Tech. Kids

Well first of all I would just like to say that I LOVE the Pico Crickets. They are such a good way for kids to learn problem solving, cause and effect, along with a lot of other skills in a fun, creative, challenging way. While working them it was such a trill to try and figure out different ways of doing stuff and when we finally got it to work I was left with a sense of accomplishment and pride. I can only image how a kid would feel after seeing their creation come alive of they own accord. The more I think about them the more different content areas I think they could fit in. They are a perfect way to tap into the technology based childhood that now defines the generations. No clear example of this is found than in the discussion I witnessed at the Preschool.

The topic of the week was transportation and besides the general planes, trains, and automobiles, discussion the topic of how we transport messages was brought up. Now even in my childhood this conversation would have involved phones, mail and talking to the person. But just in the few years that separate my childhood from theirs many new forms of communication have spurted up. There brainstorm listed included cell phones, texting, and email among others. When Miss Bonnie took her phone out one of the little girls shouted out "hey that's a Blackberry I have one of those." Now granted her's was proaubly a toy one but the fact remains these kids and those to come are growing up in a world far different then even the one I grew up in. A world in which technology in not just this cool new toy or gadget but a way of life. So it only makes senese to use technology like the Pico Crickets in their play. Just as the world has changed since my generation why shouldn't are teaching methods also change?