{"id":14643,"date":"2018-12-14T07:34:07","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T07:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=14643"},"modified":"2018-12-15T07:36:13","modified_gmt":"2018-12-15T07:36:13","slug":"looking-for-a-high-tech-gift-for-a-young-child-think-playgrounds-not-playpens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/looking-for-a-high-tech-gift-for-a-young-child-think-playgrounds-not-playpens\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for a high-tech gift for a young child? Think playgrounds, not playpens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marina Umaschi Bers<\/a>, Tufts University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Shopping for a new high-tech gift for the child in your life this holiday season? It\u2019s easy to be overwhelmed by all the options. Bright boxes, colorful apps and cute plastic robots will promise that learning outcomes will improve if your child plays with x, y or z.<\/p>\n

You might be tempted to believe them. Maybe if your child plays with that robot, she\u2019ll learn to code. Maybe if he plays with that computer game or that app, he\u2019ll improve his literacy and math skills.<\/p>\n

If you like technology, you probably think it\u2019s a good thing for children to be exposed to it at an early age. After all, studies show that by fifth grade, stereotypes regarding who is good<\/a> at math and science, technology and engineering are already formed<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to get in there early to counter<\/a> the formation of these stereotypes, by piquing everyone\u2019s interest when they are young. That way doors aren\u2019t preemptively closed for them later on, when choosing a field of study or a profession.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s confusing to browse all the tech toys on the market, looking for one that will support a child\u2019s budding STEM knowledge. I coined the metaphor of \u201cplaygrounds versus playpens\u201d as a way to understand the best developmentally appropriate experiences with technology. As new gadgets, robots, apps and games are commercially released, going back to this metaphor can guide you beyond the bells and whistles to focus on how a tech toy may support learning and development.<\/p>\n

Cozy coddling or exhilarating exploration<\/h2>\n
\n \"\"<\/a>
\n Quality playgrounds let kids explore and stretch toward new skills.<\/span>
\n Annie Spratt\/Unsplash<\/a>, CC BY<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In my latest book, \u201cCoding as a Playground<\/a>,\u201d I invite readers to recall the playground of their childhood. Children were able to run, to explore, to invent new games, to engage in pretend play; to communicate, collaborate and problem-solve with others; and to make their own choices.<\/p>\n

Now, think of a playpen. These safe, confined spaces are in stark contrast with playgrounds. The playpen conveys a lack of freedom to experiment, lack of autonomy for exploration, lack of creative opportunities and lack of risks. It\u2019s a place where a child can be stowed to pass the time.<\/p>\n

While playgrounds are open-ended, playpens are limited. The playground promotes while the playpen hinders<\/a> important aspects of human development.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, from a developmental perspective, many of today\u2019s technologies for young children are playpens and not playgrounds.<\/p>\n

Of course, computer games, like playpens, deprive children of physical activity. But the metaphor goes further than that. Some computer games are marketed as educational because they promote academic skills and teach about shapes, colors, letters, sounds and numbers. Most software provides tasks with right and wrong answers and thus doesn\u2019t encourage problem solving and logical thinking or exploration and creativity. Most robots provide prepackaged challenges for children to complete, and in the process, learn to code. These are all examples of high-tech playpens \u2013 they\u2019re limited and do not tap into many important dimensions of healthy positive development in children.<\/p>\n

Six C\u2019s to look for<\/h2>\n

Over two decades of research<\/a>, I\u2019ve developed a theoretical framework called Positive Technological Development<\/a> to guide parents, educators and researchers in distinguishing high-tech playgrounds from playpens.<\/p>\n

This framework focuses on six positive behaviors that can be promoted through the use of technological playgrounds. These behaviors involve:<\/p>\n