A story of transformation in a GEMS school

This reflection from Rebecca Dickinson, Head of ELL at GEMS Royal Dubai School, is a great example of how we have to step back and change our whole approach to teaching and learning - rather than just adding rockets to a tractor!

Innovating for Excellence

A Story of Innovation, Improvement and Excellence: GEMS Royal Dubai School English Language Learners

GEMS Royal Dubai School is an English National Curriculum school of over 1000 students, ages 3-11, many of whom are bilingual learners.  When I became Head of English Language Learning in 2012, I was keen to make sure the children received the very best education possible, so I began looking at how we could improve provision for all our English Language Learners (ELLs).

Journey

Through my own curiosity, coaching and personal research, I saw the potential of using mobile digital technology for students who have very little English, specifically through the use of iPads. I presented my classroom research and was allocated 8 iPads for the new department. Over the next few years, through the natural growth in numbers of English Language Learners, more staff members were added to the team and they brought with them their expertise and confidence in using other digital tools.

The structure of support came from Mark Stone, our Digital Learning Coach, and I ensured that each member of the team had time to receive weekly coaching. This level of 1:1 support was, and remains, both uplifting and powerful. It allowed for individual creativity and time to discuss ways of making our teaching – and the children’s learning - more exciting. Underpinning this was the intrinsic motivation of each team member and the confidence in their own abilities to use their newfound skills, sharing them through whole team planning meetings. As each member became more confident, our passion to share our work grew ever stronger and out of this grew our ELL blogs, which have been a great success.

Very soon, multiple sessions were being taught simultaneously, student numbers were up, resources were spread thinly and we realised that the only way forward would be for the students to bring their own iPads into school (Bring Your Own iPad or BYOI). I arranged a workshop for the parents to explain the benefits. Initially, I only invited students from Years 1 to 6 to take part, however, I soon extended it to Foundation Stage (FS) as well.  Parents saw the blog posts about the initiative, or had older children taking part, and I received many emails from FS parents wanting to participate. We found that the students were excited to share their favourite apps with their friends, providing opportunities for speaking and listening that were not anticipated. We quickly found that, because the children had their iPads both at school and home, the parents became much more aware of, and ‘in tune’ with, their children’s learning.

Previously, we informed parents of their child’s learning by writing in a learning diary, one for every child for every ELL session, and, as our numbers grew, this task became more difficult to complete and to maintain consistency. Once we started blogging, it became a quick and seamless cycle of teaching, learning and reflecting. Sharing the blogs with parents and showing them how to use them to access their own child’s learning had an immediate impact on a daily basis, allowing parents to share the photographs of their children to extended family across the globe.

Parents are now given lists of recommended apps and digital tools for their children’s year group topic, or to support their child with a particular area of learning. For the older students, it allows them to make informed choices about which apps and websites they wish to use, helping them to becoming effective thinkers and more able to support their own learning. Our ELL parents now very rarely attend teacher parent conferences because they are frequently and consistently updated about their child’s learning.

Curriculum and Assessment Re-design

From Year 2 upwards the team encourages the students to share what they have learned on any platform they prefer. They choose different tools to complete their ‘Mini – Missions’, including Powtoon, Prezi, iMovie trailer, Comic Life, Google docs, Voki and, in Key Stage 2, their own individual blogs. Using Google has proved to be a powerful tool for collaboration and students have built meaningful and effective relationships with their peers by working together online.

Topics are planned using a rubric that provides interest and variety, with scaffolded support to allow for learning without walls. In Upper Key stage 2, the planning is shared with the students and parents together in learning workshops. They both have access to the planning at all times through Google Docs and they are actively encouraged to add their own ideas by adding comments. Within the structure of the learning rubrics, the students are given continuous support and formative feedback to allow them to make their own decisions about their learning. Through a project- based approach, they are learning new skills and gaining confidence through collaboration, giving them the tools to transfer their learning into the classroom.

It is the students’ responsibility to track their own progress, selecting which level they want to start from and modifying the success criteria based on what they achieve for each Mini-Mission (learning outcome). The students are learning to be more self-regulated and are intrinsically motivated to learn. Ultimately, they are more aware of their accomplishments. As the ELL team only sees the students for a few hours a week, they inform us of the different stages of their learning through Google Classroom, email or posting on their blogs. Students come voluntarily to the department at break times and often stop me in the corridors to tell me about their learning.

