Technology In Education – The Way Of The Future?

“What time is it?” I ask my 7 year old niece. In response, she immediately picks up her iPad, and says, “3:15 pm.” I smile, because I know what’s coming next. “Want to play a game with me?” she asks excitedly, knowing that yes, of course I do!

She unlocks the iPad, scrolls through all the apps she has downloaded and settles on Kids Tell Time, which was developed by ZurApps Research Inc. She opens the app and decides she wants to play the “Match the Clocks” mode (there are 6 different modes to choose from Kids Tell Time). I sit there watching in amazement, because she does this all so easily. Oh, how times have changed!

She starts the “Match the Clocks” mode and is immediately prompted by a friendly voice to match the digital clock with the analog clock that shows the same time. She’s so excited – it’s contagious! She ponders for a moment, looking at the multiple clocks. I tell her to read aloud the times on the digital clocks, and once she does that she refocuses on the analog clock faces. I can see the wheels turning! She drags the dialog clock that reads 4:45 over to the matching analog clock, “You got it! The time is 4:45.” says the app. All I see is my niece is smiling.  She’s so proud of herself and the positive reinforcement from the app is encouragement enough to try another. This time it doesn’t go as smoothly, “This is not the answer”, says the app. She pauses, re-evaluates her options and tries again. This time it ends with her smiling even more. “This is the correct answer!” says the voice of Kids Tell Time.

As I am watching my niece continue playing Kids Tell Time, I notice that the multiple modes available are keeping her interest peaked. Often, children will get bored when something is repeatedly done over and over again; things will become repetitive and they will no longer be challenged. This is not the case with apps like Kids Tell Time!

When my other niece comes into the room, she immediately wants to join in the fun, obviously! They took turns and even watching someone else play was fun! We were all playing and learning together!

It is evident that using technology in an educational sense is becoming increasingly popular. TV shows are educational, almost all classes have computers now and many families have a tablet or smart phone at home. Kids have adapted to learning with these new methods, and are often more comfortable to do so than with traditional methods.

Apps made for children, like Kids Tell Time, have grown in popularity substantially over the past few years. In early October, UK telecoms regulator Ofcom released their latest study, Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes, and it has masses of data on how British children are getting their entertainment across different devices.

“Around one quarter of children aged 12– 15 (26%) and 18% aged 8-11 have their own tablet computer, while household ownership of a tablet has more than doubled since 2012 (51% vs. 20%). Use of a tablet computer at home has tripled among 5-15s since 2012 (42% vs.14%) while one-quarter (28%) of 3-4s use a tablet computer at home.”

That is a lot of children who are using tablets. So, instead of your kids just using the tablet for pleasure and distraction, why not incorporate some education in the mix? Apps like Kids Tell Time are educational and fun. Not only will your child learn to tell time on both analog and digital faces but the positive reinforcement and rewards system within the app will encourage kids to keep trying and challenge themselves. They’ll want to continue earning those stars! Kids Tell Time is also available in three different languages (English, French and Spanish), so your kids can use their iPad to learn a new language. This option would also be great for teachers because the apps language can be adjusted, meeting all students needs, and all students can participate and use the educational app in the classroom due to the apps ability to connect the iPad to a television.

Interactive elements and step-by-step narrated instructions make apps like Kids Tell Time easy for kids to use without parent supervision. Another great feature for educational children apps is the new guidelines Apple has set for “Made for Kids” apps. With no in-app purchases, no data collection, no third-party advertising or links to other apps, parents can feel safe letting their kids use Kids Tell Time without having to worry about unexpected charges showing up in their iTunes account! No one likes those! Give your children a way to learn, and enjoy it at the same time!

 

Technology in education is the way of the future.
Stay current and encourage fun, educational activities with apps like Kids Tell Time!

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20 Magical Photos of Greece Guaranteed to Stoke your Wanderlust

Whether you’re still dreaming up your perfect trip to Athens or Santorini or you’ve already booked and need some itinerary inspiration, let these beautiful Greece photos stoke your wanderlust!

Greece is a magical, wondrous, swoon-worthy destination that should be on everyone’s wishlist!

