Seeing learning
Erin Waterbury
I have a fun moment of seeing learning to share from yesterday. We went to a new amusement park for my Peter's 6th birthday (had a lovely time with Grandma and Grandpa but that's not the fun story.)
When it was time to go home Peter asked to see the map we were using to navigate and Jason thought he knew the way so happily handed his smartphone over. About two minutes later Peter shouts "turn left, turn left! Daddy! the blue line is behind us!" Jason had missed a turn and we probably would have taken a very scenic route home had he not been looking at the map. He successfully navigated the whole way home while Jason and I smiled and thought it was pretty cool that our 6 year old could easily read a moving map and knew his left from right without hesitation.
I'm pretty sure he learned how to read maps mostly from playing Grand Theft Auto 5. A game I never would have even considered letting a 4 year old play if it weren't for this group and the help letting go of fear and looking for joy and learning instead. So, thank you all for helping me trust that learning happens, even when I can't see it while it's happening.
I'm pretty sure he learned how to read maps mostly from playing Grand Theft Auto 5. A game I never would have even considered letting a 4 year old play if it weren't for this group and the help letting go of fear and looking for joy and learning instead. So, thank you all for helping me trust that learning happens, even when I can't see it while it's happening.
Erin
Sandra Dodd
Beatiful, Erin! Thank you for sharing that.
Though we had some kids’ books that involved maps, I know the video game guides that had diagrams of the games helped my kids understand maps, for sure.
That was “the olden days,” though. Kids tend not to use paper game guides. So the newer version is knowing how to use a smartphone! :-)
This morning on CBS Sunday morning there was a fatoid put on the screen, that according to the most recent U.S. census, there are more Millenials alive now than Baby Boomers. So Kirby and Marty and other 80’s-born people are outnumbering the post-WWII babies now.
I was born in 1953. Many people my age waited a while to have children, and there was a kind of baby-having craze (here, in the U.S., anyway) in the 1980’s, it seemed, among all childbearing ages. Baby boomers are starting to fade out now. So the learning we saw in that big batch of kids was very cool, and surpriseing, but it’s not like the iPad and phone using younger children now,. They might never know how to use a dictionary or encyclopedia—those will be as quaint as an old manual typewriter is—but they can fly through the internet like happy birds.
Sandra
Though we had some kids’ books that involved maps, I know the video game guides that had diagrams of the games helped my kids understand maps, for sure.
That was “the olden days,” though. Kids tend not to use paper game guides. So the newer version is knowing how to use a smartphone! :-)
This morning on CBS Sunday morning there was a fatoid put on the screen, that according to the most recent U.S. census, there are more Millenials alive now than Baby Boomers. So Kirby and Marty and other 80’s-born people are outnumbering the post-WWII babies now.
I was born in 1953. Many people my age waited a while to have children, and there was a kind of baby-having craze (here, in the U.S., anyway) in the 1980’s, it seemed, among all childbearing ages. Baby boomers are starting to fade out now. So the learning we saw in that big batch of kids was very cool, and surpriseing, but it’s not like the iPad and phone using younger children now,. They might never know how to use a dictionary or encyclopedia—those will be as quaint as an old manual typewriter is—but they can fly through the internet like happy birds.
Sandra
Jo Isaac
That is very cool Erin [😊] We had a similar experience - Kai was holding my phone for me on the way to a friends house (our first visit) and told me I'd missed a turn, and navigated us back on track - he was very pleased with himself back then! Now he's always my map reader!
He also learnt from maps in video games - pretty much every game has a map, and with things like Minecraft there are even mods that allow you to mark waypoints and navigate home - which is super cool..
The only time we get paper maps is usually at the zoo or animal sanctuary these days, but he can read a paper map just fine too!
Jo
________________________________
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Erin Waterbury erinwaterbury@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]>
Sent: 01 May 2016 19:01
To: [email protected]
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Seeing learning
I have a fun moment of seeing learning to share from yesterday. We went to a new amusement park for my Peter's 6th birthday (had a lovely time with Grandma and Grandpa but that's not the fun story.)
When it was time to go home Peter asked to see the map we were using to navigate and Jason thought he knew the way so happily handed his smartphone over. About two minutes later Peter shouts "turn left, turn left! Daddy! the blue line is behind us!" Jason had missed a turn and we probably would have taken a very scenic route home had he not been looking at the map. He successfully navigated the whole way home while Jason and I smiled and thought it was pretty cool that our 6 year old could easily read a moving map and knew his left from right without hesitation.