Students are invited to try out websites, apps and games that are new to the support staff, giving valuable feedback. On one occasion, a child in Year 6 shared what she had been doing at home with her sister on Minecraft. She explained how it had supported her with her learning, so together we added it to the learning rubric as a Mini - Mission and the students began to teach me how to use Minecraft so that I could understand the skills involved in the revised success criteria that she had written by herself. Out of this sparked a passion that I had never witnessed in school before and the spoken language that I observed during this task far exceeded what I expected or planned for; it inspired me to blog about the power of Minecraft in the classroom and led onto a different path for the topic.

Impact

Since using this new approach to teaching and learning, the data that we have generated from vocabulary assessments indicates that, on average, the ELL children were able to double their previous rates of progress. One child’s vocabulary (in Year 5) increased by 5 years and 4 months in one year - far exceeding our expectations.  A year later, she now has the vocabulary age of a 14 year old and no longer needs additional support. Most noticeably, we have seen huge improvements in spoken language. Students who were previously apprehensive are now more willing to discuss their ideas and talk about their achievements and are more active in their home learning. I believe that if a child can’t say it then they shouldn’t be asked to write it, so this is a valuable part of the learning process.

We have now built such a reputation within the community that parents with ELL children apply for school places here because they have heard about our language support. English speakers, siblings and friends of students receiving our support beg me to let them come to ELL!

“ELL helps you to learn about different things that you’ve never heard of”. Sama Year 5.

Using a combination of modern pedagogy, innovative curriculum design, effective assessment and technology, has provided us with the stepping stones to fulfilled, happy students, who enjoy and understand what they are learning. The children have told us that they believe the key to their success is that they are allowed to learn rather than being taught!

Being able to innovate educational experiences for our students has taken me on an inspirational learning journey. I have been able to take a step back and look at what skills the students really need. In doing so, I stopped doing what was expected and what wasn’t working. My students are living and breathing in the 21st Century. In a world where advances in technology are rapidly accelerating, the human brain is evolving. As facilitators of learning, we need to catch up.

I believe we all need to do things differently to make a difference. Innovation and improvement don’t happen without change.

Rebecca Dickinson, Head of English Language Learning, GEMS Royal Dubai School

Beat Summer Learning Loss!

This is the main article for the Digitz Section of GEMS Family Magazine Issue 5. I have attempted to provide some guidance to parents on ways to use digital effectively over the summer and avoid the extremes of banning it altogether at one end and kids doing nothing else at the other!

Summer’s here, so let’s keep learning!

We shouldn’t allow digital devices to dominate the summer months, but we can help our children to embrace the unprecedented opportunities that now exist to maintain and extend their learning in the digital world.

‘Summer Learning Loss’ is a well-recognised phenomenon and it is important that we keep our children’s minds and bodies active over the long holiday.  Research shows that students can lose up to two months’ learning each year and that the rate of weight gain can increase by two or three times! Also, half the achievement gap in reading can be attributed to summer learning loss, so it is vital that students keep on reading throughout the break.

With an active, learning mindset, the summer holiday can provide an opportunity for our young people to not only consolidate and extend their school-based learning, but also further personalise their learning journeys by pursuing interests that may not be covered in the curriculum. There is a great opportunity to read new books and more texts by favourite and similar authors, or explore new genres not yet discovered. An early trip to a bookshop to stock up can work wonders! Family outings to museums, art galleries, exhibitions, events and other attractions can all extend learning, whilst enriching current interests and sowing the seeds of new ones. Summer camps, clubs and programmes can also help to keep children engaged, as well as maintaining a learning focus and familiar routine.  

Of course, we all know our young ones love their TVs, gaming consoles, tablets, phones and computers, and there is a risk that screen time may increase significantly over the course of a long school break. We must be careful not to let these devices become babysitters, dominating our children’s activities and being their main or only learning tool or means of social interaction. So balance is, as always, key and, as a rule of thumb, three hours a day screen time should be seen as an upper limit, with a gap of at least an hour before bed.   

