The good stuff kids can do with popular tech

The good stuff kids can do with popular tech

For years, the parental adage was simple: The less time spent with screens, the better.  That thinking stems from, among other things, reports about the rise of cyber bullying and sexual predators, as well as the fact that social media- specifically the sight in photos-can make kids feel depressed and insecure.

There’s also a fundamental aversion to sitting kids in front of screens, thanks to decades of studies proving that watching too much TV can lead to obesity, violence and attention-deficit/hyper activity disorder.

In that vein,.. “connect children to nature” and “ignite passion for lifelong learning.’ You could say some computer games develop creativity, “ but I don't see any benefit..

But its not that simple. While there are dangers inherent in access to Facebook, new research suggest that social networking sites also offer unprecedented learning opportunities. ?Online, kids can engage with specialized communities of interest,” says.. One girl she spoke with, for example, was able to discover an interest in writing only after she joined a community of bloggers who wrote fan fiction about their favorite wrestlers. Similar communities exist for coding….Early tech use has cognitive benefits as well. Although parenting experts have questioned the value of educational games-as Jim Taylor, author of Raising Generation Tech, puts it, “they’re a load of crap.. meant to make money”- new studies have show they can add real value. In a recent study by SRI..kids who played games like Samorost (solving puzzles) did 12% better on logic tests than those who did not.  And at MIT’s Ed arcade, playing the empire-building game Civilization piqued students’ interest in history and was directly linked to an improvement in the quality of their history-class reports.

The reason: engagement. On average, according to research cited by MIT, students can …but when they’re actually doing something themselves-in the virtual worlds on Ipads or laptops-that retention rate skyrockets to 90%.

This is the main reason researchers like Ito say they recommendation of a two-hour screen-time limit is n outdated concepts: actively browsing pages on a computer or tablet is way more brain-stimulating than vegging out in front of the TV.

The most convincing argument for early-age tech fluency, however, is more basic: staying competitive.  “If you look at applying for college or a job, that’s on the computer,” says.. Ditto the essential skills for jobs in fast growing sectors such as programming, engineering and biotechnology.” If we are not exposing our students to this stuff early, Jackson continues, “ they are going to be left behind” We had a virtual Olympics where they came and utilized our virtual wii and xbox gyms, he says “that rally made them see the value”

None of this means kids deserve unfettered access to the gadget of their choice-sepecially if,  as Mcgrath notes, they’ve already been caught abusing it. As with any childhood privilege, monitoring is key. But parents should keep and open mind about the benefits of tech fluency- and even, when possible, work with their kids to make it useful. Kids are going to learn more engaging with adults on these media than using them independently.

·      Cultivating interest

·      Streamline homework

·      Get creative: game like minecraft allow kids to crate whole worlds from scratch, honing problem solving and cirtial thinking skills. (down load stay focus plug in on chrome if you are worried.