U.S. Cellular Offers Suggestions for Back-to-School Shopping

This month, millions of students across the country will be saying goodbye to their summer vacations and returning to school. As they settle in to the new year, they will likely be more reliant on technology than ever before. According to a recent U.S. Cellular survey1 67% of respondents believe it’s appropriate to use a cellphone at school, and 17% said they could not finish their homework without their phone.

Beyond the iPads and tablets one might automatically have on their back-to-school list, U.S. Cellular suggests the following tech options for students, parents and teachers to start the school year right:

• Google Home and Mini: Parents can keep track of everyone’s schedules, set timers while cooking dinner, hear local weather and traffic updates, and get quick answers when kids ask for help on tricky homework questions with the help of the Google Home or Google Home Mini.
• Smartwatches: Teachers spend all day on their feet whether it’s in front of the class, keeping an eye on recess or walking the halls to connect with students. Using a smartwatch like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch Active to track their movement, teachers can crush their health goals and monitor how often tardy students cause elevated heart rates.
• Portable Chargers: Long days in class followed by after school activities usually means a drained phone battery. Keep students plugged in and reachable with a portable charger so they never have an excuse to miss a call.
• Relay and Relay Loop Case: Communicate reliably and securely with younger kids, no matter where they are with Relay – a walkie-talkie and GPS tracker. It’s durable, water-resistant, easy-to-use design allows kids to press one button to talk. They can talk with their friends' Relays, while also allowing parents to use the free smartphone app to respond to conversations and check their location. It's screen free to keep kids safe from online strangers. The Relay Loop case comes with a lanyard or it can attach to loops, backpacks and zippers.
• myHomework app: Students can schedule out homework assignments, prioritize projects and stay on top of test dates with this organizational app.
• Khan Academy app: This app can help students catch up on a difficult subject or master a specific skill. With practice exercises, quizzes, tests, and step-by-step help on a variety of topics, students can get the extra assistance they need for free.