Parenting and the Internet

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? - Prove It By Taking a Real Fifth Grade Test

2009-10-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Many of you have heard of or seen the TV game show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" The game show may be fun to watch, and even fun to play, but you may be left wondering whether you could take on the average fifth grader in the classroom and win.

The State of Oklahoma was kind enough to put a fifth grade practice test online. This isn't just any test, but one that tests their mastery of the fifth grade curriculum in mathematics, reading, science,and social studies.

If you think that learning how to manage the Internet is tough, try taking this test. The test starts on page 20 of the document, and the answers are on page 57. No fair peeking.

If you can make it through the test, you may not be smarter than a fifth grader, but you are braver than most adults. Now take a bold step toward learning about the Internet. Go ahead and download a copy of Parenting and the Internet and learn about some part of the Internet that has scared you up to now.

Resources
2009 Oklahoma School Testing Program Core Curriculum Tests - Grade 5

Ten Social Media Resources You and Your Family Should Try

2009-10-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Although it has only been two years since the publication of "Parenting and the Internet," a lot has changed in the online world, especially when it comes to social media. Although the book discussed social media related technologies like blogs, instant messaging, and video sharing, those technologies and many others become much more sophisticated and much more popular. Another big change for parents is that it is easier than ever for children to use these technologies, and often you don't have to use a computer to use these services.

One of the biggest excuses parents have when it comes to managing their childrens' social media use is that it takes too much time to figure out how to use them or even understand them. True, some social media applications may take a bit of time to learn, but unless you have been on a deserted island for the last ten years, you probably figured out by now how to use email and do basic things on the web like find things with a search engine. If you can do that,figuring out most social media applications should be easy.

Cost is not an issue because much of the really good stuff is free. For some of these services, you don't even have to download any software into your home computer because the service is designed to require only online access where you don't need to use your hard drive, or because the service can be accessed through an Internet-enabled device like a iPhone or Blackberry.

Before you explore new social media applications, you may want to get a free online email account. Having this kind of account makes using social media much more convenient. Some applications require that you have an account with one of these email services, and most require an email account for administrative purposes. Also, if your main email account is from your organization, you may want an outside account to keep your activities more private. Three of the most popular places for online email accounts are from Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft.
Suggested Resource: Gmail

The following ten social media resources are not only free, but should be useful to you in some way.

1. Blogging
Think of a blog as a web site where just about all the work is done for you. You sign in, write something, hit a button, and it is online. If you've thought about starting a web site but have no idea what it takes to do it, a blog is the easiest way to get that experience. Also, if you already have a web site, a blog is an easy way to try quickly try new ideas that may later put on the site. Two of the biggest blog services are Blogger and WordPress. Both of them can get you from login to published blog in less time than a lunch break.
Suggested Resource: Blogger

2. Micoblogging
This is a stripped down version of a blog, basically little more than a couple of sentences and maybe a link to something online. Examples include Yammer and the much more widely known Twitter. This blogging method that may work best for sending short messages to portable devices like an iPhone or Blackberry, or in conjunction with other resources such as a web site, mailing list, or full sized blog.
Suggested Resource: Twitter

3. Online File Storage
If you need to share files with one or more colleagues, or you need to access key files from several different computers, and don't want the hassle carrying around a laptop or thumb drive, or emailing files, you can use one of these services to manage your files in a password protected environment.
Suggested Resource: Airset

4. Photo Sharing and Storage
If you are interested in sharing photos, services like Flickr and Picasa allow you to store photos online, and even giving you the option of allowing others to access them or download them.
Suggested Resource: Flickr

5. Intelligence Gathering
If you need to find or track some information online, for example monitoring a developing news story or keeping current on a competitor or industry, Google has a service called Google Alerts that will keep track of them for you and send regular email updates when it finds something.
Suggested Resource: Google Alerts

6. Video Sharing
Some of the millions of user generated videos are published every day may actually be of interest to you. While you may be able to find them using general search engines like Google or Bing, you may have better luck by searching within video sharing sites like YouTube, Metacafe, and LiveLeak. YouTube is by far the biggest, with the greatest variety of content. Also, if have videos that you want to share, you can follow the AirSafe.com example and create a home page withing the site to showcase your videos.
Suggested Resource: YouTube

