NewTechKids teachers recently had a wake up call when we gave primary school students ages 8 and 9 MacBooks instead of tablets to use for a class which involved connecting a mini computer to a laptop.
This is not the first time we were surprised by how primary school students in this age bracket struggle with the transition from tablets to laptops and computers. Tablets are a great device and very appropriate for younger students. They provide adults with more control over what apps their kids access. They’re compact, mobile and when covered, can take a beating.
But eventually, kids need to make the switch to laptops and computers to move outside the convenient, app-driven world into a world in which they experience broader ways of learning: finding and downloading software, searching, writing long-form content, and accessing productivity tools like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
Here’s some of the things we’ve observed after giving several classes of these students MacBooks instead of tablets recently:
- Most kids don’t know how to typing works because tablets have conditioned them to click, swipe and slide. (Not surprising as many adults also haven’t mastered proper typing.) A very small group of students have figured out the two-finger typing technique. Primary schools should incorporate typing lessons into the formal curriculum as a requirement. Kids need to know have basic typing skills to be prepared for high school which involves research, writing and the use of digital productivity tools. They also need to speed up how quickly they can input their ideas so their thought process and output aren’t limited their typing speed.
- The majority of students struggled to input URLs or short search phrases. Some couldn’t even locate the URL field.
- Many students didn’t know how to search for information. Apps are great for neatly compiling and displaying apps and ensuring that kids only access parent and teacher approved content. But given a less structured online environment, kids struggle to find information. Many in our classes became frustrated when this happened. Also, students tended to use broad search terms which raises the danger of them accidentally accessing inappropriate content.
- Students are so used to touchscreens that they clicked on the laptop instead of the keyboard. (And then became frustrated when nothing happened.)
- If they did figure out how to search the Internet during class, they immediately accessed social media, a game or sports content, instead of sticking to the class assignment. This shows that providing Internet access in class should be tightly controlled. Teachers need to make sure that kids stay on learning Web sites or apps and don’t become distracted by non-educational content.
The big takeaway: parents and teachers should develop strategies to help students ages 7 and older make the transition from tablets to laptops and computers. The Internet is a wealth of knowledge and an important vehicle to learn new skills, especially through self-directed learning. Instead of simply swapping out devices, schools should integrate classes specifically aimed at teaching kids about the main differences between tablets and laptops and computers and what you can do with both.
Photo: Image by jeonghwaryu0 from Pixabay