With all this in mind, how can we ensure that time spent on devices is productive and contributes to our children’s learning and positive development?     

From academic revision and extension, to life skills and new interests, here are ten ways to help our children keep on learning and hit the ground running in September, coming back stronger than ever!

1.         Learn to Code

It has been said that coding is the new Rock’n’Roll! Just as great musicians constantly work hard, create and strive to improve, coders and programmers must display these important qualities if they are to be successful.

We recommend:

http://www.codecademy.com/  - Codeacademy

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/sites-to-learn-coding-online/ - list of other great coding sites

2.         Learn to Cook

In the age of fast food, take-aways and eating out, cooking is often an under-rated life skill. And yet, we know how highly rated this skill can be in social circles, as well as helping us to understood the relationship between food and our health. We are what we eat! Cooking together as a family also promotes quality interactions and develops mathematical and literacy skills - with no small amount of creativity and innovation thrown in for good measure. You don’t have to follow the recipe!

We recommend:

http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/apps/great-british-chefs-kids - Cooking With Kids

3.         Take a ‘MOOC’

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are now widely available for K-12 students as well as adult learners. Why not take a MOOC yourself and compare progress with your kids? It’s a great way to learn independent, collaborative and online study skills, as well as the course content itself. By definition, most MOOCS are free, although there may be a charge for a certificate. We are living in competitive times, when universities, colleges and employers are faced with a huge supply of candidates, all with similar qualifications. So, a student having a range of MOOCs under their belt has a great way to differentiate their applications.

Learn more about MOOCs:

http://www.kars4kids.org/blog/why-kids-should-mooc/ - Why kids should MOOC

We recommend:

http://www.moocs.co/K-12_MOOCs.html - for a comprehensive list of course providers.

4.         eBooks

Whilst there may be nothing quite so relaxing as sitting down with a real book on holiday, there are also real benefits to students stocking up their tablets or phones with their own holiday libraries. eBooks are readily available anytime, anywhere, are often free, and they are easy to carry around (on one device) if you are travelling over the summer. The only real drawback is that they shouldn’t be read at bedtime, as there is a lot of evidence to suggest that screen time in the hour before sleep can have a serious impact on health.

There are many online book stores in addition to the well-known Apple, Google and Amazon stores.

Also recommended:

http://www.ebooks.com/ - general site, so parents should monitor downloads

  

http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-childrens-ebooks-online.htm - list of sites providing free books for children – legally!

5.         Visit a museum – virtually!

Almost all of the most famous museums around the world have fantastic websites and many have virtual tours available online. If you can’t get there in real life, exploring these sites is a great way to consolidate, revise and extend learning from school or explore new interests. It can also be a fun family activity, especially if your children are lucky enough to be visiting the museum in real life later as part of their summer itinerary. Inspiration taken from these tours could lead to creations of models and other art work at home.

We recommend:

  

http://www.si.edu/ - The Smithsonian Institute, Washington DC. The tagline is ‘Simply Amazing’ – and it is!

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/ - The J. Paul Getty Museum, including a great video playlist!

https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/online_tours.aspx - The British Museum

http://www.louvre.fr/en/visites-en-ligne - The Louvre, Paris

6.         Social Media

As we know, many GEMS students will be travelling the world this summer, perhaps exploring new shores or visiting relatives in their home countries. In the past, this often meant losing touch with friends for up to two whole months. Mobile video chat tools, such as Skype, and a whole range of social media tools mean that students can stay connected with friends, sharing their global experiences in real time.

For the older ones, they will do this naturally and already have their ‘go to’ tools. We should encourage this connectedness, whilst continuing the family dialogue of appropriate use and balance. For the younger ones, keeping in touch through Skype (speaking and listening) and email (reading and writing) is also valuable. For a review of safe social networks for younger children, see:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/safe-chat-rooms-and-social-sites-for-kids# - Review of social media sites for younger children

7.         Gaming

Children and teens playing computer games often gets a bad press, largely due to the fear of addiction or simply the view that it is not a productive use of time.  Of course, we should be wary of too much time spent gaming and some games are more appropriate and beneficial than others, but we should also be careful not to send the message to our children that we disapprove of the activity. Indeed, there are significant benefits to be realised from gaming.

When NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle Commander Barry Wilmore visited GEMS schools in the UAE, a young student asked him: “What should I do to become an astronaut?”

His reply? “Study hard, take a science or engineering degree and play video games – lots of video games!”

Computer games and gaming apps have been shown to improve key skills, such as resilience, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, global awareness, collaboration, communication and creativity. Tests are currently being developed to assess such skills via online games and these could form part of formal school assessments in the not too distant future.

One of the most popular games around is Minecraft, a creative, ‘open-world’ game, and parents whose children are into this should be very pleased! The opportunities provided by Minecraft to learn the skills mentioned above are impressive – and kids love it! There is a cost attached to the full version but most people who have played the game would agree it represents great value for money. Parents of younger students should get involved in the activity and monitor their children, as not all content is suitable and online interactions may be involved. Used appropriately, though, it is fantastic!

For more, see:

https://minecraft.net/

8.         Keep fit with ‘Exergaming’

Gaming consoles such as Kinect for X-Box, PlaystationMove and WiiFit can keep kids fit even if they are stuck in the house. It is estimated that some of the games available, such as tennis, dancing and boxing, provide equivalent cardio results to the same time spent on a treadmill and with the added benefit of improving coordination. Even less energetic games, such as bowling and golf, have been seen to have a positive impact on fitness. Apps such as ‘Pop Flux’ for younger children can run on phones and tablets, using the camera on the device as a sensor, and even be mirrored to a large screen through an Apple TV, without the need for a console. My own boys (4 and 2) love this!           

9.         School subscriptions and digital content

Students will have been using a range of digital learning content provided by their school, throughout the academic year. Much of this content will continue to be accessible online throughout the summer so that students can continue to explore and learn at their own pace. The children will know what they have been using and should be encouraged, but not forced, to keep using these resources. For younger children, it is recommended that parents contact the school to ensure they know what is available. For GEMS schools that now have access to the ‘MyLearning’ Virtual Environment, the students will be to continue accessing great learning throughout the summer, via the Content Library.

10.       Explore new apps, sites and media to keep on learning

There are literally thousands of great mobile apps and websites for children to hone their skills in reading, writing, mathematics and other traditional subjects. Choosing the most effective ones, however, can be a challenge. Fortunately, help is at hand, with trustworthy review sites such as Common Sense Media providing comprehensive lists of apps, websites and other media, along with ratings for learning effectiveness and age recommendations.

Explore further here:

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/ - reviews of apps, sites and other media

They even have their own summer learning guide – enjoy!

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/guide/summer-learning-guide

Footnote: space prevented inclusion of many more suggestions, such as learning a new language or how to write music and play an instrument as part of a global orchestra! I would welcome suggestions from students, parents and teachers if I have omitted your favourite site, app or area of learning!

How have we got education so wrong?

This article from The Telegraph is somewhat depressing and doesn't say anything new, but it says it very well. It should help galvanize all teachers and school leaders to stand up against their policy making overlords. 

Like Ken Robinson says, governments didn't invent rock 'n' roll and revolutions don't start at the top. 

What's happening just isn't right and it simply can't go on.

It's in our hands. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationopinion/11568329/How-have-we-got-education-so-disastrously-wrong.html 

More from Sir Ken:

The role of leaders is not command and control but climate control / creation.

More evidence that policy-makers are losing control. Great stuff.

Ken Robinson, testing, edTech and freedom to learn

"The appetite for learning is unabated once people are free to learn what they want to learn. What dulls the appetite is being force fed things that people can't see an immediate relevance in or have no immediate interest in or where they're forced to learn in situations which are inimical to the actual process, 8 hours a day, sit still and do what you're told."

"Education can function perfectly well without tests of the sort we're currently used to and it may be able to function even better in the future without them."

