Media education

I am thinking that we need to start some kind of media education with our twins who will be 6 in summer and who will be moving from our sheltered pre-school to public school for grade 1 in fall. So I guess they will be exposed to a lot more media talk in school and I know that schools here expect kids to do research and other school work on the computer in elementary school.
 
We don't have a TV, DH and I don't have any electronic gadgets (tablet, smartphone etc.) and we only use our computer for e-mail, administration, storing pictures and a bit of internet surfing. We both don't spend much time with electronic media and see them as a tool only.
 
So I honestly don't really know where to start with the kids to teach them about media. Kid-friendly nature documentaries? Stream a show most of their friends watch once a week? Educational game time as a treat?

 

I wouldn't worry about it.  They'll come home from school asking to watch something or talking about some show you've never seen, but that doesn't mean they have to watch it too (my motto is "different homes, different rules").  As for computer use, if your school is anything like ours, your kids with get computer instruction at least once a week (how to use a mouse, type, navigate in a word or ppt doc, etc).  

 

I'd start with kid friendly games and activities on the computer.  And if the kids have any questions about things their classmates say or do, to bring them to you.  I can tell you my kids have had computer class, for example, in kindergarten and 1st grade and the class teaches them to use the computer, they play some basic kid friendly games and do some educational activities (taught how to do a basic internet search).  You can always put a filter (or I believe you can) on Google, so that age appropriate stuff comes up.  When my kids search our computer, they know before they click anything, me or my DH have to approve it first.
 
I should add: I feel like my kids are the only kids in the world that have never played Skylanders or Minecraft.  We don't have a video game system here because I don't want to spend the money on it.  So far, they don't feel like they are missing out on it.  Kids talk about those games and they mention it but they have no burning desire to play those games.

 

Not all schools have media education.  A computer teacher was on of the first cuts that happened at our school. 
 
Working at the school and being in the classroom, I would say that if you can make sure they know how to use a mouse and can understand how to navigate a simpler website, they'll be fine.  I would recommend  starfall.com and abcya.com .  Just knowing things like which mouse button to click and how to scroll a page will help them tremendously.  
 
Most of their standardized assessments will probably be done on the computer.  We do computer assessments to get leveled reading groups.  It's a part of life for us.
 
This year I'm in a kinder room.  Within the first 2 weeks of school we had to do reading assessments on the computer.  Most of those kids had no clue how to use a mouse.  Most of them kept trying to touch the screen because they were so used to tablets.  The results from that assessment were off pretty badly because of the complete lack of computer skills.
 
I would just work on mouse/computer skills with them.  I would also give the teacher a heads up that they don't do much tech at home.  From what I've seen the research doesn't come till 4th or 5th grades.  In 5th, the my kids have been managing their own school email and getting assignments and video homework links in their email from their teachers.  I know the kids have learned to use google classroom and are putting together their own smartboard presentations.
 
Marissa

 

Mine have never played these games either!  Your kids aren't the only ones

 

My kids don't play those games either.  We do watch TV and they have LeaPads, and we let them place a bit of iPad as a reward if they get a good report from preK (they've had some issues with not listening, etc.).
 
My kids would be clueless how to use a mouse - we don't even have one anymore.  So I guess they will just learn that at school.  They've also never typed anything as we don't really let them touch our laptop.  Not that they would know how to spell anything yet anyway - they are just learning to write their names and a few simple words at school.
 
I work in an elementary school, and most of the K-2 teachers use iPads for assessments, and the kids figure it out VERY quickly even if they've never seen one.  By 3rd grade, they are doing longer assessments on the computer.  The kids have a weekly computer time for K-5.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about it.  Mine rarely get to use my media (kindle, smartphone) both were able to navigate like they were born knowing how after about 5 minutes.  Same with the mouse on my mother's computer.
 
Personally I dread public schools with testing on computers or pretty much any media in schools at all for young kids.  Not a fan.  Nearby where we live a young grade schooler was shown porn on a district tablet by a fellow student.  So nope doesn't take long to learn how to navigate. 

 

Leighann, I feel less alone, thanks for that. The looks I get or defensive responses from other parents makes me cringe a little and feel like I am doing something wrong, but it's just I am too cheap and I feel like I have to justify myself (i.e. I have nothing against video games, they don't ask and I am too cheap to buy a system...blah-blah...)

 

 
I held out a long time on them.
 
I will say that for Minecraft, you don't have to have a system.  You can put it on a tablet, on a computer, or play it on an Xbox.  Minecraft is more like legos for a computer.  You have build a world out of different kinds of blocks.  You can trade villagers (computer characters) or mine them out of the ground.  And there are different modes where you can just build, or compete against enemy mobs for resources, food, and self-defense.  I'd still rather my kids play with the real legos, but I gave in on Minecraft when we were flying half-way across the country to my grandmothers house who has no toys.  
 
Marissa

 

Our kids picked up the mouse pretty quickly as well. I don't allow a lot of time on electronic devices, but what I do allow they figure out quickly. The only video game they're interested in is anything Mario on the Wii, and I allow that maybe once a week. It took them about a week to figure it out once left to their own devices. At school they do the abcya.com website mentioned above during computer time.

 

I wouldn't worry about extra media exposure before they go to school.  Its pretty intuitive for most kids and they're not afraid to explore and try different things. We don't have a computer teacher as such but each class gets computer lab time with their classroom teacher and iPad time.  Classmates will help them out too.  As far as I know, our Ks only take STAR tests on computer.  Standardized testing does not begin until 3rd grade.  Teacher does a tutorial with them before the actual test and it could be on desktop, laptop or tablet, so 3 different methods of navigation.  Your time would be better spent prepping for K by making sure they can skip, climb, swing across monkey bars, hop on one foot, jump rope, hula hoop, tie shoelaces, blow noses, etc if they can't already do it.

 

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