A Smart Girl's Guide: Digital World. Carrie Anton

      Thanx, Mia!

      YES!

      Hey Mom,

      practice

      done at 5

      will pick

      you up

      then xo

      Send

      an e-mail

      For short messages, texting

      is great. But to really connect,

      type and send a letter-like

      e-mail—with pictures—to

      a friend or family

      member.

      Chat

      via video

      Too far away to meet

      in person? Turn a

      face-to-face convo

      into a screen-to-

      screen chat.

      Share

      something

      With the OK from your

      parents, write a post, take

      a pic, or shoot a video, and

      share it with your friends

      using an app added to

      your device.

      Blog about it

      A blog is like an online journal

      that you give permission to

      certain people (such as your

      family) to read. With help from

      a parent, write posts about a

      project you’re researching or

      a good cause you’re

      supporting.

      Launch an IM

      Want to get a group

      chat going? Invite your

      friends, classmates, or

      family members to

      an instant-message

      group.

      Run for the world!

      connected classroom

      If you’ve ever searched online for Rosa Parks facts for social studies,

      prepped for a multiplication test using an online math game, or set

      up your erupting-volcano science fair project with tips from an online

      tutorial, then you already know there’s tons to learn in the digital world.

      As you work your way to the head of the class, these other ways of

      tapping into technology can also help you make the grade.

      Teacher time

      Home sick from school? To get

      assignments and materials, check in

      with teachers on their websites or

      by sending e-mails. You don’t have

      to fall behind when a bug’s

      got you down.

      Classy computers

      Computers and digital devices are go-to places for info, just like

      the classroom and library bookshelves. What’s more, they can spice

      up a lesson with audio and video. Instead of photos in a textbook,

      imagine a time-lapse video of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly!

      Classroom tech can also get you learning with recording apps, interac-

      tive whiteboards, and slide shows produced by you.

      Digital study

      buddy

      During at-home study time, send

      a group e-mail or start a closed

      chat page. It’s easy to connect

      with other students in your class

      when you need help with an

      assignment or just want to test

      one another on the state capitals

      and spelling word list.

      Search-and-click

      resources

      In addition to books and maga-

      zines, your library may have spe-

      cial search engines for students,

      online encyclopedias and data-

      bases, and homework-helping

      software when you need to

      write a report or prep for a quiz.

      Group project

      Finding a time for everyone to work on a group project can be tricky,

      especially when one person has soccer practice, one is babysitting,

      and one is at a chess tournament. Digital resources allow everyone

      to check in when they can using e-mail or text, and to work together

      using closed-group pages approved by teachers and parents.

      digital mom and dad

      When your parents were growing up, they didn’t have most of the

      gadgets and apps you have today. But that doesn’t mean they’re living

      in the digital dark ages. In fact, they are using technology in lots of ways

      that you may not know about yet, but one day will. Here are just some

      of the ways they go digital to manage their lives—and yours.

      shopping

      working

      paying bills

      scheduling

      appointments

      ordering pizza!

      learning

      the ropes

      Fun and games. School tools.

      Staying in touch. Managing life!

      With so much that’s good about

      technology, is there a downside?

      Technology can offer freedoms you

      don’t find in the real world. But

      the freedom comes with respon-

      sibility, which means your parents

      need to assist for a while, until you

      learn the online ropes. It’s not that

      they don’t trust you. It’s because online actions

      have consequences you may not know about.

      The digital world is a big place. When you’re texting a friend or posting

      a photo, literally anyone