 - Sir Ken Robinson

Sir Ken Robinson at WISE (aptly named)

I came across this video and was further inspired to push on with spreading the view that, unless policy-makers can come up with an authentic assessment system and provide truly persoanlized curricula which meet the needs of ALL learners, then they really will find that no one is listening to them anymore. No department of education, no regulatory body, no inspections - just learners taking control in the digital world and learning what they need. Accountability will shift to the learners and their families, who will be free to choose where they seek that learning and from whom. I suspect it won't be the current publishers and exam boards.

And then there's Sugata Mitra, whose talk I heard recently in Dubai, providing another fascinating perspective on why the education system looks the way it does and why it is wholly inadequate to meet the demands of the future. Nice summary here:

Sugata Mitra

So ends another productive day when I haven't needed to pick up a pen. I've interviewed, pitched and been pitched at, evaluated, talked, listened, made decisions, prioritized tasks, controlled my frustrations (just), used the phone, Skype and GoToMeeting, typed on my laptop, sent and received emails, blogged (obviously), reflected, chatted face to face with colleagues to build relationships, Googled, watched videos, facilitated an online PD course for teachers, arranged meetings in Outlook, checked the news (and Facebook) on my phone, tweeted, accepted some more LinkedIn connections and probably loads of other stuff. One thing I certainly haven't done is sat down for a three hour stretch, without being connected to other people either face to face or digitally, and written with a pen to show what I know and can do.

Meanwhile, in schools...

Athena and The Learning Zeitgeist

As an educator, I am bewildered by the self-perpetuated, yet increasingly archaic and delusional notion that governments, politicians, civil servants, examination boards, school inspectorates and other state-funded bodies are really in control of our young people’s futures.  

When I was at school in England, every child learnt about the great Lord Shaftesbury, the nineteenth-century politician credited with doing more than any other for children’s rights, laying the foundations for getting the working classes out of the factories and into classrooms. He was way ahead of the zeitgeist – a true reformer.  Whilst acknowledging the efforts of a handful of politicians in the developing world to work similar miracles, and the genuine, positive intentions of some in the developed world to improve education, few are likely to become the new Shaftesbury.  Meanwhile, our children remain one big political football, suffering at the whims of successive governments, staffed by unqualified politicians.

Neither our children, nor their teachers, are going to put up with this for much longer.  As politicians continue to ignore the real educational zeitgeist leaders, such as Sir Ken Robinson, Professor Sugata Mitra and Marc Prensky, teachers and school leaders are, increasingly, kicking off the revolution.  I am constantly in awe of teachers around the world, who continue to innovate with the flow of the zeitgeist, doing what’s best for their students, often in risky defiance of indoctrinated overlords, inspectors and policy-makers.  Thankfully, these hardy souls, the committed sardines, are being supported by the EdTech revolution, which is about to get very interesting indeed…  

Around ten years ago, the late, great science-fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke, introduced us to ‘Athena’, a sentient artificial intelligence surrounding the Earth, who performed, amongst other tasks, the function of providing a ubiquitous ‘Search Engine’ for every human being on the planet. Clarke’s ‘Time’s Eye’ trilogy was set in 2037.  In January 2015, Elon Musk announced plans to build a satellite network that would deliver high-speed Internet to every inch of the globe, empowering the masses to access the sum of all human learning.  He is building Clarke’s Athena, Version 1.0, and is, effectively, positioned to become the 21^st Century’s Lord Shaftesbury, by empowering the masses to get educated.  In Clarke’s trilogy, when the Earth is threatened by malevolent aliens, it is Athena who ultimately saves the planet and the human race.  Ironically, this could turn out to be far more than just science-fiction. 

The question is often asked:  “What will be the role of teachers, when their students are all connected?”  I believe they will be empowered to love their work once more, freed from obsolete national curricula, standards and state interference.  Great teachers, nurturing the talents of every individual student, supported by unlimited connectivity and access to devices, will flourish as they lead future generations to achieve their dreams.  Children who currently have no access to education will be connected by Musk’s ‘Athena’ to teachers (or mentors) and content from around the world, taking Professor Mitra’s Self Organized Learning Environments to a whole new level.  

Get this right, and there will be no more talk of standards. No role for politicians to concern themselves with what they think the economy needs.  Just great learning and a fresh, self-fulfilled young generation, ready to build a new global era of harmony and peace.   A world without borders, perhaps?

