Never before in history has the future been so mysterious. Our children are being prepared for jobs that don't even exist yet by teachers who often know less about the technology they are using than the kids themselves. Never before has learning been more about how you learn than what you know. Our kids need to be adaptable, open minded and confident because there is simply no telling what is in store for them in the years to come.
Thankfully companies like Microsoft are thinking about these things and planning ahead. I was thrilled to learn about the School of the Future funded by Microsoft that serves as a model for 21st century learning. Obviously here, technology is everywhere and fully integrated in all of the curriculum.
But what about our kids in regular schools? What are they up against in this rapidly changing world that gets smaller every day? How do we prepare them for a future so bright it is sometimes blinding? In my opinion, what we can do is learn ourselves. Understand enough that we can engage in thoughtful discussions that will help build confidence in and provide exposure to these tools and nurture a love of learning and exploration. Because, after all, this is uncharted territory.
To illustrate this point, check out this video created by educators and learners a few years ago about the overwhelming changes happening in our world:
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Since technology seems to be changing exponentially, one strategy for helping our kids succeed is to give them a strong foundation in reading, writing, math, and science. This way they will have the capabilities to adapt to the changing times. Lets face it, You can't teach a technology that doesn't yet exist, and most of the technologies available to us and to our children were developed by people whose teachers used a traditional pedegogical method: chalk and chalkboard. Working with computers is no doubt helpful, but as I watch teenagers fiddle with their Ipods and blackberries in such an addictive fashion, I begin to wonder if their typical dialogue with each other _ "hey, what's up" - is really helping the North American kid compete in this ever changing world, especially when people from China and India are producing millions of scholars every year.
I still want to give them strong basics, like doing math without electronic devices, reading, spelling etc and face to face socialization. While I want them to know new technologies I don't want them to be totally dependent on them either.
I have always been a great believer in ,,if they are old enough to ask they are old enough to know. Children are like little sponges, it is very important to teach them any all you can everyday. Do not be afraid to let them watch the news with you or any movie. Let Children Learn. Parents should always be there and explain anything the child asks instead of putting them off like many parents tend to do.
I don't really think school should start any earlier for children but sometimes I thing it could be good in a very structured way.
The best job we, as parents, can do is to instill good family values in our children. No technology in the world can teach children to be honest, kind and loving. In this rapidly changing world we live in, I am not seeing parents taking the time to be with their children long enough to show them how to love themselves and be kind and caring with others. The result of this lack of input from the parents is showing itself as a "Me First" generation. Technology has left our children lacking in inter-personal skills.
The best advice to give children is to install good morals and values. I think parents should lead by example. Parents should spend quality time with their children.
if give them good guidance and lots of support in what ever they decide to do
Always let them reach their full potential. Never hold them back and encourage them to achieve their goals and never limit themselves. Try to give them the tools that they need to achieve these goals and cheer them on even if they fail. Also, always remember to tell them to be true to themselves and to trust their instincts and respect themselves, others and retain their core values and never compromise themselves.
An open communication and providing rationales and explanations is the ideal. Then children learn from the dialogue rather than just being told to act in certain ways.
As I was scrolling down the page to the comments feature I read all the other entries and I agree with the common thread. We need to instill in our children the values of honesty, self respect and respect for others while teaching them the basic foundations of reading, writing and math (thought I was going to say arithmetic weren't you) Once they have that they can and will learn whatever life throws at them - especially with all the changes in technology. Not sure what is going to be out there in the future, but if they develop into adults with a good dose of self respect, education, and humour, we have nothing to worry about. Give them space and the chance to make mistakes, and they will learn and develop new ideas.
I couldn't agree more with the above comments. I strongly believe we need to be good listeners, be leaders and good role models for our children and most of all instill good values, especially the one where they should treat people the way they want to be treated. If we give them a good foundation then hopefully they can tackle whatever life throws at them but with an open mind.
My thoughts and strategies for helping my kids succeed in an ever-changing world?
are that every child has the power to succeed in school, life and every parent family member can help . For me it is a combination of common sense and research about how a child learn and about how to prepare them for what is to come.
I think everyone wants their children to suceed and we all pay lip service at least to the idea of instilling values but the lessons our children will learn are the ones they watch us practising in our homes. How are we responding to the new technology? Is it our servant or our master? Do we fear it or are we ready to learn about it's negative and positive qualities. Do we discuss these things with our children or do we freeze them out of the discussion. Do we teach them that problem solving is a valuble skill we all need or do we ourselves look for technology or others to clear our path. Technology is only one feature of our lives, it can become an aspect that enhances or destroys but the same can be said of all the other facets of our lives as well.
Because the world is constantly changing, with new challenges every day, the most important thing kids need to know today is how to problem solve and think independently. I believe by making them think things through without "spoon-feeding" them answers and quick fixes, you can build their problem solving skills and independence.
To help our kids succeed in an ever changing world we have tried to instill in them a sense of fair play and empathy even though at times this is a very dog-eat-dog world. We use encouragement, rather than punishment and harsh words, to build up their self-esteem so they can act like/be leaders.
There is also an emphasis on learning/education in our home. We always expect our children to try their best at whatever they take on whether it is school work or on the playing field or in their music and swimming lessons. CAN'T is not part of our vocabulary. We replace it with I 'LL TRY and discuss problem solving strategies.
I think we as parents need to invest in our kids future as in new and latest technology.
Show them that curiosity is a good thing and learning will naturally follow.
I think it's very good that in school they still get taught all the basics, math, science etc. I also want them to take advantage of the library doing research like we did when we were kids. I don't want them to just google everything.
In the near future there won't be libraries like you know them. Books are quickly being replaced by computer storage devices. You will have to google (or some seach program) to find answers or to read a book.
My thoughts and strategies for helping my kids succeed in an ever-changing world? Technology is evolving quickly but for the most part people are exactly the same as they always have been. We still all need and desire the most basic things to function well; unending love, to be respected as an individual and 3 nutritious meal a day. Give a kid these things and he or she will take care of the rest.
Kids need a good basic knowledge of the fundamentals plus lots of exposure to changing technology. A healthy rounded ciriculum including sports and other activities, maybe some music lessons plus some volunteering experience should keep them well-rounded for their future.
I'd use a two-part strategy. The first is to impress upon every child, from an early age, that the world is indeed ever-changing, and they must constantly adapt and change with it. The second part is to educate them, as much as possible, on the framework and values that they would need to adapt to this change. Absolute knowledge, such as the way a computer works today, is less important than the idea that one must constantly seek out new and different tools and methods for achieving an end result. Flexible thinking, always keeping some overarching goal in view, is the key, and education in this method of thinking is what will see them through whatever they may face.
We had just about finished school when computers came around and most of us were self taught...so we can only be there for our kids, be patient, teach them and answer their questions.
as long as they respect others, apply the golden rule, and don't fear new technology, they will be fine.
I try and let kids know that they can trust thier feelings and intuition knowing that I can't be there for them every step of the way.
It's better to make a mistake and learn something than to never think for oneself because a parent was always making decisions for them.
I help my kids build their own self confidence by pointing out how they have achieved when they tried things. A strong self image helps you open doors.
To help my children in this ever changing World I will encourage education and will not close any doors for them. Also I will teach them about the past by learning about that they will see how far we have come and how far left to go
I think children need to be more open in to the world. Such as different languages and learning at an early age education. I strongly believe in the children of the future
I believe its very important to teach your kids to think and form opinions. They will copy what they see you do regularly. If you read regularly even to yourself, they will learn to respect reading. If you write regularly, i have noticed that my little 6 year old will copy that behaviour and drag out her best little notebook to scribble notes in. She even will copy words from a book.
If we as parents respect words and knowledge our kids will develop those learning tools and not be victims of the media or the technological infiltration of society.
Children still need a strong grounding in the basics and a deeply inculcated sense of self. A love of reading and of learning in general. Basic financial skills such as saving and growing your money. And now, the ability and desire to stay on top of all the new technology. Education is the key...self-education as well as the more formal kind.
I encourage education and computer skills are very important :)
I make sure they feel loved even if they are not successful in certain areas and I encourage creative thinking and make them watch educational programs.
We have been playing on the computer with the kids from about the age of 2. It didn't take long before they could control the mouse and enjoy many of the pre-school websites. Computer skills are very important.
Plus we really encourage reading. From birth we have read to the kids and they both were able to read by about age 3. Without reading, even computer skills would be useless.
My strategy for helping kids succeed in an ever-changing world is to ensure that we teach them good moral values and introduce them to technology in a positive manner.
I help my kids to succeed by encouraging their interests and helping them do the research to find the necessary steps to pursue their goals. I support their teachers at school and have meetings with them so that we are on the same page and so I know what is happening in the classroom and how I can help at home. I give my kids hugs everyday and tell them I love them. Self esteem comes from feeling safe and loved. I believe in my kids! ♥
Just be true to yourself.
I agree with many of the other comments- the most important things are the basics, teaching your kids to read and write, be curious and be able to communicate their thoughts and ideas effectively. With these basic tools they will always be able to adapt to any changes.
I teach my children to be kind and respect others, especially their elders, this is what the world lacks today is respect of others and others property
Read read read read, I think that reading is the most important thing you can teach your children. I read to mine all the time and it shows in there abilities in the class. Another thing I do is, while I discourage alot of television, the little bit they do watch I keep the subtitles going on the bottom. This also seems to help alot because they begin to recognize the words as they are spoken on screen.
I believe reading is the basis to great knowledge for any of us. So it is very important to read to, with or encourage your child to read on their own as much as possible. My children have always seen me reading daily so they have all developed a great love for it as well.
I encourage to ask lots of questions....be curious, seek to understand....be kind and open your heart and listen!
Children and teenagers need to be raised in a global way, that is learning additional languages such as french immersion (popular here in manitoba) and Japanese which they can take at high school among other choices. Also important to 'future adults' is the ability to seek out and gain knowledge independently. No longer are all the facts in the dictionary and encyclopedia...kids need to be able to go online, seek out the important information and verify it and then analyze it to determine the value of the information they have gleaned.
Finally, a financial education will give children and young adults an edge in the world where pension plans and national coverage may well be on the way out. Teach your children about money by giving them control over some money as they are growing. Hopefully my teenagers have learned to cut costs (they even like to shop at thrift stores) and to save for items ahead of buying them on credit cards. I am hopeful that they will have bright futures because of the choices we have made in raising them and by giving them a safe but modest environment and by modeling conservative financial choices.
I will tell them to Reach for the stars but to also have a comfortable place to fall back on from time to time! The most important "things" in life aren't things!
There's not much new I can say as it all has been said but with this new generation of texters it is important they they learn to read and write properly
I plan to help him stay up with technology while teaching the basics which includes the old adage: do unto others.... which applies in both the online and offline worlds
Technology changes so rapidly. However, I think my kids are very ahead in that they know so much more about computers than I do. As far as education goes, it is important for parents to support their kids, and guide them when needed. It is also important to let them know that even if they didn't get the best grades, that they tried.
Arm them with curiosity, the desire to learn and search for answers, and the confidence to deal with failure if they do not succeed.
Generally, I think the key is to make sure that kids have a good solid foundation of basic skills. For example, learning to tell time with a traditional clock (vs. relying on digital clocks), mastering basic math skills although you ca just Google the answer, taking the time to practice traditional keyboarding skills and not just texting and using abbreviations and short-cuts, etc.
I have taught my kids the needed online skills for years now and feel confident that they have gleaned enough information to do well in life and be able to keep up with the technological advances that are sure to come in the future.
I think our children are well prepare in school for our technology ever-changing world.
But I think kids still need to be teach value, moral and consequences. Too many kids missing that now a days!
I believe children must have a good self-worth. In order to achieve this parents have to show lots of love and lead by example in teaching them the basics - honesty, integrity, having respect for self and others and the accomplishments through hard work. Being the 'all round student' is so important; examples being maintaining good grades, participating in sports or other things like music/band, keeping physically active if not involved in some sport and having lots of friends that are positive, fun and well-balanced.
I don't have children at the moment. I am only 21 years old but I do have an idea of what I want to do for my child when they come into the world of every day change. I want them to be able to go to school, have passed high school with the skills of knowing math, knowing science, knowing computer skills, knowing how to read, how to write. I want them to get into a job that will be good for them for the rest of their lives, their choice in job whether it be a doctor or a lawyer or a police officer. I want them to know that they should not be afraid in this large world we live in. It will be okay to make mistakes, that's how we learn. I want them to explore and discover life around them. I want to take my children around the world if I can so they can see all of what this wonderful world has to offer. I want them to be happy to be themselves and grow up to make this world a better place and maybe be able to change the world by making a remarkable discovery or designing the newest technology or help solve some big diseases. That's my answer to your question. This world is going to continue to change, and I want my kids to take a big step in it.
My motto has always been never give up; so when my youngest was starting school; sports whatever I always told him just never give up; can you believe this followed him through life; today he is a very successful 26 year old who got his first tattoo in honor of my motto; so he found the Japenese scripture for NEVER GIVE UP. Now when things get tough he just looks at his forearm if I am not around. Parents today have to realize that instilling good work values are the utmost of importantance and follows that child into adult hood and I did this all as a single parent.
I'm a firm believer in following your gut reaction. Teach kids to get in tune with their feelings as to what feels right and what doesn't and to act accordingly and always give them praise when they followed their direction.
As a Grandmother my role is different than a Mother. I try to explain to my 2 grandchildren why things are the way they are plus have fun showing how they are done. In this tech and rush rush world I try to instill old fashioned ways to show them there is choices in life.
I make sure that my kids can get the best education possible and give them every opportunity possible so that they may succeed.
Lots of communication and a reminder that great games can be played and lessons learned without any electronic devices. Five Rocks, Spud, Jumpsies.... all games my kids are enjoying this summer
I think the best thing to prepare your children for the world is to allow them to make their own mistakes. Constantly helping your child so they never experience failure does not encourage growth in a child (or many young adults for that matter).
