Internet Safety - Creating a Safe Screen Name

We must start young teaching kids how to be safe online.  

Children are starting to use the Internet at a younger age to play games.  Many of these games require that the parent set up a screen name for their child.  Parents will often use their child’s name and simple words that kids can remember and spell when they set up their child's screen name.  

Not a good idea!  This often leads to a very insecure username that can identify their child to strangers. The number one danger we want to teach kids to avoid.

Screen Name creates the online identity of the child.  Often parents emphasize the importance of coming up with a strong password. This is the OPPOSITE of what we need to focus on with our kids. Passwords can be recovered, and passwords can be changed very easily. It is your child's screen name or user ID that needs to be protected. Especially for children who use these screen names in their games and as their online persona. 

The goal is to give kids a step by step plan for coming up with a unique screen name that they can easily remember.  Just as important is to teach your child never to share the screen name..

Kids across the country enrolled in Discovery Kids Puterbugs Program are learning how to be safe using technology.   Creating a safe screen name is just one of many lessons they will be learning

Teaching - What works!

I know what works. I have used an approach in my classroom and now that same approach is being used in 1000s of locations nationwide.

My approach is based on how kids learn.

Think about how kids really learn. I mean really learn. Watch any baby learn to speak. First the child begins to babble, and then the child begins to form some recognizable word. The parent gets so excited. The child then makes the connection between the word and the object.

 OK.. so what's the big deal!

Well it isn’t happening in most classrooms around the country.  We may talk the talk, but hardly happening.  Kids need to be engaged or immersed in the learning process. In the case of the baby, he was hearing language all around him. He was immersed in the language. The person speaking has knowledge of the content, in this case the English language, so the child is learning English. The final step is to intervene with positive reinforcement.  Otherwise, the baby would just continue to babble and have no clue he was actually saying words that had meaning.

OMG…so simple.  It works. Immerse children in the learning process, so they see a reason for what they are learning, have high expectations, lead them to achieve success, praise them for their accomplishments.

These steps are the basis of the Imagine Tomorrow Approach being used in the Puterbugs Literacy based Technology program.  Our teachers are all trained and certified on how to implement the Imagine Tomorrow Approach.  Many have told me that the same techniques work for their own children at home.

Training doesn’t end with the Imagine Tomorrow Certification.  Our teachers are not left on their own in an isolated classroom.  Our network of teachers share best practices and receive on-going mentoring and support through our proprietary online system.  

Steps for successful Teaching:

1.      High expectations for each child

2.      Knowledgeable teachers who love what they are doing

3.      Make learning meaningful and challenging

4.      Positive feedback

5.      Mentor and support teachers

We see the results from around the country.  The Imagine Tomorrow Approach works!

Imagine Tomorrow...Today!

The name of the company I founded, after resigning from teaching, is Imagine Tomorrow.  The mission of the company is to have a postive impact on the lives of children, while preparing them for their future.  The tool I use is technology, the most powerful tool for learning.

I was imagining tomorrow when I  opened the first Computer Learning Center in 1991 and this is what I imagined:

I imagined a place where children would come and there would be high expectations and respect for every child

I imagined a place where children would have so much fun while learning, because that is how children learn 

I imagined a place where the youngest of children would get to use the latest and coolest technology, not just to play games, but for learning, creative self expression and problem solving.  Kids who understand the power of technology will be the ones who will be successful in school and in life.

What I only could have imagined in 1991 is more than a reality today, being the largest provider of computer classes in the United States.   Today when I imagine tomorrow, I envision the content we develop, Discovery Kids Puterbugs, being used by millions of children worldwide.

Put down that Book - Pick up Technology

Have you ever told your child NOT to read a book or he can only read no more than 25 minutes a day?  Yet same remarks are being placed on kids using technology.

How about all those expert?  I haven’t been able to find one study that shows that kids who sit to read books are anti-social, can’t communicate with peers, less creative and will lead to childhood obesity.   Sounds absurd!  Yet it would be true, if kids found reading a book as engaging as using technology.

What is more isolating than watching a child sitting by himself reading a book?  How many times have you ever heard a kid telling another kid to get this great book?  Rarely!  I know moms this summer are not limiting their child’s reading time, but they are trying all kinds of bribes to get their kids to read. 

Yet they have the tool right at their fingertips.

Parents will hand their kids computers, tablets, smart phones for the purpose of playing games.  Then we have all these “experts” chiming in on how bad technology is for our kids, yet when used properly it is the best learning tool we have.

It doesn’t have to be a struggle to get your child to read.  Your kid is part of the digital generation and will read what is interesting.    Using technology is fun and kids really are naturally inquisitive.   Check out Shark Week on Discovery Website - http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/shark-week/.  Have your child watch the videos and read about sharks. Yes! Watch the videos and listen to the audio.  Really amazing what is at our fingertips and how much we can learn.  Reading and Listening Comprehension are literacy skills kids need to be successful learners.  For younger children, be sure to practice at www.discoverykids.com/puterbugs for the most innovative Shark Week learning experience for your kids! 
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Kids are putting down their book, but picking up technology.   Just as we nag our kids to read a book, when you hand over technology to your kid, do it with a purpose.  A quote from a child from one of our computer classes, “This is almost like learning.”  

Standardized Testing

It's that time of  year again... 

Kids are spending precious school hours prepping for those dreadful standardized tests.  Parents are anxiously waiting for the results.  When I was a mom with school age children, I know centuries ago, we didn't have facebook, twitter... but we did have phones.  As soon as we would receive the results, our phone would start ringing.  Anxious moms would ask me how my daughters did.  Their child either did horribly or was a genius--all based on that one test.  My response was always the same, year after year.  "My girls did exactly how I expected."   Period.

My girls never even knew their test scores.  I would take the results of the test, glance at them, and put them in a drawer.  Really! One test and your child is a genius, the smartest kid in the school? Or the dumbest?  It's only ONE TEST!  I can tell you now, one of my girls did horribly on the math section of a standardized test.   Had I told her or even mentioned it to anyone, or had she overheard me, she may have believed she wasn't good in math.  She was so quick in math!  There was no way that test was a reflection of what she knew.  Kids believe what others say about them.  Think about it: A standardized test is only one small snapshot of your child.  Your child may have had a bad day, or skipped one of those silly little boxes which then screwed up all the answers.

My advice:   Don't make a big deal when your child takes standardized tests, and especially do NOT post or discuss your child's scores on social media sites.   If your child is doing well all year, then expect he/she will have good results on the tests.  If your child has been struggling, then the teacher and you should have had a plan of action way before the standardized testing.  Tell your child like I did when you get the results.  "You did exactly how I expected and I'm proud of you for trying so hard!"  Then, move on... There's so much more to really learn!

What is the right age for starting a child on the computer?

The answer to this question can vary, but some children as early as 2 ½ years have the attention, understanding, and eye-hand coordination to make them “ready” for the computer. Others need a little more time, but often sometime between age 3 and 4 they are ready to get started.

Of course, learning happens best in a setting where there is structure – rules, respect, and balance. So if you are ready to have your preschool age child explore and learn using technology, you should be ready yourself to be involved firsthand in the process. The right software or website selection may keep your child occupied and learning, but don’t underestimate your role as their coach and teacher right at their side, to set the rules, guide them through whatever they are working on, and to praise their accomplishments!