Learning can be, if we are honest with each other, a bit tedious sometimes. A hot classroom with a buzzing fly, a cold room with icy breath, a teacher droning on in the background. This isn’t really the best way to absorb information and increasingly, research is proving the point.
So, how do we, as parents, inspire our kids to learn more about their curriculum? How can we really get their brains bubbling with excitement? Well, here are some ideas that I’ve been given by experts and parents that will help inspire and encourage your kids to learn and discover.
1. Get Creative
Dump the funds you spend on greeting cards and wrapping paper and get your kids to make them instead. Have a netbook or an Eee Pad Transformer lying around? Perfect. Get them creating using tools like Picasa, Paint or Word. Picasa can be used to store photos and make collages and paper (see our walkthroughs on how to set up Picasa). Or you can use an ace drawing app from Android Market that you can print out onto either card or paper.
Take them out with a digital camera, help them to upload the images, and spend time with them editing and playing with them to create interesting shots or collages. These activities help develop creativity and independent thought.
2. Create a website
Websites are not just the domain of the geeky or WordPress mad, there are even sites that offer children simple software so that they can develop their own websites from scratch. This will help children to learn more about basic design and computing skills as well as encourage them to have their own personal projects that they can take an interest in and create as they see fit. Try out this site for size.
3. Read it
The fabulous Kindle app available for free on Android Market allows you to read your eBooks on your Eee Pad Transformer, PC, laptop, phone or netbook. Use this to get books that are designed to give you excellent ideas on how to use technology to improve your child’s knowledge and education. Many of the books available through the Kindle store are at brilliantly low prices, making this a very useful download indeed.
4. Make a book or newsletter
Using programmes such as Picasa, Word, or Polaris Office (included in the Eee Pad Slider, for example), you can help your child to make their own books. Or perhaps they can use their talent to make a regular family newsletter that you can then send out to family in far flung destinations. They can supplement the newsletter with photographs, written copy and even creative artwork and drawings. This builds their confidence in their writing skills as well as their information gathering and computer skills.
This type of project also has the side benefits of encouraging family bonding, email skills, photo management and creativity.