Our paper just ran an article that included a challenge to take a tech break each day – which is great, but I’d like to challenge everyone to take an hour using tech each day and learn something.
There are so many great sites available online for everyone from kids to adults to learn something online. For my school we have been using Outschool a lot lately. It lets him take a live class online using conferencing software. I also like Kahn academy. My son has been playing Prodigy a lot also and really enjoys it. Prodigy is free to teachers and students and only costs for extra features.
My favorite is also Craftsy (changed it’s name to mybluprint.com), lots of classes on cooking, baking, and crafts! YouTube also has tutorials on almost everything you could imagine. There are videos available throughout the web with tutorials for learners of all types.
Some groups, for example the Holderness Family, have started making videos showing them trying DIY activities from other tutorial videos showing how doable the activities really are. Right now though I’m looking through classes relating Star Wars to Reading and Writing, Taking things apart safely (engineering), and even building emotional intelligence. Fitness classes, STEM classes, art classes all are now available using tools such as Zoom allowing them to be interactive. Students giving presentations, asking questions, all in real time and saved for later to be viewed again for review or when a student misses a class.
Most parents and every teacher has heard of the summer slide, where students lose ground over the summer and have to spend the first quarter of the new year reviewing what they learned the year before to get back to where they were at the end of the previous school year. By staying active, and using some time each day, online tutorials can be used keep kids moving forward, and by choosing fun interactive topics, the kids can develop a love for learning. Check out Mentos in Coke! Summer is also a great time to make a volcano outside, make a rocket, do some learning with drones, explore water currents in a stream, learn some bug science, there are so many cool things that can be tied to the outdoors during the summer.
Learning doesn’t have to stop with kids! Modeling learning for life by checking out some classes yourself is a great way to teach kids to never stop learning. Ever wanted to learn painting, vinyl, baking, a language, the topics are endless! And there is no reason not to play outside too!
I am a SAHM/WAHM of three boys ranging in age from 13 to 29. We are working on saving enough for college at the same time as dealing with school and our older independent kids. I author a few blogs, including http://teched4kids.com. I have in the past taught computer information technology classes for the local university and taught workshops for kid's in technology education besides being the Kentucky State FIRST LEGO League Championship Coordinator from 2005 to 2008. I now work as a computer consultant, run a handmade home business, and am available for workshops. Life here is always an adventure!