The idea that scientists and teachers, and not politicians, will save the world, fills me with awe – and I’m optimistic.  Not least because those vested, self-serving interests, intent on maintaining the status quo or pushing their own political agenda, are running out of cards to play.  Soon, they could find themselves out of the game altogether.  

App Guide for Parents

This is the main article for Digitz in Issue 4 of GEMS Family Magazine, due out next month. I learnt a whole lot that scared me when researching this - both as an educator and a parent!

’Appy Families: Parents’ Guide to Apps popular with today’s younger generation

The use of social media and connectivity tools has exploded in recent years and, with the rise of mobile devices and apps, we now have the opportunity to be connected anytime, anywhere. For many young people in particular, online, mobile interactions are a way of life. Being accepted in social groups has always been of huge importance to children and teens and social media has opened up a whole new set of opportunities and challenges for our children as they navigate their way through their formative years.

As parents in the digital age, it is essential that we have an open dialogue with our children when it comes to their use of social media and this is only possible if we are aware of the apps they are using.  Here we look at some of the social networking apps that are popular with today’s young generation, providing an overview of what they are used for and the risks associated with each. Previous Digitz articles have dealt with safe and responsible use of the Internet, in the ‘Digital Footprint’ and “Cyberbullying’ pieces, so here we will focus on more specific aspects of each of the apps listed.

Some of the apps described here have real benefits for children’s learning and personal development and we should be encouraging their use and guiding our young users to become accomplished Digital Citizens. There are some apps, however, which bring only danger and risk to our children’s online lives and should never be seen on their devices. This guide is not intended to scare, merely to inform and promote dialogue within our communities, empowering parents and families to better manage their online lives.

Facebook What is it used for? Although much has been made recently of young people ditching Facebook in favour of more trendy alternatives, it remains popular with the 13-18 age bracket (and even younger children, even though users must legally be 13). The app that most of us know well, Facebook is used to share status updates, images and multimedia with friends, as well as for ‘on-the-go gaming’ and membership of special interest groups and ‘liked’ pages. What are the risks? The default privacy settings in Facebook are anything but private and parents should ensure that their children’s settings are amended to the highest levels of security.

Twitter What is it used for? Another well-known app, Twitter allows users to update statuses and share links/media in no more than 140 characters. It is popular with teenagers who wish to follow the lives of celebrities.  It should be noted that many teachers consider Twitter to be their most effective source of professional development and an increasing number are using it effectively to enhance their students’ learning. Hashtags (#) allow users to create and follow specific feeds that are of interest to them. What are the risks? Twitter accounts can be set up largely anonymously, using pseudonyms, and there have been countless, well-publicised examples of rapid-fire and targeted abuse.

Instagram What is it used for? Acquired by Facebook in 2012, Instagram is a quick and easy way to share photos and short videos. It is widely used by celebrities, which has, in turn, led to more and more teenagers setting up accounts. What are the risks? In addition to users potentially being exposed to inappropriate images, the recently added ‘geo-tagging’ option means that the location of the user can be easily identified.

Messaging Apps What are they used for? In-built apps such as text messaging, iMessage, Android Messenger and BBM, provide quick and easy ways to send messages and photos to friends and groups. What are the risks? These apps are very popular with young people and are often preferred to phone calls. The private nature of such messages can cause problems if students are not aware of appropriate use. It is also very easy to get drawn into lengthy ‘conversations’, which can distract users from other, perhaps more worthwhile tasks or pursuits!

Whats’App What is it used for? Very popular with smartphone users wishing to send free messages, photos and videos to friends and groups on any mobile device, over 3/4G or wifi. A great money saver! What are the risks? Conversations can be deleted easily and are harder to track/investigate than traditional text messaging, should anything go wrong. As always, digital citizenship education is the best defence in ensuring that our children know what is and is not appropriate.

LinkedIn What is it used for? LinkedIn is widely used by adults for professional networking and it is an invaluable tool across almost every profession and industry. It has recently been opened up to teenagers, with a promotion to encourage secondary school students to start building professional networks long before they start their careers. What are the risks? The nature of this network means that only serious users are likely to sign up for the service. Nevertheless, private messaging exists and users should be careful when setting up their public profile. Premium users can view others anonymously and it is likely that minors will be interacting with adults they have not met in person – we must always be cautious in such circumstances. Also, students should always discuss their connections and interactions with a trusted adult, such as a teacher, careers advisor or parent, and only agree to meet contacts in the presence of such a person.

