The platform TikTok is used a lot and with pleasure, especially by young people. However, the app is not without controversy. Due to a lack of youth protection measures and questionable challenges, parents in particular have concerns.TikTok wants to improve the platform’s image with campaigns centered around positive content. For example, experts are encouraged to share their expertise on TikTok. Users get little learning snacks in the form of TikTok videos under the hashtag #lernenmittiktok (#learnwithtiktok). From facts from medicine and science, learning aids for foreign languages to cooking tips – the topics are wide-ranging and experts from different fields join in.
The videos with an “aha” effect can motivate children and young people to engage with learning content. Topics that are usually discussed in school are packaged in entertaining videos and taught in an entertaining way by TikTokers. Young people can continue their education without school pressure. They are addressed emotionally and content can stick better.
Such learning content can be searched for specifically on TikTok. In addition to #lernenauftiktok and #lernen, other terms can also be entered in the search box. For example, if your child is particularly interested in creative writing or needs help learning German, you can browse together for suitable videos and profiles. Through the comment function under individual videos, your child can ask questions and exchange ideas with other users about the content.
The platform is and remains an entertainment medium. Learning content is not separate from other content on TikTok. If your child uses the app to watch learning snacks, they can quickly end up on other profiles or videos that are simply entertaining and distracting. So it’s more of a nice value-add that comes with this campaign than a serious learning opportunity.
Every TikToker can tag their videos with the hashtag #lernenmittiktok. Nobody checks if the content is correct and helpful for learning. In this way, false and less well-researched information can also be disseminated. Children and young people often find it difficult to assess how trustworthy a source is. Therefore, talk to your child about fake news and take a close look at the profiles and content.
It’s great when kids learn about this content on TikTok, too, or maybe even create their own educational tidbits for friends. Thus, the platform can be a motivating support for learning.
The negative sides of the app do not disappear with it. Since it is a social media platform and users communicate with each other, there is also a risk of inappropriate content and bullying in the comment columns. Educate your child about the risks of the app and offer your support. Reassure your child that he or she can contact you at any time should he or she face cyberbullying or insults online.
When schools are closed, people have to study at home. But it’s not so easy in every family: for example, because there’s only one computer, which big brother uses to take part in a video conference with his class. Or, because the Internet at home is too bad to solve school assignments on the Internet. You have to work in a home office yourself and can’t help your child learn all the time. Besides, you can’t know everything that’s being gone over in school right now.
But there is at least one TV in most families, and often smartphones and tablets as well. To ensure that every child can learn at home, the public TV stations have changed their programming in January 2021 and expanded the offering in the media libraries and on their YouTube channels.
Some stations show several hours of educational programming Monday through Friday:
The offer is even greater on the websites and in the media libraries of the broadcasters. Here you can search for topics, interests, age groups and school levels and watch the appropriate programs. There is even additional learning material on some pages.
You can access much of the content collectively via the ARD Media Library and do not have to click through all the media libraries individually. There is a section called “Learn at Home” where shows are sorted by grade level.
Independent of television stations, there is the educational media library Mundo, which is operated by all federal states. It helps parents and teachers find the right learning opportunities from the many free ones available on the Internet.
For some listings, the age recommendations are not readily apparent, so be sure to check them out beforehand. Not all videos are based on school curricula, but they can still be interesting for your child if he likes to learn and the tasks from school may not be enough.
If you have a smart TV at home, i.e. a TV that is connected to the Internet, you can access the broadcasters’ media libraries via the device.
The stations also have a lot of content on their YouTube channels. This means that they can also be viewed via smartphone or tablet. You can pick out suitable content together with your child and use it at any time.
Some stations offer not only videos on their website, but also podcasts for learning. Then it is not necessary to look into a screen all the time, but your child can retire to the sofa or the nursery with headphones.
“But Paul is allowed to!”. Perhaps this statement from your child sounds familiar. Other children, when it comes to media, are apparently always allowed much more, earlier and longer. And you probably also ask yourself certain questions: “At what point should I allow my child to use the first cell phone? How does it work with the settings? Which learning apps are good?”. Talking to other parents can be a good way to answer these questions. You can exchange ideas and experiences on media education together and consider whether you would like to set up similar rules on media use in the family.
