Pretty much the whole world is on the internet. With many user friendly sites being available and a computer in nearly every household, the parents, the children and even the pets are online. Don’t get me started with the feline networking on facebook.
My only worry about the internet is the accessibility children have to unsavory sites which of course can be blocked with parental control. So as long as we can trust that the adults with computer literacy (which is a completely new discussion) then there are many benefits to the wonderful World Wide Web, for both adults and children. That is mainly due to the availability of information. The whole world of education is simply at the child’s fingertips. I remember having to spend endless days in libraries, searching encyclopedias front to back and research by speaking with the older generation. But now this research and information is far more accessible, which is of course a fantastic asset to the education of children in today’s society. Don’t get me wrong I am only 27 and I wasn’t brought up in the cave man era carving in stone. We did of course have access to computers in school but it wasn’t quite as plentiful. Only yesterday I heard on Radio One a child looking forward to a music lesson as they were editing a soundtrack on a Mac book pro. This I find to be fantastic, we should have some geniusly intelligent people developing in all sectors of employment from scientists, mathematicians and authors to film directors and music composers.
With the increasingly popular social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo and Twitter, children have inevitably been consumed- as have we all. Children can often put themselves in a cyber world of danger which could affect their real world, so it is important that parents are aware of this and monitor accordingly. Psychologists and neurologists believe these sites to be doing more harm than good. We need to remember that children enjoy being on the internet and it is now a way of life for many. So therefore it is important that we supply them with child friendly websites that include a lot of fun and educational implications that will compete and counteract with the social networking sites of Facebook, Bebo and Twitter.
There are many interactive websites that have been created for children. Which are fantastically creative, entertaining and educational. These sites vary dramatically in style, but having researched into them, children find them all enjoyable and easy to play. The bright graphics, sound effects and simulations create the escapism and set a child’s imagination into the playful mind set they desire from their entertainment. With this engagement the children will then learn. The websites available for children boasts variety and options. With many virtual locations and people that resemble reality a child can relate and absorb the information given to them. They can learn the specifics that they individually need help on, without having the distraction of the other children in the class. It is understood that in many classes there are too many children held in a lesson to be able to tailor specifically to an individuals needs. It is also known that naughty children cause unwelcomed distractions to the teachers. This is not the case when a child is using an online website. This is not to say that I am offering the internet as an online schooling, I am not suggesting it is better than a public school. I do not doubt the national curriculum, our schools or our education; I am just purely expressing how some websites can make a useful tool for developing intellect for children- as an accessory to their usual schooling if you will.
I would agree that keeping children engaged in learning with interactive games is far better than the mindless computer games they can play. They are just as much fun but with a better outcome, if is far better that they may have learnt something in their spare time, other than jumping trees, racing cars or fighting which are components of the computer games I am referring to. An interactive website is a good compromise for parents that want homework or home educations to continue while out of school, where the children of course just want to play. So these are perfect; the child will actually enjoying playing but will subconsciously be learning. As long as the parents monitor the time the child is inside and facing a screen for, there will only be benefits to these sites.
So I have mentioned the educational aspect to these sites to correspond with the national curriculum, I have mentioned the engagement aspect of the child and how they will absorb the information through fun. It is also important to mention that these sites create the opportunity to offer simulations of practice so that a child can develop their skills.
I am not keen to suggest that children should use social networking sites to develop social skills as I would suggest that they would be far more beneficial to join real groups and joining in activities. I would suggest that for emotional and social aspects of development they could use websites to assist them. I came across many character websites that are interactive to show how to deal with issues affecting their lives. Well known characters such as Barbie, Polly Pocket and Disney all have websites. So do many children’s book authors, such as the Magic Sunglasses. A child can become members and communicate with other children dealing with the same problems. They can view diaries of characters to learn how they deal with situations and the character act like role models for children.