I also encourage my child not to be so focussed on planning every little thing. I work with a lot of young adults who have a timetable established for their life who become incredibly disappointed when things don't happen they way they have planned. I don't think anyone should map out their life at such a young age.
Above everything else we need to help our children to develop a love of learning. The love of learning is an attitude that will carry them through life and enable them to change directions as necessary by willingly updating and reinforcing their skills in an ever changing world and reality.
This is more important that directing our children into a certain "career" or "set of skills" based on today's reality. Because today's reality may not be their life in the future.
But if they have developed the attitude of enjoying the process of learning and change they can evolve their lives to accommodate those changes.
We have long left behind the one job or one company for life model, and those who are most successful are those who see change as an opportunity and capitalize on the opportunities presented by that change. These individuals enjoy the process of learning and adaptation and are not fearful or resistant to change.
So how do we nurture our little children, and teens to develop this mindset? By being very proactive in our parenting and carefully thinking through all our children's opportunities, not based on convenience but based on it's potential to promote the process of loving to learn.
This isn't easy and it isn't done by marks or trying to attain perfect straight A's. It is done by finding learning opportunities that a child enjoys for it's own sake. The more of these learning opportunities we can give our children the more they will be able to see the opportunities for change and learning when they are adults, and see it as the opportunity it actually is. We need to think outside of the box. Think outside of the "learning only happens in school" box.
I will give an example but please realize these are not cookie cutter ideas. For this to work each learning opportunity needs to be customized to the uniqueness of your child. You want to find the opportunities that capitalize on your child's interests. These are activities that your child loves. That you do not have to make them do (well maybe occasionally we all hit walls sometimes, but these walls are more opportunities to learn how to deal with real life situations). The right activities will teach your children to develop a skill, a talent or knowledge for it's own sake not just to know it for credits or a test. The attainment of these skills or knowledge will be it's own reward, Bingo, your child has learned something far beyond the actual skill. Activities that might work include, sports, arts, music, academic clubs, hobbies, jobs... the list is endless. The important thing is to be proactive and to know your child and tap into opportunities that become available in your child's area of interests. For instance, your child loves the computer and spends endless hours on it. You become aware of a computer club that is beginning at the school or community center, and it is being taught by an admired teacher who loves what he teaches and enjoys mentoring youngsters... This could be the perfect thing for your computer loving youngster and may take him beyond games into web design, graphics, programming etc... your child will learn valuable information and skills which he will retain because he LOVES it, but he has also learned to learn because he wants to learn it not just to please a teacher or his parents.
Another example might be your athletic daughter is part of a team. She loves that sport. She also enjoys children. An opportunity becomes available to coach a hearing impaired team. She would like to sign up. She takes sign language courses, coaching courses, while taking on this unique challenge. The skills, and experience she will get from this opportunity will have a very positive effect on her life and attitudes towards learning.
So get to KNOW your kids, and be a facilitator in their lives, finding ways to enrich their learning beyond their desks, so that they will take learning into their adult lives, making it easy to adapt to our rapidly changing world.
Kids should be exposed to technology as early as possible. My son was a baby when he would see his siblings play on the computer. He is now 22 and knows computers inside and out and is on the way to becoming a Computer Engineer. All this because we always had a computer in the house, and kept upgrading.
allow kids to persue their interests, whatever it may be, and let them do this with technology.
I feel that as long as I raise my children to be emotionally intelligent, self-confident young women, they will be able to handle whatever comes their way in the future. I try to build their emotional intelligence and self-confidence by giving them lots of opportunities to engage socially with others and to pursue a variety of interests.
Letting your kids pursue their own interests while being supportive of that is a great start. Make sure they are self confident & respectful of others & others' property. Taking the time to have meaningful discussions with them as the topics & opportunities warrant. I've always encouraged reading,& creativity. Try not to over program them because that backfires. If every moment is scheduled with some sort of activity they become bored & don't know what to do with themselves if it's not scheduled. I try to expose them to many different things for example a trip to a museum or to the beach to feed the sea gulls & look for "treasures". Taking them to visit a friend of mine as she was working in her silk screening studio was oodles of fun for them.
Start them on computers as a learning tool as young as possible. Computers are not going to go away. It's good if your kids can learn them young. Little kids retain more information at that age.
i believe in letting my kids have the space to figure out who and what they want to be, make their own mistakes, nowadays we have to protect them from soo many things i think sometimes they cant breath, i try and keep up with all the new technology so that i can help them and understand how it all works, and i try and keep them interested in learning , that is about all you can do , and then they have to find their way, i dont think that ever changes no matter what is new out there
I believe that our kids should be taught how to print and write and how to do math in their heads. I also believe that they should know how to use electronic items as well. They need to have the basics before they can concentrate on electronics and then they can spend equal time learning and using each.
If you treat your children with the respect and esteem usually reserved for your parents, you give them the best chance to grow into becoming their best selves.
I try to make sure my kids know they can talk me to anytime they want about anything. This way if there is cyberbulling, they can come to me. I also know all their passwords for their mail, and facebook so every so often I can make sure there is nothing bad going on.
Help them along and do as you preach. Reading books or magazines help your young kids wanting to read also. When doing things in the kitchen such as cooking or baking allow them to help measure out ingredients and put them in. In this ever changing world teaching them the basics of technology will help them to be more comfortable with technology in future. Let them use the computer for research and music but limit the amount of time spent on gaming. Going back to simpler games that use dice and counting will help young kids better then shooting Sponge Bob Square pants.
Empower. Empower your children and encourage them use their voice to be change makers. If positive role modeling is King, then listening the them is Queen. Having a voice is not used for whining, complaining or arguing. Having a voice is used for discussing, sharing and taking action!!!
I think spelling is overlooked.
Everyone needs to know how to spell - even if you are using email and doing computer work - spell check often doesn't cut it.
If you can't spell, your words can be misinterpreted or make you look uneducated. To some it is a small thing but to me - it is everything!
Teaching kids logical problem solving will help them in any endeavor they later get involved in. In the business world it almost doesn't matter what specific kind of college degree you have, as long as you have the additional 4 or 5 years of problem solving under you belt.
I believe it starts with the parents. We have to constantly keep learning to help our children. From the basics in school, to keeping up with technology and even world events because I think they are also important to shaping where we go in the future.
I hope more companies take an interest in our children's future because they are important in everything we do in the future.
My thoughts and strategies for helping my kids succeed in an ever-changing world, just go with the flow. My child saw me using my DS, and asked to play. I sat down and taught her a few games and then bought her some more geared to her age (3.5 years old). I did the same with our laptop and desktop, she asked to play games, and I showed her how to click on the bookmarks so she could play her disney games or NickJr games etc. Every once in awhile, she hits a new stumbling block and I sit and teach her how she can achieve what she was desiring the computer game to do. I play hours and hours with her, and let me tell you, she teaches ME a few things! Technology is wonderful! :)
I want my son to know he can follow any interest he has and I'll do everything I can to support him. I believe his best chance of success is to do what he loves, so I encourage him to do that.
I believe parents must prepare their children for the road ahead of them by giving them reference points, values, and boundaries. Whether in "real" life, or through technology, we are all exposed to a variety of cultures, opinions, diversity, good or bad. Children must be taught to differentiate by themselves what is good and what is not. Technology is a tool for many things, but as a tool, if you don't know how to use it, it's either useless or dangerous. Parents need to help children learn how to use all the tools available to them.
It's really tough to prepare for our own futures, let alone the futures of the next generations. We have become so dependent upon technology, that I don't know my best friends phone number, or my fiance's. I just push a button on the phone and magically they are called. If I am in the car, I just speak their name and they are called.
Don't get me wrong, I think technology is great and I have all the little gadgets and I love them, but we need to make sure that kids have actual memories and the capability to think for themselves. Look at the toys of the last century compared to today, and let's be honest, those talking stuffed animals become toys of the past quickly. Kids like to use their imaginations, so let's encourage it.
I think we need to do two things: first, let's make sure our kids are well versed with technology and keep up to date, second, let's send them *shudder* outside to splash in puddles, and play with each other, ride bikes, play with blocks and in sandboxes, spend time at the beach or the lake and with nature. Let's read with them - you know, books, printed on paper. Let's remember that social skills are learned through interaction. In other words, by playing with each other. Let's let kids be kids for as long as they can. That's really the best preparation we can give them for adulthood.
I have 3 children under 4 years and I am amazed at how technologically advanced these shildren are at ths age!! I didn't master the computer and associated technology...well I guess I am still a work in progress lol.
My 4 year old loves to go on educational websites for kids and I thnk that she has benefitted from the content. The kids are always fighting for time on the computer so another one for them would be great!
The most important thing for us to teach our children is solid values, respect for themselves and for others. We want them to be able to adapt to their surroundings and learn how to be themselves, use their common sense and always do the best that they can.
We want them to learn the fundamentals of thinking and solving problems on their own but also be able to take advantage of technology to help them enhance the basic skills that they already have. Doing research and being able to come up with ideas on their own, write it down, or figure it out on paper should be something that is hardwired into their heads. The computer, the ever changing technology should be a tool to help them with those things not think and do it for them.
You need to keep your kids connected to the new technology but not at the risk of real connections in the real world. A facebook friend is not the same as a friend down the street you go outside and play with. They need this technology to participate in the world, just don't let it dominate.
You also do not want to risk making them lazy for math, spelling and grammar. Read real books, not just websites!
I think my job as a mother is first and foremost to bring raise my kids to be good people with respect, proper ethics and love for our fellow man. I know it sounds cliché but there really is not enough of that around anymore. Above and beyond that I try to expose them to all things possible. I don't know everything, so if I don't know something I find someone who does. Another cliché that I firmly believe in is, "it takes a village to raise a child". So the more help we all have, the better off our kids will be in the future, and that includes technology.
I think the best way for me to help my kids succeed in a technologically advancing world is to keep myself up to date with current and upcoming changes.
Generally I support my children's interests and remind them of how much life they have ahead of them and all the doors that are open to them. Stand behind them and give them a good foundation and they can do anything!
I let my kids watch me on the computer [they're 3 and 4] but I dont let them use it..
I just find it's not nessissary for kids their age. I wasn;t introduced to computers until I was 10 but it was to "learn" via playing cross country canada [lol!].
I want my kids to learn things without too much technology. Who knows what'll happen in the next 50 years, right??
I give my kids lots of love and support. I am always there when they need me. This will help them grow and have confidence in themselves to live in an ever-changing world.
I believe that the children of today should still be able to do their studies without help from calculators etc. but, they should also be well aware of the modern technology and be able to use it with confidence. The world is changing rapidly, and all learning skills have to be known now.
I believe parents must prepare their children for the road ahead of them by giving them reference points, values, and boundaries. Whether in "real" life, or through technology, we are all exposed to a variety of cultures, opinions, diversity, good or bad. Children must be taught to differentiate by themselves what is good and what is not. Technology is a tool for many things, but as a tool, if you don't know how to use it, it's either useless or dangerous. Parents need to help children learn how to use all the tools available to them.
Encourage in them a love for learning.
I like the fact that my kid's are computer literate and are functional with the computer basics that seem to be essential component of the school system compared when I went to school but there has to be a happy balance with with social interaction still a must in the everyday lives as well!
I like the fact that my kid's are computer literate and are functional with the computer basics that seem to be essential component of the school system compared when I went to school but there has to be a happy balance with with social interaction still a must in the everyday lives as well!
I like giving my daughter the choices & chances to explore. I think it's good for the mind. With that being said, I also stress, if someone has to talk you into something, then you are not ready. This is a good thought for every day situations.
Allow them to be independent and make mistakes. Teach the fundamentals of sport, art and music if they're interested.
with 2 children now in high school it is important for them to do good presentations
and do homework and present them on time .. I think this computer could help
them reach goals more effectively
love, support and structure. I think kids work best when they have some sort of blueprint to follow. And it's up to you to set the blueprint up.
I always urge the kids to remember that they can talk to me about all. I trust this limits their exposure to sites and stalkers. Being vigilant about knowing their passwords and keeping tabs on where they go and when and for how long helps too.
The world is ever changing - We as parents can continue to do our part to instill in our children good values. By our good example they will learn a lot.
The library is a wonderful place and by giving them access to books we help them learn and in time they will form their own opinions. Reading is one of the best ways to learn. My son loves to read and he is not yet 6 years and he has learnt a lot from the books he reads. He loves using the computer - the websites available for children are not only fun but educational.
It is true that children are just like sponges - they will absorb everything and they retain a lot of it so it is up to us to be there for them .. to listen to them and answer their questions the best you can. Each person will develop as best as he or she can and we can only provide the resources.
Never discourage them from trying new things. Teach them to persevere, to accept new challenges in life. Teach them values and honesty. Technology cannot teach them everything. You must show them by example.
I believe parents must prepare their children for the road ahead of them by giving them reference points, values, and boundaries. Whether in "real" life, or through technology, we are all exposed to a variety of cultures, opinions, diversity, good or bad. Children must be taught to differentiate by themselves what is good and what is not. Technology is a tool for many things, but as a tool, if you don't know how to use it, it's either useless or dangerous. Parents need to help children learn how to use all the tools available to them.
Embrace the technology and know how to use it as well as the kids...but make sure they can spell without spell check and add without a calculator!
With technology continuing evolving, there are a few things we can do to assist our children. We can ensure that they have a strong foundation in the 'traditional' subjects of math, science, English and Social Studies. We can also ensure that they have access to technology in a variety of settings. For this reason it is imperative that all schools have access to technology. This way, students will not be left behind if their families are unable to provide the technology at home. Some schools have started to allow ipod touches so that students can look up information during class time. I have heard of a school where the majority of the students had the touches so the school paid for touches for those students whose families couldn't afford them. This would be an ideal situation, but overall not realistic. That is the limiting factor of technology - the costs associated with it. If manufactures of technology would reduce costs to educational facilities, all students would have access to the latest and greatest.