7. Social Networking
Facebook and Myspace may be the most well known social networking sites, but a site like LinkedIn is more relevant to working professionals, providing a kind of online resume and biography, and allowing others to see you out and contact you.
AirSafe.com's Choice: LinkedIn

8. Subscribing to Podcasts
There are millions of audio and video podcasts out there that cover a huge range of topics, including a few that would be of interest to you. Both Apple (iTunes) and Microsoft (Zune) distribute free software that allows you to easily manage subscriptions to audio of and video podcasts of every description. The iTunes software also has extensive links to online audio stream of radio stations from around the world.
Suggested Resource: iTunes

9. Free Phone Calls
Wouldn't it be great if you could use the Internet to call someone long distance, even internationally, without spending any extra money? You can download a program like Skype or GoogleTalk and talk for free with anyone else who has both a connection to the Internet and who has downloaded the same software.
Suggested Resource: Skype

10. Social Bookmarking
All web browsers allow you to bookmark favorite pages, but if you use several computers, or even several browsers on the same computer, keeping track of your bookmarkes can be next to impossible. Bookmark sharing resources like Delicious, Digg, and StumbleUpon allow you to create an online account where you can store and manage your bookmarks, and then either make them private and password protected, or make them public and available to anyone.
Suggested Resource: Delicious

Selected Social Media Applications Used by Speedbrake Publishing's partner organization, AirSafe Media
YouTube
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Delicious
Podcast (main page)
Podcast (subscription)
Mailing List
Prlog.org (online press releases)
Bird Strike Blog
Crash Video Blog

Next Steps
If you are using none of these services, go ahead and try one of them to see if it can help you out in some way. If you are using one or more of them, leave a comment on this blog post and share your experiences, positive or negative, with using these services.

Blackouts, Twitter, and Social Media

2009-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

One of the things about online resources is that there are always new ones popping up. Most of them go away because they don't work well and never get popular, and others catch on quickly with children, but much more slowly with adults. Sometimes it takes something dramatic bring things into focus.

Last week, the dramatic event for me was a blackout. I was at home late on a weekend night, and the lights suddenly went out. I looked out the window and saw a nearby neighborhood was lit up, so I figured it was a localized blackout. I also figured it wasn't going to be a big local news story, so listening to the radio probably wouldn't give me much information.

The TV and computer were out, but my phone, which had Internet access, was up and running. I suddenly had a wild thought about how to get information on my neighborhood blackout. I'd used Twitter, specifically the search function in Twitter at search.twitter.com, and did a search on my neighborhood's name.

What I found surprised me. There were a surprising number of people who were using their Blackberrys and iPhones to send Twitter messages to their friends. It was surprising because the area affected by the blackout had about 10,000 residents, but most would not have even had access to the Internet, and only some of them would have had both Twitter accounts and a desire to send out messages.

The number of people using Twitter in my neighborhood was surprising, but the content of the messages were not so surprising. Most of the messages were not very useful, with things like jokes, rumor mongering, and wild speculation about the blackout. In spite of the useless noise, I did find several useful pieces of information, things like links to the power company's web site and Twitter account. Links to the Twitter accounts of local television news organizations, and updates on what blocks were getting back their lights.

So what should you take away from this little story? First, if someone in your family is using Twitter, don't get in their way. If you are thinking about using Twitter, go ahead and check it out. You may actually like it. The service may come in handy one day in ways you can't imagine. Whether you use it or not, check out search.twitter.com. Search it like you would a search engine and look for things that interest you. I've found it very useful for breaking news items. For details, check out a post of mine from another blog that describes how I use Twitter to support my web site AirSafe.com.

Because of this experience, I found out several things I didn't know, such as the fact that local news organizations use Twitter, as does the local electric utility. Next time there's a problem with my electricity, I'll know where to go.

For even more insights into the kinds of social media resources are out there for you to use, check out my list of 10 free social media tools you should try.