So as you can see there is an array of varieties of useful websites available for our cyber friendly children of today. If you are a parent, have a search and you will find plenty of diverse and influential websites that your child could benefit from.
My only worry about the internet is the accessibility children have to unsavory sites which of course can be blocked with parental control. So as long as we can trust that the adults with computer literacy (which is a completely new discussion) then there are many benefits to the wonderful World Wide Web, for both adults and children. That is mainly due to the availability of information. The whole world of education is simply at the child’s fingertips. I remember having to spend endless days in libraries, searching encyclopedias front to back and research by speaking with the older generation. But now this research and information is far more accessible, which is of course a fantastic asset to the education of children in today’s society. Don’t get me wrong I am only 27 and I wasn’t brought up in the cave man era carving in stone. We did of course have access to computers in school but it wasn’t quite as plentiful. Only yesterday I heard on Radio One a child looking forward to a music lesson as they were editing a soundtrack on a Mac book pro. This I find to be fantastic, we should have some geniusly intelligent people developing in all sectors of employment from scientists, mathematicians and authors to film directors and music composers.
With the increasingly popular social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo and Twitter, children have inevitably been consumed- as have we all. Children can often put themselves in a cyber world of danger which could affect their real world, so it is important that parents are aware of this and monitor accordingly. Psychologists and neurologists believe these sites to be doing more harm than good. We need to remember that children enjoy being on the internet and it is now a way of life for many. So therefore it is important that we supply them with child friendly websites that include a lot of fun and educational implications that will compete and counteract with the social networking sites of Facebook, Bebo and Twitter.
There are many interactive websites that have been created for children. Which are fantastically creative, entertaining and educational. These sites vary dramatically in style, but having researched into them, children find them all enjoyable and easy to play. The bright graphics, sound effects and simulations create the escapism and set a child’s imagination into the playful mind set they desire from their entertainment. With this engagement the children will then learn. The websites available for children boasts variety and options. With many virtual locations and people that resemble reality a child can relate and absorb the information given to them. They can learn the specifics that they individually need help on, without having the distraction of the other children in the class. It is understood that in many classes there are too many children held in a lesson to be able to tailor specifically to an individuals needs. It is also known that naughty children cause unwelcomed distractions to the teachers. This is not the case when a child is using an online website. This is not to say that I am offering the internet as an online schooling, I am not suggesting it is better than a public school. I do not doubt the national curriculum, our schools or our education; I am just purely expressing how some websites can make a useful tool for developing intellect for children- as an accessory to their usual schooling if you will.
I would agree that keeping children engaged in learning with interactive games is far better than the mindless computer games they can play. They are just as much fun but with a better outcome, if is far better that they may have learnt something in their spare time, other than jumping trees, racing cars or fighting which are components of the computer games I am referring to. An interactive website is a good compromise for parents that want homework or home educations to continue while out of school, where the children of course just want to play. So these are perfect; the child will actually enjoying playing but will subconsciously be learning. As long as the parents monitor the time the child is inside and facing a screen for, there will only be benefits to these sites.
So I have mentioned the educational aspect to these sites to correspond with the national curriculum, I have mentioned the engagement aspect of the child and how they will absorb the information through fun. It is also important to mention that these sites create the opportunity to offer simulations of practice so that a child can develop their skills.
I am not keen to suggest that children should use social networking sites to develop social skills as I would suggest that they would be far more beneficial to join real groups and joining in activities. I would suggest that for emotional and social aspects of development they could use websites to assist them. I came across many character websites that are interactive to show how to deal with issues affecting their lives. Well known characters such as Barbie, Polly Pocket and Disney all have websites. So do many children’s book authors, such as the Magic Sunglasses. A child can become members and communicate with other children dealing with the same problems. They can view diaries of characters to learn how they deal with situations and the character act like role models for children.
So as you can see there is an array of varieties of useful websites available for our cyber friendly children of today. If you are a parent, have a search and you will find plenty of diverse and influential websites that your child could benefit from.
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