Carroll County Times Articles
Technology as the Answer to Boredom
by Karen Delahanty – April 8, 2007
"I'm bored"
Parents hear this refrain when children have a day off school, too much time without friends, or the weekend is rainy and they can't go outside to play. Children have been known to suffer from "couch potato-itis" and a number of other similar maladies. Parents are then challenged with keeping children occupied and entertained. Imagine finding an activity that your children enjoy and keeps them learning?! Technology provides the answer!
For years, we have been using technology to keep in touch with friends around the world, cook our food, and occupy us in the car, so why not use technology to teach our kids? Instead of hours spent on myspace.com, blogging, video gaming, and searching the Internet for our perfect match, why not use computers to teach our kids something we want them to be learning?
Let's use technology, which we already know the children enjoy, to teach them skills that will be useful in years to come! Use those big bins of Legos to teach your elementary- and middle-schoolers about mechanical engineering - gears, levers, pulleys, axles, etc. Use digital cameras to teach your children about photography - exposure, zoom, focus, etc. Use a GPS to teach your children a sense of direction - go for a hike.
According to Clements, Nastasi, & Smaminathan, "Technology offers additional ways to learn, and to demonstrate learning. For some children who have unique learning styles, computers can reveal hidden strengths. At the computer, children can approach learning from a variety of perspectives and follow various paths to a goal."
You can find a variety of technology-oriented after-school, weekend and summer camps throughout your community. Check with your local childcare centers, department of recreation and parks, colleges - community, private and public, libraries, 4-H, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc. Here are a few websites for technology-related activities:
http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/recpark/
http://www.childrenssoftware.com/
Parents, be sure to visit these sites either prior to, or with, your children! hoose projects and activities that your children can do individually, as well as some you can share as a family and enjoy together! Who says children are the only ones who should be learning?
About the Author
Karen Delahanty owns COMPUTERTOTS / COMPUTER EXPLORERS, an organization devoted to providing the best technology education to children. She is also a member of the Carroll Technology Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating businesses, government and residents about technology issues. Questions are welcomed and may be addressed in future articles. Email advisors@carrolltechcouncil.org or go to www.carrolltechcouncil.org to learn more.
The viewpoints expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Carroll Technology Council.
