iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

If you have a teen or tween, you have likely heard of Tik Tok, which is actually an app called Music.ly reinvented. If you are a teacher, check out my  Music.ly post (about possible applications in the classroom which are relevant for Tik Tok) which I wrote when it was first popular a few years ago.

I first learned about Tik Tok’s popularity when my daughter would have her friends over and spend HOURS rehearsing and recording dance numbers. I have to say I loved it! She would often complain about how some of her friends just hang out on their phones when they come over, and this hanging out on the phone is entirely different.

Like any social media site, there is potential for awesome as well as potential for danger and so the platform in and of itself is not EVIL. Over the past few months I have been talking to parents, and 9 and 10 year olds have discovered the app and are pressuring their parents to get it.

It's no secret that tweens and teens spend a lot of time with media. But what about their parents? For the first time in a Common Sense Census, we put the spotlight on parents to understand how they manage their kids' -- and their own -- media use.

This national report is based on surveys from more than 1,700 parents of children age 8 to 18, who share candidly about their own media use and their perceptions of their kids' engagement with media and technology.

The findings create a comprehensive picture of parent strategies for mediating, monitoring, and managing media issues for their children. Results show that parents actively keep tabs on tech use at home and are supportive of the positive benefits of media in their kids' lives. The study provides insight into how families can use media in healthy ways and how parents can be good digital role models for their kids. Watch our video below and see our blog post for highlights.