- Posted by admin in Educational Technology, General Computer Education, Study habits, children |
- May 6th, 2010 |
Over the past few years, computers have become a vastly popular household item. The luxury of emailing messages as opposed to charging up the phone bill is more appealing. Checking news, weather, and sports via the Internet is a convenience that many are taking advantage of.
We are instilling these benefits onto our children sometimes without meaning to. We are teaching them the convenience of computers and omitting the hands-on learning process.
Children are learning to read and write with computer games instead of homemade flash cards. They are reading their bedtime stories online instead of in bed with their parents. Slowly traditions are being broken and the computer is becoming a child’s learning tool. Many parents are buying computer learning games instead of board games and pop-up books.
Parents are leaving the learning up to the computers and spending less quality time with their children. The most important learning step for children is interaction with others. If they are sitting in front of the screen all day, they do not learn to share, wait their turn, or even something as simples as manners. Children need to be in contact with other children, adults, and animals. They need to experience things first hand not off a computer screen.
When children log on to the computer their innocence is noticeable. Children are an easy target for adults who pose to be other children with similar interests. Sexual offenders often chat online with children and then make plans to meet them or slowly filter information about them.
Children are innocents and honesty on the computer can pose some huge problems. They do not know any better and usually it will only harm them in the end.
One benefit of the computer age is that children are becoming smarter. They are growing up computer literate and will have that as a huge advantage. Computer literacy is becoming a huge job qualification and feeling comfortable with one will put them a step ahead.
Children will also be able to complete homework on line. In some places, if you miss school you can find out the assignments that you miss and catch up. This is very helpful if your child comes down with the flu, but do you want them to feel like it is okay to miss school because they can catch up with their computer?
Overall, children can benefit from computers if they are used wisely. Parents that supervise their children when they are on the computer can ensure that everything is happening safely.
Computers are the wave of the future, but old fashioned learning techniques should not be forgotten. A child needs to interact physically with other people and not learn everything from computers.
- Posted by admin in General Computer Education |
- April 20th, 2010 |
Computers originally were invented with a view to improving the way people did their jobs. Saving time and cutting costs while expediting the exchange of information were primary goals for early technology.
Nowadays, however, computers serve far more functions than before. Rather than remaining restricted as workplace tools, computers have found cozy niches in the homes of millions of families around the world. The technology used to perform high-level employment tasks has expanded to provide after-hours entertainment options.
But in the wake of this exploding cultural phenomenon, how can parents be sure that computer-savvy kids are using their PCs responsibly? Here are some ideas for guiding children’s use of the computer for fun:
1. Children’s activities Web sites. With hundreds or thousands of age-appropriate sites to choose from, kids can browse any number of television, film, book, or recreational sites to find out more about the latest products and trends. Toys, cartoon characters, and hip celebrities are featured on sites that sometimes provide sign-up links for free e-zines, newsletters, or other information. Caution your children not to sign up for a service that requires a fee. You may want to add a filter on the computer used by your kids to prevent them from accidentally accessing the wrong sites under headings like “girls,” “toys,” or “fun.”
2. Many educational sites offer interactive exercises to help tutor kids with difficult school subjects. For example, if your sixth grader is struggling with math fractions, she can visit math-type sites and click on interactive exercises for practice in working sample problems. Not only are such sites helpful, they are fun. Kids will enjoy visiting their favorite locations to play games that help them learn valuable skills.
3. Online games. With parents’ guidance, kids can find and register for online games and activities that are age-appropriate. Many popular sites require an email registration for free access, while others ask for a monthly fee as a form of membership for higher-level skill games. Parents need to screen all games and activities to be sure they are suitable for children.
4. Research help. Students who need to find information for a research paper, project, or report can locate instant facts while doing an Internet search. Teachers may be able to provide handouts or parents can lead kids through the necessary steps of finding, evaluating, and quoting material from an educational site. Web research will reduce the amount of time spent visiting local libraries or shopping bookstores for helpful sources.
With adequate parental supervision and occasional expert guidance, computer navigation can be fun and meaningful for kids of all ages. Train your children to use their home or school computers responsibly, and everyone will benefit.