This makes sense in many cases, but can also be annoying or problematic at times. Between door-to-door, during visits or in chat groups, e.g. on WhatsApp, parents seek and find opportunities to talk about their children’s media behavior, rules and experiences. Depending on the age of the child, the topics and questions are different. The need for mutual counseling is strongest where there is the most uncertainty; when the child is introduced to new media and their media needs change. A top topic, for example, is the question of the right time for the first cell phone. However, device access alone is not enough. It is important to have an exchange about what exactly child does with media, what works well and what rules apply.
Parent group chats are useful for many reasons, but can also become very annoying. Most parents are in one or more such chats to be informed quickly and easily and to communicate in a simple way about suggestions, wishes and ideas.
Such chats also have some disadvantages and potential for conflict. They are disorganized and sometimes full of trivia and misunderstandings. As different as parents are, they also deal with possible conflicts. Raising children is an irritant for some. Groups often create pressure to be there to have a say. Some parents are excluded from the outset.
The goal of the group should be clearly stated. Equally important are respectful treatment and tolerance among all participants. Remember: all parents use media in their own personal way and are therefore always role models for their child.
As a parent, you are responsible for your child’s media education, so you are in a boat with other parents where support can be very valuable. They must educate about rights and prohibitions and enforce basic rules of media use. Children cannot know many things and you as parents certainly do not know everything either. This makes the experiences of other parents on new trends, apps or media experiences all the more helpful. Due to the protected space without children and teachers, there is a confidential level where it is possible to discuss what children can and are allowed to do or what rules apply during mutual visits.
Parents can also join forces with the help of their children’s school or sports club to find common ground in media education. Seek discussion with the lead teacher from the time of enrollment or a change of school.
Also take advantage of school offerings such as parent-teacher conferences. In some federal states (currently in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony and Bavaria), there are so-called parent talks, where parents can exchange ideas and receive further training in private.
Don’t be pressured to do everything right. Check out appropriate other places, such as here at parentguide.online.
It all started as a tutoring channel on YouTube. Today, simpleclub is much more and the explanatory videos found there are also used in teaching, for example. Thesimpleclub learning app is designed to help students prepare effectively for an exam.
The service is advertised as “Germany’s most intelligent learning app” because the learning content is to be adapted to the individual user. Originally, simpleclub only had explanatory videos on YouTube. Meanwhile, in addition to learning videos, the app also provides practice exercises and summaries that can be used to work through school topics.
Due to the simple language and the visual support with e.g. arrows, pictures and symbols, the videos are very suitable to better understand certain topics or to consolidate the content of the topic.
The Youtube presence of simpleclub consists of several channels, divided according to different subject areas (German, biology, geography, history, mathematics, economics, etc.). There are regularly new learning videos on various topics (such as biology: nerve cell, mathematics: sine and cosine derivation). The videos are no more than ten minutes long and explain various topics in a simple and interesting way. It is noticeable that casual language is always used in the videos.
In addition, an individual study plan can be created via the app, which enables better preparation for upcoming exams. In the free version of the app, there is only a selection of videos. The paid basic version (approx. 4,- €/month) contains all videos. With the Unlimited Version (approx. 8,- €/month) the individual learning plans can be created including interactive exercises, detailed solution paths and a finished summary as download. The individual adaptation of the contents is done by specifying one’s own federal state and which type of school one attends.
The presentation of the videos appeals to young people because they don’t come across as dull and matter-of-fact, but instead use casual language. In between, funny video sequences or emojis are inserted, which combine learning with fun. The videos are short and do not require a long attention span. Basically, children and young people are familiar with explainer videos on YouTube and like to use them.
The people behind simpleclub seem likeable and are closer in age to the students’ lives than many a teacher. For many young people they are certainly role models and offer a change from the monotonous school lessons.
It’s not entirely clear who creates the videos. The provider’s website says it is a team “of students from the best universities in Germany.” Whether they have experience in creating learning materials in addition to professional knowledge remains unclear.
