ICT AND EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT:

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW

PresentedBy

Adeyemo Veronica

We all know that parents naturally reserves the responsibility for the initial development and up-bringing of children. It is therefore imperative that parents have good understanding of ICT and its importance or correlation to early child development.

INTRODUCTION

The age bracket of a child differs from Nation to Nation depending on the constitution of that Nation.

The Nigerian Child’s Right Act defines a child as one who is below the age of eighteen years.

A CHILD AND EARLY CHILD EDUCATION/DEVELOPMENT

Many Childhood Education specialists believe that children who are taught and have benefit of early child education are usually far ahead of their peers who do not have such privileges.

Is Early Childhood Education necessary ? 

ICT is a “diverse set of technological tools and resources used to create, disseminate, store, communicate and manage information.”

ICT generally motivates children to learn. This paper shall focus on:

◦ Mobile Phones,◦ The internet,◦ Video/Online games, and◦ TV.

BENEFITS OF ICT TO CHILD’ EARLY DEVELOPMENT

ICTs are a potentially powerful tool for enhancing educational opportunities to previously underserved constituencies; scattered and rural populations and groups traditionally excluded from education due to cultural or social reasons.

Examples include:◦ Ethnic minorities’ ◦ Girls and women, ◦ Persons with disabilities, ◦ Elderly as well as all others who for reasons of cost or

time constraints are unable to enroll in schools.

BENEFITS OF ICT TO EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT Contd…

Mobile Phone◦ Helping our children to communicate with friends◦ Sharing thoughts and feelings◦ Parents can monitor their children’s movement.

Case Study 1 What will be your reaction when your 10 year old

requests for a mobile phone? Do you respond by asking “what phone is he talking

about or I never promised, it is too expensive or when I was your age I never had such?”

HOW CAN ICT SUPPORT CHILDRENS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT?

What parents should know

What happens when a relative or friend gives a phone with multi-media functions as a gift to a child without considering whether some functions are appropriate for children of a certain age?

For example the iPhone can be used not just to communicate but can also shoot photos, watch films as well as connect to the Internet.

As a parent you may feel uncomfortable with a thick instruction manual but before you know it; you will be embarrassed to learn that your child can navigate through all the phone’s functions without going through the manual.

Case Study II

Some of the questions you need to ask.◦ What will he/she use it for?◦ What will be the implications of its use?◦ Why is he/she asking for one? ◦ Is it time to get him one or would it be better to wait

until he is more grown up?◦ Is the child old enough to manage the phone?◦ What are the rules regarding period of usage.◦ What are the costs involved and contacts that can

be made?◦ Do you yourself have fore knowledge of its use,

understand the implications and avoid attendant risks before it causes any damage?

What should parents know

Is your child’s phone “always switched on” therefore he is always in touch with friends in order to feel part of the group and get exposed to peer influence that is detrimental to his academic work and other more important issues that would positively impact on his/her life?

Parents especially mothers need to encourage the child to establish boundaries between phone use and other activities like study, sleep, meals etc. It will be needful to discuss together what priority mobile phone use should take.

What should parents know? Contd…

What you can agree on.◦ Not making calls that are not urgent.◦ Putting aside a certain part of the day for sending

and replying SMS text message.◦ Switching off phones when you are involved in

something together to avoid being disturbed.

If your child imbibed this etiquette, he/she will know in future where and when to make or not make calls.

What should parents know? Contd…

The Internet is a global network connecting millions of computers.

These days, the Internet has become an integral part of a child’s social and personal identity.

The Internet

Apart from giving them an opportunity to stay in touch and make new friends and network globally, it enables children to learn about current and past topics with just a click.

Unfortunately, if some aspects of Internet use are not properly managed, they become more problematic and will require parental guidance. The content can make children become or be isolated from the real world.

They can come across false information or make-beliefs that will do them no-good as well as be influenced by inappropriate or harmful behaviors through it.

In addition, there is the risk of cyber bullies or being deceived by potentially abusive adults which sometimes might lead to tragic consequences.

Pros & Cons of the Internet

Establish from the beginning that using the net requires a level of maturity. If your child uses the internet inappropriately, you may need to set some restrictions.◦ Try helping your child with his/her homework by

using the computer to do research on the internet and agree that the computer can be used as a resource to encourage the child take school work more seriously.

What do you do?

Social Networking is It provides avenue for them to set up their own

network of friends and develop a personal identity.

It creates new relationships for them especially at this time when they are trying to acquire some independence from the home.

They share interests with these new friends and furthermore, the internet allows this to be done instantly.

The social networking platforms include the facebook, twitter, hello etc.

Social Networking

The social network your child belongs. Is it face book, flick, my space, hello, etc?

There is an age restriction as to membership. There is the need to know the age of your child vis-à-vis the platform.

What parents should know

Find out as much as possible how this new technology works.

Discuss with your child the various risks inherent in internet use.

Join and use the social network yourself.

What to do

Be intimate with your child Assist him/her to surf the net. Explain to your child that even the internet

can and should be questioned. Be aware of subject matter Internet filters can be installed on the PC

How would your child get these values and opinions?

You notice your 12 or 13 year old rarely goes out to play when he or she gets back from school. He sits in front of the PC all day.

You queried him and he tells you he has just joined a group of online friends with whom he can exchange movies and music; and these friends are not known to you.

You are worried because he is abandoning his usual friends. He tells you “but I know loads of people on the Net…. I have more than 200 contacts.