I say lead by example. Kids will learn from their parents, be it good or bad. So watch the language and honestly answer the questions you get. In the long run your time with the kids is more important the the toys and gadgets you get for them.
Encourage in them a love for learning.
teach them to be like me and mom..when we are goog and tonot be like us when we falter
The best way to help our kids survive an "ever-changing" world is re-inforcing the "non-ever changing" elements i.e. family, trust, faith, discipline, confidence, hope and humility. With those basics our kids will have the foundation to adapt to any changes and succeed.
I give guidance and good advice to my children. I hope they'll make the right choices but realize at times they'll make the wrong ones and have to learn the hard way. It's unfortunate, but we've all done it and it ends up being a learning experience anyway.
I teach my daughter to "learn something from someone everyday" if you do this no matter what your day consists of then you will gain knowledge you can't get from anywhere else. I always tell her to be helpful and grateful for the community and world we live in, we have so many opportunities to gain knowledge and be a better person each and every day.
We allow our children to explore every facet in life through education (books, touch, taste, visual experiences). However, technology has helped us expand their knowledge with a click of a mouse which simplifies their need to learn. For example, our 4 year old is fascinated in trains and our 1 year old loves music...if it wasn't for technology we wouldn't be able to show or download their interests in a matters of minutes.
I teach my daughter to "learn something from someone everyday" if you do this no matter what your day consists of then you will gain knowledge you can't get from anywhere else. I always tell her to be helpful and grateful for the community and world we live in, we have so many opportunities to gain knowledge and be a better person each and every day.
I guess it depends on your definition of success. I encourage them to learn something new on a daily basis and to make a contribution to the world. However, as we've seen the outcome of greed and corruption in the corporate world recently I also teach them values.
My husband and I are going to try to give our children a strong foundation in the fundamentals of life. Skills like reading, writing, math, but also how to get along with others, enjoy an active lifestyle through dance, sports and active living, and the importance of getting out to see the world. At the same time early exposure to technology in many different ways is also a great way to encourage a familiarity with it for our kids so that they are comfortable and adept at using it. We feel that although the ability to use technology is going to be crucial to our children's success in life it does not replace the old-fashioned skills we (and previous generations) grew up with.
To help kids survive and succeed in today's world- you have to instill in them basic values and empathy with others.
The best way, in my opinion, to help kids succeed and grow in our ever-changing world is to keep up to date with the constantly evolving technologies and how to properly protect your children while not hindering their learning.
Technology is evolving and changing at an alarming pace (thing how long it took to make the first home computer. Now think how long it takes for your current home computer to become obsolete! The evolutionary track of technology is down from years to weeks. Certain things can change as often as daily) and it's extremely necessary to keep up with what's going on. New languages have emerged from the current tech culture and have slowly become a part of young people's every day vocabulary.
My thoughts and strategies for helping kids succeed in our ever-changing world are the following:
1. Practice what you preach (be a good role model)
2. Always look for the good in people (don't judge a book by its cover)
3. Be flexible yet stand up for what you truly believe in
4. Be a team player and a leader when necessary
5. Set positive an realistic life goals
6. Alway look on the brighter side of life (have some fun)
7. Remember your manners and always be polite (common sense goes a long way)
8. Be the best you can be (give it your "all")
9. Smile:>
10. Practice makes perfect (or close to it)
1st and foremost the key strategy to "making it" in the world today is...
be supportive & loving parents/guardians who are always there to lend a hand/ear and offer advice as our kids grow up and become responsible and lifelong learners themselves.
Children first need to be taught the basics. Let's face it - technology we are teaching them now will not be around when they are in the workforce. Give them a pencil and paper to learn to write and calculate. There is lots of time for them to learn computers when they are in high school.
We encourage our children to embrace new technology.Utilize every avenue towards a goal in education or the workforce.
i use technology every day and teach it as well
We, as a family, enjoy new technologies, but we limit our children's time with electronic devices, especially in social situations. We try to encourage math and reading skills in a variety of activities outside of the classroom, in ways that are fun, where they will understand the relevance of having these skills. Technology had made life so much easier and so much more complicated - it helps keep people connected and drives them apart. My kids are young and not open to philosophical discussions on the benefits and downfalls of technological advances but , we believe, encouraging children in non-technical activities (sport, imaginative play, etc) as well participating with them when they are using some type of technology, making room for non technical family time and discussion as well as time to share the computer, ipod, etc, helps to keep kids grounded and well rounded and helps them to see that technology has a place in life but is not the whole enchilada.
We are a super technology heavy family. Our7 year old could manipulate our windows media PC/TV system when she was 3. She had her own pocket mobile PC at 2 and now has her own notebook and itouch for a long time now. She knew how to webcam with her dad on MSN messenger when he travelled a lot when she was 3.
My toddler has an older notebook and my husbands hand me down iphone.
She is 3 and knows how to go to recorded tv on our media pc and play her shows because she recognizes the thumbnail of her recordings.
We are having a challenge with being too technology oriented. Currently I have the oldest notebook in the house. A bit sad....
Somehow I think they have the technology gene from their dad.
I think that having a strong family base and confidence in themselves will help my children most. If children believe that they can do things and work hard to accomplish them, they are most likely to flourish and achieve.
These are exciting times we live in, with the speed and access to the great capacity of knowledge in the world today. Many educators are at the forefront, teaching our children how to think, question, and reason. When I was a child, I imagined the possibility of such a tool as the internet, and its endless applications. When I step back, I wonder and marvel at these technological advancements, and ponder what humankind would have thought if they could see how we live now. But some things never change. People have the same hopes and dreams as they did centuries ago. As much as technology has progressed, it all comes down to our basic humanity and how we treat one another. It is a sobering thought, and this awareness will help my child and others to cope in an ever-changing world.
Thankfully my husband is very tech savy where I am tech challenged! Our girls are still little so as of right now it's not really been an issue, but we have been reading to them both since birth and our 2 year old seems to understand the dvd player and computer already!
Love the idea of this awesome Laptop
For myself I try to teach my kids the fundamental skills they will need to succeed in life such as reading, writing, math and social skills. I think that technology is a great thing and has proven to bring people together all over the world, but at the same time I want my kids to know how important it is to remove yourself from the fast pace technology and enjoy the earth they live on once in a while. I think that earlier exposure to technology is important for children to be able to keep up with all the technology changes. Once they learn the basics of technology it will be easier for them to learn and keep up with technology changes compared to an older person trying to learn. But I do believe that the most important thing for our child is to still learn everything we had to learn and know how to function without it, because if something happened that all technology when down I want to know that it will not be the end of the world for my kids.
I am a huge fan of technology and all the possibilities and I love teaching my teenagers all of the fun tricks and tips that I've learned along the way. They think I am brilliant because I am one of the few parents who know more about technology than their teens!! Since my youngest is just entering highschool - a laptop would be wonderful for solving homework issues.
With our 3 year old, I try to emphasize the fundamentals of reading and writing. At 3 she can write her full name and can recognize all letters and numbers to 20. We encourage her to try new things whether it is ballet, swimming, or whatever she is interested in trying. We never push her because that can lead to other problems. We want her to be well rounded and inquisitive as she grows.
Regardless of how much the world changes we are always going to be human. I would like to think that I am teaching my daughter to grow up knowing that the world is not perfect, we are not perfect. We will make mistakes and it is what learn from those mistakes that will helps up in the future. I am trying to give her every experience in life that I can and open the world up to her to as many possibilities in life. Teach her that the little things in life do matter and to always stop and just look around at the world and it’s endless possibilities. I want her to keep on using her imagination and dream big and get dirty, not everything is learned by computers and technology. Simple life experiences can teach us so much and I think that a lot of us have forgotten those. I will teach her to live, dream and don’t let anyone ever tell you that you can’t do something , because you can!
I agree with all the comments listed. It's so important for us as parents to instill good goals and values. It's equally important for our kids to know the meaning of respect and how to appreciate everything we have. Our world is changing all the time so it's important for our kids to keep up with modern technology but we have to remember not to have our kids abuse the privledges they have. One of those privledges is having ample access to the computer, DS's, Iphones, T.V., etc. I'm thankful that my daughter is able to navigate the computer better than me. At least with all the new technology she'll be able to teach me. Lets hope that our kids all continue to grow into respectable, knowledgable menches........
To teach my children to succeed in this ever-changing world, I encourage them to try everything, respect everyone and never give up.
I've told them to cultivate a variety of skills in different areas. One never knows what changes will come about so they need to be ready for whatever comes their way
I want the kids to learn how to do everything without technology such as read maps from books, and do math in their heads as well as learn and understand the newest technology.
Love to fly across the planet at the click of button, and enjoy teaching my kids the same. Also teach them to be wise information 'consumers', seeking information from different web sites in order to get a balanced or more accurate view.
As a mid-50's grandma, I have seen the progression of this technology. From my high school friend (early "70's) with the home built computer the size of a living room, to the clunky Hewlett Packer I worked on in the late "70's, to where we are now. My four children and I initialyy learned together but I'm afraid I have lagged behind now. My two year old granddaughter can even show me a thing or two! I always believed that fostering imagination and out of the box thinking were invaluable to my children and it proved to be true as they embarked on their careers. Grandma needs a laptop! Taking the steep stairs to get to the pc is taking a toll on the crunchy knees.
Along with the values already mentioned, I believe in instilling accountability and responsibility for actions.
As a dad of two (who happens to be a tech geek himself) I would try to stress the fact that technology is not in of itself the end game, rather the technology are tools to help in the process of learning, creating innovative output and having fun. Projects can now include video, web sites, interactive games, etc...these are things technology allows kids to teach and learn from each other in more efficient and engaging ways.
Technology is something everyone in this day and age needs to learn and keep abreast of. Children can be taught many different ways, however I think the best way to keep them up to date is to use real life applications and focus on their interests and strengths.
I have a son who is a teenager and technology touches every part of his life. He communicates with work through e-mail and with friends through texting and social media. He uses smart board technology in the classroom and his school is wireless and encourages students to use laptops in the classroom.
Instead of fighting technology, I have accepted that this is going to be a part of his everyday life for the rest of his life. In order to give him every advantage in using technology wisely and safely I have tried to learn everything I can about social networking, technology in the classroom, and technology as learning tools for the future. In addition, I encourage him to use alternate forms of communication, instead of always turning to the computer or cell phone. For example, I ask him to write thank you notes to his older relatives instead of e-mailing, or calling to talk to a friend instead of texting them.
I was reluctant to get my son a laptop for use in high school, thinking that it could wait until he got into university. After many hours of debate & discussion with my son, his teachers and myself I decided to allow it, provided he signed a contract with me and obeyed the rules. I am happy with the decision I have made. He continues to be a great kid. He has great values, is respectful, responsible and motivated and will be well prepared to use technology safely and effectively in the future. I will continue to learn everything I can about technology for both of us.
Although we always stress that the laptop is not a toy and that it belongs to mommy and daddy we do give our 2 yr old exposure to it and let her see how it works and what happens when you press the letters and numbers. I think we just need to get used to the fact that kids now master technology a lot faster than we think they do!
To help kids succeed- they should be introduced to technology at a young age.
i beleive the most important thing to teach our kids in this ever changing world is to think critically. I agree with the bbasics of this thread that our kids need to know math, reading and spelling, but I beleive it to be even more important that our children think for themselves. So much information is available everywhere with all these new technologies and our children need to have the skills to take what is out there and put it to a critical mind, not beleiving anything just because it was said.
To help my daughter succeed in this ever-changing world is to do my best at instilling in her: good morals and values, the ability to think independently and to voice her opinion, self esteem, pride, responsibility, confidence, love, faith, compassion, charity, the importance of remaining humble.
need to balance teaching them how to use technology and managing without it!
I think chidren should know about new technology and other things that do not involved technology. Chidren should be able to explore things and technology is the new way for them to learn and grow, but there is a limit on what they need to know at a early age. Let your children explore but be there to make sure they are exploring the right things. Also let them know about all the good and even some of the bad things you did before technology came out. Children want to know, it matter's what they find out. Talk to your children, learn the new techology alone with your child. It can be FUN!
Let children be children. Learn how to read and write and do sums. Also let them play. Computers can come later.
I will make sure that I teach my kids that learning is an amazing thing that you can do for yourself, and it is a lifelong process. I will also make sure my kids understand the value of hard work. Both of these things I will teach them by example.
I try to use the technology that my daughters use and make sure that it is a positive communication tool. We play Wii together, we text message each other, we email each other, and we talk about text messages and emails. We also use proper spelling and punctuation in our text messages for practice.
..."So what does it all mean?"
Perhaps what is most unsettling is not the rapid rate of change in technological development - that has been well mapped and plotted through Moore's Law - but the rate of change in the populations around the world and how the balance of economic and social influences will also change. And yet the best we can come up with in most instances is to cite the number of Facebook & Twitter users - this is not the highest and best use of the technologies that exist and hopefully not the direction for those that are yet to be.
It also means I need to win this Toshiba notebook to catch up and continue to ride the wave without getting washed away!
Technology really is too make life easier and faster.
It kind of eliminates the natural thinking thoughts in our brain too figure out things on our own,So it really does the thinking for you.
With that in mind I will always encourage my kids to go back to basic-of reading and writing and counting in their heads.They also have to be able to think through problems and solve as much as possible on their own,I think they would feel a sense of accomplishment and self worth in this manner.Technology in any sense should not totally replace but enhance and help where is needed.
Family values of Love, respect ,social contact cannot be replaced by technology.I will continue to guide my children in this area.So therefore they will have a solid background in family and friends- and when approached with the ever changing world of technology they can adapt and are equipped to be a part of it-but I will be rest assured they will not lose who they really are and not ruled by any of it.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER !!!
Whether old fashioned: 3 R's: Reading, Riting, Rithmetic
or New Age Technology: computers, etc
I am a mom/grandma who has worked as a computer systems analyst for years, so I have had to stay "up" with all the technological changes. I have also been relegated to the "Mom/Grandma !! My computer's broken !! Help me !!" role in the family. I make sure that the "kids" all know that while computers and gaming systems and other gadgets are fun and can be useful tools, there is more to life than just these. I have been teaching my 9 year old granddaughter how to bake, garden, crochet etc as well as let her watch me fix computers.