The presentation of simpleclub is very professional, but at the same time it looks like a big advertising offer. Both on the website, in the app and on YouTube – everywhere there are ads and notices that you should register with simpleclub for a fee.
There is a large amount of videos on the various YouTube channels. It is not easy to find the right one for you there. Again, the providers want you to use their paid offer and makes it difficult for users of the free videos.
The operators of simpleclub – Alexander Giesecke and Nicolai Schork – say they regularly read through requests for new videos and suggestions for improvement and also address them in their videos. For example, they responded by lowering the price of their app because some students were concerned they would not be able to afford it. During the Corona crisis, they offer schools free aid packages of their videos.
As with all videos on the net, it should be noted that not all of them are good and correct. Therefore, when choosing, it is best to pay attention to how other users comment on the videos. If you are unsure if a video is true, you can also play a video to teachers and other adults who know about the topic and ask for advice. Then the videos can be a good supplement to the school lessons and for learning at home.
Try out the offers from simpleclub first via YouTube or the free version of the app before you sign up for a subscription. Try it out to see if your child can learn with it and talk about it with your child.
What to do when the child sits at home because the school is closed, although it is not a vacation. Parentsguide.online has a few suggestions on how to learn without going to school:
– Our article Tutoring on the Internet – Lessons are just a click away is about the benefits of learning videos, online tutoring services and more.
– YouTube is one of the most popular online platforms for children and young people. There are not only funny videos with high entertainment value. As in our post When Videos on the Internet Replace the Encyclopedia you can also learn a lot here.
– In times of crisis, it is especially important for children to understand why adults are restless. For this purpose, news for children are suited best because they explain current information in a way that is appropriate for children.
– Even watching movies or series can teach you something! Why not try watching your child’s favorite show in English together.
– Computer games can also help you learn things, as our post Improving skills with online gaming explains. Play is also a principle of various learning opportunities: Making life a game with Gamification.
– For younger children who do not yet go to school but normally go to daycare, suitable learning tools include Digital story apps.
– When it shouldn’t always be the TV or tablet: The range of podcasts on a wide range of topics for children of all ages is huge.
You can see them on more and more arms of adults, but also of children: smartwatches. Does your child have such a smart watch? If it also wears the watch to school, you should know what to look for.
Smartwatches designed especially for children can pose problems. In fact, some devices allow you to record sounds with the built-in microphone. Children or even parents can listen to and record conversations from a distance without being noticed. But you can’t just secretly make recordings of others! Smartwatches with such a function are even banned. If you or your child has a smartwatch that has apps on it that enable “voice monitoring,” “baby monitor” or “one-way conversation,” that watch must be destroyed. Those who do not comply face up to two years imprisonment or a fine.
But even watches that do not have this function can lead to conflicts. For example, they invite cheating or secretly taking photos of others in class. Because you can not always clearly distinguish them from “normal” wristwatches. This also increases the risk of cyberbullying, for example, when unflattering photos of others are circulated.
To protect fellow students and teachers, smartwatches are sometimes banned at schools. Teachers are allowed to collect them and do not have to return them until after class.
Not all watches with integrated cell phone or camera are banned, but only those with which you can make unnoticed sound recordings and show them to others. If you are considering purchasing a smartwatch, you should also pay attention to this – even though watches with listening capabilities are actually no longer allowed to be sold!
Even if your child has a permitted smartwatch, it’s important to talk to them about using it beforehand. Explain to him that, for example, you can’t just take photos of others without asking their permission first. Read more about this topic in our article: The smartwatch as an entry into the digital world?
Another week like that: English vocabulary test on Tuesday and the math test on Thursday. However, many parents simply do not have the time to study with their child every day. One support could be tutoring from the net. The market is now huge.
Learning on the Internet can look very different: Learning videos often convey the learning material in an entertaining way, which means that children and young people are captivated and enjoy watching the videos. Some videos explain facts rather superficially, others deepen a certain aspect of content. With the so-called learning games, the knowledge transfer apparently moves into the background, so that the learning material is anchored playfully and quite incidentally.
Classic tutoring is also available “live” online: Teachers and students get in touch via a platform and arrange individual appointments. During the tutoring session, communication then takes place via webcam and headset, e.g. via Skype.
