Staying with the theme of distracted homeschooling, I thought I’d bring back an interview I did with Todd Wilson last year at the Great Homeschool Convention in Connecticut. It’s short but it helps to cement the idea that we’re getting too distracted as parents. Yes, we love technology and it can be very beneficial but we must assess whether or not we’re too caught up in our gadgets and gizmos.

Please consider nominating the podcast for the 9th Annual Podcast Awards.

The 100th episode of the podcast is coming up on November 11th. I’d like to get your feedback about how the podcast has helped you, why you listen, and if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the podcast. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject “Episode 100 Feedback” or use the other contact methods below to have your feedback featured on the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool. Please send your feedback by November 4th so it can be included in the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool.

Like what you see? Connect socially!

Voicemail – 518-290-0228 or record a message with your computer

Follow @wiredhs

// Follow @jwilkers

//

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.

Would you like me to speak to your homeschool group? Schedule a virtual workshop today.

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.

Have you ever consider what your kids thinks about your use of social media? Recently, I watched a video by Mark Malkoff that really struck a nerve in me.

Many people start homeschooling because they want to spend more time with their family and end up spending more time with a screen in front of their face instead of getting some face time with their kids.

What do you think? Are you spending too much time with social media? Think you should spend more time with your kids and put the smartphone away?

Please consider nominating the podcast for the 9th Annual Podcast Awards.

The 100th episode of the podcast is coming up on November 11th. I’d like to get your feedback about how the podcast has helped you, why you listen, and if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the podcast. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject “Episode 100 Feedback” or use the other contact methods below to have your feedback featured on the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool. Please send your feedback by November 4th so it can be included in the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool.

Connect Socially!

* Join the Facebook page

* Follow @wiredhs

//

* Circle on Google Plus

* Follow John Wilkerson

Leave a Voicemail

You can call 518-290-0228 to leave me a message or use this convenient widget to record a message right from 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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement

I’ve got a mish-mash of topics this week starting with iHomeschool Network’s #honorcopyright week and a new homeschool podcasting network: Ultimate Homeschool Radio Network.

4 Online Transcript Tools

* My Homeschool Transcripts – Free version available. $39 lifetime access for an unlimited number of students and transcripts.

* Scholaric – 15-day free trial. Monthly fee starting at $3 per student.

* HEAV Homeschool Transcript Service – $35 per student. Additional fees for addition students/copies. HEAV members receive 10% discount.

* HSLDA Fast Transcript – $16 per student annually. $110 lifetime membership. HSLDA members receive a discount. Free blank Word templates available.

Please consider nominating the podcast for the 9th Annual Podcast Awards.

The 100th episode of the podcast is coming up on November 11th. I’d like to get your feedback about how the podcast has helped you, why you listen, and if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the podcast. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject “Episode 100 Feedback” or use the other contact methods below to have your feedback featured on the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool. Please send your feedback by November 4th so it can be included in the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool.

Like what you see? Connect socially!

Voicemail – 518-290-0228 or record a message with your computer

Follow @wiredhs

// Follow @jwilkers

//

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.

Would you like me to speak to your homeschool group? Schedule a virtual workshop today.

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.

You’ve seen them all over the Internet, especially on Pinterest and other social media sites. Infographics are everywhere! Some are great and others you wonder why someone bothered to take the time to make them. Have you ever thought about using infographics in homeschooling? You probably already do but don’t realize it. In this episode of the podcast I take a look at using infographics for homeschooling.

What are Infographics?

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. (Wikipedia)

Infographics have been in use for hundreds of years and they don’t need to be digital. One very famous one is Charles Minard’s infographic depicting Napolean’s march on Moscow was published in 1861. These days infographics are mostly digital. 

Where Can I Find Infographics?

* visual.ly

* dailyinfographic.com

* infographiclist.com

* Pinterest

* Google or Bing Search

Willys Jeep Infographic

4 Great Grammar Infographics to Keep You Sane

What Are Some Ways I can Use Infographics?

* Print them out and put them around the house or in your school room

* Use them as part of your lesson plans

* Have your kids create infographics on poster board

* Have you kids create digital infographics

* Use lapbooks to create multi-page infographics

The 100th episode of the podcast is coming up on November 11th. I’d like to get your feedback about how the podcast has helped you, why you listen, and if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the podcast. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject “Episode 100 Feedback” or use the other contact methods below to have your feedback featured on the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool. Please send your feedback by November 4th so it can be included in the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool.

Like what you see? Connect socially!

Voicemail – 518-290-0228 or record a message with your computer

Follow @wiredhs

// Follow @jwilkers

//

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.

Would you like me to speak to your homeschool group? Schedule a virtual workshop today.

In this episode, I share my thoughts on the new iPhones and iOS 7.

Will you be getting a new iPhone? Will you get an iPhone 5c or 4s for your kids?

