Tag: education

With Osmo, the games happen outside the iPad screen

Family September 9, 2015

What if I told you that there is an iPad app where kids interact with physical objects instead of the screen. It’s exactly what the makers of Osmo did. Their educational game set bridges between the physical and the digital world. By doing so, Osmo pleases kids, educators and parents.

Once you downloaded the apps, you simply insert your iPad on the stand and place the red reflective mirror over the iPad camera to be ready to play. This is when the magic of Osmo is revealed. Kids use real objects instead of the iPad screen to draw, write words or solve puzzles. They draw with any pen and paper. They play Tangram by positioning actual pieces with their hands to reproduce the shape displayed on the screen. They write words with cardboard letters. For me, it’s a must-have play set if you own an iPad.

TED Talks: Hackschooling

Family February 24, 2014
tedx hackschooling

I care about the future of our education system. I follow what is going on because I want my son to be in an education system that will prepare him for the world of tomorrow. For that to happen, we need to change the design of the classrooms, the methods and the tools that we use to teach our kids. We need to take a fresh look at how we do it.

This is why I watched the talk given by Logan LaPlante at TEDx University of Nevada. For the record, I don’t think that home schooling is the viable solution. Since I’m is open-minded to other ways to teach our kids in a school environment, I wanted to hear what he had to say.

Kids learn critical-thinking skills and more by visiting an art museum

Family December 5, 2013

A recent study involving nearly 11,000 students and almost 500 teachers in a rural community — Bentonville, Arkansas, to be precise — shows that kids acquire important skills when they are exposed to arts. This research suggests that students actually retain a great deal of factual information from their tours. And this is contrary to current museum education beliefs and practices.

Why I Expose my Toddler to Design and Modern Architecture

Family October 28, 2013

In six words: to prepare him for the world. It has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a visual person or the fact that design is in my bones. I found my design and architectural style at 6 years old. I recalled our Sunday car rides where my parents drove to see upscale houses across the province. My parents looked at traditional houses while I admired the rare modern architecture houses that we encountered. They knew about my preference and encouraged it. Each time that we passed by a modern house they made sure that I saw it.

Why It Is Never Too Early To Expose Kids To Art

Family September 30, 2013

Kids as young as two years old are able to appreciate art. Last night, I got another proof that toddlers can be moved by art the same way that we do.

My husband hung a small painting from an established local artist on a wall of my son’s bedroom while I read the bedtime stories to our son in the living room. As he stepped into his bedroom, the painting captured his attention. My son had a true awe moment. The first thing my toddler boy did after he noticed the painting was to sat in front of it to admire it further. I am so glad that I resisted the temptation when I was pregnant to buy him baby art. At the time, I had the feeling that he would outgrow his nursery quickly. He did!

Preparing Our Kids for the Job Market of Today and Tomorrow

Family September 4, 2013

As an entrepreneur, a citizen and a parent, I am concerned about our education system. I question how we educate kids, and more importantly, how we can give kids the best chances to succeed in life and at work. I am not alone with that concern. Homeschooling and the emergence of digital schools are an indication that some parents and students aren’t happy with the current school system.

Many thinkers, like Sir Ken Robinson, are looking at ways to change education from the ground up. Yes, the conversation goes further than whether kids should use a tablet in the classroom. It is the entire system that must be adapted to a new reality. Changing a few pieces at a time won’t work because there will be missing pieces. For example, you need to have applications and train teachers about the possibilities of the iPad. Turning the old books into a digital format won’t cut it. Teachers will need to reinvent how they teach their courses.

What we need to do is rethink the curriculum, the teaching methods, the tools that teachers and students will use, the workshops, and how this impacts the design of the classrooms and the school. We should also rethink the school calendar and the activities. More importantly, we must rethink the purpose of education in 2013 and beyond.

Why Kids Need Day Care on Top of a Family Life

Family August 23, 2013

Deciding whether or not to send your baby to day care is not an easy question for parents. When faced with the costs of high quality day care, many parents argue that the take home pay of the second income, usually the mom, is enough to justify the expenses. In my view, they failed to include the benefits for the kids of attending day care in their equation. Here is my thinking.

My role as a parent is to prepare my children to become happy, independent, caring, open-minded and productive members of the society. I believe that being in day care better prepares my son for the real world.