The other day my friend’s kid rebuked me for driving a diesel car. “It’s the reason we have global warming”, he said. The kid is 2 and a half years old! Yes look around! Kids today are wiser, smarter and more informed than what we were at their age! By a long distance! So how has that come about? Here are 9 possible reasons.
1. They’ve Got A Search Engine!
Kids today are more independent when it comes to learning new things. They just log on to a search engine instead of bugging their moms and dads for answers to questions their parents may not even know.
2. Their Reality Is Augmented!
Kids learn things better when its audio and visual. We mugged the names of the 7 north east states for our exams but still don’t quite remember it. Our kids will have a better chance of remembering when they see a fun video of North East tourism or an augmented reality application.
3. They Are Gamifying Learning
Imagine your kid solving maths riddles while competing in real time with some kid in the US for a possible PS4 as a prize! Makes it more fun right?
4. Their Books Are On The Cloud!
When we were kids, we had to depend on the books our parents bought us or the school/public library. Imagine getting access to 1000X more books at the same cost of getting a library membership. Yes the internet and e books is making that possible for today’s kids. Plus they are learning the important lesson of conserving trees.
5. We Had 1 Teacher For 40 Kids. They Have A Personal Tutor And It’s Not Even Human!
Technology is customising teaching methods for every kid’s needs! – Google’s vice-president of research Alfred Spector once said “that research shows that even average students can reach the top 2% of a class if they have a personal tutor that can adapt their teaching methods to the student’s style of thinking and learning. If it were the case that technology could become custom tutors, then it’s possible to imagine enormous improvements in educational attainment”. Well that’s already happening with online programs such as Memrise and Cerego.
6. Language Is Not A Barrier
Kids today are learning new languages through apps such as Duo-lingo so imagine a 10 year old discussing an art assignment in French with a kid living in Paris.
7. Their Group Projects Are Global!
Kids today crowd source solutions of problems they have no answer to. The varied perspectives lead to holistic learning and of course teach the art of collaboration.
8. They Have Access To All The Important People In Their Lives
Thanks to Skype, kids today are closer to their role models than we ever were, even while living continents apart.
9. There Is No Cut-off Time For Learning
Schools shut at 2. Libraries shut at 6. But as long as you have a personal computer, an internet connection and electricity the learning can continue any time of the day or night, weekday or weekend! But of course all this depends on having an Intel powered PC at home. With their blazing fast speed, extraordinary battery life and extreme performance, Intel-powered PCs are the best friends of students who want to learn more things in less time. So this academic session make sure you get your kid one before s/he goes #backtoschool