Great Site for Astronomy Basics

2009-08-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Based on an introductory astronomy class developed by educator Nick Strobel, This free online astronomy textbook contains among other things a brief overview of astronomy's place in science, the philosophy of science and the scientific method, astronomy that can be done without a telescope, a history of astronomy and science, and how Newton's law of gravity applies to orbits. This site also has a basic mathematics review, astronomy tables, and astronomy terms.

Encourage Your Kids to Have Fun Without Using Computers

2009-03-09T09:07:00.000-07:00

Computers, the Internet, video games and other electronic diversions are a part of most kid's lives, but it doesn't have to get in the way of normal social interactions, especially when other kids come over to hang out or play. One rule that works well in my house when it comes putting some balance between electronic entertainment and old fashioned play is what I call the "30 Minute Rule." The rule is simple--if a friend comes over to visit, for the first 30 minutes there can't be any electrically generated fun. No computer, no television, no video games, no electronically generated entertainment of any kind. I've found that the lack of electronic fun didn't keep the kids from having a good time and I've rarely had the children ready to turn on the juice right at the 30 minute mark.

For more suggestions on how to manage your child's use of computers and the web, you can review Parenting and the Internet, especially the chapter on the parent's role and what kinds of general rules parents should have. You will be sent a link for your free download of the PDF edition of the book when you join the book's mailing list at subscribe.speedbrake.com.

Free Online Photo Editing at FotoFlexer.com

2009-02-22T19:54:00.000-08:00

Ever need to do a few changes on a photo but you are on an unfamiliar computer? Like with so many other functions that used to be only on a PC, FotoFlexer at http://fotoflexer.com/ can be a quick and free online replacement for an image editor program like Paint or iPhoto. Change contrast, get rid of redeye, crop, or resize, add captions, or do any of a number of basic edits on your photo. It can be from your hard drive, or from an online resource like your account at Photobucket, Flickr, or Picasa.

Another File Conversion Resource

2008-09-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

Last year I talked about a convenient file conversion resource that allows you to convert files between formats. I've found it to be very useful for things like converting and Flash video file into a format that can play in iTunes or on my iPod. You can also take a video and only convert the audio portion of the program. The resources at MediaConverter.org can take a file that is online or on your hard drive and convert it to a more useful or compatible format.

You don't need to download any software or even register with the site to use the service. While file sizes are limited to 100MB, you also have the option to pay for a premium service that can convert much larger files. In addition to going to the site, if you use Firefox, you can also download it as an add-on in the browswer.

The NeoOffice Office Application Suite Alternative

2008-09-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

One of the best resources in the book Parenting and the Internet is the listings of free software that you can use to improve or expand the capabilities of your computer. One of the resources mentioned in the book was OpenOffice, an office application suite that allows you to create or edit word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation files, including files created using a Microsoft Office program such as Word or Excel.

OpenOffice is also available for Mac users, but depending on the version of the Mac you are using, you may have problems starting or using OpenOffice. An alternative for Mac users is NeoOffice. It is designed to work very much like OpenOffice, and even has a similar look and feel.

If you own a Mac, and you either have problems with OpenOffice or want to try a free alternative to expensive word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation files, you may want to give NeoOffice a try.

http://www.neooffice.org

A Little Unexpected Fun with Words

2008-08-14T01:03:00.000-07:00

Just about everyone who spends time online will encounter a technology, have a positive reaction to it, and only later find the words to describe it. That happened to me yesterday with the Wordle site at http://www.wordle.net.

I came across a Boston Globe article that graphically compared the words used by the blogs for Senators Obama and McCain. The graphic compared the words used by each site, with the size of the word corresponding to the number of times it was used. The most popular word on both sites was Obama, but that was not why I'm writing this. The site mentioned that the graphics came from the Wordle web site, so I followed it and discovered that it allows anyone to do what the Boston Globe did to any web site or blog, and even to a block of text. Just for kicks, I input the entire content of "Parenting and the Internet" and got the following result for the 100 most frequently used words in the book:

After I played around with the site, I did a bit of research and found out that what I had created was a word cloud, which is a visual depiction of frequently used words on a web site, blog, web page, or other document. It illustrates the relative frequency of words by using font size. The more often a word appears, the larger the word appears in the word cloud

I'll have to admit that I only bothered to find out the definition after I spent some time playing around with Wordle. I suggest that you do the same and visit the site at http://www.wordle.net. It's free, it's fun, and it's with a little bit of your time.

