share with all of our members.

Pinterest Experiment

Illustrators & Author Illustrators
Click to Visit

Writer on the Side
Interview

Skype An Author
Columbia News Service

Education Week

Author/Illustrator Mike Artell
Shares a Skype Visit Web Conferencing...

Enjoy More
Video Clips Here

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Virtual Author Visits in Your Library or Classroom

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It all started when author Mona Kerby visited Grandview Library in 2008 to talk to 2nd graders about her book Owney, The Mail Pouch Pooch. In 2009, Ms. Kerby visited the class via Skype. The children and their teachers cheered when Ms. Kerby "appeared" on the Smart Board.

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Many students will silence when the balls jump and even shush other classmates. This makes presenting a whole lot easier.

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Bouncy Balls – Manage classroom noise with bouncing balls!

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A free classroom noise level meter, monitor and management tool. Perfect if your school kids are too noisy! Bouncing balls react to sounds from the microphone.