They exchange chats, photographs and even set up appointments to meet their contacts.

Case Study

Is your child matured for this and what do you do?

Calm down and avoid dramatizing. Explain your anxiety to your child and use this as an opportunity to open up a line of communication with him/her.

This is the time to transfer that invaluable lesson of trust between the two of you. Encourage your child to always let you know about any meeting with anybody beforehand.

What should a parent know?

You can accompany them for a meeting or ask someone to accompany them.

You might suggest that the meeting be in a public place and never in someone’s home or hotel.

Explain through the use of age appropriate words that sexual act is based on reciprocal respect. Teach them to see the loopholes and avoid it .

Although trusting others is an important value, it is very important to remind your child that not everyone may deserve their trust.

Always make sure you are given the address and timing of any appointments beforehand. It will be needful to help your children recognize and express their feelings so they can manage online contacts in an appropriate way to avoid being lured into abusive situations by pedophiles and others.

What should a parent know? Contd…

Video/Online Games

Some of us parents are unfamiliar with Video Games (e.g PSP, Play station Portable) while others are suspicious of them because of the amount of time children spend on them.

Children are beginning to play video-games at a much younger age because they are increasingly satisfying needs that in the past were met by other activities (playing football & other games outside).

Video games today allow children to experience the joy of taking risks and challenging themselves. They help fight off boredom, give a sense of equality with others and are also a way of socializing.

Video Games

It has been established that video games stimulate children’s eye-hand coordination and promotes a certain type of reasoning in later life.

Meanwhile, online games have equally raised safety issues such as protection of privacy and the risk of contact with abusive people.

Video Games Contd…

Remain open to dialogue and pay close attention to the child’s needs and the risks involved.

Have an idea or understanding of video games whether handheld or on the Internet.

When choosing what type to buy, know your child’s interest and the level of maturity; and also if the game is appropriate and not just what everyone is doing or acquiring?

What parents should know.

If you as a parent is familiar with video games and you also play with your child, you need to determine at what point entertainment ends and your role as a responsible adult and teacher begins.

It is very important to regulate the time your child spends playing video/online games to avoid dependency and ensure that there is enough time for studies, and other interests.

Use this time to teach your child also that this is a game and there is a possibility of winning and losing.

Parents should help their children to process the contents on their consoles.

What to do

First of all, television is still a central element with us. Almost every home has a set. It is very much present in the lives of youngsters. (Sesame Street,Avatar, Ben 10, and other cartoons the kids are hooked- on, on TV clearly testifies to this ).  

Television

Secondly, new media technology (Digital Cable TV, IPTV-TV via the internet) is transforming television to such a level that it has come to mean something quite different in the minds of today’s young children than it was with our own experience as children.

Television Contd…

With your subscription to the cable TV, your five (5) year old is excited about the countless number of his favorite characters he can now watch on the many children’s TV channels.

Although you are worried about the time he is spending in front of the TV, you feel quiet reassured because your subscription allows you to pre-select the children’s program he could watch. However, one day he gets a big bump on his head by leaping off his bunk bed. Upon questioning, he explained that “I wanted to do what my superhero does.”

Case Study:

As a parent, be aware that when your child is before the TV, he is absorbing values, views and cultural models such as gender and body stereotypes or bad eating habits that might be harmful to his/her development.

Parents tend to relax and lower their guard when the children watch programmes on specialized channels dedicated to kids; but children might still want to fly just like their “Peter Pan” character.

TV can certainly offer opportunities to learn, have fun or play but it cannot replace parent’s role as educators.

Watching programmes on TV sometimes influence consumer behavior of children especially teenagers and encourages them to buy certain products linked to the image and contents of the programmes. e.g. Fashion, Hairstyle e.t.c.

What to know

Supervise the quantity as well as the quality of the programming your child watch

Now is the time to explain to your child that there is what is called special effects and make believe.

Installing cables or Satellite TV entails expenses and obviously will impact on the family budget.

What to do

Generally, speaking, using ICT tools to aid early child education should cause us parents less concern than the way the child uses them and also what motivates them to their use.

It is convenient to say that a safe and judicious use of the mobile phone, internet, video games and TV helps in developing a child with a balanced character and attitude later in life.

The child must or should know when to leave space for other aspects of life. He should be organized to know when it is time for hobbies, sports, studies and social life. He should know what to watch and what not to watch or who to speak or chat with. He is independent but not isolated.

Conclusion

At the time of procuring his/her gadgets, the child should be involved in decision making. If you cannot afford what he wants, let him know what you can afford. This will help him/her develop the much needed financial prudence and discipline he needs later in life.

He will also know that it is not “me”, “me” only all the time. This will help him/her develop that innate quality and drive to help someone in need.

Watch attentively and discreetly how your children spend their time online, what they do, who they meet and what is currently their main interest.

Talk to your children; encourage them from early age to let them know they can always count on you; no matter what they have done online.

Conclusion Contd….

Finally, permit me to ask this pertinent question: What kind of parent are you?

As parents we will need to understand why our children spend so much time on the internet/phone and the impact of this technology on their lives.

Some parents are less familiar with this multimedia technology than their children and restrict their role as educators to prohibiting or limiting the use of this technology.

There are also some who know how to use this technology but over estimate their children’s maturity, self awareness and exposure and therefore neglect their need for guidance.

Lastly, there are those who consider the technology as potentially harmful to their children and the cause of problems that in their own youth seemed less common e.g isolation and addiction.

Conclusion Contd….

THANK YOU