Page 212 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Tools for Parents • Chapter 8

App Self-Regulation

Even with these restrictions in place, a child could still download thousands of
apps onto their device. Some parents I’ve worked with have put a rule in place
where a child can only have a set number of non-instructional apps on their
device. Since these devices are used for learning but also entertainment, kids
should be striving for a balance between the two worlds.

If you feel like your child needs heavier monitoring on this front, you could
turn off the ability to purchase and/or download apps in the restrictions
settings. This means any time that a child needs an app, they have to ask you
for permission and the restrictions passcode.

As that method is time consuming, it does give you some semblance of
control. A more effective option I have discovered is that instead of turning
off the ability to download apps, you turn off the ability to delete them. This
would be helpful if you want them to have the ability to download whatever
apps they choose, but also want to see what they’ve downloaded. It also
reduces the amount of time they spend asking you to download apps for them,
and increases their awareness of how many apps and what kinds of apps they
have on their phone, as they can never delete them.

It also says you trust them to make the right choices, but lets them know that
if they mess up, they can’t hide it.

Website Restrictions

All iOS devices come with a built-in tool to filter web traffic and content.
Making adjustments to this restriction only affect web traffic on the Safari
app, so if your child has a different browser such as Chrome or Opera, they
can still get around the filters. One other word of caution before venturing
down this path: It is not a perfect system. Sites that you might consider appro-
priate, like a student blog, might come up as filtered if you select the “Limit
Adult Content” option in the website filter settings (Figure 8.3).

Mobile Learning Mindset: The Parent’s Guide to Supporting Digital Age Learners 93

Mobile Learning Mindset: The Parent’s Guide to Supporting Digital-Age Learners 212