Stop iPad game distractions at school

Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to prevent your child playing games on their iPad at school.  Hopefully the school will have restrictions in place and your child abides by them. 

The perfect solution would be an app that allows you to lock a folder full of apps.  Then you could have the passcode and only unlock that games folder when your child is home.  However, the apps that allow that feature are only available to you if you jailbreak your iPad.   

  

I don’t recommend jailbreaking your iPad because it terminates your warranty, and also opens the iPad, and your child, to security issues and apps that you might not want them accessing.  Jailbreaking is a technical process, and not for the novice; each time there’s a software update you’ll need to re-jailbreak the device, and there is also the risk of permanent damage being done to the device.

So, what can you do to make sure that their games aren’t distracting your child every time they open their iPad?

Turn off notifications

Turn off notifications on the games your child plays, so they won’t be distracted by announcements of approaching tournaments, new levels or prizes they can collect in their favourite games.

• To see what Notifications are appearing on the iPad, swipe down from the top of the screen.

To turn off Notifications:

1. Go to Settings

2. Select Notifications

3. From the list of apps that appears on the right of the screen, you’ll need to select each of the games individually to access their Notification settings

4. Swipe next to Allow Notifications to turn off all notifications for each game/app.

• Be careful which apps you switch off notifications for – they might need their calendar or reminder app notifications!

FYI, this is where you can choose how and where you receive notifications from apps; you can choose where on the screen they appear and whether there is a sound notification as well.

Get to know your iPad

Setting up your child's iPad for school

Getting to know the iPad

If your family is new to iPads then you need to get to know the device.  Hopefully your child will receive some instruction at school, but it's also a good idea for you to know where to turn if your child needs help.  There are a few places you can try:

On the iPad there is a pre installed app – Tips. This app gives you single screen tips to help you get to know your iPad. Just swipe to see the next tip.  There is also a link in Tips to the iPad User Guide, which you can download for free from the iBooks Store.

If you want to know all about the latest updates and features you can download the Tips & Tricks - Secrets for iPad app. This gives you in depth information, app and hardware reviews, notifications about new apps, updates and features – basically EVERYTHING you could possibly need to know about your iPad.  There is a free version and a pro version for $7.99.

• Free iPad tutorials are available at http://www.gcflearnfree.org/devices/ipadbasics

Add your contact details to the iPad lock screen

Setting up your child's iPad for school

It's all very well having a passcode on your child’s iPad so no one but them can access it, but what if it gets lost? Sure, you can use Find My iPhone, but if it's just been left somewhere at school and needs to find its way back to your child you need to make sure it is identifiable.

Your identification choices are:

•  Add their name and a contact number to the iPad case/cover – great as long as the iPad stays in the case
• Engrave their name and a contact number on the iPad back (a permanent option, but hidden if the iPad is in a case)
• Add their name, year, class number, contact number (or any other information you want) to the lock screen, so it's the first thing that is seen when the iPad opens.  This is the easiest option, and it’s also one you can change whenever you need to, ie. change of year, change of phone number etc.

 How to customise the iPad lock screen

You don't need to install an app to add your choice of information to the lock screen. You can use any method you like to create an image that you can save as a photo which can then be chosen as the lock screen image.  You could even handwrite it and then take a photo of the paper with your child's iPad.

Alternatively, and the method I used for my boys’ iPads, was to create an image in PowerPoint.  It is likely that one of the apps you needed to download was either PowerPoint or Keynote, so why not use what you already have.  Just select a nice theme and create one slide with the text you want. Run the slide show and take a screen shot of that one slide.

I’ll run you through the instructions using the PowerPoint app, although it’s almost identical with Keynote:

1.     Open PowerPoint and select a theme your child likes

2.     Double tap each placeholder (text box) and type your text.  You can move the position of each placeholder by tapping it once so you see the solid frame around it, then dragging it to its new position.

TIP:  If you’re using Keynote, the first slide doesn’t always feature the theme you chose, so add a second slide and use that one to create your lock screen image.

3.     Once you are happy with your slide, tap the play button, in the top right corner

4.     Wait a second for the tool bar at the top of the screen to disappear so your slide takes up the full iPad screen, then take a screen shot.  To take a screen shot on the iPad just simultaneously press the home and power buttons.

