Technology has been slipping into the classroom for years and we cannot stop its incursion living as we live in the digital era.
Little or nothing have to do the classes of this return to school, with which we live. The traditional board has been replaced by the digital and Textbooks give way to tablets. These devices are the favorites of the little ones to learn, even children of younger ages are authentic experts in their use.
But are they really that useful? Candy H. Albarrán, counselor of the Brains International Schools group explains that They are a great educational help, but not at all ages.
Its use depends on the age
- In the preschool stage, the child must interact with their environment
"In the case of younger children, the use of technology should be more limited: from home and in school you have to control the times of use, because the most important thing during the first years of life is the sensory development through the experimentation with the environment ”.
It's more:
"Younger children should not only relate to machines. First of all, in the early stage of childhood, children should learn the rules of social relationships such as respect or values such as empathy, and we must not forget the importance of learning Through the game".
In Babies and more, should mobile phones be banned in schools?Therefore, according to Candy Albarrán:
"The use of tablets in school should be gradual, increasing its use as the child grows."- 3-6 years: one day a week
The counselor ensures that tablets can begin to be used in the classroom after three years once or twice a week, since:
"They are good to reinforce tactile learning, prewriting, to become familiar with technology ... But we cannot neglect the need to interact with the environment."
And its use must be very well supervised, explains the Brains counselor:
"The Internet has opened a new era of access to information, but sometimes children have access to much more than they understand or understand well. At that age, they cannot easily discern which information is true or false. , in the case of the little ones, the search process must be under the supervision of an adult. "
- First years of primary
It can begin to be used as another educational tool, but not the only one. It is good to have them always at hand since they are very useful for carrying out a project, to look for information or to contrast it… Its use must be supervised.
"We cannot deny that technology is positive for children's educational development, but in the case of early childhood it is much more important for children to develop other more important competencies such as values or their emotions."
- Last years of Primary: replace textbooks
The backpacks are lightened and the exercises become more interactive, but they also need double supervision and control of their use: at home (with parental control) and at school (with a secure platform, with restricted access).
This control of good use of technology is even more necessary in secondary school, when the Internet is an essential work tool, but it must be used only for educational purposes, and not as leisure.
Advantages of using tablets or iPads
It offers teachers greater freedom to search for new content and even to create them.
Improves the flow of deliveries and corrections of work and exams.
It promotes creativity: podcasts, radio, videos, interactive presentations can be prepared ...
Encourage divergent thinking by encouraging a more creative way of seeing things.
It helps to create a critical spirit, since students are more likely to contrast the information.
More direct and faster access to information search.
More possibilities to work in groups, in the classroom and also from home.
Its undeniable advantage over textbooks is that their lower weight makes them ideal for transporting a lot of information in a few grams.
It allows relationships with students from other centers and other countries, by allowing to interact in videoconference groups. You can practice languages with students from other countries.
It develops its capacity for written expression and creativity, since you can even create a blog in which students become journalists and write their news.
Xataka also points to the economic savings that it means for families and tells us about the experiences in some schools that already use them.
It allows you to customize education, since not all students go at the same pace. Now it is not necessary for each class to be homogeneous.
In Babies and more “screen time” is more than setting limitsIts negative side
They are already a school tool, so you have to restrict its use to the academic, something complicated. That requires more effort on the part of the parents who must supervise its use. When they are small, being by their side while using them; when they are teenagers and demand their autonomy with parental control apps, connecting the wifi only in certain time slots ...
Element of distraction. If the class platform is adapted only to the curriculum, it does not have to enter other programs or games in class. Further:
"If the teacher has something interesting to offer, attention is triggered. It is logical that his attention is diverted often and not because he uses the tablet for means other than academics, and you have to get him to get hooked back to class with attractive proposals. The important thing is that you have something attractive in front of you that can get your attention again, to capture your attention entirely.
Children lose the ability to write by hand. It is true and to combat it, we must encourage them to continue using the paper to make schemes or raise ideas. The tablet should complement the paper.
Teaching 'lame' without traditional methods. Manipulation is one of the greatest learning tools that we have since we were little. And today with technology, children play football in the game console, chat through a mobile phone, play the piano or paint on the tablet. Above all, the first years must limit the use of screens in favor of the palpable experience.
The children still need their school garden, a good library, easels to paint, musical instruments, language and science laboratories, spaces to practice sports ... If all possibilities are not combined, teaching becomes impoverished.
Conclusion: The use of tablets at school brings many benefits, but provided they are used in moderation, supervision and according to their age, without overthrowing traditional teaching methods.
Photos | iStock
