|
The Johnson family's discoveries regarding classical education
Feb. 24, 2006
Using the computer
How much time do you allow your kids to be on the computer?
It is a controversial subject, and one about which I have mixed
feelings. I know there are pluses and minuses to the use of the
computer. So I try to limit how much time my son spends, knowing
that he will get some time on it most days. But I try to supply
many other activities to keep him occupied. If he has a good
book, he usually seems to prefer reading to getting on the
computer. The problem is that he often devours a book as quickly
as possible, and then it's gone. Then what? There are other
things he can do, but I know that I will often allow him a set time
(say, 20 minutes).
I think he has a pretty good feel for what kinds of games are OK in
this house and which ones to avoid. And we have found some games
and other sites with educational content which he actually likes.
One of these is "Place the State" (see my links). In this game,
you place one state at a time on a blank outline of the U.S., like a
jigsaw puzzle, until all 50 states are in place. If you place a
state in the wrong spot, it shows you where it belongs. You
compete against yourself to improve your time and accuracy. The
more you play it, the better you learn just where each state is.
We have all taken turns on this, and compared our scores.
We have also started watching this live eagle cam. We spotted a
third egg on the nest before the website was updated to mention it (for
a number of days it still said, "We have two eagle eggs....").
Now it has a few lines about that third egg. Also, the camera
just changed its updating of the picture from once per minute to once
every 15 seconds. Kinda neat.
So, I think that in small quantities, the computer can be a useful tool
to serve our educational goals. But a useful tool can become a
very bad master, and I know we need to be on guard to make sure just
who is in charge here.
|
| • Send to a Friend!
|
Comments
|
|
|
|
Feb. 24, 2006 - Untitled Comment