We hear a lot about the negative effects of too much screen time for children, but it’s also important to focus on the positive role that technology can play in a child’s life. We live in a world where digital technology gives children easy access to information and knowledge and which can also boost creativity and skills.
In this article, we’ll explore how hardware and software can connect children with a diverse selection of learning resources and even prepare them for future technological careers.
How COVID-19 Rewrote the Rules
Many rules about children’s access to technology were rewritten by the COVID-19 pandemic. If you’re a parent that experienced home learning during the pandemic (and came out the other side unscathed), you’ll know just how important technology became during this time. From live lessons on laptops to homework submitted over email, it’s amazing how quickly teachers and pupils adjusted to learning outside of the classroom.
If you’re a tutor that kept teaching during this time, you’ll be no stranger to lessons held over Zoom and using online teaching resources. Perhaps you have continued to carry out your lessons in this way or adopted a hybrid method of tutoring.
Technology Helps Children to Become Independent Learners
Many parents hesitate to introduce their preschoolers to mobile devices and other technology because they are concerned about the impact on their development and well-being. However, technology can help children to become independent learners in a shorter space of time than offline resources. When children have safe and monitored access to digital information sources, they are better able to seek out answers and information on their own.
Technology Helps Children to Multitask More Effectively
When children learn to multitask, they can achieve more in a shorter space of time, often without realising it. Whether they are listening to relaxing music while completing their homework, or typing up notes while their online tutor shares their screen, technology makes multitasking easier.
A Wealth of Learning Resources At Their Fingertips
As anybody that uses the internet knows, there is an unlimited amount of information just a click away. From searching on Google and attending online classes to playing educational games and using online revision material, the internet provides numerous opportunities for students to learn. When managed and monitored in a safe way, there is no reason why children cannot use the internet as a learning resource in the same way they might use a textbook.
Prepare Today’s Students For Tomorrow’s Tech Careers
The world is changing fast, with more and more careers in technology being created. From data scientists to game developers and graphic designers, today’s students will have so many tech-oriented jobs to choose from. Familiarising children with technology at an early age can inspire them to enter the tech workforce and prepare them for a job that might fit them in the future.
Help Them to Build Communities and Nurture Communication Skills
Many children are prone to anxiety in face-to-face social situations. Online relationships and friendships can be far less intimidating and help children to communicate safely and with confidence. From speaking to other children with similar hobbies and interests to keeping in touch with family members, technology helps children to develop communication skills they can take into the real world.
Getting the Balance Just Right
Technology is often demonised because of the negative impact it can have on children’s development and the inappropriate content they might stumble across. However, when tech and the learning resources it has to offer are managed in a safe and responsible manner, it can be one of the best ways for children to learn.
Online tutoring sessions with our private tutors are the perfect way to combine technology with formal learning. If you’d like to discover more about our tutoring services, find a location near you to get started today.
