Unleashing the potential of technology

Devices should help children to be creative and productive. If guided, children can join the growing team of "produsumers" to produce content using the iPad. They can use iMovie to shoot and edit small movies to show and share their summer experiences. They can use drawing apps such as Paper to paint. They can use recording applications to produce podcasts. Using interesting apps, children can integrate devices into creative play and learn something along the way. Instead of shooting random photos as teenagers are prone to do, making a short movie could help them to shoot photos or videos with a design and purpose in mind.

There are also many study aids parents can utilize. For instance, many free reading materials, including classics in all kinds of languages, are accessible using apps such as Kindle, Classics and Gutenburg. Parents wanting to improve the math skills of their children can find applications that teach fractions, addition and multiplication drills through engaging games. There are even some good tools for musically challenged tiger moms and dads who send children to learn all sorts of musical instruments. For instance, Violin Multi Tuner can help children tune their violins, while Magic Piano is a game that familiarizes children with classical pieces.

Parents can also use iPads to record teaching sessions to interact with children. For instance, when asked to help with a particular problem in math or English, parents can turn their iPads into an interactive whiteboard by using an app such as Showme.

I hope these few examples illustrate the great number of applications and activities parents can look into. Devices do not deliver value automatically once you put them into children's hands. Children may be comfortable using social networking sites and games, but reluctant to use tools that help them learn or produce. The sad news is that, without having desired purposes for the devices they have, children are not actually as tech-savvy as we make them sound.

The good news is that most gizmos have not been out for that long. Parents still have time to turn them from distracting toys into engaging tools. That might seem like an uphill battle, but if we care enough, it is one we will win.

The author is a US-based instructional designer, literary translator and columnist writing on cross-cultural issues.

(China Daily 07/10/2013 page8)