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Are you planning to give your child a smartphone, tablet, or console this holiday season? Before you wrap it (if you haven't already) consider doing a few things first. Set Expectations The number one piece of advice I give parents when buying their child a device is to set expectations. You need to decide what kind of restrictions you'll put in place and how you want it to be used. Will you limit how often and how long they're allowed to use it? Will you limit the types of games they're allowed to play? All of these things should be thought about before you give them the device so you can set their expectations after they receive it. Device Controls Nearly every electronic device comes with some form of parental controls. I've advocated for them for over 10 years and companies are finally making it easier for parents to manage how, when, and how long their children use their devices. Screen Time (iOS) – Apple has always had a walled garden so you'll either need to manage your child's device directly or use another iOS device. Screen Time has great controls and works well with Family Sharing. Family Link (Android) If you got your child any smartphone besides an iPhone you most-likely will use Family Link to manage parental controls. Fortunately, they have an iOS app too. Amazon FreeTime Fire tablets, TVs, and even Alexa-enable devices can be managed with Amazon's FreeTime. In my experience, Amazon has the weakest controls. Consoles: The Nintendo Switch and XBox both have dedicated apps that you can use to manage parental controls on their consoles. Sony's Playstation requires you to use a browser or its general Playstation app. Network Controls For whole-house Internet controls you can turn to your router or a secondary device. If you're using the router your Internet provider installed, check with them for information on parental controls. I suggest either a second router for the kids or Circle by Disney. Circle Home Plus – The Circle Home Plus device connects with your router to manage every Internet-connected device on your home network. Home Router – Every home router these days has some level of parental controls. Check your manufacturer's website for instructions to configure those settings. Software and Apps No solution will fully protect you and your children so if you need to take a belt and suspenders approach I recommend installing an app on their device for additional monitoring. Covenant Eyes – I've been an advocate (and affiliate) for Covenant Eyes for over a decade. They're the gold-standard when it comes to monitoring and filtering. Accountable2You – If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, Accountable2You has got you covered. It occasionally triggers false alarms but I've still found it to be a useful tool. Did you enjoy this episode of The Wired Homeschool?

One of the most difficult things for new homeschoolers, and even some experienced homeschoolers, is finding community resources that are friendly to homeschoolers. MySchool is a community-driven resource that connects parents to homeschool spots (like museums, co-ops, and nature centers). It's like an Airbnb for home education. Justin Shell started MySchool after he and his wife started homeschooling and were looking for locations and activities for their children. Homeschooling families are encouraged to sign up for MySchool and add "spots" that other homeschooling families could use for learning and social activities. You can follow MySchool on Twitter, join the Facebook group, or sign-up for their newsletter when you register to keep up-to-date on all their latest developments. Did you enjoy this episode of The Wired Homeschool? Consider supporting the podcast when you buy me a coffee. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Music for the podcast is "Loopster" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

Today I'm speaking with Hannah Ruth Earl of The Moving Picture Institute. Hannah works on MPI's talent development programs, including recruiting and acquisitions for grants, internships, and masterclasses. She previously worked in independent film production at Bold Films and Rumble Films. Hannah was also homeschooled and has been reaching out to homeschoolers about the free resources MPI has to offer. The Moving Picture Institute is a modern-media production house and talent incubator that creates and supports high-impact film and video content designed to entertain, inspire, and educate audiences with captivating stories about human freedom. In this interview Hannah and I talk about: * What the Moving Picture Institute is, and why they created resources for educators. * The role of art (especially films) in communicating themes of liberty, self-expression, and resisting oppression. * The changing homeschool environment and the move to digital resources. * FI$H Economics: A free resource that uses vibrant animation and storytelling to bring economic ideas to life. * Teaching 2081: A short film adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron and the free resources available. * Media and learning through stories. Other News Homeschool News Today is back and it's available on Alexa devices as a daily flash briefing. Search for "homeschool" in your Alexa app and add it to your daily flash briefing. Support this Podcast It takes a little money to produce a podcast. You can support this podcast financially through Patreon. Connect Socially! * Join the Facebook page * Follow on Twitter * Follow on Instagram * Follow on Pinterest Leave a Voicemail You can call 518-290-0228 to leave me a message or use SpeakPipe to record a message with your computer. Etc. Want to be notified of any upcoming news regarding the podcast or if I'm speaking in your area? Join my spam-free mailing list. You'll receive monthly updates and news about future projects and I'll let you know if I'm speaking in your area at a homeschooling convention. The Wired Homeschool is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network. For more family-friendly tech podcasts visit techpodcasts.com Music for the podcast by Kevin Macleod. Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement

Last week I talked about 10 Ways to Use an Amazon Echo Dot for Homeschooling and one of those ways was to use educational skills. This week I'll share 7 Alexa skills homeschoolers can use with their Amazon Echo. If you're using an Amazon Echo for homeschooling, let me know how you're using it in the comments below. What other skills would you suggest? Learn Greek & Latin Root Words This skill provides a Greek or Latin root word, the definition of that word, and examples of English words where you'll find the Greek or Latin root. Get started by saying, "Alexa, teach me root words." Math Mania Math Mania provides a variety of game modes including addition only, subtraction only, multiplication only, division only, algebra only, fractions only, money only, or really challenge yourself and play the everything mode! Activate this skill by saying, "Alexa, ask Math Mania to play." Reuters TV (World) or BBC News Updated around the clock by editorial teams on four continents, Reuters TV taps into a network of 2,500 journalists reporting from 200 locations worldwide. Add this flash briefing with the phrase, "Alexa, what's in the news?" Note: If you live in the United States you'll activate the U.S. version. NASA Mars Ever wonder what the rovers on Mars are doing? Here’s your chance to ask NASA Mars. Use the NASA Mars skill to learn about Mars and get the latest rover updates directly from NASA. Mission team members write the updates weekly. Say, "Alexa, open NASA Mars," to check on the "red planet". This Day in History Check-in daily to find out about the historical events that happened on this day and every other day of the year. Come back each day and hear the top historical event of the day. Use the phrase, "Alexa, launch This Day in History," to get started. National Geographic Geo Quiz Put your geography knowledge to the test with this skill. Six new questions are released every day. Enable by saying, "Alexa, play Geo Quiz." Questions Kids Ask Flash Briefing Questions Kids Ask is the perfect flash briefing for those parents with inquisitive kids. Kid-friendly and fun for the whole family. Enable using your Alexa app. If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Music for the podcast is "RetroFuture Clean" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

When the Amazon Echo Dot was originally released many people saw the smart speaker as nothing more than a novelty. Many people bought it and its older sibling the Amazon Echo and quickly realized how helpful it could be in their day-to-day lives. The Amazon Echo Dot has a lot of functionality in it that helps with day-to-day activities. With it, you can set reminders, message other people, and buy milk when you've run out. Homeschoolers can make use of the Amazon Echo Dot too. Here are 10 ways to use an Amazon Echo Dot for homeschooling. As a quick side note, many of these things will work with Google Home Mini too. Side note: I forgot to include the theme music in this podcast. Spelling and Definitions If your kids are constantly asking you how to spell "amoeba" or what existentialism means Alexa has got you covered! All of your kids can ask Alexa how to spell a word or for its definition. Setting a Timer or Reminders We use timers a lot in our house. Whether it's for cooking or playing video games, there's always a beep, ding, or ring going off for something in our house. You can have multiple timers running simultaneously and Alexa will remind you which timer is going off. It's very helpful. Researching Topics If your kids have ever needed to "just look something up" but all of the screens are in use, Alexa can help with basic research. All you need to do is ask about a specific topic and Alexa will provide a brief overview and sometimes offer additional information. This is very useful if you need to look up one specific fact. Translate Languages If your kids are like mine, they like to play around with languages. They can ask Alexa how to say, "I love BTS," in Korean, and impress their fellow ARMY members when they get together to watch YouTube videos. Solving Math Problems Your Amazon Echo Dot isn't going to be solving differential equations any time soon but it can help with simple math problems. Our kids have tried multiplication, division, percentages, and square roots. Converting Between Units of Measurement Need to know how many furlongs are in a kilometer? Alexa has got you covered. For those quick conversions, a smart speaker can be very helpful. Listening to Educational Podcasts There are a lot of educational podcasts that you and your family can listen to together. Simply ask Alexa to play a podcast and it will usually find it. If you're having trouble getting one to play, try using the MyCast skill from Blubrry. Listening to News for Current Events Flash briefings are a great way to keep up with current events and news. There's a flash briefing for Homeschool News Today that you can install right now. Play Trivia Games Trivia and guessing games are a great way for kids to test their knowledge or they can provide a much-needed break on a busy homeschooling day. Games like Jeopardy!, Cat Trivia, and The Science Game are a great way to entertain and test your kids' knowledge. Install Educational Skills There are a number of educational skills that can help your kids learn more simply by interacting with Alexa. Educational stories and facts are a question away! If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,