The flexibility of online learning is particularly convincing. This works with learning videos that can be watched as many times as you like. Tutoring with a personal contact person via the Internet is also flexible in terms of time. In theory, your child can choose individual dates each week when he or she would like to learn and which fit into the family’s daily routine. The tutoring sessions are therefore not bound to a fixed day of the week. This can increase motivation to learn because it gives your child some freedom. Moreover, online tutoring is possible from any location – even if your child is with grandparents, for example, the lessons can be realized via the Internet. Often, online tutoring is also less expensive than offline offerings.
Many tutoring portals also store your child’s learning level. This way, both your child and you as a parent can follow the learning successes. Your child’s overall motivation can be increased by learning with digital media, since they are used by adolescents every day anyway and should therefore be included in learning.
If you want to use tutoring online for child, you should inform yourself exactly about the contents, functions and costs of the different offers. The tutoring market on the net is confusing. Evaluations by other learners and comparative tests can be helpful in the selection process. Use objective evaluations, such as those from the Internet ABC.
Click through the offerings together to decide what is most appropriate for your child. Many offers trial periods of up to one month. In addition to the content, it is also crucial whether your child can cope with the operation and functions.
Basically, no online program can provide direct contact and a personal relationship with a tutor. Therefore, such an offer is not suitable for every child. You should be aware that online tutoring requires a lot of personal responsibility from your child. It needs to know exactly about its learning gaps. Your own (learning) motivation should be high enough to stay “on the ball” independently, since no “real” tutor reminds you of the practice sessions. Try to assess whether your child is old enough for this.
Especially in case of serious school problems, it is not necessarily advisable to rely only on online tutoring.
They sit together with the family and talk. The conversation comes around to a particular topic and the question of what something means or how something works. Your child’s first reach goes to the smartphone. At YouTube the corresponding search query is entered and a suitable explanatory video is played that (hopefully) answers the question.
YouTube and explainer films are very popular with children and young people. Questions for which we used to reach for the encyclopedia are now answered with YouTube and similar video portals. Children and young people use them for everyday questions as well as to help with schoolwork. Because the selection of explainer videos on the web is huge. These are films in which very different facts and topics are dealt with briefly and concisely and abstract relationships are explained. The range of topics goes from beauty to cooking, from music to social or internet topics and much more.
Perhaps you remember this from your school days: films on historical events or similar are shown in class. These educational videos were professionally produced to be used in schools. In contrast, explainer videos are mostly produced by non-professionals themselves. They are aimed at a specific target group. Typical is a clear and simple, sometimes also very personal language in such videos. Through self-drawn pictures, photos and animations, difficult topics are presented in a clear and entertaining way. They are not explained matter-of-factly as in instructional videos, but a short story is told. Together with music, the audience is particularly addressed. The assumption is that this makes it easier to understand and remember what is shown. In addition, you can watch the videos online at any time, regardless of location and as often as you like, and pause them in between. Explainer videos are usually only a few minutes long.
Meanwhile, such explanatory films are also used in the classroom. Some teachers even shoot them themselves and share them with the class. Students can then watch the video at home at their own pace and as many times as needed. Thus, they learn the material themselves with the help of the explainer video. There is more time in class to ask questions about it and practice the new material.
When it comes to using (third-party) explainer videos from the Internet for homework, there are a few things to keep in mind. As with other content on the web, not all videos are good and right. Many films treat the subject only very superficially. So it makes sense to read even more in-depth texts on this. To assess in advance how good a video is, you can browse the channel to see if the person has made other explainer videos and therefore has experience. Plus, it’s always good to watch one or two other videos on a topic.
You learn the most when you produce an explainer video yourself. This is now also done in school. You have to think about how to make a topic short and interesting for the audience. It is very motivating for children and young people to watch their own video with the whole class at the end. During production, they also learn to work in a team and in an organized manner and train their technical know-how. A good tutorial for kids is here.