Facetime/Skype/Hangouts What is it used for? Fantastic and free, enhanced, live video chat apps that can connect one-to-one or one-to-many. Used appropriately, these tools are invaluable in connecting families, friends and learners around the world. What are the risks? The introduction of video chat to the pockets of anyone with a smartphone was pure science fiction until not so long ago. As such, young people are just getting to grips with the increased risks that live video brings. Most notably, inappropriate behaviour can be easily recorded by the person(s) at the other end of the chat, and posted on other sites. The need to teach our children about appropriate use and self-respect online has never been greater.

Google+ What is it used for? Google+ is a highly effective social network that integrates nicely with Google’s huge range of learning and productivity tools. What are the risks? Privacy settings are not intuitive and many users take time and make mistakes in getting to grips with the ‘Circles’ method of sharing their updates and other information. Google+ is primarily used for learning and networking. Accordingly, it is not the most likely place for children to get into hot water online – but we should never be complacent.

Snapchat What is it used for? Snapchat is a messaging app which allows users to send images and videos and set a time limit (between 1 and 10 seconds) on how long they are visible to recipients. What are the risks? The time limit can lull users into a false sense of security, believing that the content they send cannot be saved or shared by recipients. This is dangerous, as it may encourage users to send inappropriate content and images of themselves and also because it is actually very easy to save and share ‘Snaps’. Initially, recipients who were quick on the button, could screenshot images, saving them instantly. More recently, third party apps have been created that allow any ‘Snap’ to be saved and potentially shared.  The Golden Rule applies as always: what we post online is there, somewhere, forever.

Line What is it used for? Line is a sophisticated, multi-media messaging app. It is very attractive to teens due to its high quality and range of functions, such as text, video and audio chat and all round social interactivity. The app attempts to bring the best of all other communication apps together in one place. What are the risks? Although the basic app is free, there is potential for escalating costs due to in-app purchases for enhanced functionality, such as characters, gaming and stickers to send to friends. The wide range of communication options and connectivity with other social media platforms is impressive, but could go either way if the user is not well-informed as to the risks of online connectivity. In short, Line contains pretty much all of the benefits – and risks – of social media, all in one place. Use it wisely!

Tumblr What is it used for? Tumblr is a ‘micro-blogging’ and social networking site/app, through which users can share multi-media and follow each other’s blogs. Popular with celebrities – and therefore teenagers! Updates can be linked to Facebook and Twitter. What are the risks? Inappropriate content may appear without warning and users should be careful when choosing who to follow. There is a worrying amount of indecent content on Tumblr, including embedded videos and links to 3rd party sites, for which unscrupulous members earn money every time another user clicks through to those sites. All in all, the site is best avoided.

Vine What is it used for? Owned by Twitter, Vine is a video sharing service, through which users can publish looping videos of up to 6 seconds and share or ‘reVine’ videos that others have posted. The Vines can also be shared easily on Twitter and Facebook and are often really very amusing and entertaining! What are the risks? Inappropriate content can slip through the net, despite being banned in the Terms of Use. In January 2015, an iOS (Apple) version was launched specifically for minors, called ‘Vine Kids’ and it remains to be seen how this works out.

AskFM What is it used for? AskFM is a social network on which users can ask questions and answer questions posted by others. The site is very popular with teenagers. What are the risks? Posts and replies can be made anonymously and, although the provider says that discussions are monitored for inappropriate content, threads are not taken down. Indeed, it is precisely the risqué nature of the content that attracts many teens.There has been significant publicity in the media over cyberbullying on the site, which has, allegedly, contributed to teen suicides.  It is strongly recommended that use of this site be discouraged in our communities and that parents speak to their children if they suspect they are signed up.

