Many parents find technology use among their children to be a topic of anxiety. Some fear an interest in technology may lead to an over-saturation of video games and lack of academic or social focus. What many parents don’t realize is that technology usage should be a tool to help children think creatively and eagerly engage in learning. Learning and growing are not one size fits all experiences, as many educators may have lead us to believe. Developing a creative and confident learner is something you build by noticing, listening, and engaging with your child in what interests them.
To this end, introducing your child to technology is an exciting experience, as there are infinite fun and engaging approaches.
When thinking about technology introduction and integration, there are a few things to consider, all of which remain true when speaking about grade-school students, adolescents, or grown adults.
First, technology should be used as a supplement to foster interest and enthusiasm in life, rather than a necessity a child is pushed toward out of fear that they will not succeed or be ready to face the next challenge in life.
The second thing to remember is, it’s quite difficult NOT to have some aspect of technology in your child’s life. The key is to make sure they have the opportunity to play with it, as they might play with clay, painting or music. Having this ability, will naturally lead children toward the coding, robotics, stop motion animation, or makery activities that provide so much of what professionals in the 21st century job force are looking for.
Creativity, the ability to work in a team, the ability to take a large challenge and break it down into smaller tasks, and to communicate well with others are all skills fostered through technology use and are more necessary than ever for the future facing our children.
Although there are countless applications and networks through which to introduce children to technology, the key is trusting your child to make good decisions and to be there to support their choices.
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