Should We Be Concerned About an "App Gap"? Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics restated its long-standing recommendations that parents limits the access to television of children under age two. But it's fairly clear that few people are actually heeding the advice. According to a recent study by Common Sense Media, children of all ages are spending more and more time in front of screens of all sorts -- not just television screens, but computer screens, iPads, smart-phones, gaming consoles and the like. Concern about children's access to and consumption of media -- even media that's labelled "educational" -- is nothing new.
But there is a new warning flag in this latest report: a so-called "app gap. " An "app gap," Common Sense Media argues, is developing between children of high-income and low-income families, the latter having limited access to mobile devices and the applications on them. But while the "app gap" might have a nice, rhyming ring to it, is this really a new phenomenon? Teaching and Learning: Using iPads in the Classroom.
Updated 01/2014 If I had thirty iPads in my class, what would I do with them? How would I use them to help my students learn better and help me teach better? Perhaps a better question is what would I do with them that I could not do with other tools that are available and cheaper? Certainly iPads are cheaper than computers, desktop or laptop, and they are more mobile. Speaking of computers, they were supposed to be the transformation of teaching and learning as we know it. In some ways there has been a transformation, but the basics of teaching and learning have remained unchanged. Perhaps, the iPad will be the tool that really does transform classroom practice.
Kinesthetic Learners The iPad has a number of unique features that provide for interesting possibilities in teaching and learning. As a completely portable learning tool, the iPad camera allows documentation to be taken to a whole different level. Students can also attach videos, and voice recordings to their field notes. California teachers lack resources and time to teach science - latimes.com. At some Los Angeles elementary schools, teachers have drastically cut time for science because of pressure to focus on reading and math.
If they can incorporate science into class time, they say they mostly have to buy their own supplies. And educators from the state's high-tech epicenter of Silicon Valley say some students come to high school having never once conducted an experiment in earlier grades. California, known as a global symbol of scientific and technological excellence, is failing to invest enough time, money and training to teach science well, according to interviews and a new survey of more than 1,100 elementary school teachers and administrators. Only 10% of elementary students regularly receive hands-on science lessons, the report found. The squeeze on science instruction is reflected in predominantly low science test scores. Federal, state and local education officials agree that science education must be improved — in California and nationwide.
Not all is bleak. The History of the World in 100 Objects - Slide Show. What's a QR code and why should you care? QR codes, those barcode-like images that can be scanned by smartphones, are showing up in magazine ads, on product shelves and billboards. We even saw one the other day on a dog collar. Taco Bell has used QR codes on fountain drink cups to direct consumers to MTV video content. Procter and Gamble and Kraft Foods have used them for online discounts. TV's HSN (Home Shopping Network) recently offered a four-day QR-a-thon, displaying the codes at the bottom of the TV screen for more web information about products.
Scanning a QR code is easy: just download a free QR code reader app for your smartphone, and take a picture of the code. MORE: Talking Your Tech Yet according to researcher comScore, only 6% of mobile phone consumers actually use them — leaving 94% to wonder what the fuss is all about. Marketing professionals who wrote us either love or hate QR codes. Tom Force, owner of ICEkeytags in Southlake, Texas, says QR codes help small businesses compete with larger firms. Free stuff Data. Apps, Extensions and Themes. Tips to Stop Stressing Over Parent Teacher Conferences. Does thinking about the end of the grading quarter leave you dreading the impending parent teacher conferences? Many teachers will be scrambling to get those final assessments in before the end of the marking period, double-checking report cards, and printing off reports in an effort to pull together a quick snapshot of each child’s progress since the beginning of the school year.
Then, they will be expected to present this information to the parent in a quick 15-minute time slot, while dealing with running siblings, parents that are late then want to stay to chat forever, and no-shows who don’t bother to take the time to call to cancel. It's no wonder this time of year is so stressful for teachers everywhere! Perhaps these tips can help ease the stress over parent teacher conferences. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, educators should... How do Asian nations make it to the top educational spots, and how does the U.S... Have Students Help with Folders Music. Use Tripline for history and social studies projects. Teaching History Through Inquiry. Mint Finally Brings Personal Finance Platform To The iPad.
Mint.com has been available on a variety of mobile platforms, including iPhone and Android, but has not developed an iPad app. Considering the popularity of other finance apps on the iPad and the tablet for factor, the device is ideal for Mint’s service. Today, Intuit-owned Mint.com is finally launching an iPad app. You can download the app here.
The iPad app lets you organize all accounts in one place within the app, and includes a streaming delivery of account alerts, bill reminders and personalized advice. The app takes advantage of the touch interface to allow users to pinch, tap and flick through graphs to drill into spending by category, merchant or budget. Similar to the iPhone app, you can add transactions from the app and it uses Google places to identify local merchants to input. The app uses geo-location capabilities help people categorize cash spending, and allows you to see a snapshot of your financies without Wi-Fi access. That being said, better late than never.