Skip to main content

Introducing Children to Technology

Education has always been important to my family. Sadly, the education system in California (as well as in the United States) has not always been up to the task.
 

New math. The subsequent "back to basics." Phonics instruction. "Look-say" approach to reading. "Whole language" approach to reading. No Child Left Behind. Growing reliance on standardized testing. Every Student Succeeds Act.
 

Everything in education is controversial: it's enough to make one go crazy! And now, children's use of technology seems to be on this out and then in, then possibly out rollercoaster.
 

Using Technology as an Educational Tool

 

How do you separate politically driven standards from learning practices that engage your kids?
 

I can't even begin to imagine how educators manage to keep up with all the changes, but the truly amazing ones continue to engage and to inspire their charges.
 

So rather than try to go it alone when it comes to introducing technology to Gates, we're following the lead of educators whom we trust.
 

Luckily for my family, there’s always been someone in our immediate family who was on top of the latest advancements in learning.

  • For me, my aunt was an elementary school educator; she supplied my mom with math and science textbooks throughout elementary and the middle grades and graded my work.
  • For Gates, my sister—her aunt—is an early childhood and elementary school educator.

 

enhancing student-led inquiry with technology in the classroom

In her classroom, as well as outside it, my sister Heather makes judicious use of technology to broaden and enrich the learning experience.
 

To introduce a concept, she uses her personal laptop to show educational videos. She uses the laptop in place of a projector or smart board because her school doesn't have budget for such niceties.
 

When kids have questions about something they've seen or heard in the video or in a book, she'll use her iPad to do an instant Internet search and quench their thirst for knowledge.
 

documenting student progress

During breaks, she uses her iPad to check email from parents. She also prepares a weekly newsletter for parents of her kids so that they know what's going on in the classroom, what skills the students have mastered, and how parents can help extend the classroom at home.
 

Educators and staff at Gates' elementary school use the cameras on their smartphones to capture experimentation, gardening, play, and other activities.
 

Fisher Price School Days Desk

 

incorporating technology at home

Gates is naturally curious. We satisfy this curiosity with lots of books, dramatic play, music, baking, and crafting.
 

And, now that she's older, we're beginning to incorporate technology, following her aunt's lead.
 

Gates and I play in her kitchen making dinner and whipping up "Chef's Specials" using in season ingredients. We watch videos that show how the ingredients are harvested and prepared. We also use the Internet to find out more about specific varietals, where they grow and when they are at their peak and how best they should be prepared. After our play kitchen session, we'll explore the local farmer's market, select our fruits and vegetables, and then prepare a dish together.
 

Incorporating Technology into Play

 

Are you showing your children how to use technology as an educational tool?
 

learning more

I hope Gates has an educator as devoted to her class as her aunt is to hers. But, until then, having examples of how to use technology to encourage Gates to ask more questions and try new things is incredibly helpful.
 

If you're interested in using technology with your little one, here are some resources you may find helpful:

Like this post? Curious about my introduction to technology and my beliefs on its use? Check out these other two posts:

genuinely eden

Credits: All layouts designed by and images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life.

DISCLOSURE: This post was originally part of a promotion of Alter Your World, an Alt Summit project aimed at celebrating actions, big or small, that focus on good in the community.

Popular posts from this blog

How to Store Fresh Winter Squash, Potatoes, Onions, and Garlic

I love a well organized kitchen and pantry. Sadly, since moving to San Francisco, all of the places I've lived have lacked a pantry. No pantry means one has to get creative with storage. Some solutions, while pretty, aren't always best at keeping food. I'm now on a mission to organize my kitchen with prevention of food spoilage in mind.     Right now winter vegetables are available from our CSA, some of which I'm not very familiar with -- hard or winter squash varieties for example. And, with cubes until recently on a soft foods diet we didn't go through what I was buying as quickly as before. So, I was seeing potatoes turn green or shrivel. Squash rot. Garlic turn to dust. Seeing this waste a light bulb went on: I must be storing the vegetables wrong. To my cookbooks and the Internet I went in search of the right way(s) to keep them. And I discovered, or rather confirmed, I was doing it wrong.   General Guidelines for Storing Vegetables Most of us don't hav...

8 Best Places to Get Texas BBQ Shipped to Your Door

( updated September 27, 2023 ) Depending where you're from, BBQ is sure to get a crowd fired up. Just try to convince a Texan that Kansas City, Memphis, or Carolina Style BBQ is the best--I guarantee you're sure to see fireworks. Sadly in the San Francisco Bay Area, Texas BBQ is in short supply--rotisserie is more our style. So when I've got a craving, I head to my Texas favorites and have the BBQ shipped.     After years of getting Texas BBQ shipped, here are my top 8 places to get Texas BBQ shipped to your door. Along with my favorites, I'm sharing tips for ensuring your Texas BBQ arrives in time for your special occasion.   How do you like your BBQ? Dry rub or Sauce? Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, or Carolina Style?     Read on for my favorite meats along with the places in Texas to get them shipped from!  

new? start here.

( updated 02/24/2022 ) Welcome! Nice to meet you!   I’m Eden, a fourth-generation Californian. Together my husband, 9.75 year old daughter, and Maine Coon/Ragamuffin rescue cat are in the process of unpacking and nesting in our new 100+ year old Craftsman in Berkeley, CA (until this past December we called a 100-year old, a 847 sq ft Edwardian flat in San Francisco home). We define The Good Life with haves not wants and experiences not things.     What's your story?