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Kids Tell Time

Kids Can Learn To Tell Time With Kids Tell Time

Kids Tell Time is a fun, educational app for kids to learn how to tell time on an analog clock face. Available for the iPhone, iPod or iPad, Kids Tell Time can be downloaded in the App Store.

Kids Tell Time was featured as one of the 5 parent and kid-friendly apps to help get you ready for school on Global News.

“With digital, everybody sees the numbers are there,” said Cory Herscu, tech expert.
“When it comes to analog, learning the arms……that’s what the app is designed for; to help kids at a young age learn and be comfortable with telling the time in digital and analog.”

Kids Tell Time

Between the grades of Junior Kindergarten and Grade Four, learning to tell time on an analog clock is a standard part of the math curriculum. Available for an Educational Institute discount, Kids Tell Time is a learning app that can be used both at home, and in the classroom. Offering the capability to learn to tell time, in minutes and hours, on both analog and digital clock faces, Kids Tell Time has multiple playing modes to challenge children with various levels of difficulty. Kids Tell Time is a “kid friendly” app, with verbal instructions given for each playing mode. The narrator guides along the way if the child makes a mistake, by gently advising that the correct answer was not provided and encouraging a second and third try, if needed. With a rewards system in place for all playing modes, children are positively reinforced to continue learning.

Learn to Tell Time: The time shows both an analog and digital clock, with the narrator announcing the time shown. Starting at the current time, the child can move the digital clock and/or analog clock arms, and the new time is announced. Both clock faces sync to match.

Set the Analog Clock: The digital clock shows a specific time and the child is asked to move the hands on the analog clock to match the digital clock. Upon setting the correct time, a gold star is rewarded.

Set the Digital Clock: By reading the analog clock, the child is asked to select the corresponding time on the digital clock. Upon setting the correct time, a gold star is rewarded.

Match the Clocks: Four sets of clock faces on digital and analog clocks are displayed in two columns. The child is asked to match the clocks showing the same time. As each set of clocks are matched, they are removed from the screen eliminating them as choices. Upon matching all four clocks, a gold star is rewarded.

Choose the Analog Clock: A set of four, colorful, analog clocks are displayed on the screen with one digital clock in the center. The child is asked to tap the analog clock that matches the time displayed on the digital clock. If the wrong analog clock is chosen, it will be removed from the screen. Upon choosing the correct clocks, a gold star is awarded.

Choose the Digital Clock: A set of four digital clocks are displayed on the screen with one analog clock in the center. The child is asked to tap the digital clock that matches the time displayed on the analog clock. If the wrong digital clock is chosen, it will be removed from the screen. Upon choosing the correct clocks, a gold star is awarded.

Kids Tell Time is available in English, French, or Spanish, Kids Tell Time is available exclusively in the App Store.

Practice Does Make Perfect; Learning Through Repetition

In the book Outliners, author Malcolm Gladwell introduces the 10,000 hour rule. According to Gladwell, in order to achieve mastery in any field – one must deliberately practice for 10,000 hours.

Children learn through repetition, this has been proven. Singing a song multiple times, reading the same story over and over – these actions help with the development of neural paths in the brain and assist with the learning process.

Learning, or the growth of neural connections in the brain, is strengthened through repetition. A one-time experience is not enough for a neural connection to form and stabilize. It is through repetition that possibility becomes ability.

The fact that children learn through repetition is not a new theory. Television shows, such as Blue’s Clues, utilize this. Market research was done when creating Blue’s Clues, and across the board – children wanted repetition. Why do you think your toddler’s favorite word is, “Again!”? Their brains crave repetition.

Repeated experience also seems to inoculate toddlers against forgetting. Even for adults, learning any new skill, from playing the piano to playing tennis, takes repeated practice.

Apps like Find + Learn and Find + Read make learning through repetition fun. Words, with their respective images and narrations, are grouped in themed collections. With a friendly voice – your child is asked to find a particular image or word. Several interactive elements maintain your child’s interest and encourage repeat play which reinforces learning.

You can learn more about Find + Learn HERE.

You can learn more about Find + Read HERE.

See all of ZurApps apps available in the App Store.

Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8

Television was once the newest technology in our homes, and then came videos and computers. Today’s children are growing up in a rapidly changing digital age that is far different from that of their parents and grandparents.  A variety of technologies are all around us in our homes, offices, and schools. When used wisely, technology and media can support learning and relationships. Enjoyable and engaging shared experiences that optimize the potential for children’s learning and development can support children’s relationships both with adults and their peers.

