Technically Trying

 Sometimes teachers like to do what is called a "bell ringer" or "seat work" when they begin the class. Sometimes its the "warmup" activity of the day. (or the hour) They come up with different things to show their kids a fun fact, make them answer a question, have a thought provoking conversation, or finish a quick game or activity. This helps them start the class on the right foot. Well I found a really cool activity for teachers to use that takes a lot of the guess work and thought out of creating those first things every day! EdTomorrow First Five! https://www.edtomorrow.com/today/ This website has grade level appropriate games, memes, thoughtful writing prompts or questions that can help get their minds focused, relaxed, and ready to learn. Today is Halloween, so they had a themed post for the day: Those are just for the "secondary" level. They have two other grade levels: The teacher can pick which one fits their students best and then pick...

 I've talked about AI before and its been something that I feel, as a parent, needs to be discussed openly almost as much as pornography if you are going to protect your kids from harm. ( PYE's Ten before Ten ) I truly believe that AI has a lot of good and help in the world. But I also know that, as we have seen in news articles, AI can hurt.  I use AI a lot in my job: research, problem solving, and creating emails when I just don't have the right words to explain my point of view. But with the ever growing "AI as a therapist/friend/confidant" generation of development, its becoming more and more dangerous to use AI when you are not fully aware that this is not a human . I'm speaking mostly about our children and their interactions with AI. Children don't need to be using AI. Especially unsupervised. They do not need an AI companion, they do not need to have a therapy session with ChatGPT, they need to learn to talk with humans, interact face to face, and ...

 As technology grows in our world and we become more immersed in the every day tasks that require said technology, we are faced with a dilemma right down to the very core of our human nature: Is this natural? Is this human? Is this right? I was recently made aware of an issue where robots are being created to birth children. Human children. These robots are being designed to actually carry the fertilized egg the full ten months of gestation and have a fully formed human to be given to new parents.  This brings up a new question that is directly related to our deeply rooted faith: Is this God at work? And I think the answer here is "no".  Technology can be a lot of things! Technology helped us create better paper for stories to be written on, better vehicles for safety, better medicines for healing, better entertainment for fireworks, and better convenience for every day life. But at what point do we stop and say "no thats too far"? At what point do we, as the human ...

 Google recently released access to their AI tools for all ages and its as if none of them have kids of their own! Releasing a powerful tool like that for all age users inside an educational setting is another way for students to find content they don't need to see or learn behaviors they don't need to learn. I'm not against AI. I use it constantly. I am always looking up things that I don't quite know, or using the conversational style researching to figure out problems I am working through with my job. Sometimes its nice to type in a query that is going through my head in one fashion and asking it to word it more clearly for another search I need to make. AI is a great tool in my toolbelt and I can see how it becomes an every day habit. However, our kids brains aren't developed! Their pre-frontal cortex hasn't finished growing and introducing them to a tool as powerful as AI that can speak back to you in a conversational manner can cause some serious problems!...

 Welcome back to another school year! A new school year brings a lot of new plans, new ideas, new habits, and new rituals. Make sure to include safe technology use with those new habits by creating a family friendly technology schedule or set of habits that everyone can follow. Ease into the Day * Don't allow television, ipads, kindles, or cell phones before you leave for school. Instead, allow your child to eat breakfast, get dressed, and have a small amount of quiet play time or reading time to ease into the day. This helps regulate their system to keep them calm and prepare their mind for the work ahead. Mimic the behavior you want to see * If you require no tech for your child, try to do the same for yourself. Yes we all have emails that need to be answered, texts that come through for last minute spirit days, or the random phone call before 7am asking for a ride. But be open about your use "I'm sorry, I just got a text and I need to make sure its not from school, hold...

 Going into the summer months can be daunting when you're a working parent with kids at home. You might feel concerned about their screen time and the various un-monitored hours they could spend on their devices. Now is the best time to talk with your child about their device use and making sure that they understand you are their safe place! Use this time to confirm with your child that they can talk to you about anything . You are there to keep them safe! Remind them that you can look at their device at any time and if you are curious about something, that they will have a conversation with you and together you can work through the issue. Give them the opportunity to be outside and spend time with friends without  a device. There are lots of summer camps and fun activities this summer! Get your child out there!  I recommend creating a tech friendly summer plan to help your child feel like they're getting what they want while also getting what you feel is right for your f...

In today's digital world, kids are often more tech-savvy than we realize. One tool they might use is a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. While VPNs are commonly used for privacy and security, some children may also use them to bypass parental controls. This guide will help parents understand VPNs, recognize signs of misuse, and maintain open communication with their kids about responsible technology use. Remember, your child is really smart! Communicate your concerns with them at every turn when it comes to digital safety. You're helping them grow and become healthy tech savvy adults! What is a VPN? A VPN encrypts internet traffic and masks a user's location by routing their connection through a secure server. While this can protect privacy and secure sensitive data on public Wi-Fi networks, it also allows users to hide their online activity, which may be concerning for parents. How Kids Might Use VPNs to Bypass Parental Controls Children might use VPNs to: Access res...