Your Back to School Tech Guide

Gear up for a great school year with these back-to-school tech essentials. 

• Apple AirTags Kids lose stuff. Heck, adults do too. But finding that stuff can be a lot easier now. Slip one of these tags into that small backpack pocket your kid never seems to use or clip it to their lunchbox handle. The next time the item is misplaced – whether that means smooshed under the backseat of the car or forgotten on the bus – you can use your iPhone or iPad to locate it using the “Find my” feature. It’s way easier than asking, “Okay, so, where was the last place you remember having it?” 
• Flash 2.0 Index Cards From memorizing multiplication tables in elementary school to learning the Periodic Table in 10th grade: flash cards are a time-tested staple of good study habits. And these cards help modernize the method without losing the key retention benefit of writing information out by hand. To start, your kid simply fills out the Flash 2.0 Index Cards, just like students have for centuries…but then, they scan them with the Scribzee app. The app then digitizes the content so they can then easily review the cards, quiz themselves, and track their progress, all on their phones – perfect for slipping a few minutes of studying in on the ride to school or for replacing mindless scrolling while eating breakfast. Write it out for retention, scan it in for on-the-go convenience. What a great idea. ​​​​​​​
• Power Delivery-Enabled USB Outlets After the last year especially, mobile devices have become a BIG part of our kids’ schooling. Whether it is for remote learning, homework, supplemental studying or collaborative projects. And watching video lessons, downloading digital study guides, uploading completed work, etc. all require a lot of battery power. But getting batteries back to full and ready for modern learning is easier than ever with convenient solutions for faster charge times. Most of today’s latest smartphones, tablets and laptops are Power Delivery-enabled (a speedy charging standard that uses the USB Type-C connector), which means they can charge up in record time when using the right accessories. Upgrading outlets in your home to those with built-in USB Type-C charging that also feature Power Delivery technology can help your family charge their devices up to 2X faster. Which is helpful if you have multiple students in the house, or just one who frequently forgets to charge their school tablet or Chromebook the night before.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​Full-Family Scheduling/Organization App The start of a new school year can be so hectic. Maybe especially when it follows a year+ of unusual circumstances like quarantines and hybrid learning. Which is why it might be a good idea to help yourself, and your whole family, get back into the swing of things with digital assistance. Ranging from totally free to free-with-paid-upgrades, family organization apps like Cozi, OurHome and Picniic can be a great way to see and synchronize multiple schedules (soccer practices, dance recitals, doctor’s appointments, PTA meetings, business trips, etc.) as well as track the kids’ chores and due dates, build a shared shopping list, send reminders and more. Reducing stress makes for a more successful school year, for everyone, so it might be worth considering an upgrade to the fam’s organization game.​​​​​​​
• Air Purifier or Filter Think for just a moment about everywhere a backpack or bookbag might go during a typical school day… Let’s just say, any kid’s school gear is probably bringing some invisible allergens and environmental pollutants and just plain stinky odors into the home. While there’s no substitute for opened windows and good thorough cleaning, adding a purifier or filter to the kids’ rooms might be a good idea with benefits that run the gamut from possibly reducing symptoms for asthma and allergies to neutralizing smells and improving sleep. An investment addition, the options can get pretty pricey, but Blueair’s Blue Pure (a Consumer Reports favorite) and PureO²xygen P500 (the Buyer’s Guide choice for best HEPA) both run for under $300.