Sadly, it is that time again…when you have to set an alarm clock and try to drag your lifeless and cranky child from bed, shove something toasted in their hand, and badger them to brush their teeth, while pushing them out the door with one untied shoe on. These first few weeks back to school are a battle of wills and nerves, until some sort resemblance of a schedule is established. So, here is a list of our back to school tech essentials, which we hope help ease you and your kids back into school.
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Alarm Clock
If your home looks like an episode of the Walking Dead in the morning – you are not alone! Try making the dreaded wake up process slightly less painful for you and your kiddo with a fun alarm clock. Here are a few that offer several useful features beyond just telling time – like the date and weather info to help them prepare for their day.
Younger children will enjoy the GLIME Night Light Alarm Clock for kids. It features not only the time and alarm, but also a night light (that changes color), temperature, calendar, and it even makes piggy noises!
If you have older children, a smart alarm clock might be more appealing. The Amazon Echo Dot can be set to wake you up, play your favorite song, give you the weather, as well as hundreds of other useful tools and applications.
If you have a particularly difficult riser or a snooze abuser, then the Ruggie might be necessary (I may need one of these)! This “rug” alarm clock requires pressure from both feet to turn it off.
ChromeBook
Many schools are implementing more tech in the classrooms using Smart Boards, iPads, and ChromeBooks. Some are even issuing them to students to take home. My kids were given ChromeBooks last year and it has been life changing! Having all their work, homework, assignments, grades, and even access to book content in one place has completely eliminated the “dog ate my homework”, the “I forgot my math book”, and the favorite, “I didn’t get my test grade back yet” excuses. There are however, new and improved excuses such as, “I forgot my ChromeBook at school”, “I forgot to charge my ChromeBook”, and of course, “the dog ate my ChromeBook”. If your school does not issue your child a computer or your dog really does eat your ChromeBook, rest assured. They are a great resource and are not terribly expensive for a laptop that can grow with your child. Programs that used to cost a bundle are often free or greatly discounted for students and Google offers lots of free tools like Google Classroom, Google Docs, and Google Drive that can be access from any computer just by logging into your account.
Websites/Apps
There are also so many new apps that can make going back to school even easier. Here are a few our of family’s favorites:
- RemindMe – Great app for school sports and teachers to contact students and parents about upcoming events and last minute changes.
- Life 360 – If your kids have smart phones, you can keep track of where they are and be notified when they have arrived or have left selected locations. This really comes in handy when they are on the bus and you aren’t sure when to pick them up.
- Quizlet.com – This is a website that you and your kids can use to create digital flash cards and use them to test yourself. They are a lot less likely to get lost and my kids are more likely to use them because typing is more fun than writing, and computers are cooler than paper.
- Parent Portal – This website is used by many school districts to show students progress/grades, report cards, and state testing. No more relying on your student to bring their report cards home, you can check for yourself – and it also has past years so you can compare your child’s progress from year to year.
We hope these tech tips help make your transition from pool side to school bus a little bit easier!