Children as 'Active Creators'

Children as 'Active Creators'

Do you worry about your children being glued to the latest apps and devices?  Or whether they are acquiring the skills they’ll need to thrive in our increasingly tech-enabled society? If so, you're not alone.

WorkLife Central was among 90 ‘movers and shakers’ from technology, education, business and government invited to participate in a special event hosted by BT late last year. Our mission? to find ways to encourage young people to move from being passive consumers of technology to ‘active creators’.  In other words, how to help our children to learn about the technology that underpins our daily lives and to develop valuable tech skills that are increasingly essential across the world of work, not just in the technology industry. 

Businesses care, because they are already struggling to recruit enough employees with the right tech skills.   As parents we care, but it’s hard to encourage our children’s involvement with technology when we’re simultaneously worrying about too much screen time and internet safety.  As for kids, many tune out when hearing about coding and programming, but get excited when they see how technology can help bring ideas to life and solve problems in the world around them.  Initiatives like Apps for Good are helping to inspire kids and teach them valuable tech skills while the iRights movement is campaigning for all young people in the UK to be able to access technology knowledgeably and safely.  

So what can we do as parents? A lot, according to the experts. Next time you see your child online, ask them what they’re doing and whether you can join in.  Get them to show you how their favourite apps work as a way of beginning the conversation.  Encourage them to tinker with gadgets and literally find out what’s under the cover (ok, not your iMac).  Introduce them to game-based learning, as a fun way of helping them develop their problem-solving skills and learn that failing is ok (as long as you keep on trying).  Work on things together, google what you don’t know and give it a try. You might be surprised at how much you learn too.

clock Originally Released On 11 December 2015

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