As my kids have been growing up, their thirst for knowledge of technology is mind-boggling. They have grasped it in their hands and gone running with it. I am happy to say, too, that they also continue to read books and watch tons of documentaries, which keep them informed about the real world.
As a mom, teacher and school administrator I HAVE to stay up to date on technology. It's my job to teach my kids and my staff how to use technology as a tool for learning other things. The processes of learning technology sometimes are challenging, but rewarding when you consider all the oppotunities that are opened up. Knowledge is ever changing, so we need to LEARN HOW TO LEARN, and technology, like it or not, is an essential part of that.
As a basis, the old standby: you can do anything you set your mind to, as long as it does not infringe on another's rights and is not against the law coupled with, if you are going to do something, give it your best effort and do it right the first time. I grew up with these strategies, and I feel they still apply today.
The one other thing that I think is most helpful, is to encourage my children (and grandchildren) to learn as many languages as they can. This gives them an appreciation and understanding for other cultures, as well as widens their horizons of possibilities.
Keeping their minds alert in learning, helps with the math and tecnologies of the world.
Good values and good skills in dealing with others with respect. I only hope that my little ones learn the value of life through honesty .... but I think a balance between the technical world with keeping things 'real' is important :)
Teach your kids to use the computer as an educational tool not a chat, surf, play games waste of time..Everyday give your child a question in history or geography or cooking or political or cultural...And have them search the internet to find facts and info..
Kinda like doing a book report but just ask for like 10 major points on the subject..
This teaches them how to use the internet responsibly and also to learn something new everyday...
In this day and age (and as Jen pointed out the one yet to come) a parent would be foolish to not expose their child to the rapidly changing and evolving world of technology. As adults we know that these tools can also overtake everyday life so balance is always a key. Moderation is essential and letting your child(ren) explore the different forms of technology will only benefit them. Many schools are striving to use technology in conjunction with provincial curriculums through media software, digital photography and smart boards. With children as young as age 4 using computers in school basics like keyboarding and mouse skills are paramount.
Allow younger kids to become familiar with your home computer and child friendly sites. Consider getting older children to save their own money to help purchase the gadgets they desire. Keep up with what your kids are using so that you are familiar with how it is being used and for what purposes. (Trust me this is also essential as you will be come your own in-home "it" person as the gadgets grown in number and complexity.)
Having said all this, I echo the sentiments above that a parent must continue to teach the "non-technology" essentials such as global responsibility, morals, and socialization. We are the example that our children follow in every aspect and this also goes for our technology use and our ability to moderate it and use it to our benefit.
good habits:
do your homework first...
use your brain not pc
be honest
keep it simple
Encourage in them a love for learning.
Hi, I think it is important that my kids still learn how to interact with people and how to be kind and respect others. We use the computer as a resource, it does not control our lives- we do turn it off to allow us to do other things. I do believe it is important to learn about new technology, and I hope that the teachers at school use it in the classroom as a supplement, not as the main teaching tool. I want my kids to be able to function in life on their own, not just dependent on the computer. Thanks
Kids that love learning will use any tool that will help them explore and create. Technology, in any form is just another tool, it will never take the place of a well fed love of learning. A few years ago we were on the way to the beach and our van broke down. A quick fix, dragged on until our day at the lake unexpectedly turned into a day at the garage. Stuck in garage/junkyard an hour away from both the lake and home, we spent the day catching grass hoppers, looking for hub caps and building sand castles with yogurt containers. I am not sure a computer would have helped them learn anymore than they did that day. however, I am also not sure it would have hindered their learning, it would have just been another tool they could have used to feed thier love for learning.
I don't think that the challenges that come with change really phase kids that love learning and feel comfortable taking chances. Most adults like predictabilty and the thought of adding new skill sets for the sole reason of exploreing and playing can make even the most supportive parent feel a little queezy. But I feel that we are really are not supposed to have all the answers as much as we are supposed to have the right questions. Helping our kids know which questions to ask, will help them shape the information they seek and how they will use that information in thier exploring, creating and learning, Technology, and specifically something as flexible as a laptop is such an amazing enabler of creativity as it removes so many obstacles to creativity and with the assistance of the right questions and a love for learning.
The best advice is let them follow their dream and support them in whatever their dreams, and insist family values. Family is forever.
Keeping up with the latest is important to allow our kids to succeed in the ever changing world we live in. Having said that, they need to learn all the basics without technology as well. They pick up on the latest very easily but what happens when they don't have a calculator (have you noticed how the young clerks can't count the change if the till doesn't tell them the correct amount?!) Look how Toronto ground to a halt this week because everything relied on power. Our kids need to learn family values and interpersonal skills in order to have a fulfilling happy life. Techonology should just be there as a bonus.
That was such a powerful video! As a kindergarten teacher, I believe we still need to teach the basics. From the stand point of a parent, we need to support the work done in the classrooms by interacting with our children. Many parents are too busy with their jobs to spend quality time with their children. Children need time to play with other children and their parents, without gadgets and the latest technology. We cannot spend money trying to keep up with the latest and the greatest technology. By the time we buy technology, it is already getting outdated. Invest quality time with your children. Expose them to nature and the wonder of the world around them. Instill a love of learning. That's the greatest gift of all.
How to help my child be successful in an ever-changing world? I think it is most important to help my child learn to take the initiative. Don't wait to be told for something to be done; if you see it needs to be done, do it. To be a problem-solver and to be able to think outside-the-box are very important also. Because my grandfather was born in a small northern BC village in the year 1900, he saw a lot of change. When he was asked how he dealt with it, he said you must change. Our culture must change. If you or the culture remains stagnant, it will die. I think that life skills are very important too....whether it be within the house(knowing how to cook/make things from scratch) or outside (growing your own food, knowing what you can collect from nature) because if you know how to look after yourself, you are much more confident in all areas of your life. and of course to know that they are unconditionally loved, for without love, one cannot grow.
To have technically savvy kids, you need to have technically savvy parents. Like reading, writing, manners and all other important aspects of life, kids learn from the examples their parents set. Let's face it, the world is becoming more and more technical and these skills are becoming a life skill essential to their development.
Encourage them to achieve their goals and never limit themselves. Early exposure to technology in many different ways is also a great way to encourage it so that they are comfortable and adept at using it.
I believe there is one main ingredient that will help kids in todays world. That is to raise them from an early age to have self-confidence. By telling them there is nothing they can't do if they set their mind to it they will be able to succeed. They will not be too afraid to try. Even if they fail they can be encouraged to keep trying and that is the best gift you can give them.
Watching the "did you know" reminded me of a quote I saw the other day.
Humankind;
(despite our artistic pretensions, our sophistication and our many accomplishments) owes our existence to a six inch layer of topsoil and the fact that is rains -Anonymous-
I will try to encourage my children to explore the two worlds we live in. Technology is a part of our advancing fast past world and can enhance our human needs . But our human needs are basic: love (communication), nutrition and shelter, can also be met in the simplest ways.
Things I want my children to be able to do when the power goes out:
do math in their head ( with or without you fingers and toes)
read from a book
communicate using body language
What I want them to remember:
Technology is amazing, but the idea (or any idea) of the computer stated with someones imagination
I feel too much time is spent texting,social networking., video games Children are losing touch with how to be socially responsible and polite.
We need our children to connect face to face and relearn manners and courtesys.
I always try to teach my kids that learning is a lifelong experience. As long as they continue their desire of learning, they will be able to grow to higher and newer levels then ever expected!!
We try to instill good basics- respect, education, personal care etc as with a good foundation you can grow. We try to expose our kids to as much technology as possible. We also like to explain how it works(to the best of our knowledge) as the take it for granted. We like to explain that before all this technology people would write letters by hand, shop in stores and chat in person. We want them to understanding where the technology is coming from and what it has replaced.
To keep our kids safe and up to date, we have to be up on the technology! Its hard to post 'bad' things when you mom can creep your facebook page!!
I think it's important for parents to spend time with their children. Family activites are very important including everything from outings to meals together. Kids need to take part in activities such as sports, music, interest clubs, etc.. If there isn't enough exposure to these things in school, then parents must expose their kids to them in their spare time, while also making time for good, quality, family time. I also think parents need to encourage their kids to get together with their friends. I think a lot of kids find it easier to online chat or facebook with friends and think this interaction is just as good, which it's not. Parents, too, I think, are falling into this - texting, emailing, facebooking, etc. taking the place of real human interaction.
As far as technology - I think it's a good idea to keep basic learning (math, spelling, grammar, reading) as old school as possible - technology brings shortcuts to these areas and kids are losing these skills.
I tell kids not to spend so much time on social networking sites.
There sure is a difference between the schooling our parents had to the schooling our own kids have today. One thought and strategy that helps kids for the world of tomorrow is critical thinking. Without it, we don't build a foundation on which we have our kids THINK about the world around them and how actions have reactions. When children are able to realize that media and advertising, news and magazines are must a meduim to get a persons point across they tend to start critical thinking and realize not everything they hear is the truth and to start disemminating information.
Giving kids the opportunity to think and discuss ideas and thoughts is a good way to have them start critical thinking.
Oops, accidentally posted twice.
Technology has its pros and cons..The computer I believe is great for childrens school(homework and learning) Having a dyslexic son the computer helped tremendously..I had to pull my son from the school system(where he did not get proper help) and homeschool him myself for his last 5 rears of school. He learned best by working on the computer. He wrote essays on the computer,He did online tests. And for myself I learned grade 9-12 all over again on the computer, so I could teach my son. Yes the games online can be a problem,kids do get addicted to them,, but... with proper parental guidence this can be curbed.. I believe anyone with a child with any learning disabiliy should have a parent guide them with computer educational programs..
Thoughts and strategies for Kids to succeed in this ever changing world.
Thoughts: - They need to be strong and independent with good judgement
- Remember: Do unto others as you would have them do unto YOU!
- Confidence is important, To be able to step out in society and take the bull by the horns with confidence to be a leader not a follower
- Being able to time manage, a good balance between family and TV, Video games
- Physical health, proper weight and good nutrition is vital for thinking well
- Good grooming, morals and self esteem will serve them well
Strategies: - provide them with their needs, love and encouragement for them to respect themselves and also other people and their property so they can move on secure in their family support to go on to develop as young adults.
- A good FOUNDATION: highschool education & college or trade school
- Well trained in computer technology in school & Be able to Type well
- Exercise to stay healthy and avoid obesity
- Proper nutrition daily
- Learn Self control and avoid spending excessive time on video games & facebook
- Have all the insurance, Auto clubs and survival tools & cell phone so nobody is every stranded in danger without a course of action.
Val King
I have used a number of techniques to keep my children updated and attuned to the world around them. They have all had computer training. I make an effort to have them in science camps in the summer. They would likely be called geeky. I am proud to say that one was a school student president. I subscribe to magazines eg. National Geographic so they understand how varied and interesting our world is. They all have netbooks and either laptops or desk top computers but enjoy things like board games and card games like Magic with their friends. I have pushed their involvements in sports. Two of them have been on high school sports teams(rugby and basketball). All are excellent swimmers; two would qualify for swim teams; one is a ocean surfer. The key is limiting computer time and what they are doing on the computer so they stay well rounded. My philosophy is that school is for learning and socializing; once you're out on your own, and finished with school, then that's soon enough to deal with bills and work. I have discouraged them from working so they can enjoy school sports, especially team related ones, that's where you learn the teamwork skills to deal with people in the work place. I have made it clear that it's really people that make the difference and that developing people skills just makes your life so much easier.
Cheers.
The best thing to do is to take your kids where ever and when ever you go somewhere....let them experience different things and keep them involved in anything to do with electronics and gadgets. I read to my daughter from my blackberry...she loves it!
The best thing a mother can do for her kids is help them learn to be self sufficient if you do everything for your kids they will end up like my husbands children who literally do not know how to cut there meat at the dinner table because there mother always did that for them ( my husbands daughter is 25 and has very limited table manners ). also being supportive and allowing kids to be kids with in reason is also good . being over protective can cause kids to not learn the value of learning from mistakes sometimes suffering the consequences of a decision is the key to becoming responsible adults . A mother should help her kids through the hormonal years as much as she can and help her kids develop confidence in themselves that will only come from letting them make decisions on there own while offering guidance when you can . being a good mother is knowing how to walk the fine line between being over protective or allowing kids to run wild . I think teaching kids to be computer savvy is also very important as they have to learn sometime . They also need to learn that the Internet is a tool not a lifestyle . both bad and good things can happen online just as in real life . teaching the the differences is important . All kids will face a boatload of new technology in the coming years helping them make wise decisions about it is something all mothers will have to do so its important that we as mothers find out all we can about new technology to help our kids make informed decisions .
Fortunately, the school in my small town is very up with the current trends, and actually teach students how to use their cell phones to schedule assignments as well as text messaging deadlines and reminders to pupils as well.
I think the best way to deal with change is to realize that a love of learning never goes out of style. When I was in high school, I would never have believed that only ten years later I would be using my computer for everything from shopping to watching movies to finding answers to my son's insatiable questions. Knowledge is always a gift; it doesn't matter if it comes from a book or a computer screen. Those that learn out of a love of knowledge will always be able to adapt. Just my opinion! :)
Information and technology are a very important over the next number of years. Students should keep up with the changes that are predicted to happen over the next number of years with technology. Computers and the advances that will be made are very important and communication with other people though the computer will advance.
For my sons I tell them that no matter what changes the basics are always the best bet.
Be kind to everyone.
Don't judge others, which we all do anyways. Still be polite.
Remember that everyone has a story and that if there is a problem find out the story.
Look after those who need help.
Have fun and encourage those around you to have fun.
