How Using Technology Can Help With a Child’s Education
Technology Role in Child’s Education
In these modern times it’s not an uncommon sight to see children as young as three years old using an iPad or similar tablet / smart phone device. In some cases it’s even likely that they know their way around these high tech devices better than their parents! There is a lot of negativity attached to our over-reliance and high usage of super-tech devices, especially when it comes to young children, but that doesn’t have to be the case at all.
In fact, if used correctly technology can be highly beneficial to a child’s educational development. These devices are no longer built with just games in mind, but rather open up a whole range of possibilities.
Here’s a look at three solid ways in which technology can give your child’s education a very noticeable injection of quality.
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Multi-modal Learning
In recent years, the multi-modal approach is gaining serious steam and it’s not difficult to see why. The fact is that children just love to learn using alternative, interesting and mentally stimulating techniques. Being restricted to books alone will severely limit your child, especially if they’re not exactly suited to this method of learning.
Laptops and tablets are ideal in exposing your child to different methods; the experiential, visual and audial ways of learning are all possible within a handy little device such as the iPad.
Tablets also give you the opportunity to take your child out of the classroom, interacting and learning at the same time. Here are some Effective Digital Tools Aid in Student Engagement in Classrooms. You can intertwine what they see in the real world with what they are presented with on their tablets, ensuring that they build on their knowledge as they go along.
There’s a plethora of free and paid for Apps out there, many of which are well suited to teaching, training and giving your child the tools they need to achieve success in exams and later life.
Balance and regulation are key here. It’s important not to over rely on these techy devices, and to incorporate them into a well-balanced and regulated educational structure – some things you just can’t learn in a book or on an iPad. Here are some Essential Devices For Your Successful Learning in 2018.
No Teachers But Still Learning?
Technology allows children to flourish and learn, even without the presence of teachers.
The OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) project noticed an interesting trend when dropping off devices in Ethiopia. The Motorola Xoom tablets were given to children in remote villages in the country, where kids had never seen English in their lives.
The leaders of the projects expected the children to simply confusingly play with the boxes, at least until proper guidance was given. To their surprise, in a matter of days the kids were already well versed in using a range of apps. In just a few short weeks, they learned how to change settings on the device.
Even more amazing: they even started singing ABC songs and even managed to spell a few English words. Talk about impressive.
So what does this mean? No, we’re not saying that teachers are no longer necessary. However, it does show that technology can be a major stimulant when it comes to helping kids problem-solve completely independently. Rather than being spoon-fed answers, the children were allowed to put the pieces together.
Let’s Your Child Go at Their Own Pace
Just because one child is a little slower than another doesn’t mean they don’t have the capabilities to excel. All it says is that they go at a slightly different pace. That’s why it’s always a shame to see kids fall behind and never quite recover, just because they can’t quite keep up with the general speed that a given class is going at.
Technology opens up a teacher’s options and really allows each child to do things at a pace that they’re comfortable with. It means that the class can still be tackled as a whole, but each device can cater to a child’s individual needs.
It’s time to really step up to the plate and use technology to its full potential. Instead of trying to pry your child away from the latest iPad game, why not try turning it around and use the device to help your child’s education instead?
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