Page 216 - Resources and Support for the Online Educator

Tools for Parents • Chapter 8

allows multiple windows, you now
have multiple sites and programs
vying for your attention.

In the iOS world, you now have the
option to “multitask” between two
apps, but generally the number of
programs that can distract you is
limited. However, kids will still feel
the need to switch between apps
on occasion and could potentially
get sucked into social media or
binge-watching Minecraft videos
on YouTube. Enter guided access
and the ability to lock in apps.

Located under the general settings
and buried in the next level of
accessibility settings is where you
can locate guided access (Figure
8.5). Turning on guided access
requires yet another passcode
(different from the passcode lock Figure 8.5 Guided access
and the restriction lock). Once
enabled, with a triple-click of the home button, you can enable single-app
mode, which force-locks the device into an app until you enter the passcode to
release it.

The updated version actually lets you lock into the app for a predetermined
time period as well, so you can set the lock for 30 minutes so that your child
focuses on a particular website or app for that chunk of time.

A quick story here to proclaim the success of this particular restriction with
a family in our community. I had shared the guided access feature during a
parent night, and the very next day I received a phone call. One particular
mother had been struggling with her son’s ability to focus on an app (in this
case an ebook that he had to study). The night after our talk, she went home to

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