I recently read the article, “The Last Generation of Kids That Played Outside” by Nate Hanson on the HUFFPOST blog. I’d like to offer a “view from a different angle” (a life lesson I learned last night in the Big Hero 6 movie) of the content in the post.
A hopeful thought hit me while reading Facebook Sunday morning, thanks to technology coupled with quality teaching practices, we are preparing an innovative workforce with students who can think, create, and transfer skills to be successful in their futures!
The best way to demonstrate this is through examples. So, here’s a few.
Have you seen children create amazing structures using the Minecraft app?
Minecraft gives students the freedom to create, pushing their imaginations to the limit and allowing them to be creative in ways not possible in the real world. Players must make decisions about how to invest their time and resources in order to accomplish their goals. They are constantly reflecting on their choices and refining them to make better decisions in the future. They work together with others to accomplish tasks they could not accomplish on their own. Finally, they are learning valuable skills of coding and being exposed to vocabulary like servers, clients, portals, and command line operations that can help them be successful in the many new careers that will exist for their generation.
Imagine the innovation and critical thinking skills developed in a classroom where students are using Minecraft for math lessons on X,Y and Z coordinates, Physics lessons for Laws of Motion, and history lessons reenacting important historical events. All the while, students are using apps and tools they are familiar with, thus engaging them in learning and more importantly deepening the learning experience because of the means to collaboration, creation,and critical thinking the technology tool provides coupled with the rich classroom conversations among students and use of supplemental resources facilitated by the teacher.
Have you ever seen students learn about something they couldn't otherwise experience the same way because of an iPad app?
Take for example learning astronomy, specifically constellations, using the Star Walk app? With the Star Walk app, you point your iPad camera to the sky and you can then see all the stars, satellites, constellations and planets, all in their proper place and labeled. As you move the camera around, the app adjusts in real time.
Using this app, students can critically think about astronomy and formulate their own answers to the following questions from hands-on, real time data and interaction:
- Does the sun really rise in the east?
- Does that ever change?
- Where do all the planets appear in the sky?
- How can you tell a planet from a star or galaxy?
- Can people in the Southern Hemisphere see the same stars as people in the Northern, Eastern, or Western hemispheres?
- Where do stars go during the day?
Imagine the innovation and critical thinking skills developed in students from learning with this app. They critically think about the relationship of starts, cause and effect, and impact stars and planets have on each other. They are experiencing the content rather than just reading about it. The iPad allows the means to this learning when otherwise would not be possible due to time of day and limited opportunity to a clear sky daily.
Have you ever seen students learn with and from others in the world through the use of a variety of iPad apps?
I have witnessed 1st graders who were studying the seasons. They hadn't yet know the types of trees/leaves, so they used the Leafsnap app to identify the leaves.
They then counted and categorized their leaves and sent their data to over 30 classrooms in other states. They also shared samples of their leaves to students in Texas to compare and contrast their climate based on the color and size of the leaves. After having a few unanswered questions about why the leaves from Texas were different, using the Skype app, they were able to discuss in person while over 1,000 miles separated them.
From their discussions, our students learned first hand from other 1st graders about the climate in Texas and how that affected the leaves so they didn’t turn colors.
Think about the innovation and critical thinking skills these students experienced by using a variety of apps. They used critical thinking skills to determine which type of tree their leaf was, math skills to report their data to others and analyze the data from classrooms// around the nation, geography skills to locate various states and countries on the map. Finally, they were learning valuable work skills in being able to communicate clearly and appropriately with others to learn together, as well as be connected in a global society using tools that reflect those in jobs they will occupy in 15-20 years.
Playing Outside
If you believe our future generation isn’t playing outside any longer because of the iPad, I urge you to consider other causes.
- The same was said about television a few years ago and more recently Nintendo and Playstation. Today there are hundreds of channels providing content for all interests and many game platforms with hundreds of games.
- More families have both parents working outside the home. This causes children to be in daycare facilities longer and not get home for time to play outdoors. It also causes children to be home alone more, limiting playtime outside (unless parents are okay with children playing outside when they are not home).
- Children are much more active in sports and activities then they were in the past. The level of commitment to these activities requires children to be at practice or meetings multiple days/week. This causes children to not be home as much for play time outdoors.
- Playing outside is not as safe as it once was. Being monitored by parents now is necessary, which requires parents to also be available and outside with their children. Yet, with working full time, then coming home to make supper, and getting homework done, little time is left for playing outdoors.
- Parenting style has changed- the family structure has changed and families are not as connected as they once were. It’s up to the parent to get kids outside to play. It’s up to us to limit screen time, encourage physical activity, play with our children, and provide opportunities for them to socialize with others.
Our children should still be playing outside building forts with tarps and wood, creating ant houses, planting leaves, and playing Monopoly. I have a hard time buying into the statement that the iPad is restricting them from going outside and having these experiences, unless as adults we allow that to happen.
I hope the above examples showcase how an iPad, or rather the content on an iPad, develops curiosity, creativity, and innovation. I think we need to extend the questions asked in the article to the following--
Article: Are we losing the sense of wonder that we used to possess?
View from a different angle: How can we use technology to enhance the sense of wonder we posses and help to foster more curiosity from experiencing the world, learning with and from others, and creating unimaginable processes and products!
Article: Are we grownups forgetting the adventures we had?
View from a different angle: How can we use technology to capture the adventures we had and are having to reflect on them, remember them, and share them with our own children so they continue?
Article: Are we lazily reading Twitter instead of showing our kids the endless possibilities of curiosity and dreams?
View from a different angle: Are we showing the kids the endless possibilities of curiosity and dreams using a variety of tools (technology, print, materials) and sharing these possibilities on Twitter so others can learn and engage in conversations to deepen the experience? Are we engaging with our children in outside play and learning the technology they know as well as sharing the experiences to create well-rounded children who will grow to be successful adults?
Technology is not going to go away. It’s impact in society, business and day to day activities are too great. Technology permeates how people learn, communicate, bank, shop, as well as provides great efficiency. It will not go back to the way it was. What we can do, is embrace it and put it to use in a positive way.
The bottom line is balance is needed! As a parent, and educator, it’s up to me to select the best learning opportunities for my children and balance that with all the skills they need to be successful in life. I encourage the use of the appropriate tool to help them learn deeper, think harder, and create better! Sometimes that’s on an Ipad, on a computer, on paper, in a book, on a board, in dirt, in a box, with a sewing machine, using legos, or building blocks. The options are endless!
Let’s raise a generation of kids that build birdhouses for the yard and create virtual communities using technology. A generation that plants seeds and maple leaves as well as documents their growth, analyzes the best needs for their maximum growth, and shares this process with others through the use of technology. Let’s raise kids who have a deep toolbox of resources and skills to be successful in school, career and life- outdoors and with an iPad! I agree with Kenny as he stated in the comments to the article, “There is room in their lives for both!”
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Side Note: There was a reference in the article about Steve Jobs not letting his kids use the iPad. I know this has been circulating across social media platforms, so again, I’d like to give a different viewpoint. Here’s a “view from a different angle”.
Steve Jobs did not say he did not allow his children to use iPads at all. He simply said, “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.” He does what all of us parents do- help our children balance the activities in their lives to be knowledgeable communicators and critical thinkers who enjoy life and lead a healthy lifestyle which will hopefully contribute to being happy and successful in life!
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