5.     The image has now been saved to Photos on the iPad.

To set your image as the lock screen:

1.     Go to Settings

2.     Select Wallpaper

3.     Select Choose a New Wallpaper

4.     Tap on Screenshots

5.     Tap the image you just created

6.     If it doesn’t fit the screen perfectly you can adjust it by pinching and stretching to adjust it on the screen

7.     Make sure Perspective Zoom is Off if you’ve adjusted the image

8.     Tap Set Lock Screen

That’s it – your lock screen is done!  

Prepare your child's iPad for school

Coming this week:

If your child is using an iPad for school you will most likely have been provided with instructions for settings up the device, a list of apps to download.  Once that's done and you've downloaded your child’s etextbooks, that's it - or is it? 

This week I'll be posting about some other settings and features you might like to consider, for example:

• How to add your child's name and contact details to the lock screen
• How to stop games distracting your child while they're at school

Come back tomorrow for the first post of this special series on preparing your child's iPad for school.

Back to school 2015: Top tips for choosing a BYO computer for your child

If your child’s school is one of the growing list moving to ‘BYOD’ – ‘Bring Your Own Device’, then you’ve got some big decisions to make before your child goes back to school in a few weeks.  Some schools make it a bit easier by listing the specifications they require of the device; others leave it up to parents.  If that’s you then help is at hand.

The following tips from Darren Simmons, Managing Director of Acer Computer Australia, will help you navigate the options and avoid the pitfalls when your school leaves you to ‘your own devices’ when it comes to buying a portable computer for your child to take to class.

Step 1: Choose the type of device

A range of devices suitable for BYOD cover different student needs, preferences and family budgets, including:

• Notebook/Laptop – the biggest, heaviest and more expensive option, but with more storage, processing power and access to powerful applications. A full keyboard makes it easy to take notes and write essays.

• Tablet – smaller, lighter and a range of cheap and free apps. There’s no keyboard, but you can type on screen, use a stylus or ‘Active pen’ or attach a separate keyboard.

• 2-in-1 ‘combos’ - notebooks with detachable screens; detach the screen and use it as a tablet.  A full keyboard for typing and ‘Active pen’ or stylus for ‘writing’ on screen.

• Chromebook - light, low cost, simple web surfing and cloud computing (online storage). Includes a keyboard but may not support some specialist software.

Step 2: What does my child’s device need?

Your child will need this shopping list of features in their device:

•  WiFi capability – make sure it can connect to your school’s network.

• Minimum specs – ask if your school has specific requirements. At a minimum, get 16 GB storage and 2 GB RAM.

• Note-taking ability – get a device that makes it easy to create and save notes.

• Screen size - 

     o   For laptops an 11 – 13 inch screen (bigger is too heavy and bulky). 

     o   For tablets – a large screen (8 inches-plus) for easier reading, browsing and viewing.

• Battery Life - to last the school day – and fully charge it each night.

Step 3: You’ve got it, now look after it

Your device is an expensive investment. Here’s what you need to look after it:

• A robust storage case - a hard shell case is stronger than soft neoprene covers.

• Ongoing Support - Consider an extended warranty to reduce future repair costs if you school does not provide technical support.

• Secure it – Get anti-virus protection and keep it up to date.  Acer recommends McAfee Internet Protection and Absolute LoJack theft recovery software to find and track a lost or stolen laptop or tablet.

• Insurance - Ask your school if its insurance policy covers loss or damage at school & check with your insurer about cover for loss or damage outside your home.

• Label it clearly – use an engraving tool for a permanent result and make a copy of the serial number.

BYOD is a new approach to using technology at school, but it doesn’t have to be daunting. Armed with the right advice, you can decide with confidence on a device that will meet your children’s school needs on day one – and the years ahead.

Acer has a great range of products that are worth considering when choosing a device for your child - www.acer.com.au

D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera - not just for babies

Those of you who know me know that my boys are no longer babies, so you might be wondering why I'm reviewing a baby monitor.  I do know that a lot of my readers DO have babies, so when I was offered the D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera to trial and review, I thought it might be something of interest, and I had some ideas for other uses for it too.  Don’t run away if you don’t have a baby – read to the end and you’ll see how this camera is a lot more than a baby monitor! 

D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera DCS-825L

When you first unpack it, the D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera looks like a large webcam.  Just plug it in to the power, download the app to your phone or tablet (it’s available for iOS and Android) and you’re guided through the Setup Wizard.  The camera has its own Wi-Fi code, which you enter into the app to link it to your phone or tablet, then you link the camera to your home Wi-Fi network.  The whole set up took less than 10 minutes.  The last step is to create an account with D-Link which means you can monitor the camera from anywhere in the world just by visiting the D-Link website and logging in.

What’s so special about this baby camera?

