It's that time again. Parents everywhere are getting ready for the new school year and our children's growing interest in technology - for study time or fun time - is rapidly increasing. The latest gadgets are infiltrating children's backpacks everywhere. With 97 percent of America's public schools now connected to the Internet, teachers at the elementary and high school levels are even finding ways to incorporate technology into the educational experience.
As the father of a five-year old, I know that it's just a matter of time until she'll replace her crayons with a laptop and start using an MP3 player to take notes. I've already begun working to ensure that she embraces technology by exposing her to age-appropriate games and educational programs. Technology is enhancing her enthusiasm towards learning and is undoubtedly having an impact on your children as well.
As parents, we need to educate ourselves on the benefits that these latest tech gadgets bring to the classroom, so when our tech-savvy kids start writing them down on their back to school wish lists, we'll be in the know. Despite her young age, it's amazing how much she knows about technology, and I fully expect her to catch up to me very soon.
Read on for some tips to help understand today's newest back-to-school gadgets and technology.
Gadgets
- Take Notes: Traditional note taking is being replaced with voice recorders or MP3 recorder adapters in some classrooms. What used to be a thumb-numbing session of note-taking is now as simple as pressing the "record" button. By playing back the information on an MP3 player, your son or daughter can make sure that even the most minor detail is heard.
- Snap Pictures: Documenting science projects or prized finger-painting works of art, is much more simple when you go digital. There is no such thing as a waste of film when images can be re-shot or edited on a computer photo program.
- Stay Connected: New kid-friendly cell phones have parental controls for younger children, so you'll be able to store only those numbers programmed by you (and 911), keeping bills in check and you and your children connected.
- Keep Organized: For your high-school-aged children, help them stay organized with personal digital assistants or PDAs. Many schools now allow PDAs in classrooms when used for academic purposes such as taking notes, outlining projects and keeping track of project due dates.
- Save and Protect: Another tip for your older children is USB flash drives a small device for data storage. Flash drives can hold far more than the floppy disks we grew up with and they're small and durable enough to attach to a key ring or toss in a backpack.
- To Carry and Store: Not every item is out of date. The traditional backpack is always in style and with more options than ever.
Software
- Understand and Help with Homework: Software like "Inspiration 8" is an essential tool to help students plan, research and complete projects successfully. Live homework help is also available with a simple software download from Tutor.com.
- Write and Edit: Students will always need a dictionary, but "Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary and Thesaurus" offers more features than its hard copy companion.
- Create and Revise: Map making software, such as "Mapmakers Toolkit," allows students to select, customize and print state, country and continent maps.
- Make Charts and Tables: Graphing software such as "Microsoft Student with Encarta Premium 2007," is fun and generates flawless documents to help your student score an "A" in math or other classes.
Trent Kannenberg is a Double Agent with Geek Squad, a
24-Hour Computer Support Task Force. He is based in
Minneapolis, MN.
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