South's Wellness Wednesday - Three Tech Tools

Technology can be a huge distraction and expose our middle schoolers to risks, but it can also be a tremendous resource and opportunity. Cell phone bans are being actively discussed, as schools have noticed a huge increase in cell phone use in school. At the same time, schools like ours have adopted BYOD policies and increased the screen time for kids' schoolwork throughout the day. Smart phones do offer a lot of tools to help keep kids engaged too, but there may be some resources you're not aware of. Here are three!

Google Read & Write - for Kids Who Hate Typing or Reading Online
All Braintree students have a Google account through the school. Included with that account is a license to use the Google Read & Write extension. Google Read & Write can be added to your child's Chrome browser toolbar and by clicking on it they can have text read to them, or they can dictate their work and have it typed out for them. 

• If your child is a struggling reader or just a slow reader, Read & Write can take a lot of that burden away from their homework. Have their assignments read to them like an audiobook!
• If your child is that kid who can talk to you all day long about what they're learning in school, but struggles to write a complete sentence when they're assigned to write a 5-paragraph essay, Read & Write can help them get all those ideas onto paper through dictation. 
  • You might worry that they'll never learn to write if they don't practice, but please don't! After dictating, the student needs to go back and correct any errors, add punctuation and divide up sentences, and cut out any extra words. It's actually a great way to practice writing skills!
  • Here's the pro tip from Mrs. Sharkey-Jordan: after your child has done their work, have Read & Write read it out loud to them. They'll pick up on any weird sentences, spelling mistakes, etc. It's an amazing way to edit/revise!
• Most smartphones come with a pair of earbuds that have an inline microphone. These will work on most chromebooks or laptops too. Headphones may be even better to help your kids isolate what they're listening to and focus on their work.

Learn more about Read & Write here.

Guided Access for iOS - This is the tip that your kids might actually kill me for sharing...
On iPhones, iPads, etc. you have the option to shut off access to all but one app. You may want to help your child focus and get off social media for a while, but they always tell you they need to use their device to get on Google Classroom. Or, maybe they like to listen to music from their phone/tablet while doing homework. You can allow them to use that one app, and shut off access to everything else!

In iOS, open Settings, then scroll down to Accessibility. Open that and scroll way down to Guided Access. Turn that on and set a PIN code, and you're good to go. Launch the app they "need to use", triple click on the side button, and let them know you'll unlock the device when they can show you their completed assignment. 

Here's a guide for Apple iOS. Something similar is available for Android as well, which you can read about here.

Screen Time for iOS
In iOS, you can set up Family Sharing to monitor your kids' screen use, but you can do a lot more, too. Go to Settings, scroll down to Screen Time, and select your child. You can schedule downtime to ensure time away, set time limits for apps, and block certain content. You can even set up "communication safety" to detect and prevent inappropriate messages or pictures.

How can I make this age-appropriate for my tween/teen? The goal isn't just to put bubble wrap around your kids and never let them learn how to act online, right? But you want to protect them from impulsive decisions that could lead to big problems, and to learn as they go. Have a conversation with them. Turn Screen Time on, and then sit down with your child to talk about their screen use after a week. You might even want to set it up for yourself and share your reports together. You'll be surprised at how much kids know their device use can be unhealthy, and they might suggest reasonable limits for themselves. Test it out and sit down again next week to review. 

"Your time on Snapchat didn't go down at all with this limit. Want to try less this week?"
"You used up all your time for Instagram. Did you miss it when you couldn't use it anymore?"

By having these conversations, you're helping your child develop their own values about how to spend their time, and building good habits for being mindful of how their time is spent. You might not agree on everything, but it gives you an opportunity to explain why you think something may be more risky or unhealthy for them, and what you value as good opportunities for them. This is exactly the sort of conversation kids need to be having at this age with adults who have been through it before them!

Learn more about Screen Time for iOS here. Something similar is available for Android as well, which you can read about here.