My four year old likes to extend bedtime in so many creative ways. One tactic lately is to invite me to lay down with her to “talk about something.” Usually, she makes me pick the topics. We cover Grandma, playing outside, the color yellow, dance class, babies at daycare, shoes, the color yellow and so much more.
Tonight, I thought I would pose to her the question on my mind… How does an iPad play into the educational environment of a preschooler. (Yep, I’m THAT mom.)
I asked her to tell me about the iPad. Screen time is on my mind constantly right now. I know in my logical brain that there is a difference between her passive watching of TV and her learning moments with her Leap Frog TAG Books (blog post Day 14) and on a digital device like an iPad or iPod Touch.
As we begin talking, I was honestly thinking I was going to get the quote of a lifetime. She told me that TV and the iPad are different. Because she can’t touch the TV. She uses her arms, her fingers on the iPad. She does puzzles. She plays letter games. So, when I asked about preschool and iPads, I was hoping for some language around the transformation of learning – making it more customized to her needs and engaging to all of her peers. (In all honesty, I did not expect my preschooler to quote from the mountain of knowlege that I am currently tackling. But, hey, it could happen.)
So… her answer to my question about iPads in the classroom? She said that they would have “monsters” and “stinky juice.” Um. Yeah. Guess I have no quality quote from a four-year-old for my digital devices in the classroom narrative.
There went my quote for tonight’s blog post. Or, as I reconsidered, out of the mouth of babes, “Stinky Juice” may just have to become tonight’s post. As a friend stated, “I vote make it tonight’s blog post vote. It’s too awesome not to use it!”
So… iPads have monsters and stinky juice. BEWARE!
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