FamilyTechConnect: Moms Get Real - Shadra Bruce on Skype, Blogs, Tools
When moms talk, we listen! 
Mrs. Shadra Bruce is the creator of MomsGetReal, and she shared a few tidbits about the benefits of Skype, blogs, and technology tools she uses to stay connected with family, manage her business, and exchange ideas with families across the globe.
Here's a recap of our convo...
You use Skype for business and even during times when you are away from your children for long overnights.
What would you share with families who are hesitant to try this tech tool?
MGR: I’ve used Skype for business for a long time. I’m a
MGR: We don’t leave the kids but once a year, to celebrate our anniversary. Our adult daughter comes home and takes care of the younger kids and we make our escape. When we realized what a difference it made for our kids to be able to see us each evening while we were gone, we were sold. Now, our oldest daughter, who is away at college, logs on to Skype to chat with us and with her younger brothers & sister.
MGR: Skype is easy to use, free to download, and if you have a camera on your computer, a great way to close the distance.
How have your children used Skype for class assignments, or other school related tasks?
MGR: The kids have not used Skype for school, but both of the kids are in classes this year where they have Netbooks. Parker’s 7th grade math class is using Netbooks, and Anika’s 3rd grade class has Netbooks for use throughout their curriculum.
Would you let your children have their own Skype accounts? (if so, what’s the appropriate age?)
MGR: The kids have an account on Skype, but they’re not allowed on the Internet unless we are supervising. They do not have Internet in their bedrooms, only in the living room where we can see what they’re doing and where they’re going online. But these kids are part of the “Connected” generation, so we’re raising them with technology rather than protecting them from it.
MGR: They both have their own email accounts, and Parker has his own blog. This year, we helped him create a Facebook account but made him sit through a 30-minute tutorial with us and set his security to the max allowed. He’s only allowed to be friends with family.
Cell phones are hot topics. Your youth writers have stated their opinions fairly well about this topic via their own blog posts.
What is your opinion about the appropriate cell phone age?
MGR: Our older daughter did not get her own cell phone until it became necessary. Schools no longer have pay phones, you know, so if you have a kid who is staying after a lot and needs to call for a ride home, a cell phone becomes a convenience.
MGR: Now, because we don’t have a land line, we have a “kids” cell phone – otherwise clients who need to call me would sometimes not be able to get through. But, the phone does not go to school with the kids and stays on the kitchen counter.
What are mom bloggers sharing about personal cell phones for youth under 16?
MGR: For cost if nothing else, I think I’m more conservative than other moms & mom bloggers when it comes to cell phones. My kids don’t need to be texting all day & night. Unfortunately, I sometimes set a bad example because I do a lot of my tweeting from my cell phone, and the twitter conversations can be lively in the evenings!
MGR: I do believe parents need to disconnect and focus on their kids if they want their kids to be able to do the same.
There are several great blog communities (especially Mom Bloggers like MomsGetReal.com ) that provide a wealth of information for readers. Yet, it takes a while for individuals to join the conversation via leaving a post or subscribing. Students even have Wikispaces in several of the elementary schools now, but parents are still hesitant to participate publicly.
What do you think is the challenge with leaving a public comment when they find information to be useful?
MGR: I know more moms want to comment but are put off by the requirement of having to leave a name & email address and enter a captcha code. But when I don’t have that, I could easily spend half my day going through spam comments, so it’s something that I just have to deal with.
MGR: I’d love to have a more active community on the blog itself, but I find that people are more willing to share on Facebook, probably because it’s a format they are already comfortable with.
What is the key to helping families become more comfortable with leaving a public comment on a blog?
MGR: It’s about realizing how many people you can help by sharing your experience & advice. I have 800 people coming to read the blog every day – almost 24,000 people a month. Those people are looking for great ideas & advice to make parenting easier. I try to share what I can, but if others would leave comments & suggestions & ideas, it would help even more.Why should families, parents, or youth consider maintaining a blog? How should they get followers and generate comments once they start the blog to encourage them to keep writing?
MGR: Maintaining a blog for most is a personal thing – you do it to share news with long-distance family & friends. If you are trying to create a community, well…it takes me about 20 hours a week of dedicated work to make it happen.
Wow! I was very impressed with the variety of product reviews throughout your site. Obviously, one of my favorites is the calculator review. The chance to win a calculator is definitely a bonus. Another recent review was the cool “mice” … for the computers. This will definitely keep exploring the web an interesting task.
Any other tech products parents should be on the lookout for that will enhance learning math, help us keep organized, or keep our children safe?
MGR: We just finished a huge Back to School Bash – my first review/giveaway event. I learned a lot.
We are grateful for the time and strategic efforts of MomsGetReal.com to empower a community of moms. We know that families are benefitting significantly... and are looking forward to our families/readers joining the fun, great resources, and collaborations offered.
Keep In Touch:
Learn more about Shadra Bruce
Share a Tweet with Moms Get Real (MGR)
Exchange ideas and learn with the MGR Team (moms and youth writers)
Get your copy of the MGR 2011 Back to School Guide
Check out the TI-NSpire Graphing Calculator Review
Skype It Up
Presenting Opportunities Winning Effectual Results Organization (P.O.W.E.R. Org) is a 501c3 organization founded by LaToniya A. Jones that helps families See, Say, and Do Math! The FamilyTechConnect posts feature resources that "demonstrate" how families are connecting with technology to enhance their lives.
We are eager to have you join the conversation. Let us know what you think. Do you have a STEM Pro we should share with our readers? Send an email to toni@powertheyouth.org .
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Categories: uncategorized
Tags: fami technology skype cell phones mobile
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