A major part of homeschooling involves teaching practical life-skills like how to fix cars. OK, maybe not everyone needs to learn to fix a car but basic maintenance or knowing when to take your car to a mechanic are skills every homeschooler should learn. If you have a budding mechanic or if you don't think you can't teach your kids to change the oil in a car, you can lean on these 7 YouTube channels to help you and your kids learn how to fix cars. 1. Scotty Kilmer With 50 years of experience as a mechanic, Scotty Kilmer provides down-to-earth advice in his videos. You won't get detailed instructions for repairs but his decades of experience are an invaluable resource for beginner mechanics. 2. Eric the Car Guy When I need to fix something on my 2000 Honda Civic or 2004 Odyssey, the first YouTube channel I check is Eric the Car Guy‘s. Eric's videos often provide step-by-step instructions for many common repairs. It also helps that he used to be a Honda-certified mechanic. 3. Humble Mechanic Honestly, I don't know how Charles, aka Humble Mechanic keeps his beard out of the way when he works. Here's another great channel to learn how to repair cars with step-by-step instructions. 4. Engineering Explained When I want to learn about certain automotive principles I check out Engineering Explained. On this channel, Chris explains how a car works. This is very important when you want to learn to repair them 5. ChrisFix Often when you see videos on YouTube they don't show you how to make the same repairs with hand tools. ChrisFix shows you how easy it is to maintain and repair your car with common hand tools. 6. Richpin The first mechanic channel is subscribed to was Richpin's. I had an old Saturn wagon that needed some mechanical help and his videos helped me save money by doing the repairs myself. Bonus: Mighty Car ModsOut of all the channels, Marty and Moog over at Mighty Car Mods are probably the most entertaining. What started as a channel that features simple modifications that can be done on a weekend now features weeks-long projects that turn out fantastic & fun cars. If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Music for the podcast is "RetroFuture Clean" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

At the end of March, Acer and Apple announced new tablets targeted at education. Acer's Chromebook Tab 10 and Apple's 2018 iPad are priced competitively but which is better for homeschooling? Acer Chromebook Tab 10 Google has dominated the public education market with Chromebooks for many years now. Their low price and suite of free applications make them very appealing to cash-strapped school districts. Homeschoolers have been able to use G Suite for Education for a few years now and that gives homeschoolers access to tools and resources that were once only available to public schools. With the Chromebook Tab 10, the ease of use and affordability of Chrome OS has moved from a laptop to a tablet. Homeschoolers will like the affordability of this product (when it's released) and the free tools available from Google. What we don't know yet is how it will perform over time and whether or not it will hold up to the abuse of being handed down from one child to another. Pros: * Google Classroom & G Suite for Education * Includes stylus * Expandable storage Cons: * Less privacy (potentially) * Longevity and durability unknown * Weak cameras 2018 Apple iPad When the iPad was first released many people (including myself) saw the great potential for its use in education. Unfortunately, price and the lack of a basic educational application suite hindered the iPad's adoption in public schools. "Educational" applications soon emerged but many were either filled with ads or required additional in-app purchases. This either led to distractions for the student or additional costs that parents weren't expecting after paying $400-$500 for a tablet. Since then, more robust educational software has emerged and the prices have dropped. Homeschoolers can trust that their investment in an iPad will last for years (I still have an original iPad Mini). Pros: * Apple eco-system * More privacy * Faster processor Cons: * Cost ($329) * No stylus included ($99) * No other improvements So, which tablet is right for you? If you want more bang for your buck and access to a reliable education suite, the new Acer Chromebook Tab 10 is right for you. Already invested in the Apple eco-system and want a tablet you know you can still use in 5 years? Go with Apple's 2018 iPad but realize you'll be paying more in the long run. Extra Time I recently reviewed a wall mount for the Google Home Mini on my personal YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Music for the podcast is "RetroFuture Clean" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review.