Yik Yak What is it used for? Yik Yak is an anonymous social network that allows users to connect within a 10 mile (16Km) radius. This aims to make posts more relevant for users within their own geographical vicinities. What are the risks? The geographical proximity of users may encourage dangerous ‘meet ups’ and, although the app can be blocked within the perimeter of school campuses, this does not prevent its use when students are not at school. As users do not have to sign up and posts are anonymous, there have been many cases of malicious posts and concerted bullying of others. Yik Yak has a 17+ rating and is not recommended for school age students.

Kik What is it used for? Kik is a mobile messaging service gaining popularity with teenagers, who do not need a phone number to sign up. Text, photos and links can be shared over a wifi connection. Kik received positive publicity recently among teens and pre-teens, due to a marketing campaign involving the boy-band, One Direction. What are the risks? Although users must legally be 13 years old and under 18s are required to have parental permission to sign up, this is easily circumvented. It has been heavily criticised for poor security and the presence of adult predators trawling the site for under age users. Another app our children should not be using.

Whisper What is it used for? Whisper is an anonymous ‘confession’ app that allows users to post ‘whispers’ to make personal disclosures about their lives, often in the hope that they will find others who may be experiencing similar difficulties. What are the risks? As the reader can surely imagine, there is a lot of inappropriate content in this app. The geo-tagging feature allows the user’s location to be made public and the app is known to be popular with predators. Whispers can be fake and also be made public, leading to unintended sharing. Our students should not be using this app.

Secret What is it used for? A social media app that allows users to share posts with circles of friends or publicly. Posts can be anonymous and the app is often used to vent frustrations and grievances. What are the risks? Although the provider has tightened up on automatic monitoring, picking up on names of other users being defamed and the use of profanities (sending a warning in such cases), users are still likely to encounter inappropriate language. Not recommended.

After School What is it used for? Aimed at High School students, After School is a social media app allowing anonymous posts on any subject. What are the risks? The app allows anonymous posts and has been seriously abused since its launch. At the time of writing, the app had been pulled from the App Store for violating Apple’s ‘personal attacks’ and ‘objectionable content’ regulations. This alone should be enough to recommend that our students do not use the app. Also, history shows that developers are quick to make minor alterations to their apps, which usually result in their rapid reappearance. Accordingly, it is quite possible that After School will still be around in the future.

Omegle What is it used for? Omegle is an anonymous chat room app, where users are paired up and can ‘chat’ about anything they like. What are the risks? Simply not a place for our children or teens to be online, Omegle is filled with predators, inappropriate content, offensive language and links to other sites we really would not want our children visiting.

Chat Roulette What is it used for? Similar to Omegle, this app pairs users for anonymous chat, allowing a webcam link while they chat. What are the risks? Just the name implies this is not an app we would want our students using. There have been cases of adult predators setting up fake webcams to pretend they are of school age. It has been referred to as a ‘predator’s paradise.’

Tinder What is it used for? Tinder is a ‘dating’ or ‘matchmaking’ app, through which users post their photos and profiles and rate others by swiping ‘yes’ or ‘no’, based on appearance. Users who like each other within a given geographical radius are ‘matched’ and given the opportunity to chat. What are the risks? Tinder is a very dangerous app and should not be used by our students under any circumstances. Not only is there a real risk of dangerous chats and even ‘meet ups’, the potential psychological damage to impressionable teens being ‘rated’ on their appearance is clearly a serious concern.

Poof / Springtomize What is it used for? These 3rd party, unauthorized apps are designed to hide other apps from the home screen of mobile devices. What are the risks? In short, if a mobile device has these apps installed, then the user is trying to hide one or more apps, which means they probably already know they shouldn’t be using those apps in the first place.  If parents see these apps on their children’s devices, they should talk to them about their online practices and find out why they are hiding some apps. There may be a legitimate reason – some users like to hide pre-installed apps they do not want – but it’s better to be safe than sorry. There are also security risks inherent in downloading such unauthorised apps.

Footnote: this is not intended to provide an exhaustive list of all the apps that our children may be using.  As many as 100,000 new apps are added to the various app stores every month and it would therefore be impossible to produce a comprehensive, up to date guide. As always, the best way we, as parents, can protect our children, is to create and maintain a family dialogue, within a culture of openness, trust and accountability.