Free Service for Launching Your Video on Multiple Sites

2008-07-26T19:39:00.001-07:00

If you have published a video on YouTube, Google Video, or a similar video sharing site, you may be interested in TubeMogul.com, a service which allows you to publish your video simultaneously on most of the major video sharing sites. In addition to launching your video, you can also track your videos performance on each video sharing site.

To find out more, visit Tubemogul.com at http://www.tubemogul.com.

Free Online Press Release Resources

2008-07-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Do you have a business, school, or other organization that can use some online publicity, but you don't have the budget to pay for distribution of your press release? If this sounds like you, several resources worth looking at are PR-inside.com at http://www.pr-inside.com, openPR.com at http://www.openpr.com and PRLog.org at http://www.prlog.org.

Each of these options take you step-by-step through the process of creating the press release, and in minutes your release can be online and spreading your message. To make the process go smoothly, you should take the time to put together a properly structured traditional press release, and use that as your guide to help you use these services.

For guidance on the latest trends in free press release sites, visit BigNews.biz at http://www.bignews.biz.

The Parenting and the Internet Mailing List

2008-05-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

The book Parenting and the Internet, its companion podcast, and the web site for Speedbrake Publishing all have useful information for the parents of online children. The new mailing list for Parenting and the Internet provides you with highlights of information from all of these sources, plus news items and updates about the books information. If you subscribe, you will get a series of articles, tips, and other advice that can help you with:

* Setting limits on using the computer
* Protecting your child from online predators
* Protecting your computer from viruses
* How to use email responsibly
* How to use search engines
* and much, much, more

If you join this free mailing list, you will receive this valuable information directly in your inbox. These mailings will also help you get the most out of the information that is on the site, as well as help you understand issues like cyberbullying, podcasting, online videos, and other things that concern you or your child. All of these benefits are free, and you can cancel at any time.

Sign up today at the Speedbrake Publishing web site, or in the subscription box on this page and see for yourself!

Filtering Google Results by Date

2008-05-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Todd Curtis

I enjoy getting questions from Parenting and the Internet readers and mailing list subscribers, and today I got one that led me to a very interesting discovery.

The question was whether it was possible to list search results by date. Most search engines, including Google, don't have this as a basic option or even as an advanced search option. However, it does appear that the functionality is built into Google, although you will have to do a bit of work to use it.

Google can reorder search and news results from the last day, week, a few months, or entire year by adding a small string to the end of the URL of the search result. Just add this string "&as_qdr=d" to the end of the URL in the address bar and hit enter. You'll get a custom drop-down box that lets you select search results from a particular date range.

For example, on May 15, 2008, I did a search using the words [airline safety], and the result has the following URL:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=airline+safety&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f

Adding the date search string gives you this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=airline+safety&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&as_qdr=d

I hit return, and the new page had a drop down list near the search box. The default value in that box is "past 24 hours." You also have options for searching in other time periods, including the past week, month, two months, three months, six months, and year.

It is not clear to me why this functionality is not part of the standard Google preferences or options. My suspicion is that the ability to search by date is still in some phase of testing and evaluation, and that it will be available in time. Until that happens, the procedure I described here may work for you.

What You Need to Know About Filtering

2008-02-16T00:38:00.000-08:00

In this Parenting and the Internet podcast, Dr. Curtis describes an online filter, how it is used, and how parents can use it to protect their children. He also explains how to change the filter level on the search engines from Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft's Live Search. Links to audio and video versions of the podcast .

To subscribe to the podcast, or to find out about other Parenting and the Internet podcasts, visit podcast.speedbrake.com.

Play the Video

Podcast: How to Give Your Online Filter a Simpson Test

2008-02-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Simpson Test is a test given to an online filter to see if it is effective at blocking inappropriate images. In his latest Parenting and the Internet podcast, Dr. Curtis gives you step-by-step instructions that will let you run the same test on your home computer. Link to audio and video versions of the podcast.

To subscribe to the podcast, or to find out about other Parenting and the Internet podcasts, visit podcast.speedbrake.com.

