cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/28283915 > The article doesn't make any recommendations, but rather what to look for /avoid. > > Who the authors are: > > > Emma Liptrot; PhD student, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University > > > Adam Kenneth Dubé; Associate Professor of Learning Sciences, Faculty of Education, McGill University > > Relevant sections: > > > ### **What to ignore** > > > 1. User ratings & reviews: > > > > Popular EduApps in Apple’s and Google’s app stores typically have very positive ratings (above four stars). Yet, experts still raise concerns about their quality and expert-approved apps do not necessarily receive the highest star ratings. Written reviews are rarely more informative. Research shows most reviews simply praise apps rather than explaining specific features. [...] > > > 2. Apple or Google rankings > > > > Educators and parents may visit an app store’s “top charts” lists to find EduApps. Yet, how Apple’s and Google’s algorithms determine which apps “top the charts” is unclear. [...] > > > 3. Recommendations from app review websites > > > > Educators and parents might look to external app review websites like Common Sense Media for recommendations. But research shows many of the apps recommended by these websites still need substantial improvement [...] > > > >  > > > ### **What to look for** > > > 1. Curriculum: What apps teach > > > > At the bare minimum, EduApps must include content that is covered in an established learning program. Yet, many EduApps are what researchers call “educational misfits” because they are only weakly related to education, if at all. Look for apps that clearly state which curriculum their content is based on (for example, a particular provincial curriculum, a supplemental curriculum for learning an Indigenous language) or detail the content (suitable for grades 1–3 math). Don’t bother with an app that doesn’t tell you what it covers. > > > 2. Learning theory: How apps teach > > > > [...] Look for apps that describe how they teach. Choose ones using approaches that align with your needs. > > > 3. Scaffolding: How apps support learning > > > > EduApps should include supports that help children build their understanding and accomplish learning goals. These supports (called scaffolding) can include hints or instructions when children get stuck and breaking down complex tasks into smaller chunks or adapting difficulty to match children’s abilities. [...] > > > 4. Feedback: How apps correct learning > > > > If we want children to learn from their mistakes, feedback is essential. Look for apps that give children informative feedback so they know where they went wrong and why. > > > 5. Educational expertise: Who made the app > > > > Many app developers are not education experts, and their priorities may not align with those of educators and parents. [...] > >

My 14 month old had a short wake up at 2:40am. For whatever reason (work stress, mostly) I couldn’t get back to sleep. I’ll be running on about 4 hours of sleep and caffeine today.

Not critical, but bothers me for some reason ha ha

My baby is 6 weeks old. I’ve been planning to buy some loop earplugs “soon”. Well she just discovered a kind of cry that reverberates in my amygdala, so “soon” was NOT SOON ENOUGH. Sigh. I’m gonna buy loops once my partner is awake. Yknow, so I can ask what colour he wants his in… Eta for context! Loops and ear defenders specifically don’t block all noise, they just reduce the decibels of loud sounds. So using them means you can be more physically present for a baby with colic (and probably other fun ailments that happen later) longer before you need to step away from your nerves being fried. This is especially life-saving for neurodivergent parents, obviously, but I’d bet most parents get stressed and tetchy during certain cries. Tl;dr still always reply to your baby when they cry! And it’s okay to use tools that make the experience gentler on yourself.

So I gave birth to my first (likely only) child about 10 days ago. First off, I can’t comprehend how much I love her. But more to the point, I’m having such big emotions about her and the world I brought her into. I’m big into climate activism and uh, in general doing my damnedest to ensure there is a world for her to grow up into. So it’s so weird looking at her. Thinking about the kind of tasks she has ahead of her should she go down the activist path. Wondering what kind of struggles she’s gonna face thanks to my generation. And also, I’m aware she’s her own person and will become herself, not mini-me. But in light of all of that, whenever I look at her, I just feel so much hope. It’s so irrational, this child’s highest achievement so far is drinking 85ml of formula in one go. But I look at her and feel like we will be okay. It’s a stark contrast from the typical doom n gloom around child-creation you find in activist circles. Stuff about overpopulation and dooming your progeny. Anyways… does anyone feel the same? Am i just a super sappy postpartum person?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17261680

Changed the title as it wasn't clear

Everytime.

Image description: a screenshot from Apple Health showing a terrible night’s sleep.

We've transitioned our 1yo out of our bed and to their own cot. We had to co-sleep after they puked on their old cot and refused to sleep at all once it was cleaned. Every time we've gotten them used to the cot something messes it up like travelling etc. but it's finally looking like something stable. I was amazed the other night because it was the first time ever we didn't need to hold a hand or pat them to sleep, I could just lay them down in bed and watched them drift off. The sleep is a little better but still not sleeping through the night and also constantly sick from daycare so they keep waking up cause of the coughing. When they were with us it was a lot easier to put the pacifier back in and go back to sleep but now we have to get out of bed to send them back to sleep. Then there's also the night feeds... we're still doing a 10:30pm bottle and another bottle anywhere from 3am to 7am, it all depends on how much they ate during the day. Which they've now decided they don't like any of the food we make even though it's exactly the same stuff that would be at daycare. Which then prolongs the cycle of not eating enough and needing night feeds and then not eating much because there was milk overnight. I feel like we have to cut the night feeds somehow but it feels really cruel to starve them when they're used to it... I just hope getting them to their own bed will be a positive turning point and we'll actually be sleeping through the night soon. I know other people have it worse but everyone I talk to directly has babies that sleep from 8pm to 8am with no stirring and no bottle, it's making me feel like I'm messing something up. Overall still feels like we're taking positive steps though. Thanks for reading the rant.