Racing to Keep Up

Book excerpt: Racing to Keep Upis a unique and informative book offering parents and educators real life solutions to better understand and guide children's use of technology. By providing specific strategies, and up-to-date technological information within a framework of understanding the developmental stages of children and teens, Racing to Keep Up is a must-read book. It helps parents set up rules for technology use that are developmentally appropriate for children and teens and that are designed to better protect children from the risks and issues that arise online and through the use of cell phones. Racing to Keep Up educates parents about the many scams and fraudulent ads that target children, teens and adults through email, text messages and web sites. This book teaches you to protect the family computer, your online privacy and yourself, while giving you the words and language to help your children negotiate technology safely. Marje Monroe is a Clinical Social Worker and educator with more than 20 years of counseling, programming and teaching experience in schools. Marje's professional experience includes: Dean of Students at Stoneleigh Burnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts; Upper School Counselor at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Upper School Counselor at Garrison Forest School in Maryland; Director of Counseling at St. Andrew's School in Boca Raton, FL; Counselor and Substance Abuse Coordinator at Wittenberg University; and Executive Director of the Winnetka, Illinois Youth Organization. Throughout her career, Marje has taught Advanced Placement Psychology, English and developed curricula on sex education, substance abuse, ethics and decision-making. Coordinating schools, families and community agencies on behalf of the well-being of children and adolescents, Marje is proactive and helps schools and families work together to promote the qualities of school and home life that nurture the healthy, social and emotional development of children. Doug Fodeman has been the Director of Technology at the Brookwood School in Manchester, Massachusetts since 1997. He has also given workshops on a wide variety of Internet related topics such as "Using Search Engines Effectively," "Protecting Your Privacy Online," "Telecollaboration" and "Recognizing and Avoiding Online Scams." Doug has made appearances on the ABC Nightly Newsand CBS Evening Newson the topic of cell phone scams targeting children. He also has been a guest speaker with Deborah Rowe of the ABC affiliate WLSAM Radio in Chicago on the topic of cell phone scams targeting children and issues effecting children online. Together with Marje Monroe, they have appeared twice on The Jordan Rich Showon WBZ in Boston. In addition, Doug has taught high school science for more than 18 years, served as Director of Technology at the Pingree School in S. Hamilton, Massachusetts and served as a technology consultant to the architectural firm Olson, Lewis, Dioli & Doktor, focusing on the integration of computer technology into architectural design.