My strategies of helping my kids to be successful in an ever changing world are:
trying to watch current news and have a little discussion and make the news as a teachable moments; and try to volunteer in children's school as many as possible.
also, to have a proactive mind. example: my teenage kid is into the "twilight" saga and when I read the newspaper and saw the news about it, I will encourage her to read it.
To help my children in this fast paced world i have always lived by setting an example to them of myself by honesty,responsibility,hard work and play,fairness and consideration , respect and the ever lasting thirst for wisdom and knowledge.
I give my kids monitored access to the computer and other electronics and games but I teach them about appropriate usage and warn them about inappropriate information and messages and to only engage those who they know personally. They key is to allow access to new technology but set limits (be consistent) and monitor, monitor, monitor.
I want my kids to learn any new technology that will allow them to go further in life! At the same time, I still want them to be able to do math long hand, read, write, spell, etc without the use of computers or calculators. They need to know the basics & how to perform them without the aid of technology, as well as know how to write letters and talk to others face to face. Too many people rely on technology and have forgotten how to talk to people or write letters! They use texting vocbulary and not real words or sentences. I want my kids to be real and not just an extention of the computer!
Its important to be honest with your kids, they need to know whats out there and the dangers too. So many moms I know think its too soon to tell your kids about the dangers of strangers and how easy bad things can happen. They dont want their kids to be scared. Well I dont either but the reality is it can be scary out there. You need to be careful and aware of what your kids are watching, reading, and even who they are talking to. Giving them freedom to discover and learn is great and they need that but also monitor monitor monitor so you can explain the things they dont understand and show them the dangers of some of those things they may be curious about. It's really hard now a days. Back when we were young we only had to worry about someone stealing our bicycles from the park while you went down the slide.
As a parent of 5 children all under the age of 12 years, I see how technology is becoming more and more of their world. I have a daughter with a very large and complex speach and learning ablity and one of which Childrens hospital has never seen before. She is very visual ( can tackel a 1000 piece puzzle in 2-3 days) and I can see for children such as my daughter they will need to to use such devices to help her throughout her learning process. Yes there is a need for reading writing and math ( I have a daughter who is a B+/ A student) and I feel some times they rely on computers too much for spell check ect. but that is the way things are being taught and if they are to keep up with the world they need to and for other children like my other daughter this is the way they will find the things they need to learn through visual means on a computer.
Teach kids the tools needed to be flexible. Show them how to roll with the punches and that thinking in a non-linear manner helps them deal with the unexpected. Be honest and open with them (almost to the point of embarrasing them) and let them know that they can come to you with anything.
Imagination at a young age encourages curiousity and learning. I encourage creativeness and a joy of reading and letting your mind imagine all that is possible.
The job we were given as parents was to make our children grow up to be independent, responsible adults. If allowing them to keep up with and learn about new technologies, then that is what we must do!
Even though the world is changing I think people forget the basics - I teach my children manners, critical thinking, problem solving. You can't go wrong with having strong polite children, they are going to learn everything else anyway.
I try to teach my kids not to completely depend on electronics and the easier way of seeking information. i still have dictionaries in the house and other information nooks for information. If they are going to use the computer, that's fine but also go to another source(books,etc.) to seek info as well. Nothing upset more than when my daughter went into the library one time and didn't know how to use the Dewy book system/card catalog, she went straight to the computer to look the book up.
Kids need down time these days. If life feels like it's moving to fast for us grown-ups, it's because our children are more grown-up in today's world. With all the media, internet, video games, after school activities, etc. the kids are not kids for very long. They experience everything we do, at much younger ages then their parents did.
Therefore, I say, allow down time in the form of walks in nature, a simple board game with the family, going thru picture albums together....anything that stops the flow of the "must do now" or "I'm bored " attitude.
Show them how to cook a stew, show them how to plant a garden....whatever it is, you'll be surprized how your life experience in the simple things can teach them more then they will learn in school, on the internet, or from video games.
AND it provides quality time to talk and get to know each other in a whole new light.
I think a Laptop It is a great to my homechooling Daugther!
Angela Ison
iangela20@yahoo.com
I agree that getting children to do things for themselves and find information and finish projects by themselves will help them feel they can accomplish anything that comes their way. Playing games on the computor for hours on end everyday as alot of children do these days, what life skills are they learning?
I have found that I need to catch up on my knowledge of technology before I try to help my kids. Whenever I buy new software or a new "toy" like my IPod, I take a Dummies book out of the library (most recently IPod Touch for Dummies) and read through the information and then show my kids what I have learned. Whether it something they already know and they can then tease me (you didn't know that???), or is a new piece of information, it shows my kids that it is always worth going to the Library to teach yourself a little more or reinforce what you already know.
My thoughts on how to help our kids succeed in an ever-changing world is not to worry as I know I use to think what have I done bringing children into this world, but I'm sure our parents and even their parents thought that as I'm sure my children will with their children. Fact is, is we just seem to adjust, don't we?!? Just raise them to be honest, considerate, hard-working people and I think the rest will just fall into place. One thing I do have to add is technology is making life extremely comfortable with cell phones providing convenience, computers providing knowledge, other gadgets providing entertainment, and so much more, even as far as exercising to a Wii...our children our rather fortunate to live in a world with such luxuries!! :D
I think (if there isn't already), there should be settings on a computer, similar to parental controls where a parent can adjust a setting so that certain users (ex. children) are unable to use/access spellcheck, thesaurus & grammar checks. This would ensure that the fundamental learning that needs to take place at school and practised at home is not sabotaged by all of the "checks" that we never had growing up.
A lot of children growing up these days have way too much luxury with "checks" on computers and calculator programs, and they are not learning and practising the fundamentals of english, spelling, grammar and simple math.
A parental control or software would enable to child to use the computer for word processing for homework and projects, but it would also ensure that they pick up a dictionary, etc to look up words, meanings, etc without the computer doing it for them.
At age 48 I took a 2 year college program, Computer Systems Technician, to keep up with today's technology. It changes all the time, what I learned in 2002 is outdated but I keep up with all the new stuff through tech websites. It was the best program for a beginner to take and what I learned I've used to teach my daughters and my other family members. Whenever I learn about new technology I tell everyone I know and help them learn how to use it properly. I'm the go to person in the family when a computer breaks down or someone needs to network their computers and printers. I embrace all new technology, it makes life a lot easier for everyone.
I am in love with technology but I believe that children must be taught the basics the old fashion way.I think these days to much time is spent on social sites when socializing is better done face to face.
Technology & computers is the way of the future. The more tech savy our children are, the better they will succeed as adults. Times have changed!
I believe that it is very important, for parents and teachers, to teach our children, that treating others with respect and dignity, is the most important rule in life. To treat others the way you would like to be treated, and to discourage friends from treating others differently, because of their looks, beliefs, or mannerisms. I have always told my children, the child you want to be friends with, is the child everyone is mean to, because that person will be a good friend. And if they see someone being treated badly, to stick up for that person. If need be tell an adult, but if you allow this behaviour, your just as guilty as the people doing these things.
Frankly, I think the best advice is still the advice that's been around for decades: spend time with your children to guide them, but otherwise, let them explore the world for themselves. Children have a natural curiosity that, if allowed to flourish, will eventually develop into true innovation. I believe that if children are too stifled by paranoid roadblocks, then they may eventually lose that capacity to figure out new things (like software or algorithms) for themselves. To ensure that they don't get mixed up in all of the negatives that come with technology, and, of course, the internet, simply instill in them a good sense of morality and values the "old-fashioned" way (good, simple communication), and they'll be perfectly capable of safely navigating today's technology by themselves.
Our kids have grown up with technology and understand it almost intuitively. What they need for success are the skills to question and think critically about what they see, especially what they see on the internet; the ability to think long-term and delay gratification; an ethos of service; and a faith and context that gives them deep purpose and meaning for their lives.
I think it is very important to know about what's out there in the ever-changing world first. Then as parents, can guide our kids through what can assist them and what they should be caution when they enter the internet world! There's too many ways for kids to access to information, both good and bad, parents should let kids know and be a role model to them. That way, I think at the very least can help kids to get on the right track and guide them to success.
We are doing our best at instilling confidence in our children. Confidence to try new things and confidence to know that it is ok if you didn't succeed the first time. We don't rely on the school system to teach them everything. We work with our kids at home on the basics such as reading (from real books) and math. Our kids have computer programs which they love but they also love searching the internet for things like flags of the world. We sit with the kids when they want to search for things as we have to tell them how to spell the words they want to type into the search box. So a good combination of technology and old school are the best.
My kids are all grown up, but we still try to give them all the support they need. Now we need advice on the new technology out there work. we help each other.
It is funny how the shoe is ont the other foot now
My kids are well educated, speak at least two languages and have traveled a lot with me. They have open and inquiring minds. That is the best I could do for them and I hope that it will be enough in this fast changing world.
We try to encourage innovation in the way we do things - coming up with new ideas when something isn't working rather than sticking to "the way it's always been done". We also encourage independent problem solving...from a young age, when our kids have encountered an obstacle, our mantra has been "how can you be a problem solver?". Now we have a smart, resourceful, and creative six year old who's well on her way to being able to solve whatever challenges life throws her way.
I think the need to learn to use technology is inevitable. However, I'm somewhat worried about the lack of social skills (face-to-face encounters). Learning an assortment of methods to solve problems would be great. For example, using books and other resource materials both online and offline for research purposes is a good balance. A dependence on technology could cause problems, but not allowing technology into the education system could be just as (if not more) detrimental. Technology can be a way of keeping in contact with friends and family who live at a distance, but face-to-face communication provides the social skills necessary to succeed in society.
On another note, haven't GPS systems been great for travelling? Now my husband and I don't argue about having to stop somewhere to find out where we are ! :-)
I believe it's very important to take advice from our elders since they have gone through the ups and downs of raising children and already know what works. Sometimes I'm a little too ambitious in trying to teach my daughter new things and my mother or older sister step in to let me know it's okay to slow down a bit and let whatever I'm trying to teach sink in. There are so many online resources today which makes it much easier to teach subjects like geography and history to our kids. I like to sit with my daughter while she's online and discuss what she is seeing to put it into perspective. I think face-to-face time is just as important so I try to take time each and every day to spend just talking with my daughter about whatever subject she is interested in at the time.
I am always there for my kids to listen when they have problems but my role has always been to help them solve their difficulties, teach them how to study and learn, and support them through their education.
I would love the thought of winning a new updated computer. I working with a computer that is pretty old - 6 yrs old and I need an update but I've been putting it off. I value my computer expecially when my son came along - it keeps we connected in so many ways. Even a simple thing like communicating with my son's school teacher.
Would love a new computer. Just started teaching my 2.5 year old how to use a mouse...she has a little one and she loves colouring on the Sesame Street site. Slowly getting the mouse control.
We expose them to as many different things as we are able to and then they can decide. By not forcing our children to do or study that which they have no interest in, this we hope will lead them in the direction they choose for themselves.
As far as technology goes, I think the kids catch on fast enough. It's up to the parents to keep up and keep watch.
I teach my 4 kids strong basics, natural learning and then make sure they are exposed to worldly events and most of all make sure they are never told they can't do somthing. I do alot of interaction and talking about daily event also so they understand the world as it changes. My 5yo has autisum @ 19 months he was @ a 6 month old level, I was told he was on the low end of the ASD scale and that he would never go to school or be able to care for him self. I did not accept this and over the past 3 years have work really hard with him especially with natural learning. This sept he is starting K and he tested above most kids entering that don't have any issues.
I think all of the things I listed above are the key to success. All 4 of my kids are great in school and great at everyday things including gardening, farming etc.
Communication is key!! If we are always open and available for our kids they will feel comfortable enough to come to us for guidance and help no matter what changes occur in their lives. We believe our children learn by example and try to show them so they can be the best they can.
i teach my kids what respect is all about ..how you like people to treat you ..here in newfoundland ..the town i'm living in ..we know most everyone in our town ..my kids call everyone ..mr or mrs ..some they call aunts or uncles ..mean while ..were now relative at all . teachers say my kids were taught alot of respect ..during their early ages .. same way my parents taught me .. when we were growing up ..would love a new computer ..so i could teach my kids ..if they won it ..how to look after something they own and how to share with their brothers and sisters ..everyone must have a turn . technology is changing all time .. so we must try and keep up has parents ..so we can teach our kids ...what we know .
I like to always encourage my kids, set good examples, and keep the lines of communication open.
Never thought I would let my 4 year old grandson, Isaiah, play a lot of computer/video games, but I am starting to realize how very smart he is and I believe these games are a large part of it. He has developed great hand/eye coordination and he knows a lot of the keys on the keyboard. He's not afraid to lose at the games, when he does, I'll hear him say "Oh Man!" and he just keeps trying until he gets to another level. Who knows what he will do when he grows up, at least he had fun learning.
I believe that if children start out knowing the basics of math, spelling and reading they will succeed. That doesn't mean just relying on the school or teachers to teach your child. You have to take an active role in it. I have no problem with children learning technology like computers. That is definitely the way everything is going now and it is an incredible resource. However, technology should never be relied on 100% to be successful.
Spend time with your children and make learning fun. Use many different tools to keep learning interesting.
I think it's important that we encourage children to ask questions and support them in seeking answers to those questions.
I think the best way to encourage kids is to expose them to all types of technology and lifestyles. My daughter loves the computer, but she also loves going to historical sites and learning all about the old ways of life.
I think that kids today play too much games on their computers, It would be nice if there was more good Educational Software that that teaches students concepts without all the playing. Students need to spend more time in the real world!
You definitely need to keep the kids up on technology. With the ever changing world and school environment, you'll need to make sure they have the latest and the greatest.
My thoughts and strategies for helping my kids succeed in an ever-changing world? Live. Laugh. Learn. Play. Travel. And use a mix of modern and old-fashioned forms of communication.
The children still need strong foundation in reading, writing, math, and science and how to live as proper caring human beings with manners and a conscience & the art of conversation as well as online technological skills.
