Are my kids technologically disadvantaged? I ask this in all sincerity. If you've ever seen Liam play Wii Mario Kart, you would know what I mean. He was recently playing while doing somersaults on the couch. He didn't do too well on Rainbow Road. It's really not his fault. We didn't even get a Wii until last Christmas (age almost-4) and the Mario Kart didn't come until a few months later. So he's had very little training. Over the summer Bill uploaded a few classic games onto the Wii including Super Mario Brothers. Why is it that Liam continues to try to run over the ditch? I say "the ditch" because he hasn't gotten past the first one independently. My 4 year old nephew came over and it turns out he plays Mario Kart with more skill than me (I should preface this by saying I'm not that good). Don't get me started on Joshua. We haven't even started his gaming training. But then again, he's just learning how to hold a marker.
Why is this even a big deal? Because I'm concerned about my boys' futures. It seems ever more apparent that this world around us is being built up around gadgets and technology. When I was in college, trying to keep up a long distance relationship, we still used email with a black backscreen and green letters. I can only imagine how terrific texting would have been. And now elementary schoolers have their own cell phones (for the record, I've yet to see one in the classroom... or hear one ringing in a backpack for that matter). In a world where ten year olds know how to text, you've got to start wondering with your preschooler if it's time to step it up a bit. I mean, doesn't he need to practice dexterity on a small keyboard... or maybe that's even out of date... so maybe we should just skip the keyboard and go right to touchscreen.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not currently standing in line at Radio Shack to purchase my kid an I-Pod. Although I did look into the Crayola MP3 player for Christmas... until I realized he doesn't know how to read yet so how could he choose songs? I'm okay with taking baby steps into the world of technology. We don't have a V-Tech or a V-Smile (although he does have a Smart Cycle). And I'm not into all of those learning video games. Let me explain that from a teaching perspective... I see Liam playing educational games. The Smart Cycle says to bump into the letters A, B & C. Liam drives the cycle furiously with no regard for letters, kicking off incorrect letter after incorrect letter until he gets the right one... and then he's off in search of D, E & F. He plays the games on Sesame Street (at pbskids.org) and could care less whether he gets an answer right or wrong. In fact, sometimes he prefers the negative buzzer more than the positive bell ringing. He's got a Leapster and I've seen him pressing his share of random buttons. So am I turning my kid into a random button pusher? My point is, that whether he's playing with the Leapster or Leappad, they don't give the type of feedback that real teaching can; and because of that, they just can't teach a kid to read or write on their own.
What will the world be like in five years when Liam turns 9? Will fourth graders be bringing their cell phones to school? Hmmm... I don't think things actually move that fast. But I certainly don't want Liam to be that tenth grader whose parents won't buy him the texting plan- or who has to use a pay phone to call his parents to get picked up from school. But on the other hand, I probably won't be the parent who stands in line at the cell phone store at midnight to get him the newest smart phone model. No, he'll have to make do with our left over flip phones (just kidding, we haven't bought a flip phone in years). And maybe I'll get him to train intensely on just one or two videogames so he's a pro. I know too many kids who have all of the gaming systems- X-Box, PS2, Wii and Kinect (okay, I"m probably totally wrong here, there's probably a few more significant systems) AND a DS! On a side note- doesn't anyone think that's all a major racket- buying all new systems and games every time the next best thing comes out? I still have my Game Boy. Maybe I'll teach Liam and Joshua how to play Tetris so they can wow all of their friends with their powers of strategic thinking... Hmmm... Or maybe they'd be better off if we just stuck with Mario Kart. There's only so many times you can slide your scooter from the ice flow into the frigid arctic waters before your friends start to only invite you over so they can make fun of you and inflate their egos.
No comments:
Post a Comment