Pretending Books are iPads

[DaveA]

My DS is in kindergarten and my DD in 2nd. Their math homework and reading program are online every night. They said once they hit 4th grade all books and homework will be online and they will need a tablet for school each day.
As long as parents limit screen time so that children can get up and physically play, I think it's all right. I do wish parents would monitor what their children watch on their tablets.....but that's another story.

A good bit of my son's (12) homework either needs online research to complete or at the least makes it a ton easier. Both my kids (12 & 10) have ipads but we're pretty vigilant about how much/ what they watch. I saw a facebook thing where they showing a pic of people on a subway car buried in cellphones. Next to it was a pic from the 50s in the same type car- with everyone's face buried in a newspaper I'm pretty agnostic about tech- can be good or bad depending on how/who uses it.

[Unregistered]

We use YouTube for yoga--the cosmic kids yoga videos...I am not proficient enough (yet) in yoga to come up with a 20-30 minute workout for them, and they LOVE to do it.

I'm gonna copy you! Thx!

[Rockgirl]

I'm gonna copy you! Thx!

It was a member here who recommended them to me!

[Baby Beluga]

My son was playing Nintendo last night after the daycare was closed for the day. Then he took out his paints and canvas because he wanted to paint a picture of Mario. ::

That's is too sweet.

I think that technology has a time and place with children. BUT, it make me so sad to see the children go from loving and thoroughly enjoying books to paying them no attention at all.

[midaycare]

That's is too sweet.

I think that technology has a time and place with children. BUT, it make me so sad to see the children go from loving and thoroughly enjoying books to paying them no attention at all.

I think this is a parent thing. You really have to make reading a habit in your home. "Litter your house with literacy" is what my mom always says. She's a reading specialist.

[Thriftylady]

My DD is a Junior in HS this year. Many teachers are not accepting anything not turned in on Google Docs. My main issue about that is our area is VERY low income. That is part of the reason I am having issues finding kids (being legally unlicensed I can't take vouchers). Most of our kids here don't have computers at home, of those who do even less have internet. Many people here who are not poor can't get internet, because of being so far out in the country. The teachers tell them to go to the town library, but if their parents are not home to drive them back and forth and they don't live in town, I don't know how teachers expect them to do that. Luckily DD is not in that situation, because if we were I don't know what we would do.

[Hunni Bee]

I am an electronics/screen-free program.

The only screen I have here (besides my laptop or MY i-pad) is a 19" video monitor that shows my surveillance camera views.

I have had kids in the past be such severe screen addicts that they will try to park themselves in the middle of my kitchen so they can "watch the show".

The "show" is whatever my yard happens to have going on.....

But they don't care...some have sat for a pretty good chunk of time thinking they are watching something. :confused: ::

I owe about $90 in library late fees...all due to checking out books for my lesson plans and one of them going "missing" for a few weeks. I refuse to check out any more books on my personal card, so if we need a book for a lesson...I Youtube it. That's about the only screen time my kids get.

But if I bring my laptop to work on...they will crowd around for a pretty incredible about of time and come back no matter how many times I shoo them away.

Their favorite "shows" are Microsoft Word 2010 and Gmail...but they binge-watch "Flashing Colors Screensaver".

[Blackcat31]

I owe about $90 in library late fees...all due to checking out books for my lesson plans and one of them going "missing" for a few weeks. I refuse to check out any more books on my personal card, so if we need a book for a lesson...I Youtube it. That's about the only screen time my kids get.

But if I bring my laptop to work on...they will crowd around for a pretty incredible about of time and come back no matter how many times I shoo them away.

Their favorite "shows" are Microsoft Word 2010 and Gmail...but they binge-watch "Flashing Colors Screensaver".

:: ::


Hey, that one has ****ed me in on occasion a time or two...

[Play Care]

I went to a friends house recently for a play date and the first thing she did was turn on a movie! I was confused because I wanted my kids to play. They come to our house all the time and that is what they do for 2-3 hours! PLAY

I'd be irritated too! When my kids were that age my hope for a play date was that they would play hard with their friend and nap well:: Sitting and watching videos would not give me my desired results!::

I think we can all say we occasionally allow some type of electronic media. I've also used YouTube for the stories. I occasionally use a video to supplement a lesson or theme, etc. I am also a "screen free" program. On a daily basis there is no tv, tablets, or computers used. I don't think that's the issue.
But we have all seen parents and kids out and about with parents glued to their phones and kids glued to tablets. Younger DD just joined the Girl Scouts and I was somewhat annoyed to see the co-leader glued to her phone practically the whole meeting while the main leader did all the work. I've been at soccer games recently where the coach is on their phone most of the time. *That's* what's happening. That *IS* the reality of the situation.

All that said, I wouldn't necessarily think anything of the kids pretending the book is a tablet as many people do read on their tablets. And just as kids have pretended to cook like mom and dad, talk on the phone like mom and dad, now they are pretending to "read" just like mom and dad. At least they are playing and imagining. I'd be more concerned with the kid who sat there whining to watch "bideos" all day

[Laurel]

Every kid in every grade in our local schools from Kindy to High School are each issued i-pads for the year.

The technology available for kids now days is crazy but I am assuming in some way necessary.

I just wish that along WITH all of that went some "old school" things; you know like how to balance a check book, bake something, health and physical education, apply for job.... ect..

Those things seem to be a lost part of the educational process.

I know kids have parents to teach them those kinds of things but given the experiences most of us "older" folks have seen, the parents of these kids don't even know how to do those things.

Maybe other grades get them, I don't know. She didn't have one at the same school last year though.

I thought it kind of odd at the beginning of the year that the school supply list asked for copy machine paper. So I started watching what they sent home. I told my granddaughter that back in my day (mainly the 60's) that the teacher would write the math problems on the blackboard. We'd have to copy them. No copy paper needed!

I don't remember any training in my day for everyday things until one got to high school. In high school there was cooking, sewing, typing and Business English (where they taught us how to write out checks, etc.). We also had Driver's Ed. I don't even think they have that anymore. I think it would a good thing to have high schoolers take a course that included life skills and make it mandatory. Maybe some do. I'd be interested to know if anyone knows.

[Thriftylady]

Maybe other grades get them, I don't know. She didn't have one at the same school last year though.

I thought it kind of odd at the beginning of the year that the school supply list asked for copy machine paper. So I started watching what they sent home. I told my granddaughter that back in my day (mainly the 60's) that the teacher would write the math problems on the blackboard. We'd have to copy them. No copy paper needed!

I don't remember any training in my day for everyday things until one got to high school. In high school there was cooking, sewing, typing and Business English (where they taught us how to write out checks, etc.). We also had Driver's Ed. I don't even think they have that anymore. I think it would a good thing to have high schoolers take a course that included life skills and make it mandatory. Maybe some do. I'd be interested to know if anyone knows.

This kills me also. Our schools are always asking for more money. But when you look at the amount of paper and ink they are using on photo copies it kills me. When I was in school, we copied off the blackboard, copied questions out of our books and wrote the answers, copied down our math problems and worked them out. Now so much of that is printed or copied and sent home. Every darn time I see photo copies come home for DD and for my daycare kiddos, I cringe at the waste of money. It isn't as if they no longer have hands to write.