Dr Arun Prakash
The digital world has opened incredible learning opportunities, especially during these challenging times. But let’s talk about finding the right balance between screens and traditional learning tools like books and writing.
Nimy’s Story: Balancing Digital and Traditional Learning
Meet Nimy, a curious young learner. She’s excited about her mobile phone, which gives her access to a ton of interesting videos on various subjects. But here’s the thing: Nimy mostly relies on these videos and doesn’t spend much time reading books, writing, or practicing. She believes watching videos alone will be enough to learn.
Now, Nimy’s enthusiasm for digital content is great, but there’s more to learning than just watching. Let’s break it down and see how we can make the most of both digital and traditional methods.
The Blend of Digital and Traditional Learning
Power of Videos: Educational videos are awesome! They can explain complex ideas and make learning fun. Nimy is right to enjoy them. But remember, they’re like tasty snacks. For a full meal of learning, you need more ingredients.
Reading and Writing: Just like you need a balanced diet, your brain needs different exercises. Reading books helps you dive deep into topics, while writing helps you remember and understand better. It’s like playing basketball and swimming to stay fit instead of doing only one sport.
Practice Makes Perfect: Let’s take math, for example. Watching a video about multiplication is cool, but you need to practice solving problems too. That’s like watching your favourite soccer players and then going out to play yourself!
Action Points for a Balanced Learning Journey
- Screen Time Check: Kids, limit your screen time. For every hour you spend online, spend another hour offline, reading, writing, or practicing.
- Weekly Plan: Make a weekly plan for digital and traditional learning. Maybe four hours of videos, five hours of reading, and five hours of practice problems each week.
- Tech Breaks: Parents, help your kids take breaks from screens. Use these breaks for activities like reading a book, drawing, or trying out a science experiment.
- Real-Life Role Models: Share stories of scientists, explorers, and achievers who balanced digital and traditional learning. They didn’t just watch; they did!
- Restrict Mobile Possession: Limit mobile phone possession to specific study times rather than constant access.
- Open Communication: Parents should collaborate with teachers to ensure digital tasks align with the curriculum and learning objectives.
- Stay Vigilant: Monitor children’s digital engagement to ensure a healthy balance between screen time and other activities.
The Best of Both Worlds
Remember Nimy? She realized that a mix of videos, books, writing, and practice is the recipe for successful learning. Just like our Chandrayaan’s journey to the moon needed different stages, your learning journey needs different steps too.
So, let’s embrace technology as a wonderful tool, but not forget the power of books, writing, and practice. Together, let’s create a balanced learning adventure that prepares you for a bright and curious future.
Stay curious, stay balanced, and keep learning!