My Odeo Channel (odeo/bc66ef3635ff6693)

Play the Video

Podcast: The Internet Never Forgets

2008-02-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

Dr. Curtis reviews the recent text messaging scandal involving the mayor of Detroit, the consequences of inappropriate use of the Internet, and the lessons this event may have for the online lives of your children. You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show10.mp3.

To subscribe to the podcast, or to find out about other Parenting and the Internet podcasts, visit http://podcast.speedbrake.com.

My Odeo Channel (odeo/bc66ef3635ff6693)

Parenting and the Internet Now on Podcast Alley

2007-12-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-c50491e42890d68f8733d1d83a248c6f}

Another Option for Frustrated NFL Fans

2007-12-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Are you one of the millions of Americans addicted to the NFL who can't get enough? Frustrated about those NFL Network games that you couldn't see on television because the billionaire NFL owners can't seem to make a deal with the multi-billion dollar cable companies? There is an option out there that has not received much attention, but that may ease your pain just a little.

The NFL's web site at www.nfl.com has a simultaneous live broadcast of games that are carried on the NFL Network. The down side is that the picture quality may not be as sharp as television and things may look a bit jerky. Also, the NFL Network has a maddening habit of broadcasting studio and sideline based segments while the game is being played, keeping the viewer from seeing the occasional big play as it happens. However, given the alternative of radio or nothing at all, watching online may be a far superior option to spending time at a sports bar.

In addition to the live game feeds, the web site also has videos of game highlights and post game press conferences for all NFL games.

Podcast: Dealing with a New Kind of Threat

2007-11-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

A discussion of a recent case, first reported in the media in November 2007, where the suicide of a 13-year-old girl was allegedly caused by an adult neighbor who pretended to be a 16-year-old boy. You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show9.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

Podcast: Top 10 Signs That Your Child Is Looking at Online Pornography

2007-11-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

A discussion about the ways that your child may encounter online pornography, signs that your child may be deliberately seeking out pornography, an steps that you can take as a parent to deal with this issue.

You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show8.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

Podcast: Recognizing a Privacy Problem and Top 10 Tips to Protect Your Online Privacy

2007-11-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

An overview of key signs that you and your family may have a privacy problem, along with the top 10 tips for protecting your online privacy. You can download the podcast at http://speedbrake.com/podcast/show7.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

Podcast: Seven Steps to Online Privacy

2007-11-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

This podcast is a review of the basic steps families and children should take to protect their online privacy.

You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show6.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

File Conversion Resource

2007-11-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

Do you have a file you need to convert? Access database file to Excel? AVI to MP4? Microsoft Office to Open Office? No matter what kind of conversion you want to do, the Media-Convert site at http://media-convert.com/convert/ will likely have what you want.

You don't need to download any software to make this happen. In fact, you don't have to even register on the site. You can either upload a file from your computer or convert a file that is online and download it into your computer. There are so many possible conversion combinations that you may want to explore the site to see how it may help you.

Online Resource on U.S. Government Secrecy

2007-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Secrecy News http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/ is a that discusses U.S. national security policy issues and how U.S. government information is protected by various laws and regulations about secrecy. One of the very useful services this site provides is links to publications from the Congressional Research Service. Normally, these reports are released only to the U.S. Congress and not to the general public. These reports (in downloadable PDF files) cover a range of topics, including nuclear weapons, torture, and military affairs. This site is one of the very best places to find information and resources on U.S. national security and the role of secrecy.

Secrecy News is sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists (http://www.fas.org) Project on Government Secrecy, and is updated several times a week. You can subscribe in one of two ways:

RSS feed
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/atom.xml

Mailing list
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html

Parenting Articles from Dr. Todd Curtis on EzineArticles.com

2007-11-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

In addition to the free emailed special reports available on the Speedbrake.com home page, Todd Curtis, author of Parenting and the Internet, has teamed up with EzineArticles.com to present additional articles. These articles focus on airline safety, airline security, and managing a family's use of the Internet.

Visit the Todd Curtis article archive at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Todd_Curtis,_PhD to view the available articles.

To order Parenting and the Interent, visit http://orders.speedbrake.com.