The most important thing I can teach my kids is open mindedness. This will benefit them in so many ways. If they are open to multiple interpretations and ways of seeing, they will have a far better understanding of the world around them. Ultimately, I believe this mindset will allow for more original thought, more flexibility in learning styles, a nurturing of curiosity and exploration, and a better socialized individual, capable of listening to others opinions and positing their own with candor and respect.
I encourage my children to read and explore the word through words. This could be reading a paper book (gasp), reading online (with permission and supervision), reading the newspaper or reading to my children. All 4 of my children love to read and I hope that they are able to learn and put to use what they read and learn...and have fun doing it!
Time. I give my daughter my time - to help her cope with the changes in the world, to guide her, to explore with her. She has me whenever she wants me and for whatever. By always being there she loses the fear of the unknown as she has a safety net!
I try to make sure that my kids all read everyday. I also make sure that everyone is very well versed in the skills of manners and ethics. As the world changes, we make every effort we can to try to keep up. I make sure that the kids have the opportunities to explore ( with supervision) the internet to discover so much more than would be available to them without it.
All the best technology and education will not necessarily help children to be their best. While I believe in both of these things and am excited by the ever changing world, having resourceful, self sufficient children who know how to make themselves happy is most important. The world's frenetic pace is very stimulating and compelling but only with constant doses of non tech time. Time away from the city, time with books, creative time and time unfocussed on the completion of tasks, help to build human beings.
To help my kids succeed in this rapidly changing world my husband and I make an effort to keep up-to-date with the newest technology, but we also make a point of teaching the kids the good ol' ways of doing things too... our house isn't distraught when the power goes out, and I hope it shows they'll be easily adaptable and quick to think on their feet when they're off on their own. Knowing how things USED to work/happen can be extremely beneficial... how else can you know how to progress?
:)
I always try to make sure that my daughter has the opportunity to learn any new technology that is available to be able to grow and be successful in the real world.
Having two young children (ages 4 and 5) I think the best "medicine" is to teach them a little about everything on a daily basis - like about the planet we live on, the environment, people (manners, respect, kindness, etc.) animals, words, numbers, basic computer stuff, getting outside/physical activity. Of course all this is done with lots and lots of love and encouragement every step of the way. I think that a well-rounded child will do exceptionally well in this ever-changing world.
I hope that my girls do as I say, not as I did. Time management is so important in school and life, I wish I had learned that earlier.
Technology can make things possible that were not before. With a good head on your shoulders, your brain and technology can make miracles happen.
If your child wants to take technology in school, don't discourage them. My son loves taking computer classes and knows more about computers than his father! Technology is here to stay and not holding them back in learning all about it as long as they get their 3 Rs in!
We're not overly concerned about introducing technology too early in life (our kids are 1 and 3) -- like everything else, they'll sponge it all up when we introduce computer skills to them. So far, our focus has been on maximizing opportunities to instill attitudes, behaviors, and foundational values that will affect how our children will make decisions for the rest of their lives. Of course there are countless teaching opportunities along the way, and we strive to foster the curiosity that will eventually drive their desire to learn more. Beyond these toddler years, it's going to be the reading, writing, and arithmetic because successful learning is built upon these basic skills.
Our oldest daughter has been introduced to selective amounts of technology - regulated computer time, fabulous educational and arts/graphics programs and websites, and the like...
In general though, I think the best way to prepare our children for an ever-changing world is to teach them how to think independently, and to encourage a love of learning. A child who is afraid to make mistakes, and who doesn't know how to begin to tackle a problem will not fare well in the future. Technology changes so quickly, and sometimes so completely, that these mind and attitude skills are what I feel will best prepare our kids for an unpredictable future... I cannot foresee what technological advances my girls will face and enjoy in their adulthoods, so my plan is to teach them HOW to deal with them.
Children should have an equal balance of computer use and human to human interaction.
As someone who works in the IT sector, I have equipped my daughter with many of the latest greatest technological gadgets and encouraged her to learn as much as possible about them while not letting them become her "life-line". We need to teach our children how to safely and wisely make use of technology without letting it run their life. We should teach our children to embrace technology though, rather than be intimidated by it. I regularly get into open discussions with parents who want to keep their children in a "no technology" zone, mainly because they have limited technical knowledge and skills. I believe technology will continue to rapidly advance and, as there are very few careers these days that do not touch on some form of modern technology on a day to day basis, instead of keeping our children away from new technology, we should encourage them to be drivers of future technological changes for global good and take some time to learn a bit more ourselves.
In this technologically-driven world that we live in it is important to encourage our kids to embrace new technology while still instilling the importance of skills that don't necessarily involve technology.
I am a early childhood educator and I have to say that I have thrown out almost all that I have studied. The focus was always on the child, which is ideal, but it is the environment that needs to be focussed on. It is the about the people our children will meet and what expectations they will have on them. Since so much school work is done in groups, our children can only give part of the answer and then have to accept other people's opinions and responses to complete the answer. Perhaps technology can help be the impartial link to getting work done.
I am all for the latest technology.Our children have access to so much information.But I still feel that parents should be involved in their childrens homework and education.Personally speaking..I had to learn what they are learning.Especailly the technology part.This open the lines of communication between you and your child and can really help your children to succeed in their endeavors!
I will instill solid family values in order for my daughter to be successful. I am a firm believer it all starts at home. I will educate and expose her to the latest technology in order for her to stay current BUT at the same time I also will encourage her to have face to face conversations and WRITE letters of thank you etc.... . Its important for her to know all about texting, computer software, emailing etc... but I also feel it is equally important to be engaging socially away from technology!
I hope I have done the right thing is limiting the amount of technology my kids are exposed to. We have one computer in the living room. The amount of TV time/video game time is quite limited. Once they became teenagers they got cell phones, which are left in the kitchen at bedtime. I don't want my kids to be dependant on electronic devices. Perhaps I should have exposed them more, but to me, there are too many unknown variables.
The best education covers a wide range of disciplines, developing one out of the other. A sound background in the basics comes first...then the hunger for further knowledge. Technology is no different...early learning builds a thirst for more. All we need provide is opportunity and encouragement...success will follow.
I have introduced my children to new technologies but I have limited the amount of time they spend. I truly believe in learning the basics math, reading and life skills if computers crash you need to be able to figure out how to do things on your own I have stood in a grocery store where their cash registers went down and if you were paying with cash they would check you out the teenager working the counter said she couldn't figure out the change without a calculator how sad! I do love the convenience of new technology and will always true new things that come out but I will always make sure my kids can survive with it and without it.
I feel that by raising my child to be self-confident and happy, I am giving her the best chance at succeeding in whatever endeavours she pursues. I will encourage her interests, and give whatever help I am able in developing her thoughts and ideas. I will help her with her homework, seek any assistance she may need to fulfill her potential, and offer her as much exposure to different technologies and ways of thinking as I am able. I hope I will raise her to respect the tools she has at her disposal, and also, to know that there is more to life than those technologies. I want her to know how to use what she has at her fingertips while not relying on any of it. Being self-sufficient, knowing how to perform calculations without relying on a calculator, knowing how to spell correctly without relying on a spell-check, and being literate and critical of everything she reads are very important skills. I think if I can teach her to be self-sufficient, confident in her abilities to succeed with or without technology, and happiness in her life, she will be a successful person.
Helping our children adapt in an ever-changing world involves exposing and training children in new technology, but also limiting exposure to the amount of useage. This gives them the opportunity to learn and adapt to new endeavours and learning self-restraint.
teach your children to think for themselves...ask questions...search for the info/asnwers online & in the real world....be wise with their money...get a good solid education whether from homeschool as we do or public school system..real world experiences..learn new languages(we are looking at hosting foreign students, awesome opportunity for new friendships, languages to learn & grow as a family)....be open to try new things & not afraid to take chances....everyday provides new opportunities to grow & learn....as parents provide opportunites to learn technology but dont let it replace the one on one experiences....we humans still need the interaction
With good guidance and support they can make the right choices on their own and let them lear while they grow. Don't make too many decisions for them.
Kids are drawn to technology - computers, video games, pdas - I think the key is to find the right balance. I encourage my children to learn how to use new devices, but I also teach them that we live in a 3D world and need to spend time learning about the environment that surrounds us, not the one of cyberspace.
Kids will learn the new technology no problem, but we need to instill in them values, teach them how to think critically and creatively, give them the assurance they are loved, and teach them by our example.
It's fun watching my grandaughter learn to use her I Pod Touch !
i give them liberty about their choice but helps them when they needs somes advices
Allow them to grow individually and make choices in life. Allow them to have a voice, but to respect other peoples opinions. With an ever changing world children need to learn how to adapt to and accept changes and that from this they can learn from others.
Allow them to make choices in life and grow as an individual and be there for support if needed. Teach tme the importance of respecting others.
It's important for kids to embrace change and technology - but realize that technology is only a tool, and that it not be allowed to take over and be all encompassing. There needs to be the balance, as others have noted, that kids need to be grounded by human values first and foremost. And it is critical that we as parents, teach by example (and hence try to stay on top of the technology as much as possible as well!).
I completely agree with McMc, good values and morals are the foundation to a childs ability to grow independently, strong, confident and poised to take on what the world has to throw at him/her. We need our children to be respectable, polite, intelligent positive contributing adults in society. An ever changing world is what generations of children have faced, as we advance into an even more technologically advanced future we cannot forget the importance of fundamentals that can not be taught by a computer, ipod, cell phone...only by an attentive, caring, rational, communicative adult figure whom is present in their daily lives.
Try not to allow them to get caught up in today's society and technology. Also, today's immorality, in the news, on tv and in their own communities. We do not subscribe to tv service and we are limiting on what our children watch on dvd. We keep importance on family and I think that's most important. We do alot as a family, without technology - we stick to the traditional board games and outdoor fun. Everyones laughs and is able to get involved. It's real and it's face-to-face, not gratification through a screen with online friends that noone knows.
teach your kids not to value "Stuff"
I think it is very important to teach children to accept change and roll with it. I think that it is an important part of problem solving. Not everything is in your control and not every plan will go smoothly.
teach them the value of money, take them to the library for books and DVDs, cook and clean before they leave for college, and have family time at least once aweek,
Teach your children how to save and buy used or only when needed. Teach them the difference between wants and needs. Have them learn to be spiritual, take time to relax and roll the punches. Love them and let them grow up strong and free from you.
The best advice to give children is to provide them with values that will last a lifetime and that will guide them through the endless decisions they will have to make in their lives:)
The best thing I've taught my kids who are 17, 21 and 24 are to appreciate the little things in life such as our ritual Sunday night family dinner. It's not just dinner but a time when we can all enjoy each other's company without the rat race of the world today.
That video should definately be shown to all our teenagers
My thoughts and strategies in helping my kids succeed in an ever changing world are:
Have them take technology courses in high school even if they are not going to be a computer engineer.
My son takes computer engineering and robotics and programming. What his teacher mentions over and over again is the lack of interest by the female students for the computer technology courses. Only a few girls take the course every semester. Those that do take it do well. So what's stopping them?
In University I am told the gap is even narrower. Girls are not interested in Technology--why is that. It is actually a very creative career developing systems and programs almost like a designing course but without Georgio Armani or Dior or Versace!
It is a good idea at least for all students to take a business technology program in the first year of high school so that they learn all the Microsoft Office programs. They will be using them in their work throughout high school and university for their assignments and presentations. There is no getting around it so we should embrace it and encourage all our children to learn as much as they can through school and online.
I also agree with most of the comments. First and foremost are the basics - honesty, integrity, learning to use the brain in maths, spelling, writing by hand and not counting just on the computer programs to think for you. We as parents need to keep ourselves up to date with all the newest computer programs so we can guide the children in the right direction and have an idea of what we are talking about at the same time.
The only thing anyone can count on is change. That said, being able to adapt and expecting difference is important lessons to taech to our kids. I think the more children are aware that the world we live in is constanly changing and that nagivating it requires many skills isimportant. Although technology is wonderful and my daughter does have interest in computers; I want her to still know the basics (how to do her own laundy, how to make her own meals). Being successful in life not only requires booksmarts, but street smarts and common sense. If I can give her a good start in these areas her true interest will be able to shine though.
Keeping up to date with teechnology and trying to be the best source possible for your kids is all you can do. If all else fails, parents are the last resort and need to be as helpful as they can when their kids need assistance.
give them encouragement and support with lots of pats on the back, they have alot to learn and its tough weaving their way through all the changes and obstacles in life, but if they know your behind them they will succeed
I believe that the kids today need to have a good base of science, math, english and using their brains to solve problems not using a computer to do it all. That way they are going to be okay still if their computer crashes. They won't be sitting there waiting for the technician to come and "fix" them so they can work. They will just do it on paper and transfer it later.
By building a strong foundation of your parent child relationship now while they're still young and think that you're awesome. Then when u r both older you can navigate through the sometimes choppy water together!
In an ever changing world the basics are the most important thing to remember. Honesty and caring for family and friends. Thinking of others before yourself. Then I give independance to my children. Wings to let them feel free and safe and confident when they go out into the world always remembering that they have a loving home and parents that are always there when needed.
So, what are your thoughts and strategies for helping your kids succeed in an ever-changing world?
I think that you need to show them that the most important aspect in life is family and those around you. I think with strong family support kids can succeed at anything. I also think it important to encourage kids that education is key to getting ahead in life. I think leading by example is important --- I am an educated women but have always put my family first:) Thanks for the chance to win this amazing prize.
Kids think it is their right to be able to have their phones and Ipods in class....they seem to think it is ok to have the phone on vibrate and check the "more important than whats going on in class" messages from their friends. I have had kids tell me "my Dad said it was OK for me to have it". Dad isn't in the classroom trying to teach 28 kids who are distracted by a game or text message. They also have far shorter attention spans and then when it comes to quizzes and tests, they inform you that "we have never covered this in class, why are we getting a test?" They can't look up anything in the library reference books - if they can't Google, they are lost. We have to teach our children that there is a time and place for everything.
