What sets Android™ smartphones apart from their competitors?

• A better selection of FREE apps (through the Google Play store)
• A broader spectrum of phones and more variety in color
• Faster processing speeds and higher storage capacity (SD-card compatible)
• Customizable homescreen

And much, much more – plus peace of mind with Kajeet SmartBlocker™, a free parental control that allows parents to block websites they feel are inappropriate for their children to view on some of today’s most popular Android™ handsets!

Act now and take 15% OFF your Android™ smartphone from Kajeet today with promo code GRAD15!

Promo code GRAD15 is valid through 6/30/13 and applies to cell phones only. Phone availability is subject to change, limited time offer.

The Android robot is reproduced or modified from work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.  Android is a trademark of Google, Inc.

The data’s in on what data means for kids and education. Myriad reports from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research and public policy organization, confirm one of Kajeet’s core tenets: safe mobile broadband access expands and enriches the sphere of education. Below are some of the organization’s most arresting and significant findings. For more information, please visit the Joint Center’s blog here.

• One in four teenagers accesses the Internet primarily via a mobile device.

• A Grunwald Associates report commissioned by AT&T asserts that most parents whose children did not use mobile devices or who were less believing of the benefits of using devices to enhance learning do not have college degrees.

• The Center for Digital Education and National School Boards Association reported a 44% increase in the number of school districts overall that use social networks, with 74% now reporting a social media presence. Thirty-two percent of districts reported a lack of computers as the biggest obstacle to preparing for upcoming Common Core online assessments.

• Education professionals report lack of funding as the main impediment to widespread implementation of educational technology in the classroom.

• A study of fourth graders in Encinitas, CA shows students overwhelmingly maintain tablet apps make math easier to understand.

Learn about Kajeet’s commitment to education and digital access here!

• More than half (54%) of teachers say all or almost all of their students have sufficient access to digital tools at school, but only a fifth of these teachers (18%) say all or almost all of their students have access to the digital tools they need at home.
• 39% of teachers of low-income students say their school is “behind the curve” when it comes to effectively using digital tools in the learning process; just 15% of teachers of higher income students rate their schools poorly in this area.
• 49% of teachers of students living in low income households say their school’s use of Internet filters has a “major impact” on their teaching.
• 92% of teachers say the Internet has a “major impact” on their ability to access content, resources, and materials for their teaching.
• 73% of teachers say students use their mobile phones in the classroom or to complete assignments, and 45% report they or their students use e-readers and 43% use tablet computers in the classroom or to complete assignments.
• 42% of teachers say their students usually know more than they do when it comes to using new digital technologies.  Just 18% feel they know more than their students.

Responses like these affirm that there are three things every 21st century student needs: access, mobility, and filtering — all of which are encompassed by Kajeet SmartSpot™!

Read the full survey here — and learn more about Kajeet’s work to bridge the digital divide here!

Four-year-old Edwin Molina was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and struggles using words to express his needs and wants. His condition also affects his mobility and fine motor skills. Edwin loves to use his tablet computer to communicate, thanks to apps that allow users with fine motor difficulties to use their fist, eyes, or voice to navigate Web pages and apps on the device.

Seven-year-old Angus Barnes has severe autism and little writing ability, but his tablet computer has changed that: his mother, Sarah, said if Angus was given a piece of paper he only drew circles, but on his tablet computer he was suddenly able to write his name.

Treyton Arnold was born with Down Syndrome. His father, Rob, is very happy with how Trey has been taking to his tablet: “[People] often make some type of surprised comment indicating or actually stating they cannot believe he knows how to use it. Listen, the kid is amazing with it. He switches between apps, flips screens, opens the Netflix app and chooses shows to watch, you name it. Give your child some time and you will see how intuitive these devices are. In fact, that is one of the reasons tablets work so well for kids with Down Syndrome and other special needs. They are intuitive, portable, customizable, and among other things very effective. They are a tool that can supplement your other efforts as well as what is learned in school.”

Learn more about Kajeet’s mission to enable students of all kinds here!

In today’s smartphone age, kids who stream, surf, and socialize almost exclusively on their mobile devices are increasingly adding schoolwork to that list!

Our newest friend is Pristinet, a Colorado tech startup that launched the first of its nationwide tap water tests last month in San Jose. They empower parents with pivotal information concerning unregulated toxins, which pose a serious threat to household tap water and the children who drink it. Learn more about this initiative here!

However, the same technology that galvanizes the 21^st century classroom also threatens to leave many students behind. Home computers and Internet access are increasingly expected of students and essential tools in many situations. What about the kids who don’t have Internet at home? What can schools do to keep technology involved in the curriculum without inconveniencing and depriving the kids whose families can’t afford access to the Web? Articles like this affirm this disparity is a huge problem.

What can companies like Kajeet do to solve this divide?

Kajeet operates under the belief that the quantum leaps we’ve made in technology must be used to bridge this educational gap. We help all kinds of schools and students use advanced technology to teach and learn.

Kajeet partners with schools to give them top-of-the-line devices and a safe, filtered Internet service— a package that can be scaled to their needs and used to help kids who don’t have a Web connection at home. We provide schools with tablet computers, Mifi Smartspots™ and smartphones, so kids can safely access the Internet from home.

We provide schools a safe and simple solution so they can close the digital divide, make the most of their budget, and step into the 21^st century!

Learn more about Kajeet’s role in education here and check out our affordable devices here!

Readily accessible from the left menu on your logged-in account, Kajeet WalletManager is a free, easy-to-use tool that divides your family funds into two wallets: one for parents and one for kids. Kids love their phones and often use up their service plans before the month is up. Once they run out of texts, minutes, picture messages or data, parents can choose to transfer funds from their wallet to the kid wallet:

You can also set up one-time refills of up to $50, with a 10% transaction fee.

Don’t want to transfer money every time your kid’s wallet dries up? No problem; just set up an automatic refill that fits your service needs:

Just remember: Refills added to the wallet cannot be used to pay for monthly Plans or Add-ons and are non-refundable.

So how do you use TimeManager? It’s simple. Just select “Add Time Restriction” and customize the settings:

Want to set a special day where the time restriction is not in effect without going in and editing the weekly schedule? No problem — just select the “Exception Days” tab and select “Create an Exception:”

And, as always, you can mark yourself as an “Always Allowed” contact in ContactManager, so even when time restrictions are applied to your kid’s device, you will have peace of mind that you’re always able to reach your kid!

With Kajeet ContactManager, you can decide whether you want to allow calls or text/picture messages. You can also determine whose wallet pays for what for calls or messages from specific contacts (like you!).

ContactManager allows parents to set up three types of assignments for their kid’s phone contacts:

Blocked: Contacts marked as “blocked” cannot talk to or text your child.

Allowed: Contacts marked as “allowed” can talk to and text your child, but NOT during TimeManager time restrictions.

Always Allowed: Contacts marked as “always allowed” can talk to and text your child during TimeManager time restrictions.

All contact information is stored on a helpful chart:

Remember: you and your kid will be able to text, picture message, and call each other if your number is set up as an ‘Always Allowed’ contact, even if you disable texting & picture messaging or contact each other during a time restriction. This gives you peace of mind that you and your kid can always reach each other!