Be honest and answer this question: As a child, did you always do your homework every time it was assigned in a timely, and concise manner? If you answered “yes”, props to you or shame on you for lying. If you answered “no”, ask yourself, why did you fail to complete the assignment? My answer to this question is that the assignment simply did not interest me, even though I had enough free time at home to complete the task. I opted to do other things that intrigued me more. For example, video games or playing outside.
Are children lazy?
First of all, I would like to clarify something. KIDS ARE NOT LAZY. Even though many parents or teachers believe this, it is simply miles from the truth. For god’s sake, most children can’t sit still for more than 15 minutes and they need to be constantly moving or be stimulated by something. That’s why at dinner tables, you see many children looking down at their electronic devices and ignoring everybody around them. They simply are not intrigued by adult conversations and are opting to do something else with their time. The Merriam-Webster definition for the word lazy is, “disinclined to activity or exertion”. As proven by the previous point regarding electronic devices, children aren’t disinclined to activity, they’re just disinclined to the traditional types of homework, and they simply choose to partake in other activities. Rather than blaming a child for not doing his/her homework, and then saying, “Oh yeah, it’s your loss if you don’t do your homework, and it is not my problem”, educators seriously have to reflect on reasons why their students failed to complete the assignment other than laziness.
If we can’t call children lazy, are we just gonna let them game all day long and call it an education!?!
Absolutely not. Educators should definitely mix in some interesting/fun assignments once in a while to keep students “hooked”. Have you ever asked a child with no educational background whatsoever to fix your electronic device? If you haven’t, I’ve certainly seen many children as well as myself been asked. Fixing a computer is really like putting a puzzle together. Diagnose the problem, then find a solution. Surprisingly, many children can complete this task better than a college graduate. Since children nowadays are so naturally gifted with technology, we should put their talents to good use, especially when it comes to education. According to the Scientific America article, “Fact or Fiction?: Video Games Are the Future of Education”, “Video games are playing an increasing role in school curricula as teachers seek to deliver core lessons such as math and reading—not to mention new skills such as computer programming—in a format that holds their students’ interests”. The article also adds that, “games are a powerful learning tool when combined with other exploratory, hands-on activities and ongoing instruction from a teacher acting more as a coach than a lecturer…”. In my opinion, the schools that are willing to integrate technology/video games into their curriculum receive a standing ovation. Teachers and school administrators in this day and age did not grow up with the kind of technology children have nowadays. It definitely requires courage for the adults to place trust into something that is unfamiliar and unorthodox in the education system. A school which is innovative opens up many more opportunities for its students. It is undeniable that technology is becoming a greater part of society as we speak, and for schools to embrace this change, their students will become better prepared to enter the workforce.
An Example?
SimCityEDU:
There certainly is an aesthetic element to this game and the odds are it will attract a few curious children to test it out. This game is simply a puzzle designed for children to solve some “real-life” problems. Sometimes the process of learning is actually more important than the subject matter, and video games can certainly aid with this process.
To sum it all up, children are interested in simplicity and if the assignment is fun and intriguing they will focus on the assignment. Embrace but not evade technology.
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