I'm pretty sure he learned how to read maps mostly from playing Grand Theft Auto 5. A game I never would have even considered letting a 4 year old play if it weren't for this group and the help letting go of fear and looking for joy and learning instead. So, thank you all for helping me trust that learning happens, even when I can't see it while it's happening.
Erin
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
He also learnt from maps in video games - pretty much every game has a map, and with things like Minecraft there are even mods that allow you to mark waypoints and navigate home - which is super cool..
The only time we get paper maps is usually at the zoo or animal sanctuary these days, but he can read a paper map just fine too!
Jo
________________________________
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Erin Waterbury erinwaterbury@... [AlwaysLearning] <[email protected]>
Sent: 01 May 2016 19:01
To: [email protected]
Subject: [AlwaysLearning] Seeing learning
I have a fun moment of seeing learning to share from yesterday. We went to a new amusement park for my Peter's 6th birthday (had a lovely time with Grandma and Grandpa but that's not the fun story.)
When it was time to go home Peter asked to see the map we were using to navigate and Jason thought he knew the way so happily handed his smartphone over. About two minutes later Peter shouts "turn left, turn left! Daddy! the blue line is behind us!" Jason had missed a turn and we probably would have taken a very scenic route home had he not been looking at the map. He successfully navigated the whole way home while Jason and I smiled and thought it was pretty cool that our 6 year old could easily read a moving map and knew his left from right without hesitation.
I'm pretty sure he learned how to read maps mostly from playing Grand Theft Auto 5. A game I never would have even considered letting a 4 year old play if it weren't for this group and the help letting go of fear and looking for joy and learning instead. So, thank you all for helping me trust that learning happens, even when I can't see it while it's happening.
Erin
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Cass Kotrba
I have a somewhat related story that some might find interesting. My son, who is about to turn 12, has a friend who started spending quite a bit of time with us when the boys were 8. This friend is funny and smart and I like him. He had already been branded at that age as a bit of a rebel and a trouble maker. I think this is because his (divorced) parents are both pierced and tattooed and have a reputation for being partiers. I've noticed that parents and other adults in his life are tougher on him than the other kids because they worry and they think they need to be sure to teach him lots of self control. I personally find him to be bright and entertaining with an easy going charm and other than this story I'm going to tell we've never had any trouble. He is a high energy kid which is one of the things my son enjoys about him and we find safe outlets for that energy.
So everything was peaceful with these boys for a couple of years until the friend started being very insulting to my daughter, who is about a year older than him, and my son started copying him. I did talk to them about it respectfully and honestly but my words fell on deaf ears. Then I noticed that the friend started treating me differently. He would be rude and disrespectful. It made me sad because I could understand that the other females in his life were being controlling and non-supportive of him, he was rebelling against that and Jade and I were getting lumped into that group in his mind. I would say things like "if you want me to help you guys and be a friend then you might want to rethink the way you talk to me" but it didn't help. I was worried that the friendship was headed for a fall and that would have been a big loss for my son.
One day, after this had been going on for awhile, I was driving the boys back from football practice and the friend said "I don't know why adults get so worried about video games. I learn so much from video games! I learn about maps, geography, airplanes... so many different things." I said "I totally agree. My kids learn tons from video games." The kid's mouth literally fell open and he sat in stunned silence for a few seconds. He then exclaimed "Oh my God! I can't believe it! You are the first adult to ever understand!!"
After that I noticed that the way he treated Jade and I started to change. He looked at us and our environment differently and he started to open his mind to the idea that maybe not all girls and adults suck! His resistance to us quickly dropped away and now the boys will actually invite Jade to do things like play Dungeons and Dragons, be part of their xbox band or "Just Dance" together, ride bikes with them. This boy's home life is often unstable and now he really seems to understand and appreciate the value of having us be here for him and often his little brother. He is nothing but respectful and helpful.
Sometimes the boys like to make cardboard buildings and burn them down with flaming cottonballs tossed from a miniature trebuchet my son and I made. Fortunately we are able to accommodate activities like that. One day they wanted to do this and the friend said "think of all the great stuff we'll be learning! We'll be learning about physics, fire safety..." I responded "that line of reasoning will always work with me. Let's just make sure you do it safely." The smile on those boys faces - makes my heart want to burst just thinking about it.
-Cass