• Rather than just hearing your baby you can see your baby.

• Distance isn't a problem - you can be in the living room, in the garden, or at your neighbours home. 

• High definition vision quality means that even in a dark room you can still see up to 5 metres.

• 4 x digital zoom from your phone or tablet.

• There’s two way audio, which means that as well as listening to your baby, you can also talk to your baby.  There’s even a lullaby player built in with five different tunes.

• Set it to alert you when motion or noise is detected, or when there’s a temperature change in the room.

• Insert a microSD card and record video or images.

• Both the blue and pink coloured rings come with the camera, so you can colour coordinate with your baby’s décor.

This camera would be perfect for a parent who has to travel for work, or worse, who works/lives apart from their family for any length of time.  I know for me, being away from my family is hardest at night, and luckily that didn’t happen when my boys were babies, but to have been able to see them tucked into their beds and sleeping would have at least assured me that everything was OK.  Just log in to your camera via the D-link website and you view the camera images live, even from the other side of the world!

Apart from being a brilliant baby monitor/camera, there are plenty of non-baby uses I came up with

• Pet owners – do you have a pet who frets when you’re not there?  You can talk to it via the camera, as well as checking that it’s not doing something it shouldn’t!

• A sick child at home and you have to work, or go to the shops?  You can make sure they’re ok while you’re out.

• If your house is for sale you can be a ‘fly on the wall’ during an open for inspection

• An older parent living alone – you could check occasionally to make sure they’re ok

• Recently my father spent his first night out of hospital with us.  I wish I’d had the D-Link then, because if he needed something in the middle of the night, all he would have had to do was speak into the monitor.

• My parents still live in their own home and my father is the carer for my mother who has dementia.  They live in a two storey house and twice so far my mother has fallen over while my father has been downstairs.  With the D-Link camera set up he could have seen what was going on upstairs and heard my mother when she called for help.

Luckily it’s a few years since I've had to worry about this, but lately there have been a few posts on other forums, so I know it’s an issue a few face.  I once had a friend whose child delighted in tormenting one of my sons whenever they visited, but it was never when their mother was around, so she never saw what happened.  If I’d had the D-Link baby camera then I would have had my iPad in our view wherever we were so we could both see exactly what he little ‘angel’ got up to out of her sight!

Then there’s a whole lot of other uses once the kids got hold of it during the holidays

• Hide and seek/44 Homes changes completely when the camera is set up to monitor a strategic location, with the iPad left on a table where those ‘in the know’ could casually take a look.

• My boys love Prank Patrol on ABC3, so Aaron’s first thought was how to use the camera to prank his little brother!  The two way audio was perfect for making his little brother and his friend think the house was haunted!  He just hid the camera in Danny’s bedroom and spoke into my phone (and watched the results) from the other end of the house.

• I really don't suggest this one unless you want World War III - set up the camera behind your opponent while playing a card game and you can glance at your phone occasionally to see their hand!

The D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera 825 costs between $180 and $250, depending on where you buy, and you can read more about it here 

What would you use the D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera for?

Disclosure:  Whilst I was given the D-Link Wi-Fi Baby Camera to review, all opinions are my own

Lego apps, games and downloads

My boys have just about worn out the Lego Movie since I bought the DVD last week, and it has given their love of Lego a boost too.  Which lead to the Lego apps on the iPad being discovered again. 

There are lots of great Lego apps for both iOS and Android, especially some new ones based on the Lego Movie, so it's worth taking a look at the app stores, especially if your feet need a break from the real stuff!  For the older kids download the Lego Digital Designer to their computer and they can create without the need for actual bricks. 

To get you started I've put together a list for you of the latest Lego apps and software downloads

Lego tech

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App review: Shadow Puppet

This week’s app review is for the kids.  Shadow Puppet is a simple iPhone and iPad app that allows children as young as five to create videos by combining their own photos as well as pics from the web, animated gifs, video clips, music, text and stickers, and their own voice. 

If you’re using photos it’s not exactly a movie – it’s more like a slide show, but you can add animations over the top, like flying streams of stars, blinking lights and hearts, and text, which can be animated as well by spinning, zooming, fading in and out.  You can add text to each slide as you go (the filming pauses while you add your text), or add the text to each slide before your start recording.

There’s no limit to what your child could use this for – a holiday diary, showing off their latest drawings or school art works (just photograph it first with your iPhone/iPad and it can be added to Shadow Puppet from your camera roll), or an impressive school presentation.

