As an Early Childhood Educator, I see a wide range of family preferences about kids and technology. Some families lean on the TV, iPad, iPhones and all other kinds of gadgets to keep their children engaged, while others place a full-out ban on screens and devices. While I agree with the general consensus of the Early Years professionals that screen time should be limited to allow for children to grow and develop in natural ways, I’m also aware of our changing world. During my ECE studies, one of the professors surprised me by sharing with us the workings of her own Kindergarten class. In this early learning environment, children had access to devices like cameras, cam-corders, and computers in their daily activities. Why would a knowledgeable educator, aware of the cons of using technology with developing children, encourage these early learners to spend their valuable Kindergarten time using these devices?
I remember her explanation, and how it caused my mind to shift with respect to this concept. In a world where much of our life is dependent on technology, why would we deny children the chance to use and learn to master the tools of today? Try to think of a job – any job – that doesn’t rely at least in part of some form of technology. From field to field of employment, we are consistently seeing the integration of technology to record data, to track change, to capture and share important moments and information. How is it fair to deny our children the opportunity to understand and use the tools they will undoubtedly need in their future studies and careers? The world is consistently increasing the types of technologies available, as well as the jobs that rely on and work with technology. It’s very possible that one day Johnny might choose a career as a videographer, or Susie may design new programs for ocean-charting robotics. Why would we limit our children’s options to discover what may well be their passions and lucrative careers?
I’m not saying to keep your littles plugged in all day. Far from that. Too much of anything is not a good thing, and little brains and bodies have a lot of developing to do in a large variety of other ways. However, I’m simply suggesting we consider that the future of our children will undoubtedly involve an understanding of technological tools, and that they are another piece of life that we can choose to enrich our lives if we learn how to properly use them (which includes finding the balance between using those tools without spending our lives plugged in).
This importance of children’s learning about technological tools is something CST understands. The CST Learning Project competition was recently launched, which funds new learning activities for children with $250,000 up for grabs. This initiative is part of the Inspired Minds program, which also includes Careers 2030 – a hard look at the many possible careers that will emerge. These are careers that our kids may consider for their own vocations.
Parent Life Network and Canada Scholarship Trust (CST) Foundation will be hosting a Twitter Party and you’re invited! Join us for an hour of fun to discuss the future, robots and all of the possible jobs that will be available to our little ones. We’ll be giving away $1,000 in that hour!
Date: Thursday, April 7
Time: 9 p.m. EDT
Hashtag: #CSTLearningProject
Hosts: @ParentLifeNet @CSTConsultants
Eligibility: Canada-wide
Prizing: $1,000 in prizing to be awarded.
Important: You must RSVP below in order to be eligible to win the cash prizes.
This is a sponsored post. I have been compensated to share about this worthwhile project and enticing opportunity to win prizes while learning more about our children’s possible future career choices. However, all of the above thoughts and opinions are true and remain my own. You can find my full disclosure policy here.
4 thoughts on “Kids and Technology: It’s Not All Bad”
I like your perspective here and agree that they need exposure to tech to succeed. For example, I encourage my 8-year-old to sit down on google drive to type her story she’s been working on for months!
Oh, I wish I had something like that when I was little. Now I’ve realized what I love to do is write, and I remember trying to type out my ideas on an actual paper and keys typewriter as a little girl. I wonder what I would have written if I could have gotten the words to come out easier?
Good to see a positive post on kids with technology. It’s not all doom and gloom!
Thank you! I’m a firm believer that there are always pros and cons to every choice you make. Technology and how you use it is just another one of them.