Mary Manz Simon's Blog, page 10
October 24, 2018
Safety nets?
After each big data breach or hack, concerns are naturally raised about safety.
But one area that rarely receives a shout-out are the apps parents use to track kids. Yes, the apps help parents, but also give access to children’s phones.
Are there any foolproof ways to keep kids safe?
October 22, 2018
Haptics?
If that heading is unfamiliar, check out the latest edition of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Haptic, which is the science of touch, is just one of more than 800 words inserted in the new volume.
Foodies will love the tasty adds: zoodles, gochujang and guac,although I believe the most heavily used new word is instagramming.
October 19, 2018
Shop to eat?
Do you shop to eat or shop to socialize?
For busy moms, the convenience factor is a huge driver pushing them toward online grocery shopping.
Buying fresh online meal ingredients also removes the frantic grab to “find something to eat,” which often means a “put together” meal of leftovers that kids rarely consume.
The growth of online grocery shopping in the US appears to be moving American moms closer to a more European style of “buying fresh, eating fresh.”
October 17, 2018
Re-imagine veggies
An overseas supermarket chain worked with school students to make healthy lunchbox options more appealing.
The results:
Carrots were renamed “orange rockets”; cucumbers became “frisbees for elves”.
October 15, 2018
Smart speaker interpretations
Can Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple’s Siri understand your child?
Young children, who are just learning to articulate, often end up laughing at the way smart speakers interpret their language.
Reviewers indicate that Amazon’s Echo Dot might be better at responding correctly through accents and mis-pronunciations.
October 12, 2018
TV borrows from video games
Virtual and augmented reality TV is coming to Nickelodeon.
A new television series will attempt to create the “immersive experience” kids like in their video games.
Roll-out date has not been set.
October 10, 2018
The security arsenal expands
I’m surprised that conversations about school safety have barely touched on what promises to be a huge issue: school use of facial recognition technology.
Some question the accuracy of the technology, requesting testing across demographics, but the biggest concern has focused on privacy. Future discussions will undoubtedly include the potential of federal oversight, but it’s definitely a potential tool to consider in a school security arsenal.
October 8, 2018
Birth of a new toy catalog
Kids who spent hours pouring over the annual Toys’R Us Big Book will soon have a new visual wish list.
Amazon is gearing up to print a holiday catalog to fill the gap. Look for the toy catalog at the end of this month in Whole Foods (conveniently owned by Amazon.)
October 5, 2018
Shrinking the school support gap
As a PTA president, I was on the frontline as our parents worked diligently to sell groceries, sponsor a gigantic carnival and support their children’s sale of magazines. Earnings contributed to making our school healthy and vibrant.
Some parent teacher organizations are being asked to donate their hard-earned funds to other schools, often in lower economic areas.
Often, these moms and dads can’t invest time or money to support education through school parent organizations. As a result, some of these initiatives are causing friction.
Sharing the wealth has always been a sensitive issue without easy answers, but now it’s even hitting parent organizations in our schools.
October 3, 2018
Gender blur
As an children’s author, I have a front row view of the trends in popular names.
During a recent book signing, I noticed that Charlie, Parker and Jordan can be names for boys or girls. It was obvious that the swing toward gender neutral names continues.