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Top 30 Islands in the World: Readers’ Choice Awards 2014

The largest island in Narragansett Bay is where you’ll find Newport, one of our ten best small cities in America, lined with elegant Gilded Age mansions straight out of an Edith Wharton novel. The City by the Sea is also a center for sailing.

Pro tip: The Newport Jazz Festival, held in August each year, has played host to countless musical greats—Duke Ellington, Nina Simone, and John Coltrane, to name just a few. Pay a visit during the summer to see the next big thing in jazz.

Getting there: Drive to Aquidneck Island from Providence, only about 40 minutes away.

 

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By: Jenna Scherer

The Best Labor Day Road Trips

The long, lingering days of summer are starting to come to a close, and lazy weekends and warm-weather getaways will soon be nothing more than memories. Before you know it, you’ll be back running shuttles to soccer practice and shoveling the driveway. Unless, of course, you plan one last summer fling.

Make the most of Labor Day this year by packing up the car and escaping for the weekend. With a map and a bit of wanderlust, you can manage to make summer linger for a few more days. That is, if you plan it right.

National travel advocacy group AAA has seen an uptick in car travel this summer over last year, with a 5% increase in trips taken over Memorial Day weekend, and a 17% jump in car travel over the Fourth of July. During this year’s Labor Day weekend, AAA predicts 31 million people will hit the road, a nearly 10% increase from last year. Most of those travelers will get behind the wheel: 91% of travelers intend to drive, while only 5% will fly. Read more

Technology Education for Students Is Essential in Creating a Future STEM Workforce, and It Starts With Educating Teachers

Digital device learning, often called 1-to-1 computing or a “smart classroom,” is not some faraway abstraction or revolutionary concept in education. In fact, thanks to grants and state-subsidized funding, an increasing number of school districts nationwide are securing electronic devices such as personal computers, remote accessible software and even handheld tablets for their students from such electronic giants as Hewlett-Packard and Lenovo. Proponents for digital device learning assert that greater access to advancing technology within the education system allows teachers to more fluidly support and satisfy Common Core state standards through engaging digital curriculum, interactive supports and assessments, and an enhanced learning environment for their students.

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Modern Day “I Spy” with FIND + LEARN!

A summer getaway will help keep the kids busy and your family can create some great memories! Taking the family on a road trip, even if it is only an hour or two away, can be a great bonding experience. You pack the car, get everyone situated and off you go; out on the open road! But, after a little while, the excitement will wear off and the restlessness will set in. The questions will start; “Are we there yet?”; “Billy is pinching me!”; “Susie won’t stop kicking!”, and of course the inevitable, “Keep it up and we will turn this car around and just go home!”

Why not avoid all of that stress, and plan some fun and easy road trip activities for kids?  Playing games like “I Spy” might prove to be a little bit difficult if outside is dark and gloomy! Luckily, ZurApps has a solution to that! Our FIND + LEARN app is perfect for road trips. FIND + LEARN is an educational, interactive app. With different modes and collections, FIND + LEARN will keep your child entertained in the car for hours! The Find It! Mode will ask you to find a specific image, on a page of multiple images. Basically, FIND + LEARN is a modern day, technology based, “I Spy!”

So, pack up the car, download FIND + LEARN and don’t forget your charger!

I spy, with my little eyes something that is….FUN!

FIND + LEARN!

Reducing Math Anxiety: What Can Teachers Do?

We’ve written about math anxiety on this blog before—how it can be brought on by early negative math experiences and, more recently, its link to genetic factors. Research says math anxiety can lead to a decrease in working memory and that girls taught by a female teacher with high math anxiety are more likely to endorse gender-related stereotypes about math ability. (The same is not true for boys.)

But what does all this mean for the math classroom? What can teachers do to combat math anxiety, whether or not they have it themselves?

Psychology professors Sian L. Beilock of the University of Chicago and Daniel T. Willingham of the University of Virginia have some ideas. Writing in the latest issue of American Educator, a publication by the American Federation of Teachers, they offer recommendations based on their research, including:

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By Liana Heiten