Links mentioned in the podcast:

The iPhone 5C and the youth factor

iOS 7 vs iOS 6 Icon Comparison Chart

iOS 7 is coming to iPhone 4 and up, but not all features will be available on all devices

The 100th episode of the podcast is coming up on November 11th. I’d like to get your feedback about how the podcast has helped you, why you listen, and if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the podcast. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject “Episode 100 Feedback” or use the other contact methods below to have your feedback featured on the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool. Please send your feedback by November 4th so it can be included in the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool.

Connect Socially!

* Join the Facebook page

* Follow @wiredhs

//

* Circle on Google Plus

* Follow John Wilkerson

Leave a Voicemail

You can call 518-290-0228 to leave me a message or use this convenient widget to record a message right from 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. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement

We live in a connected culture. There are many rewards and benefits of living in such a culture but there are also some downsides.

Being constantly tethered to our smartphones and tablets has transformed our lives from “gotta have it now” to “gotta tell you now”. We’re all celebrities on the Internet.

The phenomenon of constant connection started in 1980 when CNN (the 1st 24-hour news channel) launched and suddenly we could turn on the television any time of the day and find out what’s going on in the world.

This connected culture is being thrust upon us and it’s difficult to avoid being part of it in some fashion. If you’ve fallen head first into the rabbit hole of texting, social media, and constant consumption of information here are 6 ways to unplug from a connected culture.

1. Start your day in analog.

2. Take a technology time-out.

3. Reduce the number of social media apps on your smartphone or tablet.

4. Have tech-free zones in your house.

5. Live in the moment.

6. Plan a social media Sabbath or fast.

I’ve implemented all of these techniques in my own life. I’m not always 100% successful but it does help me to put things in perspective. What do you do to unplug?

The 100th episode of the podcast is coming up in 9 weeks. I’d like to get your feedback about how the podcast has helped you, why you listen, and if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the podcast. Send an email to [email protected] with the Subject “Episode 100 Feedback” or use the other contact methods below to have your feedback featured on the 100th episode of The Wired Homeschool.

Like what you see? Connect socially!

Voicemail – 518-290-0228 or record a message with your computer

Follow @wiredhs

// Follow @jwilkers

//

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.

Would you like me to speak to your homeschool group? Schedule a virtual workshop today.

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.

This week kicks off the Labor Day celebrations here in the U.S. It’s the unofficial end of Summer and the beginning of a new school year. I’m taking this Friday off from podcasting but I do have this nifty little infographic about Labor Day with interesting facts.

How do you celebrate Labor Day?

You backup your computer, right? What about your smartphone? Backing up your smartphone is something a lot of people don’t think about doing. If you’re a busy homeschooling mom or dad you’ve probably got your contacts, homeschooling events, and more stored on your smartphone. Losing all of that data would set you back for days because you’d have to recreate it all.

It’s pretty easy to backup your smartphone and with these simple steps you can make sure you never lose your data even if your phone is lost or destroyed. The methods vary from device to device so here’s a rundown of the 3 major phone providers and how to back up your stuff so you don’t miss a beat when you replace your old one of if your current phone gets lost or stolen. 

Apple Devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod)

For Apple smartphones running iOS 6 backing up is very easy if you use iCloud. The thing to remember is that once you exceed 5GB of data you’ll start incurring a fee for this service. You can tailor what apps and data are backed up to iCloud if you want to save some money but for true piece of mind you’ll want to backup everything to “the cloud”. You can even manage multiple devices if you use the same iTunes account on each one. To start using iCloud on your device go to Settings > iCloud > Storage & Backup then flip that thing on! Once you’ve turned on backup you can go back to the previous screen and manage what gets backed up. When you’re not using your iPhone iCloud will automagically backup your data. Cool! Keep in mind that this will disable automatic backups to iTunes when you plug your device into your computer.

The next way to backup your iPhone is to use iTunes. You can do this over wi-fi or a cable connected directly to your computer. Make sure you have the latest version of iTunes installed so that you don’t encounter any problems.

To backup using a USB cable plug your iPhone into your computer’s USB port and then open iTunes. Now right-click your device and choose Backup. Easy. Sometimes your device syncs automatically when you plug it into your computer but that isn’t the same as a backup. You can disable that option if you choose or just leave it checked under the device summary.

You can also sync your device using wi-fi but you need to disable iCloud to use this feature. To setup wi-fi syncing, open iTunes and plug in your device to a USB port. Now click the device icon in the upper right-hand corner then click Summary.

Check the box that says, “Sync with this [device] over Wi-Fi”. Now when you’re at home, your device is locked, and iTunes is open on your computer it will sync over wi-fi.

Android Devices

Google is your friend when it comes to backing up your device’s data. If you’re using Google services you can backup much of your data to “the cloud” very simply.

To start backing up your Android device go to Settings > Backup & Reset then tap “Backup My Data” and “Automatic Restore.” Choose the account you want to backup your data to and you’re good to go.