You can download Shadow Puppet here 

Trend Micro's 'What's Your Story' competition

This week is Stay Smart Online Week, an Australia-wide initiative to educate Australians on how to best protect themselves online.  The theme this year is security on mobile devices – On The Go.   Our phones and tablets are becoming a normal part of our lives – we rely on them for so many tasks while we’re out and about.  But it seems that almost every day we hear of the risks to our children when they’re online, but what about the benefits to our children of living in a connected world?

To coincide with Stay Smart Online Week, Trend Micro, a leader in internet security, has launched the What’s Your Story competition, aimed at encouraging children to share their positive experiences about using mobile devices and the internet.

Children aged 8-12 can enter by creating a poster, and those aged 13-18 years create a two minute video, with the theme:

What do you enjoy doing On The Go on your mobile device and how do you do it safely?  Include any advice you can offer others too.

The competition will run until 13 July and there’s the chance to win iPads or iPad-Minis and more.  Entries can be submitted on this site from 16 June.  Your kids could even enter as a school or classroom.  Make sure you read all the conditions before your children start creating their entries.  Once the entries start rolling in the video entries can be viewed here and your child can vote for their favourites. 

One of the ways you can keep your children safe when they are using their phones or tablets is with mobile security software.  Trend Micro’s Mobile Security software provides advanced protection and privacy for Android and iOS devices by guarding against identity theft and viruses, blocking dangerous websites, protecting their privacy on social media, and more. 

To celebrate Stay Safe Online Week and the What’s Your Story competition, Trend Micro would like to give one of my lovely readers Trend Mobile Security software.

To enter, I’d like to hear about the positives to your children of living in an online world – how kids use their mobile devices and the benefits they bring (eg. organising, school, communication).  Entries can be from you or from your children (just make sure you include your name in the entry if it's your kids entering)

Giveaway Terms & Conditions

• Submit your entry in a comment at the bottom of this post.  
• Add a comment below a Facebook post about this competition letting me know you have entered
• Like Techie Mum on Facebook here – if you don’t already
• This competition is open to Australian Residents only
• The competition is open for one week – from 4 June to 16 June 2014
• All entries have an equal chance of winning – this is a game of chance
• The winner will be announced on Wednesday 18 June 2014 on the Techie Mum blog, Facebook page, and Twitter
• The winner will be contacted via the blog or by email address where one has been provided 
• The winner has four days to reply, otherwise the prize will be redrawn.

App review: Eggy Subtract to 20

Special Offer - only until 16 April!

If you've been hanging around Techie Mum for a while you'll know that I love the Reading Eggs apps.  I've used quite a few of these brilliant educational apps over the years for my boys.  Adding to the collection is a new maths app – Eggy Subtract to 20. 

Designed for children aged 4-7 this app teaches subtraction skills using six interactive games – feeding monsters, throwing subtraction pies, snowboarding, helping Teddy climb the rope, finishing Dr Shocks subtraction grid, and a memory game.  Within each game there are two or three levels to complete, and as each activity is completed there are rewards to unlock.  Reading Eggs apps make learning fun with bright animations and catchy music.  Whilst the apps are created in Australia you have a choice of accents – Australian, English and American.

Eggy Subtract to 20 is compatible with iPads and iPhones and is $3.79 from the AppStore.  Although you’ll get it a bit cheaper for the next two days.  There’s a special offer on just for the next two days (until Wednesday 16 April) – all Reading Eggs apps (except the fabulous Targeting Maths range – damn!) are reduced to $2.49.  

I've reviewed some other Reading Eggs apps:

Targeting Maths 3

Eggy Numbers to 100

Eggy Alphabet

Tap the Cat

Homework Help

Hopefully by now your kids (and you) have settled into the new school year.  Helping my boys with their homework is my least favourite thing about school, and while one of my sons now needs very little help, the other needs a bit more guidance (read yelling and bribery) to get it done.  I know I'm not alone here and if you haven’t been at school for as long as I have you’ll be wondering how it all could have changed so much – especially maths!  I mean – how can they completely change how you multiply numbers?  And I always get confused with which shape is which (I'm sure there weren't as many different shapes when I was at school!)

To tackle the daily homework battle I've gathered together some resources to help your child, and to help you to help them.

Websites

Schools A to Z 

http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/

This is my favourite website to go to when my boys ask for help with their homework.  Schools A to Z was created by the NSW government, with maths and english A to Z lists of definitions and examples, subject help sheets, assignment starters and lots of tips to help you help your child.  There is also a corresponding app which I reviewed last year – you can read about it here.  