I had the opportunity to beta test the Office 2010. What a fantastic program. My daughter used several of the programs to help with her highschool courses and although it did take some getting used to, once she found out how to do things it became very easy.
I thoroughly believe in helping children succeed in school as it is important to give them every opportunity to enhance their learning. Most teens live in a high tech world and readily adapt to learning new programs much easier than the rest of us.
My younger teen usually leaves things to the last minute where my older daughter tends to try to get things done ahead of time. I have always told them that homework comes first before going out so usually they do things right after school. Both of them are ADHD and this helps as their medication doesn't usually wear off until after supper, which gives them the ability to concentrate still if done directly after school.
WOW!! Mirosoft Office 2010!! I thought the latest version was a little difficult to get used to at first by my kids, 14 and 11, brought me right up to speed. I think it is great that kids have computers now to assist them in with their homework.
WOW!! Mirosoft Office 2010!! I thought the latest version was a little difficult to get used to at first by my kids, 14 and 11, brought me right up to speed. I think it is great that kids have computers now to assist them in with their homework.
WOW!! Mirosoft Office 2010!! I thought the latest version was a little difficult to get used to at first by my kids, 14 and 11, brought me right up to speed. I think it is great that kids have computers now to assist them in with their homework.
Working in the child care field I see the impact technology has on children. I want my kids to have a love of reading and books as well as a knowledge of today's technology. To promote this I have started a daily journal with my 5 year old son- he is documenting everything we do this summer, and I have purchased him a stationary set so he can write letters to family and friends. He does get to play video games and use the computer- I am thinking about him starting his own blog for journalling- so we'll see how it goes!
They need to learn how to do things without electronic help. That being said, they then need to learn and keep current with technology because there's no worse feeling than feeling left behind.
I agree all teenagers should see this video!
children are like sponges they absorb things very easily, i encourage them to read alot of books i bring them to the library quite frequently, they love reading books. I also tell them there schooling is very important it will benefit them in the long run, hard work pays off!!
The best advice is to encourage your children to be polite and to respect one another. My point I always make to my children is to treat others on how they would want to be treated. Have respect for one another and give everyone a chance as you might learn something interesting from that person.
I like to sit down with my children and talk to them to find out how they are feeling and what they are thinking. I want them to feel that they can be anything they want to be and can do anything that they set their minds to. I always want to encourage their imagination and let them do things that might seem strange to others but not to them.
Teach them the basics and let them get on with it
Wow, great video.
Help them keep up to date with technology and encourage them to take computer technology classes. Alway be supportive and encouraging in all their interests.
Encouragement and manners-in the digital world or the real world-go a long way and help in all offices.
My thoughts and strategies for helping my kids succeed in an ever-changing world, is to empower them to take control or their own destiny. As a parent, I can't be by their side throughout their life, so I prepare them to be in charge.
I'd like to believe that my thoughts and strategies for helping my kids succeed in an ever-changing world, is to empower them to take control or their own destiny. As a parent, I can't be by their side throughout their life, so I prepare them to be in charge.
I think that it's important to let children learn new technology, but nothing is more important than instilling honest values in them. My children are allowed to play on the computer, learning games, and it's surprising how quickly they learn to pick things up. They ask questions all the time, and when we do family outings, they ask questions all the time. I love seeing how their minds work, and how they formulate ideas and come up with answers and questions.
My children are still rather young, so we teach them the basics, and help them with what they need. There has to be a balance as with anything in life, and it's just important to make sure that they have that so they are well rounded, and have a thirst to learn and to live.
Technology is ever so changing, my daughter could really use a computer
for school, to me computers are our future, why not teach the children early on how use the computers to better our planet. Computers are used in a wide variety of applications, and with not having this technology at her finger tips she just would not be able to learn the basics from excel to word. Both are a vital part in day to day business. I think this is a great contest, as its geared towards the future of our children.
I think the younger you are the easier it is to pick up on the technologies. I got a computer when I was 8 and I became more efficient in it than my parents. My siblings had a computer from birth and they were playing on it at the age of 2. Now it's them who's more effecient in technolofy than me. I'm not worried about kids not being able to handle the jobs of the future. They'll be growing with the technology and will know what's going on. Whereas it's us, the older generation, who should be worried about ourselves and what's to come.
I start young. My son is 4 and we talk and play on the web all the time. I ask questions, point out things and interact as much as possible with him.
For our children to succeed in an ever-changing world, it is important to keep an open mind to new ideas and new technology; thus, I am always trying to introduce my kids to different areas, different ideas and above all, read, read, read. On a more personal side, they need to show compassion and caring for others. These are areas I have been trying to instill since they were born.
Teach them good morales and lead as an example and let them know that change is ok
As a new parent, i personally believe it is extra important for us to keep up with the times especially technology. Kids should be exposed to technology early. I don't think we should limit our children because of fear or lack of knowledge. We need to teach our kids that change is a new thing and that things are always changing. cange is not necessarily good or bad. I also believe in balance. We still need to have balance in their lives and not focus in one area. They still need to learn to read and play. As parents if we teach them by example and steer them in the right direction. I also think its very important to interact and listen to our kids. There is not just one thing that will help them to succeed in our ever-changing world but as long as we provide them with the support and guidance they will definitely be on the right path.
:O)
A confident child is on who will succeed in a changing world. A child who is not afraid to make a mistake and is able to see that they can learn from ALL experiences.
As parents we love our children, we instil good morals and values, we teach them to share and be kind, but I think we sometimes prevent them from trying something new, or different. We do this to prevent them from getting hurt physically or mentally, or failing, but this also teaches them not to try.
I think we need to allow them to try and let them know that no matter what, trying is the most important thing.
I believe in providing help such as tutoring if parents cannot help or if the subject is foreign to them. This way, the child will treat the tutor like a teacher with authority and will not "get away" with not doing their homework or studies if the parent were to help them.
I keep connected with my laptop even on holidays!
What's crucial is ongoing learning for ourselves, and our children as well as encouraging critical thinking skills. As a mom who loves video and online gaming, I encourage my son to work on these skills through through the world of innovative gaming. Engaging the gaming technology will have a pivotal role in future job skills and opens up a spectrum of interests. For example, creating a game itself requires teamwork and mentoring. It involves critical thinking, moral, psychological and social skills, math, engineering, science, reading, writing...the list goes on. The technology is constantly changing and I really think combing play and learning is the way of the future. Play is an awesome motivator in an ever changing world!
instilling values, spending time with them, helping them academically (not doing the work, but assisting their understanding), being supportive
I love learning myself and encourage my kids to always be open to learning new things. If we model a love of learning to our children as well as adaptability, they will hopefully learn those traits themselves and be able to adapt in an ever changing world.
I also think some things don't change. I want my kids to be people of integrity who are kind and thoughtful -- whatever the future has in store.
I have always tried to instill proper morals and values with my child. Just as important is for parents to walk the walk, and lead by example with their children. Honestly why would you expect your children to follow rules, that you don't follow yourself?
In ever changing times, having a good solid base of morals and values should assist any children with coping with a changing future.
Thanks,
Christie
I think encouraging new experiences, exploration and problem-solving skills are really important. I think these things help kids develop their mind and provide the basis for all learning in all aspects of life.
I teach my children to live by the Golden Rule - do onto others as you would have them do unto you.
I try to encourage my children to dive in and see what they can figure out on their own with a new device (under supervision of course!) There is so much out there that can be helpful and make life easier and I want them to be able to tell the difference between using technology for tasks vs. entertainment. Although it can be fun, alot of technology can become addictive. We don't know what is out there for us to explore next but if my kids are up to date on what is available now then it will be easier for them to adapt to what is coming in the future.
Technology is what is changing our world. I think its very important for children to learn technology, especially at home as usually they dont have enough access at school. As long as they are supervised ar taught safety onine (older kids) then computer, internet time can be a very useful tool. May of the projects my 10 yr old worked on last year were researched online. I have also signed him up for a sports/computer camp for this summer, they will be learning how to use various computer programs.
I will try to teach my children to adapt to change, problem solve and encourage them to become immersed in the latest technology to be ready for the challenges in their education and ultimately technology enhanced careers.
I try to help my children have compassion, be confidant and be self reliant with everything they try. Compassion, because there isn't enough in the world today for anyone or anything...self reliant, because you can't expect anyone to do anything for you that you cant do yourself, and confidance because you need it everyday to try new things and learn new tasks. I think our job as parents is to help our children become the best they can be.
Technology can be wonderful. We own lots of electronics ourselves. However, it bothers me a great deal when I watch a cashier struggle to make change because simple math skills have been all but forgotten in the schools. As well, texting and Internet chat have me worried as I see so many abbreviations, misspellings, etc. that I truly wonder if people know how to spell anymore. My personal pet peeve regarding usage of their, there, they're, your and you're, saw and seen etc. etc. seems to be getting worse and worse.
However, our children and grandchildren need to be confident and "fit" so that they can take on new challenges in this ever evolving world. Great contest and thanks!
Teach children to respect others and instill the importances of honour, loyality and family values.
Literacy is at the heart of preparing for the future. A wide knowledge and good problem solving skills will allow children to take on new challenges.
I believe that instilling my kids with the basics that so many of us simply take for granted is what will truly prepare them for the future. This includes face-to-face socialization and interaction skills, respect, strong morals, and a passion for being a better person.
I feel that first my children need to be good people. This involves helping others, supporting their beliefs, and trying to make a difference. As for the learning, it's not so much the"what" of learning but the "how". Kids who know how to learn, where to find information, and how to apply what they discover are the ones who will learn the most.
Instilling confidence - it's important for all girls to be confident and like themselves!
Give them the opportunity to experience and learn all they want but don't overload them with too much info so that they feel overwhelmed.
i think computers have made the future seem brighter for children. my son is autistic and having a laptop in the class has allowed him to stay in a regular class with his peers. it allows him to focus on what is being taught as opposed to trying to keep up by writting it all down and missing important parts in class.
I think the best we can do as parents is to allow our children the freedom to explore and experience all that life has to offer while giving them the security of a loving, supportive, balanced home base.
As stated in the article, children need to be adaptable and open minded to survive in today's world, however I believe that the adults also need to have these same qualities to support their childrens' growth and development. Adults have to realize that although we should teach fundamentals like reading, writing and arithmetic, some skills must be adapted to today's ever changing climate. Kids may not need to learn cursive handwriting, however they should always learn effective communication skills, those will never go out of style.
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils
I tell my 4 children, you learn a lot from you actions and the experience from other peoples actions. And what ever happens, they are ultimately responsible and must face the outcome. I will not be around forever to baby them.
I tell my 4 children, you learn a lot from your actions and the experience from other peoples actions. And what ever happens, they are ultimately responsible and must face the outcome. I will not be around forever to baby them.
Do age appropriate technolgy related things. Remember kids still need play time and social time.
A well rounded person will survive in this world.
I feel learning to develop strong relationships in every day life is essential for future learning. The experiences they learn from this will enable them to adapt to ever- changing situations.
There are two important things for kids to learn regarding change:
1. Quality is important - too many things are disposable, throwaway, or obselete too quickly, so they need to learn to hang onto that which is good and permanent so they have a good anchor in all aspects of their lives.
2. Learn things as transferable skills. Specific pieces of knowledge may become obsolete, but knowing how some technique or information can be leveraged into a new situation is valuable.
My main focus with my 5 year old girl is to instill in her a sense of confidence and independance. I want her to feel comfortable making her own decisions and not to worry too much about following the "pack". Hopefully this will allow her to stay on the right path as she navigates these very difficult times.
Expose them to as many activities as possible and look for those they enjoy most. Keep them challenged with those activities.
The main idea that we instill in our children, is to invest in themselves.
Read,read, read. Read everything, invest in your intellectual capacity. Read about other countries, societies, to know how the world is progressing and competing. The basics of math, science and arts is fundamental to any childs
survival in the new world, as well as early exposure to tech, especially the internet.
The availability of free information online, is an amazing resource. We take for
granted so many things in Canada, but the future can be vastly different from
the world we know here today. Therefore an investment in themselves,
professionally, or in any capacity is in our view the only way for kids today to
survive and thrive. The greatest role the internet and technology can play is
the helping children develop the ability to think and reason. To obtain relevant
information for a science project or for them to learn how to answer their
own questions. This teaches them how to think and to recognize opportunities
outside kid-dom or teenager-dom. Skills that will transfer into adulthood.
I've used the internet for years. I've gotten viruses, friends, school work help, lost info, diagnosed myself, etc all through the technology. Just like anything its good and bad. You can't shield anyone from bad all the time. Its life. The internet fits into our world because it reflects our world.
"So, what are your thoughts and strategies for helping your kids succeed in an ever-changing world?"
Teach them how to learn. How to apply knowledge. How to apply themselves.
Then they can deal with new information, new technology, new situations, new people, the new whatever. Because it all changes someday and they have to be able to deal with it.
As a Grandmother I watch my children raise their young children with great interest.
They are teaching them self confidence, good social skills and involve them in many outside activitiesand tesam sports.
the rule is "do your best and tell us the truth" the same as I taught my children and I was taught.
Of course computers and technology enter into the equation. But the basics atill come first
I would teach my kids about internet safety and computers and technology. I would also teach them how to be good citizens.
I think a strong moral background first. Whichever church your family follows. Then a background in basics schooling. Computer games that have a learning skill involved. And love.
Give them an early start and love of books and reading and music. This foundation enables them to think and process things quickly. Since our technology is changing ever so quickly this is necessary in today's world
I think children need lots of love and a stable foundation. Once that is in place we can develop life long learning skills: literacy, numeracy and problem solving skills, that will help them keep adapting to changes in their world.
Confidence and knowledge will help a child through the changing world around them. Through a parent's love and guidance, children can learn the skills to confident to handle change. Knowledge will come from reading, exploring, meeting new people, seeing new things and playing outdoors. Computers are key part of learning. If they master the tool of the future, they continue to learn through the future.
