homeschooling

A few years back, Kate tried out the smart, touchscreen Skylight Calendar to see if it was a helpful way to organize multiple family calendars in ways that benefit the whole family. TLDR; yes, she found it wildly helpful, and worth the p…

Just one year ago, AI was not the kind of thing most families talked about over dinner, but today parents are wondering how to talk to their kids about the use of artificial intelligence tools for schoolwork. Whether you're concerned abo…

This is a sponsored message from the Mathpid App If your child is struggling with math, needs more help than what they're getting in the classroom, or could just use a little enthusiasm boost, check out the free Mathpid app -- the popula…

I originally stumbled on this incredible Native Land Map when it was shared in honor of Indigenous People's Day and -- wow. What a worthwhile educational site to explore today, especially if you sit down and do it with your kids. Particu…

We've spent the past several years evaluating the best headphones for students for remote learning, and while kids are back in school, one of the residual effects has been more online learning (and social!) opportunities. Whether kids ar…

This is a sponsored message from Dell If you're looking for a new laptop, computer, or tech accessories, this is a great time, thanks to Dell's Black Friday in July sale . Starting June 30, visit Dell.com/CoolMomTech for big savings off …

I'm always on a quest for the best digital planner for the school year, because I have developed a very bad habit: Every year I get tempted by the beautiful, fun, old-fashioned paper planners I discover on Etsy or in our local stationery…

As a former homeschooling parent, I am a huge fan of math apps for middle school -- and for tweens and teens whatever their grade level. I used to say that I was okay teaching math until around 3rd or 4th grade, and then I needed some he…

Do you have a struggling speller? As a homeschool mom , I know first-hand how hard it can be to try to explain spelling rules to a kid who doesn't quite get it, which is why I had to share the Wordcraft app that my kids have been playing…

Every year, we share our top 10 most popular posts on Cool Mom Tech. From the best podcasts for kids to customizing your iPhone 14 home screen, here are the posts we wrote this year that resonated the most with our readers in 2020. Also …

Anyone else tired of broadcasting their messy house over Zoom every day? I definitely was, so I was stoked to discover these cool virtual Zoom backgrounds for online learning from National Geographic . [Insert bad dad joke here about how…

Since my son started remote learning, I've been looking for great G-suite tutorials to help me hone my skills, and I know I'm not alone. We're hearing from a lot of parents whose kids are using G-suite tools for their own online learning…

Remote learning has enough obstacles without also having spotty internet. So I've been researching the best ways to make home WiFi faster and more consistent throughout the household (yes, even in that closet where I hide to watch Indian…

On this week's episode of Out Tech Your Kids, we're answering the question we're getting from SO many parents right now: How do I pick the right laptop for my child this year? Chromebook? MacBook? Something else? What kind of functionali…

As a brand-new homeschool mom two years ago, I have to say I geeked out a little over my first "me" purchase: a laminator. Nerd alert, right? But seriously, it's one small gadget that I've used over and over and has been a huge help in m…

Parents are scrambling right now, trying to figure out how to give their kids the best school year possible, which is why we've been working on a series of "back to schooling" posts to help make it a little easier for you. For many paren…

With the news last week that Zoom had some big security concerns to patch up, educators of all kinds started seeking out Zoom alternatives for schools and other kinds of remote learning. Especially after the NYC DOE took the big step of …

Well this is cool, parents! Khan Academy is partnering with Disney and Pixar to offer free online classes in storytelling for kids of all ages to show them how STEM helps make movies. The initiative is called Pixar in a Box , and we're p…

Our back to school 2016 guide continues with our picks for some of the best reading apps for kids. From preschoolers learning ABC basics and sight words, to older kids needing a synonym for obsequious (or uh, maybe that is the synonym?),…

In this week's Spawned podcast, our editor Liz's Cool Pick of the Week is Brain Pop, a website I have turned to for years with my homeschooled kids to find smart, kid-friendly videos about topics as diverse as William Shakespeare, the Ci…

Next up in our Editors' Best of 2015, we're sharing our picks for the best apps for parents. All of these apps made their debut in 2015 and really do help make our lives as parents a lot easier. Though, the truth is, plenty of these apps…

Lately I've gotten sucked into a new website called If It Were My Home , which compares countries around the world to your own hometown, or any other location you designate in their search engine. You'll get a quick snapshot of all kinds…

When I have to explain a concept to my kids, there are so many awesome educational videos out there on all kinds of subjects, but I admit, I often still turn to the Schoolhouse Rock videos I grew up with as a kid. Today we're watching Wh…

One of my New Year's resolutions this year is to get my kids their own homework spaces so that I'm not asking them to clean their notebooks and backpacks off the kitchen table while I'm in the final stages of dinner prep each night. In m…