Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Facetime: adding and removing numbers and email

Similar to my prior post, occasionally I receive an email from staff telling me they need to add someone on Facetime, or perhaps they are receiving Facetime calls from people they don't know. In the latter case, that occurs because they have inherited an iDevice from someone else, or they are using a group iTunes account to manage "Find my iPhone" and other features.

It is pretty simple to make certain that you are receiving the Facetime calls you want, and not those you don't want.

1.  Begin by touching on "Settings"


2.  Then touch "Facetime" in the left column.

3.  Uncheck email or phone numbers you don't want, and add email accounts that you do want. 


Make certain that your Facetime friends have the new email/numbers to contact you.

That should take care of it, happy therapy!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Catch UP Parents!

 As a parent, do you know which kids your child goes to the mall with? If your child says "I'm going out driving around with my friends", do you say "okay"? Or do you ask "who, what, where, when, and maybe why"?

An engaged parent asks those questions. 

I remember when I was a teenager. There were a few phones in our house. One in the kitchen, and one in my parents room. My last few years at home, I got a phone in my bedroom, but it was the same telephone line, and I was not supposed to stay on the phone during the day, as my father worked from home. Having private, unsupervised phone calls was a challenge.

Many teens today live in two separate worlds, the physical world where we reign as parents, and another, the cyber world where we are often woefully absent. Today's youth have multiple social media venues they participate in.  Many of them have a smart phone and maybe a computer to use as they see fit. At it's best, the cyber world is a tremendous social tool which they navigate with remarkable skill and it enriches their lives. At it's worst, it becomes a Lord of the Flies situtation with cyber bullying, sexting, academic cheating, and super-gossiping.

Either way, this cyber world and it's social tools are here to stay. We can catch up, and be stewards of our children in this complex ever shifting environment, or be left far behind, asking our children to raise themselves to the best of their abilities.

I challenge all of us to ask who, what, where, when, and maybe why regarding our kids social media usage. Know which tools they use. Friend or follow them. Make it mandatory. You wouldn't let them go to the mall with a known drug seller, or a kid known for shop-lifting, right? Hold the same standard to their social media.  My kids have to share their passwords to all their media tools with my wife and I. I go on as them periodically. I don't post as them, and I make a point not to embarrass them, but you will see things as the "user" that you can't from the "following side".

Happy Parenting!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Playtime Matters: another great Acorn Dreams blog article!


The blog Acorn Dreams provides tremendous early childhood resources that can "equip you to guide children, starting in the preschool years, to make friends, cooperate, handle anger and disappointment, calm down, and solve problems peacefully."  

The "blog discussions share information and effective strategies that nurture children’s social-emotional development and healthy behaviors. 



Playtime Matters is a really terrific article on the power of play, and what play can look like. Check it out!


Friday, March 15, 2013

What is the Internet, Anyway?

This is very funny...


Do you use SmartBoards? If so, check this out!

 

The SMART Learning Space is moving

We have some big news to share – the SMART Learning Space is changing locations!
  • When? The change will occur April 1st and you’ll be re-directed automatically to the new location on that date.  No new course registrations will be allowed between March 18th and April 1st so we have time to transfer data.  
  • Why? We think the new site will be easier and more fun for you to use. It has an active community where you can connect with other people and get SMART product tips and tricks, a forum where you can get answers to your training questions, and a super-easy user interface we know you’ll love.
  • What do I need to do? Finish any incomplete courses by March 26th. We’ll transfer all of your learning records, but we can’t transfer a “bookmark” in the middle of the course.
  • Do I need a new account? No – we’ll do all the work, and you can use the same user name and password as you do now.
  • Do I still have access to the same courses? Yes! The current SLS online course catalog contains over 120 high-quality courses, which will all be available in the new location.
  • Will I lose any courses that I’ve paid for and haven’t taken yet? No – all of your courses will be transferred over to the new site. Your “lifelong learning record” will include training or certifications that were previously completed.
If you have more questions, check out our FAQ or contact us at smarttech.com/contacttraining.
If you want to receive monthly updates about what's new and exciting at SMART, please update your contact information at smarttech.com/subscribe.
We look forward to seeing you in our new location on April 1st!
Yours truly,
The SMART Learning Space admin team
left button edge

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Bike more, game less!

Ride Bikes!!

Recently read this quote:

"More young people know how to play a computer game (58%) than can ride a bike unaided (52%)."

I don't know the source, but as a parent, a therapist, an educator, and of course a rabid cyclist, I find this statistic disconcerting!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Whole Enchilada

So. You have a student who has difficulties with the writing process, and overall organization skills. The IEP team and/or parents are confident that the student needs a laptop to be successful.

As the AT Provider, you agree. But what does the execution of this plan look like? Do you send a laptop to the school and your done? Obviously, no
In my schools I think about a series of steps.


  1. Touch base with your Technology Specialist. Let him/her know you are bringing the laptop to "their" school. They hate being asked to help with a random issue for a computer they had no idea was in the school. (This is just professional courtesy).
  2. Confirm the printers the student needs to access are working with the laptop. 
  3. Confirm the wifi functions on laptop.
  4. Schedule time to meet, preferably with the student and a Resource teacher. 
  5. Train student/teacher how to use whatever word processor they are using. It may be that the teacher will be providing on-going training. If so, make certain he/she is comfortable with this task.
  6. Facilitate the setting up of folders for organization, (eg; Math, Science, Etc...).
  7. Train student/teacher on saving/opening to/from specific folders. 
  8. Make certain there is a plan in place for when/where the student will use the device.
  9. Ascertain whether or not the student will carry the device throughout the day, do they have/need a valise.
  10. If the device is staying at school, where will it stay, who will be responsible to keep it locked up?
  11. Have a plan in place to follow up with student success/issues.
Happy Therapy!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

A little iTip....

Did you know that once you log into iTunes on an iPad, iTouch, or iPhone your password is "good" for up to 15 minutes? 

The ramifications of this are that if you log in and download an app for another user, and then hand them the device, they can begin downloading more apps or in-app content. This is not to say that they would have malicious intentions, they may simply be young and not understand the impact. 

Make certain that sufficient time has passed before you leave an iDevice unsupervised if the password is active, or simply sign out of the App store upon downloading the content. 

Happy Therapy!