Digital Dads

The Internet is a scary place. Or at least it can be. The world has evolved into an always connected place that can be dangerous if not taken seriously. And our kids (digital natives) don’t always understand the risk. From the Facebook post of a photo to the Snapchat video they think disappears instantly, they tend to trivialize the potential for problems. But that doesn’t mean they’re right.

While we have no intention of overreacting and preventing our kids from being online, we do want to be aware of the challenges we now face. We must be involved enough to help guide them while at the same time allowing them to grow to be independent adults. This is no easy task.

Join us this week as we have the privilege of speaking with Stacy Martin the Senior Manager of Privacy and Engagement at Mozilla (think Firefox web browser). We discuss online privacy and many other issues facing parents today as we learn about raising kids in a digital world together.

Resources

* Mozilla encryption education

* Mozilla Codemoji encryption game

* Mozilla teaching activities

* Mozilla Learning Network

* http://rethinkwords.com

* http://www.cyberwise.org

* https://www.fosi.org

* https://www.youtube.com/user/fosi

What Thor was Doing During Civil War

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

* Brent – Nail Capsule

We are told from an early age not to break the rules. Our parents tell us, our teachers remind us, and society expects us to follow the path well traveled. But is this always best? When it comes to raising our children, do the rules that we’ve been handed down by our parents still apply? In an ever evolving world of technology, perhaps not. That’s the position of author Heather Shumaker.

In her latest book It’s OK to Go Up the Slide Heather advocates reinventing our paradigm of proper parenting. She believes if something isn’t working we should be bold enough to challenge it. Consider the following “radical” views:

* It’s OK to Talk to Strangers

* Ban Elementary Homework

* Recess is a Right

* Don’t Force Participation

Don’t miss this episode where we discover how a different approach to parenting just may make all the difference to our children.

Heather’s Podcast – Renegade Rules

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Extra Credits

* Brent – Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders

The recent Netflix exclusive Stranger Things has taken the world by storm. It has yet another self produced hit for the fast growing media company. If you haven’t seen it, go do that now and come back. It’s an amazing show and we don’t want to spoil it for you.

Walter Eggers, Jeremy Muse, and Brooks Robinson join us as we go deep into the “upside down” to review this hip new series. We touch upon why we like it and the areas we feel it comes up a little short. In the end it was a great discussion about a really great show.

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – No Man’s Sky

* Brent – Transformers: The Movie 4K Remaster

There is a huge gender gap in the world of technology. Girls have actually tested very well at young ages but interest drops off when they hit their teens. The initiative at Girls Who Code aims to change that.

Using a combination of after school clubs and immersive summer programs the tide is beginning to change. Over 40,000 girls have participated and the growth has been fantastic. In this episode we talk with VP or Operations Solomon Steplight about this fantastic program for young women.

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – The Digital Dads Round Table Fantasy Football League

* Brent – Sneaky Cards

What do video games have to do with learning? Actually, maybe everything. Minecraft, one of the biggest games of all time, has an arm of the company dedicated to using the game in the classroom. That’s not a typo. Kids are learning at school by playing a video game. Crazy right?

In this episode we speak with Neal Manegold who started as a teacher before joining the Microsoft team to focus on this unique project called Minecraft: Education Edition. He had a lot of fun information to share about the initiative and where it’s headed. Don’t miss this one!

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Monster Elementary

* Brent – Bully Box

Getting kids to eat their veggies may be the biggest problem we face as parents. Well, at least next to getting them to bed on time. Nothing beats that. But making sure they eat healthy is can be an enormous challenge.

This week we talk with Dina Rose about her book It’s Not About the Broccoli: Three Habits to Teach Your Kids for a Lifetime of Healthy Eating about exactly that. With a PhD in sociology from Duke University and fifteen years experience in teaching and research led to this book.

We are very excited to have her join us on this episode.Her approach shifts the focus from nutrition to habits and has received remarkable results. If you have a child who may be slightly picky about food then this is the show for you.

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Stranger Things

* Brent – Future Bus

Today’s show we discuss the latest craze to sweep the land….it’s..uh…hold on a sec…gotcha! Where was I? Oh right, Pokemon Go.

The latest game from developer Niantic Labs and Nintendo has been a pop culture sledgehammer that nobody could’ve predicted. It has affected our kids, the tech industry, and society to such a large degree that we had to talk about it on the show. When will it stop? Is this how the robots take over? Can we glean anything positive from this entire craze? Find out on this episode of Digital Dads.

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew & Brent – Mini NES

We all get scared sometimes. It’s part of being human. But we don’t want something like fear to block us from accomplishing our goals. We unveil a brand new Round Table Reminder in this episode as Cody steps in to tell us about how he beat fear not once, but twice, in a single bound. We teach our kids the best we can but sometimes we’re the ones doing the learning.

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Spending money on kids is expensive. Every trip to the store can turn into begging for one more pack of gum or new toy. But what if they managed their own money for all that stuff instead?

The idea of allowance for children is not new. People have been giving children money each month for generations. Kids get to pick where to spend it and if they run out… tough taco. It’s a fantastic way for them to manage money. This is an invaluable skill to teach them from a young age. But in years past it’s been a little difficult to manage.

In this episode we have the privilege of speaking with Bill Dwight of the FamZoo allowance management software. He has put together a great web application that solves the problem managing for you. With pre-paid cards and customizable interest rates for saving, this is a fantastic program to get your kids off on the right foot.

EXTRA Free Month Bonus Code: DIGITALDADS

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One Cool Thing

* Andrew – Memphis Meats

* Brent – Moon Landing Source Code

Tests are nearly universally hated by children. If you have children, you know how hard it is to get them to agree on much of anything. But on this they agree. Test taking is for the birds. The truth is, they may be onto something.

In this episode we have the privilege of interviewing Anya Kamenetz about her book The Test: Why our Schools are Obsessed with Standardized Testing but You Don’t Have to Be. Most of us intuitively understand that the high pressure system puts undue stress on children as early as elementary school. And we also know that testing doesn’t typically make kids fall in love with learning. Yet we press on.

Listen in as Anya discusses challenges with the modern school system’s test centric approach as well as many potential solutions. She was so interesting in fact that we barely attempted humor. Think the subject of tests is boring? Think again. There’s a lot to learn here so get started. After you finish be sure to complete the attached quiz below.