To help my child succeed in an ever-changing world I think the most important things I can teach her are to socialize, to keep trying new things and to talk about change.
I say that (what ever new thing is happening at the moment) is good and fun, it's a challenge and a learning experience! I try to keep it all positive and act as if it's all exciting and fabulous.
‎'Had I not fallen, I would not have arisen. Had I not been subject to darkness, I could not have seen the light'
I try to explain to my daughter that sometimes we have to go through some rough patches to get to the good, but the reward is always worth it.
So head up high and keep pushing through. Soon the good you deserve will come to you!
I always keep in mind that children learn, foremost, from example. They are always watching and listening. This is especially important when they see you faced with challenges or hardship of any kind. However, it is also important for them to see what you value. Children need to see us always doing the best we can, prioritizing, showing what is important in life. For that reason, we try to laugh together every day, share our love, do our homework, share our interests and always, always remember to tell each other how much we love and care, since we never know how much time we have left together.
I think you need to give children a strong example to follow. Morals and ethics are learned from people children are around. They watch and soak everything up like little sponges!
Always support them no matter what! Teach them good morals and values,,they learn from their parents! Teach them about confidence,strong will and the ever-changing world, but dont let traditions go away!
For kids to succeed they need to learn how the world really works, in a positive way! They need to be introduced about health, economics, compassion while keeping their growth fun.
I try to keep my kids well informed of whats going on in the world, I introduce them to many new things and i keep instilling good morals and values into them. I teach them whatever i can to help them in this life :)
As a mother of 2 teenage girls, I realize the how imperative it is to stay on top pf new technology. I enrolled my daughters in computer camp at a young age, and they are both now computer Whiz's. My oldest daughter is away at university and it is imperative that she be computer savy. Many of her lectures are posted online and some of the exams were completed online. I resisted learning about computers myself for many years, but when I retired from my career two years ago, I realized if I wanted to keep in touch with my children and be more involved in their lives, I would have to get with the program!!! So now I am texting via MSN and on Skype with my daughter. I have also joined facebook and have been able to get back in touch with many old school friends in Ottawa and New Orleans. We have the most wonderful rap sessions and it has been a blast. Most importantly it has enabled me to be in touch daily with my Dear sister in Cape Breton. I am so grateful that I finally moved past my mental block and embraced technology.
nice prize
i could really use this, because my wife spilled wine on my last lap top
I too believe that its most important to have a good foundation in the basics. Math, reading, writing - all will help when it comes to progressing with technology and understanding it. But life isn't just about computers and technology and I also think a child needs to have a sense of community beginning at a young age. Having them involved early makes it part of their lives rather than something they take on as adults. They can start simple with donating canned goods to teh local food bank, moving on to doing a food drive at school. Volunteering is great too. I think the world is easier to understand if your part of it from the beginning.
We can only hope to teach them that change is new & exciting & not to fear it. Then they can take on the world
The kids today need a strong foundation in the fundamental basics, reading, writing and math. How many kids today can not spell properly because of all the text messaging they do? How many books and exciting adventures are left unread and undiscovered because computer/video games are more enticing?
Give the kids the opportunity to build the fundamental foundation and then they can embrace technology as needed for personal development and empowerment.
I think an every changing world is more than school - it's all learning - formal eduation, social skills, etc. Kids learn everywhere, all the time. Yes, they learn at school, but they also learn at home, at the sitter's, at the playground, at Grandma's, etc... To help my daughter cope in an every changing world, we are teaching her to follow her inner voice and live her truth, something most people don't do.
I definitely agree with Gayle. A strong foundation in reading, writing, and mathematics is definitely important.
In my opinion, the most important thing you can do for your child is to read to them a lot from a very early age. It is amazing what that gives to a child. Not only will it give them the important foundation of reading, grammar and spelling, but it is a perfect bonding time. Once your child is old enough to discuss what you are reading, the opportunity arises to instill values and reasoning skills. Without these fundamental skills it is just a great big scary world out there for todays children.
My children are older now, but we tried to instill in them to treat others as they would want to be treated, not to steal, and "honesty is the best policy.
I strongly believe that children today have the world at their fingertips...literally. That is a lot of power and a lot of opportunity rolled into one. Children need to be taught at a much younger age now about all kinds of rights and wrongs, truth and lies, and be taught the true meaning of reality. Technology can be abused, misused and downright scary if not used properly. Technology also has plenty of great opportunities though. Children can learn so much about about all parts of the world, even visit most places virtually, experience places and things most of us only imagined from stories told by others when we were young. I believe that technology really shouldn't be feared of predators and viruses, but embraced and enjoyed with proper guidance and supervision of adults who are capable of showing them ...the world!
To embrace technology and cheer on anything that they enjoy. My youngest son has a SONY ereader and now thinks reading is fun! Technology that brings apps like math puzzles and word searches on their ipod touch is fun and they are using their "noggins". I can't even do half the things my boys figure out on their ipods but encourage them and get them to show me. We have also introduced board games back into our family time and my kids love Yahtzee, Clue, Monopoly, Jenga & Mastermind (they also have apps for most of these games on ipod touch so the kids can practice...get even better and kick our butts at the game lol). We turn off all electronics, make popcorn & cocoa and just hang out together playing games and chatting about our week. Anything that gets the kids talking and enjoying sharing their views and ideas is a wonderful way to encourage them and keep them feeling connected to their family in this VERY electronic world and ensures they are confident in themselves and aware that they can tell us about anything and everything without judgement but with love and guidance.
We encourage our kids with everything they do and let them spend time learning with both technology (computer) and traditional (reading books) techniques.
My children WILL succeed in this ever-changing world because they have been nurtured and loved by two of the most amazing individuals in the world--their parents. As well, I feel that no matter what the children of today will always have the advanage of attaining anything possible because of their pre-programmed usage of technology. Children of today are born understanding the tactics to multitask, rapidly output information and keep contact with numerous sorces. So, with the help of their parents and the usage of technology there is no doubt we will have super-educated individuals on our hands in a few years.
Kids need to be true to themselves. They don't need to change for anyone. They need self confidence, very important for parents to teach their children. They will go far in life if they are confident in their decisions and in themselves.
We have always given our children support, encouragement and the opportunity to learn!
Technology has a HUGE impact on our children's' lives and futures. Because of this, I feel that we, as parents have the responsibility to encourage our children to learn as much as they can. I think that parents need to stay aware and up to date on all the the current and future technology in order to be able to teach our kids.
My kids attend a regular school where they do not have enough computers for each child nor do they have up to date programs. That is why it is left up to us to continue their education at home. We as parent can not teach what we do not know ourselves.
That being said, children will always need to be nurtured, encouraged, loved, and guided. We need to instill many of the qualities our parents taught us: confidence, self respect, honesty, trust, positivity, values, morals empathy, loyalty, etc.
I think the best thing I can do is stay current myself and lead by example.
I feel that when we give our children permission to be 'on the internet' and initially give them access to the 'technology world' the parent should talk with that child about the positives and negatives of the internet/other technologies. The world and technology are changing constantly and things will be different a decade from now.
So we do need to prepare each and every child for the technology of today so they can succeed for tomorrow...
My bottom line thoughts are that the overuse of technology is dangerous, but with proper use of technology we can provide our children with the education they need to function in a technology based society.
I believe that exposure is a key in helping kids deal with a constantly changing world. Expose them at a young age to the world and the constantly changing technology that surrounds us. Technology has its positives and negatives but we can't go back where we came from so we may as well accept it and learn to work with it and live with it. Technology via the Internet has helped my family stay in touch with one another since we all live quite a distance apart. And for that simple reason I love what technology is doing for us!
I think we all need to keep up to date on technology in order to help our kids and grandkids succeed. There is so much information for the kids on the internet that often they get sidetracked while they are researching for homework. We sometimes have to intervene and send them in the right direction for their research. We also need to keep up to date on parental controls for computers and supervise their computer use so they are not vulnerable to online predators. As parents and grandparents we still need to help kids with their homework in these ways and that is one way we can help them succeed. Computers now can be compared to the pen, paper, calculators, and slide rules in my generation. They are just fancier learning tools than we had. It will be interesting to see what technology the generation after our kids will have at their disposal for their learning.
As a new mom (She's only 6 months old) I am already thinking about her future. In my opinion, I think that the best way I can help her for the future in an ever changing world is 1) Allow her to make mistakes & help teach her how to grow from each experience & 2) Experience change. I think that young children who are sheltered from difficult events do not learn any life lessons to help them in the future. I am also an avid reader, able to use technology & live an active lifestyle --- 3 key things to have a rounded life & the ability to overcome anything in this world.
technology and todays kids are an amazing thing to witness. When did kids ever become so clever? I like to let them have time on the computer as I think in this quickly changing and technical world, computer skills are a necessity but I don't think it should be at the exclusion of the basics. There is nothing that can take the place of a hard copy book with pictures and a loving adult to read to you. I also think that being able to do math problems on paper without mechanical aide is so important. So many times I have seen young people working on tills in stores and if they punch in the wrong numbers, they don't have a clue how to do the simple math to figure out the correct change. That is frightening when you think about it. Becoming too dependant on technology is not a good thing but being able to do it is a necessity.
I definitely believe in the basics. So we spend alot of time reading, writing together and doing fun math activities. I try and make homework time fun by spending time with them while they are doing it. They never complain about doing homework because we are all together.
Kids need to explore but they need supervision. It's important to keep an eye on kids when they are using the computer. Parents should not be left behind in technology
I want to teach my son that "success" is measured by non-materialistic things. I want him to be successful in kindness, empathy and generosity. No matter how fast the world changes, these things will remain constant and forever useful.
I want my granddaughter that the world is hers for the taking as long as you have the basic skills as well as the technology of today -always read and ask questions -you can always find an answer if you look hard enough and just because you caan't find it the new way, you can always go back to the old fashion wasy and just may leasrn more than you anticipated
kids today need technology to keep up with this ever changing world. Every kid should have their own computer to assist with homework and staying connected with the world
One of the first things we taught our children when they were old enough to start using the technology available to all kids these days, was where the OFF button was. Their time using video games either on a console or on the computer was strictly limited. We wanted them to always experience the real world and not see the world through the eyes of a video screen.
Also, we always make time for our children. It is one of the most precious gifts we can give them. Technology has never been a babysitter in our home. We have had many life experiences with one another, all while leaving the games behind. We have skiied, gone skating, hiking, beach combing, and extended vacation. Just as important, is that, as parents, we left behind the technology ourselves. Of course, we always have a GPS and cell phone for emergencies. The cell phone, is turned off, and only used when we needed to use it.
I think the most important thing in this technological world is to start young with children. If they know, for instance, that the television is always turned off while the family enjoys dinner together, a parent will not have to take the television away when it interferes with the family dinner. As children get older, they will communicate less and less with their parents, unless communication has always been there.
Our children actually talk to us. We know their likes and dislikes, how they are doing in school (except just looking at report cards), who their friends are and how they view the world. This is incredibly important to us and I think it all started when they were little, when we taught them how to use the OFF button.
One of the first things we taught our children when they were old enough to start using the technology available to all kids these days, was where the OFF button was. Their time using video games either on a console or on the computer was strictly limited. We wanted them to always experience the real world and not see the world through the eyes of a video screen.
Also, we always make time for our children. It is one of the most precious gifts we can give them. Technology has never been a babysitter in our home. We have had many life experiences with one another, all while leaving the games behind. We have skiied, gone skating, hiking, beach combing, and extended vacation. Just as important, is that, as parents, we left behind the technology ourselves. Of course, we always have a GPS and cell phone for emergencies. The cell phone, is turned off, and only used when we needed to use it.
I think the most important thing in this technological world is to start young with children. If they know, for instance, that the television is always turned off while the family enjoys dinner together, a parent will not have to take the television away when it interferes with the family dinner. As children get older, they will communicate less and less with their parents, unless communication has always been there.
Our children actually talk to us. We know their likes and dislikes, how they are doing in school (except just looking at report cards), who their friends are and how they view the world. This is incredibly important to us and I think it all started when they were little, when we taught them how to use the OFF button.
By keeping up with what they are leaning..They learn I learn too
Most important in bringing up children is to talk to them - beginning as babies. They can't answer but they get used to being talked to. This sets them up for Reading to them which is entertaining for them, but gets them 'programmed for the future'. When they are read to as babies, it becomes a 'pattern' and they understand the words and it just helps them to broaden their own reading and comprehension so they are better prepared when they get into a classroom. I feel that Reading is the basis of all learning, be it Math, Science or other. If you can't read and understand, it is difficult to express your views.
I think the Technology of computers is Great, but we must not forget the basics. Computers help to speed up our learning because we can cover so much more material in a lesser time, but children need to be guided in the direction of what to spend their time on. Leaving them unwatched while using the computer could jeopardize their capabilities.
I remember when our kids were younger and we got a new computer on a Friday night. My husband brought it home set it up, and started showing our six year old son how to use it and how to use a mouse and the paint program.
Meanwhile our three daughter was already asleep so she missed the introductory lesson. However the next morning when we got up, we found our son instead of watching his Saturday morning cartoons, teaching his little sister how to use the computer and the paint program. Two hours of training and he was already an expert!
I try to let them use the computer as much as possible. They are still young but I want them to be up on technology because that is their world like it or not. I alsowant them to know reading andmath basics but at the same time I think it is exciting for them with all this technology we never had at school etc.
Rest assured that our kids will be more technologically advance than we'll ever be. I'm sure I'll be spinning my wheels trying to keep up with the latest gadgets. I mean, these kids are growing up with PCs and labtops and I didn't get to touch a computer until middle school! But for now, my concern is just to keep up with their summer schedule. For now, just getting by with a basic Tracfone. It's so cheap that if they loose the phone, it's no big deal. It's been working out for us so far. I can get away with the cheapie for now since they're on their last years of elementars school. But, I'm sure I'll have to upgrade soon.
She also suggests taking photos of yourself in different outfits, so you can compare and see what looks best on you.
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Thankyou for this well written and useful post
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