People who doubt whether iPad is good for
children or not haven’t actually met my daughter.
In iOS Central column of this month, I did
write about how to configure your old iPad properly for children. When I hoped
to receive positive critics from my audience, I also expected some would respond
that a kid playing with iPad will have its future depended on tablet, no fresh
air, no flexible muscle and no interaction with real people.
We may all accept that 18 hours per day is
for something – social network, online game, bar, racecourse or shopping
channel – which appears as a sight for bigger problem. However, at least in my
daughter’s case, I would like to argue that iOS devices – as well as experience
my kid has spent with them – do enhance her life in differential ways.
Identification
For example, we were having a summer
vacation for some years ago when my daughter and I were outside looking up to
the night’s cloudless sky. We did notice 3 objects flashing and lying in a
line. “What is that?” asked she.
“They are probably planet but we will check
it out”, I replied. Talking my iPhone out, I run Star Walk app ($3,
viotechnology.com). The app informed us about our location. Then, I pointed my
phone towards those three objects and the screen reflected things that we were
seeing in the night sky. They are Venus, Mars and Saturn. Furthermore, we typed
“Saturn” into the app to know more about it.
Star
Walk app
In that trip, we also used iPhone to
identify fishes we met when attending scuba-diving as well as birds we heard
when climbing mountain. Besides, we knew more about Pele and the island’s
origin while visiting a volcano.
Exploration
Like me, my daughter is fond of listening
to music. However, because she has studied piano since 4 years old, I wanted to
provide her with more options at the time she started to explore music. Only
did I give her something about piano and suggest she play several songs (after
I secretly sneaked out of the room). That test indicated that my daughter had
talent so we registered a class for her and it seemed alright.
One day, I suddenly heard a melody of Fur
Elise (from Beethoven) that she was playing. “From what did you study that
song? It’s not in your lesson” I asked.
“Oh, I played it in Magic Piano and only
applied it out” she answered.
Magic
Piano app
In case you don’t know, Magic Piano is a
free app allowing you to perform songs by a virtual keyboard. It also lets you
select songs and provides tutorials.
From Magic Piano, my daughter was generally
aware of the song’s frame including melodies and intervals. Thanks to her good
hearing, she can apply every on to her piano correctly.
Right, a teacher can teach my daughter how
to perform by repeating listening, she can play piano herself. However Magic
Piano let her do most things she needs to do without being taught. The girl not
only found happy learning but also self-confidence in her ability to transfer
what she heard by ears from head to fingers.
I did witness the same outcome with Draw
Something ($3, omgpop.com) which helps my girl sketch everything we can
realize. In addition, thanks to iStopMtion ($10, boinx.com) for iPad, we can
make stop-motion cartoon.
Money spent on iTunes in every month has
taught her it’s good to be free. This leads to that she download a lot of free classic
writings. She may not like either Twilight or The Hunger Game yet she prefers
those from Conan Doyle and Verne.
Things didn’t change
Is technology which is too good and too
much able to ruin a child? It’s like too much sugar, too little sleep and too
much/little discipline.
Nonetheless, my answer doesn’t deny the
importance of technology for children. Otherwise, you have to keep an eye on and
take part in it. It is no use of throwing an iPod full of game into kids to let
them play alone, similar to allowing them to root in front of the TV all day. Sit
down with your children and use that iPod as a teaching assistant and an entertainer.
Besides, you should let them know either which enthusiasm that device can teach
or when to stop. If you can do that, you will probably have an ally for raising
your kids.