A manual backup can be done by simply plugging in your device to your Windows computer and opening the device in ‘My Computer’ and dragging the contents of the drive somewhere on your computer’s hard drive. Mac users will need Android File Transfer to accomplish this.

Google backs up a lot of your data but it doesn’t backup everything so you’ll need a few apps if you want a complete backup of your device.

The formal school year will be starting soon and that means parents all over the world are thinking about buying a new computer. Historically, computer manufacturers have back-to-school sales but this is one of the worst times to buy a computer because those companies are trying to get rid of their old stock to prepare for the holiday season.

If you’re in a situation where you need to buy a new computer and you can’t wait a few months hopefully this buying guide will help you make the right choice.

Reasons for Buying a New Computer

Reasons for buying a computer vary from person to person and family to family. One reason you should never buy a new computer is because you want the latest and greatest. In 6 months that bleeding edge computer will be a silicon dinosaur.

Some reasons to buy a new computer are:

* Your current computer or operating system is too old. If you’re still running Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.5 it might be time to look for some new hardware. Sure, you could do a few upgrades to speed thing up a little but that computer has probably reached or is nearing its end of life. Support for Windows XP ends on April 8, 2014 so any computer you have that’s running Windows XP should be taken off the Internet because there will no longer be security updates available. Mac OS X 10.5 is no longer supported and it’s believed that Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) will soon reach its end-of-life meaning it will have no supported security updates either.

* You need an additional computer. If you’re homeschooling more than one child you know that juggling computer time schedules can get tricky. As our kids grow older we’re finding it hard to decided who gets to use the computer and when. Priority is given to educational needs but sometimes the kids just want to play a game. We do have a 2nd computer (an old laptop with XP) that we take out every once in a while but it’s really slow which can sometomes be frustrating for the kids. These scheduling conflicts will occur more and more so at some point we’ll need to bit the bullet and purchase another computing device.

* Upgrading isn’t cost-effective. In the past, upgrading a computer could really extend its life. That’s true today too but when you consider that the cost to buy components and a new operating system are almost as much as a new computer the cost-savings just don’t compute. Additionally, if you’re not technically savvy, you’ll need to pay someone to upgrade your computer. This puts in the market for a new budget computer that will be covered by a warranty and probably perform better that the upgraded one.

Whatever your reasons for buying that shiny new box of silicon there are some important things to consider when purchasing a new computer (or tablet).

4 Things to Consider When Buying a New Computer

1. Price – First, don’t buy anything under $500. It’s just not worth it (unless you’re buying a tablet). A lot of times the ultra-budget computers are made from inferior parts, come with limited specifications, or they’re using old technology. For some reason consumers want to pay as little as possible on something they plan to keep for 3-5 years. Sure, if you decided to buy a new computer every year, go for that $300 Walmart special but don’t be surprised if it goes belly up right after the warranty expires.

If you plan to pay between $500-$800 you can get a quality machine that you can use for years. Shopping for refurbished computers is a good idea too. You get the same computer but at a significant discount with a full manufacturer’s warranty.

Speaking of warranties, go ahead and spring for the extended manufacturer’s warranty if you’re buying a desktop. If you buy a laptop or tablet, SquareTrade offers a great 3rd-party warranty that cov...

I’m please to bring you this interview with Spencer Whitman from AppCertain. AppCertain is a fantastic app that informs you about the features and content apps installed on your child’s iPhone, iPad, or iPod. It’s a valuable tool and resource for every parent that wants to teach their kids how to use the Internet, apps, and social media responsibly.

About Spencer Whitman

Co-Founder and CEO of AppCertain. Spencer is passionate about solving problems that have an impact on people’s lives. After over ten years of studying and working at Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University in topics ranging from computer security to distributed systems, Spencer was eager for a new challenge and left to start AppCertain. Spencer is also dedicated to seeing the entrepreneurial community in Pittsburgh, PA grow and thrive. Spencer has a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a BS in Computer Science, both from Carnegie Mellon University.

About AppCertain

Get notifications emailed to you every time an app is installed on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Create an AppCertain account, easily install a security profile on the device you’d like to monitor, and we’ll email you simple and enlightening reports of every app that gets downloaded.

Reports include a short description of the app and if the app contains:

* Educational value

* Access to inappropriate or adult themed content

* In app purchases

* Location tracking

* Ads

* Sharing through social networks, email, or in app communication

* Contact list access

* Photo access

* More information is constantly being added!

 

Like what you see? Connect socially!

Voicemail – 518-290-0228 or record a message with your computer

Follow @wiredhs

// Follow @jwilkers

//

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.

Would you like me to speak to your homeschool group? Schedule a virtual workshop today.

Music for the podcast by Kevin Macleod.

The Wired Homeschool is a proud member of the Tech Podcast Network. For more family-friendly tech podcasts visit techpodcasts.com