Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't see a problem with 6 year olds looking at an ipad. In my days, I learned through reading books and listening to my teachers...theoretically . TV had very limited educational programs. Sesame Street, Electric Company, and maybe even Mr. Rogers would be a few of those. These days, there are many more ways to learn stuff and even a few entire channels full of programming that teaches anything from social skills and creative thinking to math and english. There are websites built completely around educating children of different ages. Having ipads and computers with these programs, websites, and educational gaming software can be a great tool for kids to learn stuff. It can be fun which is the easiest way to teach anyone anything.
Ever have a boring, monotone teacher? Did you have trouble learning from that teacher? Well, it's the same for kids. They have a hard time learning from boring teachers. It's much easier learning from teachers that are active and involved with the class...ones that have a sense of humor and creativity. Another good way of teaching kids along with an active teacher is to have different sources of information and different ways to gain that information. The ipad and computers offers that change of environment for kids. Some kids learn better with different methods to keep things interesting, while others can do just fine with one or two methods. You can't just teach to a handful of kids that can learn fine with one method of learning. It's best to not only teach many different methods for everyone to enjoy, but to introduce the idea of learning in different ways from those that have a difficult time learning certain subjects...or any subject for that matter.
I think you get the idea here. I welcome the use of ipads for any age in the classroom.
I don't see a problem with 6 year olds looking at an ipad. In my days, I learned through reading books and listening to my teachers...theoretically . TV had very limited educational programs. Sesame Street, Electric Company, and maybe even Mr. Rogers would be a few of those. These days, there are many more ways to learn stuff and even a few entire channels full of programming that teaches anything from social skills and creative thinking to math and english. There are websites built completely around educating children of different ages. Having ipads and computers with these programs, websites, and educational gaming software can be a great tool for kids to learn stuff. It can be fun which is the easiest way to teach anyone anything.
Ever have a boring, monotone teacher? Did you have trouble learning from that teacher? Well, it's the same for kids. They have a hard time learning from boring teachers. It's much easier learning from teachers that are active and involved with the class...ones that have a sense of humor and creativity. Another good way of teaching kids along with an active teacher is to have different sources of information and different ways to gain that information. The ipad and computers offers that change of environment for kids. Some kids learn better with different methods to keep things interesting, while others can do just fine with one or two methods. You can't just teach to a handful of kids that can learn fine with one method of learning. It's best to not only teach many different methods for everyone to enjoy, but to introduce the idea of learning in different ways from those that have a difficult time learning certain subjects...or any subject for that matter.
I think you get the idea here. I welcome the use of ipads for any age in the classroom.
I don't get the idea. You learned from an educator through lectures and school books. It can still be done. I noticed you use the term "learn stuff" a few times. I hope an education is more than just to "learn stuff". What is stuff?
TV in the class room wasn't conducive when I was in school in the 60s. There was Romper Room, Sesame Street(yawn) and Mr Rogers (more yawn). We got to watch it before school started but the school turned that stuff off when the school day began. That programming was for home and not school. Those shows were behavioral programming and that isn't the job of an educator unless you pay a private school to polish your kid's behavior. If a kid learned only from Sesame Street that is a dumb kid along the lines of Common Core.
You mentioned boring monotone teachers. I have had boring monotone college professors, bosses, workmates and anything else that fits. If they are to be as active, fun and involved as you suggest they may as well be clowns making balloon animals. I am sure the government has testing for that.
TV, computers and iPads are recreational toys in the minds of kids. Some might get the idea that it is not but that may be a few out of a classroom. Kids need to learn the three Rs, not how to get answers from the internet. I guess homework research is printing a wiki page and emailing it to the teacher.
I don't get the idea. You learned from an educator through lectures and school books. It can still be done. I noticed you use the term "learn stuff" a few times. I hope an education is more than just to "learn stuff". What is stuff?
TV in the class room wasn't conducive when I was in school in the 60s. There was Romper Room, Sesame Street(yawn) and Mr Rogers (more yawn). We got to watch it before school started but the school turned that stuff off when the school day began. That programming was for home and not school. Those shows were behavioral programming and that isn't the job of an educator unless you pay a private school to polish your kid's behavior. If a kid learned only from Sesame Street that is a dumb kid along the lines of Common Core.
You mentioned boring monotone teachers. I have had boring monotone college professors, bosses, workmates and anything else that fits. If they are to be as active, fun and involved as you suggest they may as well as be clowns making balloon animals. I am sure the government has testing for that.
TV, computers and iPads are recreational toys in the minds of kids. Some might get the idea that it is not but that may be a few out of a classroom. Kids need to learn the three Rs, not how to get answers from the internet. I guess homework research is printing a wiki page and emailing it to the teacher.
Staring at an ipad.
Staring at an overhead projector...
What is the difference?
As for learning, my son learned the alphabet, colors, shapes, numbers to 30, animals, sounds animals make, sounds the letters make, vehicles, etc...partly from the ipad, partly from us reinforncing it...all before he was 2.
Some of the home schooling parents I know aren't allowing computer use until 5th grade and only then for certain kinds of research that they will personally supervise.
The children are not allowed to play computer games, either, until 5th grade.
The idea is they will develop good handwriting and also process information better by making and taking notes.
I don't have an opinion on whether that's good or bad, just reporting what they have decided to do.
Some of the home schooling parents I know aren't allowing computer use until 5th grade and only then for certain kinds of research that they will personally supervise.
The children are not allowed to play computer games, either, until 5th grade.
The idea is they will develop good handwriting and also process information better by making and taking notes.
I don't have an opinion on whether that's good or bad, just reporting what they have decided to do.
They don't have to be Luddites about it. My kids did both. None is in jail or addicted to anything.
Computers are not going away. As Finster said, the problem here is not the iPads anyway but the emphasis on testing. Right now these PARCC tests are the Solution of the Moment. My kid's school did them this year. The tests are computerized, and the cheapest way for schools to get them done is via iPad.
Is it the best way to go? Maybe not. But keeping children AWAY from technology is not going to help them in the LONG run.
If you put a 6 year old in a room alone with a piece of blank paper and a pencil, she will draw something. If you put her there with an iPad, she will create nothing. There is nothing wrong with technology. But the technology we have today is the end game, the reward saved for when you have experienced everything else. I have a baby. I want her to get excited about eating carrots before I introduce her to sweeter stuff. Obviously candy will come much later. If you get them addicted to the candy first, they will want nothing else. This is the same reason you don't allow kids to watch too much TV. You stunt their imagination.
I agree. There is a whole lifetime to be involved with technology. Shouldn't kids at least be introduced to more basic things first?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. TV had very limited educational programs. Sesame Street, Electric Company, and maybe even Mr. Rogers would be a few of those. These days, there are many more ways to learn stuff and even a few entire channels full of programming that teaches anything from social skills and creative thinking to math and english. There are websites built completely around educating children of different ages. Having ipads and computers with these programs, websites, and educational gaming software can be a great tool for kids to learn stuff. It can be fun which is the easiest way to teach anyone anything. 