Facebook has been in the news quite a bit lately because of privacy concerns. A third-party (Cambridge Analytica) used data it collected from Facebook to profile users. That information was used to serve ads and articles to people via the social media network and influence their behavior online. Many people have deleted their Facebook accounts (not an easy task) as a result of this revelation and others couldn't care less. If you want to delete your account, keep in mind that it takes 90 days of inactivity for it to be "permanently" deleted. In this podcast, we'll take a look at what happened (briefly) and explore all of our options so that we can make an informed decision about whether or not to leave Facebook. Facebook – Delete It or Keep It Personal data is the currency of the 21st century and Facebook is in the personal data business. You are the product. Your information is shared with other companies so that the social platform can target advertisements to you. This is abundantly clear in the End User License Agreement (EULA) that you did not read and accepted when you signed up for the social media service. So how can you keep your personal data as private as possible? * Don't use Facebook to login to other sites and services. * Stop participating in silly quizzes and games that require access to your personal data. * Stop posting publicly. * Don't check-in to locations or associate your location with photos. * Don't click on ads or sponsored posts. There are many more things you can do to lock-down your privacy settings but these five tips will go a long way. Soon, Facebook is implementing a new security page so you can easily manage all of your privacy settings in one place. Once it comes out, go through all of those settings and make sure you only give access to information you're willing to share. Simply, if you wouldn't stand downtown and blurt out information through a megaphone, don't put it on Facebook or anywhere else on the Internet. If you enjoyed this episode of The Wired Homeschool, consider supporting the podcast by buying me a coffee. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. Music for the podcast is "RetroFuture Clean" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. In some cases, I may have been given a free sample of a product to review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement.

When you think of 3D printers, what comes to mind? Do you think technology like 3d printing is beyond the reach of homeschoolers? It's not! 3D printers have become affordable and easy to use. There are many 3D printers that have been specifically designed for home use and homeschoolers can use them to teach STEM topics. Your kids can learn about 3D modelling, engineering, and other scientific principles while designing their own creations. Who knows, maybe your child might design a better mousetrap with his or her 3D printer. In this podcast, I'll cover the basics of 3D printing, some basic guidelines to consider when purchasing a 3D printer and talk about 5 3D printers under $500 for homeschooling. If you're already familiar with 3D printing you can skip ahead to the list. How Do 3D Printers Work? Let's start with a primer on how 3D printing works. 3D printing can also be referred to as "additive manufacturing". The printer slowly adds material to build the 3D object through an extruder. Most 3D printers use a technology called Fused Deposition Modeling, or FDM for short. The material, or filament, is added layer by layer on to a build plate in 2D layers. When all of the layers have been completed, a 3D object has been printed. The filament in a printer can consist of many different materials but most are PLA or ABS plastic. All the printers discussed here use PLA, a non-toxic material derived from natural materials like sugar cane. For more information about 3D printing and how 3D printers work, check out this guide from 3Dprint: What is 3D Printing & How Do 3D Printers Work? Things to Consider When Buying a 3D Printer Prices for 3D printers vary depending on their application. Many entry-level 3D printers can be had for under $500. Some hobbyists spend $2,000 – $5,000 on personal 3D printers. I'm primarily focusing on entry-level 3D printers designed for home use. If you plan to purchase one here are some things to consider: * Safety features. The filament can be very hot when extruded from the nozzle so consider features like an enclosure and a tip sensor so that printing stops if the door is opened or the printer is tipped. * Ease of use and setup. Does the 3D printer need to be assembled or is it ready to go out of the box? Is the software provided easy to use for your kids? * Cost of supplies. Most printers come with a small about of filament. Once that runs out how much will it cost? Does the 3D printer support generic filament or is it proprietary? * Software included. What software is included with the printer? Is it compatible with other 3D printing software or can you only use the software designed specifically for the 3d printer? * Online resources. Does the manufacturer provide online educator's resources? Are there lesson plans and a curriculum guide available? Are these guides designed for home use or in a classroom? * Build volume and resolution. How big are the objects that you can print? Also, how fine is the nozzle? Can you print smooth and intricate objects or will you need to manually add details. * Production speed. Depending on the size and complexity of the object being printed, it can take as little as 10 minutes or several hours to complete. If you have impatient kids, consider a 3D printer with faster production speeds. * Additional features. Heated plates, wireless or Bluetooth connectivity, and LCD screens are just some of the options you'll find. Typically, the more convenience features a 3D printer has, the higher the cost. 5 3D Printers Under $500 for Homeschooling Now that we've covered the basics of 3D printing and what you want to look for in a 3D printer,