Behind the News (BTN)

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/

This ABC show is a fun way for upper primary and secondary students to learn about current issues and events.  Your kids may already be watching this at school.  You can view videos and news stories back to 2005.

Australia.gov.au

http://australia.gov.au/people/students/help-for-student-assignments

Australian government site with resources gathered from different government departments regarding common assignment topics – especially about government and law in Australia

Aussie Educator

http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/reference/homeworkhelpers.html

The Homework Helpers page on this site features a great list of links to help find answers to almost any homework topic you could think of; as well as links to articles for parents regarding homework and helping your kids.

Primary Homework Help

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/

This UK site is devoted to primary school homework and assignments, with basic information and general facts and figures on most assignment topics – a great place to start gathering information.

Kid-safe search engines

You can safely let your kids research their homework topics on these search engines:

Safe Search Kids

http://www.safesearchkids.com/

Brought to you by Google – this search engine has Google safe search set to the highest level of security for safe browsing.

KidsClick

http://www.kidsclick.org/

A US site designed for kids by librarians, with kid-friendly results

GoGooligans

http://www.gogooligans.com/

GoGooligans is a safe educational/academic search engine for children and teenagers. 

Homework planners

Sometimes the biggest problem with homework is not the actual work, but finding the time to get it all done.  A dedicated homework planner might help:

Schools A to Z homework planners

This is a basic calendar you can print out and then you fill in the homework tasks on the dates yourself - click here to download.

There’s also a weekly schedule template you can print out, or open in Word and edit yourself - here

Microsoft Office

If you have Microsoft Office you can download free homework planner templates.

View and download templates for different versions of Word and Excel here

Or maybe you’d prefer a digital version:

My Homework

My Homework is a student planner, available for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, computers and online and on the Kindle.  With this app all homework, assignments, and exams can be added; and they’ll receive reminders when they are due.  If you really want to make full use of this app you can also add your child’s class schedule, so with a quick look at their phone they can see what classes they have on that day and where.   I would recommend that you sign in to My Homework on a computer and add classes there, then it will sync to your child’s phone or tablet.  It’s a lot easier to add all their classes on a computer than on a tiny keyboard with your finger.  The biggest benefit with My Homework is that it can sync across all devices, so your child’s homework and class schedule is accessible on their phone, the home computer, and online at the My Homework website from any device.

Take a look here 

HomeWork

Similar to MyHomework, you can add class schedules and homework – this app is just for Android - read more here

The Homework App

For iPhone and iPad – free

This app is just for managing homework - read more here 

Do you have any sites or apps you rely on for homework help?  Please share them in the comments below.

Make your own robot

This is one fun app!  Tiny Robot Maker from Sydney based, Tiny Twiga Studios is a new app (released on 5 Feb), where you can create your own fun robots. 

How does it work?  You create your robot by combining different parts – head, body, antennae (hair), arms, legs, face, body decorations etc.  Each part is selected in turn by swiping it onto the screen and you can swap parts around as you are creating.  With all the different options you could easily come up with 1000s of different robot combinations.

Once your robot is finished it is saved in the Robot Gallery, which holds your 50 most recent robots.  From the Robot Gallery you have the option of printing it as an A4 full colour picture; a black and white colour-in picture; turning it into a birthday party invitation, a birthday card or a blank card.

Tiny Robot Maker is aimed at 3 to 6 year olds.  Although I think I’d stretch that a bit – on the day I downloaded it my 12 year old was home sick.  When I got home from work that afternoon his first words were “Mum, I found the robot app – it’s really fun!”.  He then gave me a tour of the app, which was interrupted by his 10 year old brother snatching the iPad so he could also have a go.  Of course, they then wanted me to try it - and it really is fun!  So don’t be surprised if you find older family members creating funny robots too.

Tiny Robot Maker is available for iPad and iPhone from the App Store for $2.99.  Also, good news – there’s no advertising and no in-app purchases.  

Safer Internet Day 2014

Today is Safer Internet Day with the theme for 2014 of 'Let's create a better internet together'.  The focus for 2014 is on building better relationships between parents/carers and their children. 

A very lovely friend – Sonia from Life, Love and Hiccups – has written the perfect post to introduce Safer Internet Day, so pop over here and have a read.

I've put together a list of resources for parents to keep them current with cyber safety and to help them communicate with their children about the digital world.  I will be updating this list whenever I find anything else that should be included, and you can add to it too - just head over to Listly here. 

Cyber Safety - keeping our kids safe online

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