The easiest way to access explainer videos is to click on YouTube – but the platform is still unsuitable, especially for (younger) children. YouTube offers content for all ages, so it wouldn’t be uncommon for your child to accidentally come across something that initially looked appropriate, but is questionable for their age. Explain this to your child and search for websites with video content specifically for children, for example, using children’s search engines. If you want to be on the safe side, watch the explainer videos together with your child – that way you might learn something too!
First day of school after the vacations: Right at the beginning, class photos are taken, which can be seen on the school’s website and Facebook page the day after. Is that allowed? This depends on whether you signed what is called a photo release or consent form when you enrolled your child at the school.
In principle, all people in Germany have the “right to their own image”. This is a personal right that is protected by the Basic Law. It means that no one can take photos or videos of you or your child and simply publish them – for example, on the Internet – unless you have been asked for permission beforehand. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has even strengthened this right.
Especially for children and adolescents, special rules apply that are protected by the GDPR. If your child is younger than 12, you as the parent or guardian decide with your signature whether pictures of your child may be published. If your daughter or son is at least 12 years old, your child should also be asked himself or herself whether he or she agrees to publication and also sign. It is assumed that from around this age, children are able to assess what it means when a photo of them is on the Internet. Nevertheless, you should also involve your child at an earlier stage and explain to him or her what the consequences of publishing photos or videos may be.
Especially when it comes to images of children and young people on the Internet, declarations of consent should be as transparent and comprehensible as possible. You need to know where exactly the photos or data are published and for what purpose they are used. It should also be clear from the consent exactly which data or which motif is being used, i.e. what exactly is being photographed. It is usually not necessary that your child’s full name is also published with the photo.
Such consents are always voluntary and you may withdraw them at any time. An exception to consent forms are photos in which you can be seen but are not the focus of attention, but were only photographed by chance at a school festival, for example.
If you as a parent take photos or videos of your child and his or her friends for purely private purposes at a school event, for example, that’s fine. But when it comes to sharing these pictures or videos via WhatsApp or Facebook, for example, you also need the consent of the person in the picture and, as long as he or she is not yet 18 years old, that of the parents as well. However, in this case it is sufficient to ask verbally.
WhatsApp groups are popular among young people and their parents. Students set up class chats. Parents exchange information in groups about organizational issues concerning the school. Not only text messages are written, but also photos and videos are sent. You should agree among yourselves that photos will not be posted in the group without the consent of the people pictured, and that they may not be shared with anyone outside the group. This protects privacy rights and reduces the risk of strangers having access to photos of your child.
Children are inquisitive and want to understand things. Perhaps your child has also asked you how the Internet actually works, what structures and processes are behind it. Adults and children come into contact with the Internet every day and are on the move online. For an enlightened approach to it, computer science lessons are increasingly on the agenda in schools as well. For example, children learn how to construct their own programs, known as software, and use them to build robots or transmit messages using small mini-computers called CALLIOPE.
Calliope-mini|Source: https://pixabay.com/de/calliope-mini-calliope-computer-2755554/
But what is software anyway? In order to work on the computer or tablet, it is necessary to install various programs or software. On mobile devices, these are called apps. For example, there are writing programs like Microsoft Word or Internet browsers like Google Chrome. Many of us use so-called “free software” such as Firefox, Chrome, OpenOffice or the VLC media player. Such programs are also installed on many school computers, since free software is mostly available free of charge and has a high level of quality. “Free” means that the program is mostly free to use and you can give away as many copies as you want. So anyone can use this software. The software of the mini-computer CALLIOPE is also included, so that all students can have access to it.
In this context, one often speaks of “open source”. This means the same as Free Software, but focuses on a different aspect. Translated, open source means “free source”. This means that it is disclosed how the software is programmed or how the hardware (i.e. the components of a computer) is assembled. Anyone can access the source and develop it further, modify it or draw attention to errors in the software or hardware. Among other things, students can use computers like CALLIOPE to learn how well-known open source programs like Firefox work. Very many people work on the same program, which allows it to constantly evolve and improve. Despite the mostly free use, there are various license conditions that must be observed (often related to the editing of the source code). A counter-model to open source is “proprietary software”, such as Microsoft Office. With these pay programs, you don’t know what programming is behind them. Also, you can often only install them on one computer – depending on which license you bought.
