Parenting and the Evolution of Learning

My son turns 7 on Saturday which I’m sure you can imagine, he is very excited about. He’s a really easy-going boy and actually didn’t have any huge demands for his birthday. For the last few years he’s had an Amazon wish-list but it’s strangely empty at the moment.

Don’t worry – he will have a huge pile of presents to open on Saturday. There are a few Star Wars Lego sets, some new STEAM sets as we all love educational toys and some emoji things too. I’m really hoping that he’s not on the cusp of not wanting toys any more. He already has a phone in his room but I’m hoping he’s not going to ask for a tablet anytime soon. To me, he’ll always be my baby but he’s off to Junior school in September and is growing up fast.

My husband and I love technology. Although we didn’t grow up with it we have both grabbed it with two hands. Our home embraces the Internet of Things which my son just loves. We both want him and his sister to be completely comfortable with technology, especially if it helps them learn.

My children are allowed a certain amount of time to play computer games each day, as long as they have ticked off their daily chores. We really want technology to play a central part in all our lives, as long as they recognise that other things must be done too! There are so many ways to enjoy technology through gamification and apps on tablets. At the moment my 5 year old loves YouTube Kids and my soon-to-be 7 year old loves Minecraft and Lego Worlds. He saved his pocket money and was so happy to receive Lego Worlds the day it came out.

Take a look at the video from GP Strategies learning services which shows the evolution of learning:

I’m not sure that YouTube Kids is particularly educational but Minecraft and Lego Worlds definitely are. My son (and husband) spend hours building and exploring their online worlds. I like how they learn together. My son has played Minecraft for a few years now. As well as the online game he has Minecraft figures, Minecraft Lego sets and even soft toys. He can play Minecraft at home or on an iPad in the car. I keep telling him how lucky he is – I would have loved a tablet to make long car journeys more bearable when I was growing up.

I love the fact that new technologies have changed our children’s learning and see it as a really positive thing. They don’t seem to spend much time in the computer suite at school which is why it’s so important to introduce these things at home. We’re also introducing the downside of all this too – such as spending too long online, playing games too close to bedtime (which really effects his sleep), and sharing too much. Recently my son has started a blog and he’s getting to grips with email and storing his digital photos. He loves toys which mix technology and he is excited about all the opportunities to learn these new things.

Disclosure – this is a collaborative post