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Easy. The technical area that has made your husband successful, you don't want your kids exposed to until after 8th grade.
Well, time will tell.
Indeed, but obviously I'm betting on my approach.
My experience with primary education is that tech instruction is limited to an overwhelmed and unprepared librarian showing the kids how to use a simple drawing program in first grade, practice keyboarding in second grade, use a search engine in the third grade, and put together a PowerPoint presentation in fifth grade. In middle school, students may delve briefly into multi-media or robotics as electives, but it's not exactly inspiring. I'd rather that time was spent teaching my kids how to write a well-suppported persuasive essay and master algebra.
My experience with primary education is that tech instruction is limited to an overwhelmed and unprepared librarian showing the kids how to use a simple drawing program in first grade, practice keyboarding in second grade, use a search engine in the third grade, and put together a PowerPoint presentation in fifth grade. In middle school, students may delve briefly into multi-media or robotics as electives, but it's not exactly inspiring. I'd rather that time was spent teaching my kids how to write a well-suppported persuasive essay and master algebra.
What students are taught in school should be a supplement to that taught at home. Your SO sounds like an ideal candidate (if he likes to teach) for your child to understand the ins and outs of a computer (he will be years ahead of the other students).
If you want your kids to have a real advantage (and you may already be doing this), is to spend a lot of time with them teaching them everything they can absorb. A young mind is like a sponge.
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Easy. The technical area that has made your husband successful, you don't want your kids exposed to until after 8th grade.
I thought of that myself as soon as I read the OP. (I know computer software/hardware engineers who were in the field PRE-Atari. None of them have had any problems with their kids using computers in school.)
I understand wanting your child to have a well-rounded education. I just fail to see where non-computer-use = better education.
My father used a slide rule in his job. When he saw the first $300 TI calculator (anyone remember how revolutionary those were? This must have been the very early '80s) he spent several hours playing with it and the owner (a software engineer) had a hard time getting it back.
I thought of that myself as soon as I read the OP.
(I know computer software/hardware engineers who were in the field PRE-Atari. None of them have had any problems with their kids using computers in school.)
When did their kids go to school?
Now-a-days technology saturates a young child mind IMO. Perhaps we Software Engineers know this because we have experienced it.
Now-a-days technology saturates a young child mind IMO. Perhaps we Software Engineers know this because we have experienced it.
Pretty much the entire span of home computer use. From the Lisas and dial up modems (ugg) through today.
You know there is an "off" button. You limit their time. You monitor their use. They spend X number of minutes on the computer and X number of minutes growing carrots. Maybe they chart the growth of carrots on the computer. Feed in data on fertilizer and hours of sun. Maybe a little computer graphics instruction to develop Our Friend, Mr. Carrot. Then you turn off the computer and go out and till the soil for Mr. Carrot.
Pretty much the entire span of home computer use. From the Lisas and dial up modems (ugg) through today.
You know there is an "off" button. You limit their time. You monitor their use. They spend X number of minutes on the computer and X number of minutes growing carrots. Maybe they chart the growth of carrots on the computer. Feed in data on fertilizer and hours of sun. Maybe a little computer graphics instruction to develop Our Friend, Mr. Carrot. Then you turn off the computer and go out and till the soil for Mr. Carrot.
I prefer at a young age to use pencil and some graphing paper for the chart. Also, instead of digital graphics instruction, draw and write notes in a field journal.
Take the field journal, graphing paper and the pencil outside. Lay down next to Mr. Carrot and enjoy the outdoors.
With that foundation they will surely transition to the computer easily, and if the computer fails, they can do it by hand.
I'd like to see evidence that computers in the k-8 classroom truly increase understanding and improve educational outcomes commensurate to the financial burden they place on school districts. Right now, the research is hardly conclusive, and I see more drawbacks than benefits.
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I prefer at a young age to use pencil and some graphing paper for the chart. Also, instead of digital graphics instruction, draw and write notes in a field journal.
How are these kids that go to school in these hothouses going to work in a general office?
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Originally Posted by randomparent
Indeed, but obviously I'm betting on my approach.
My experience with primary education is that tech instruction is limited to an overwhelmed and unprepared librarian showing the kids how to use a simple drawing program in first grade, practice keyboarding in second grade, use a search engine in the third grade, and put together a PowerPoint presentation in fifth grade. In middle school, students may delve briefly into multi-media or robotics as electives, but it's not exactly inspiring. I'd rather that time was spent teaching my kids how to write a well-suppported persuasive essay and master algebra.
OK, I read toobusytoday's post about discussing what is going on today in schools, but I can't help but respond to this post by pointing out what was going on when my kids were in their elementary years, that is, 1989- 1998. They became proficient in keyboarding by 4th grade. I remember the younger one's fifth grade teacher stating that a word processor was a great tool for editing.
There is no reason a middle school student can't do multi-media and/or robotics as electives and still learn how to write a well-suppported persuasive essay and master algebra.
Take the field journal, graphing paper and the pencil outside. Lay down next to Mr. Carrot and enjoy the outdoors.
We're actually very much alike in our attitude and philosophy. Because this is absolutely something we did.
(I just like computers. )
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