Kids growing up today are exposed to computers and electronic devices at a very early age. They see their parents constantly on their mobile devices and they want to mimic that behavior. Harnessing your child’s love of electronics and turning it into a positive influence is the goal of almost every parent.
Teach Your Kids About Programming Early in Life
In a piece for Edutopia, Marc Prensky writes, “I believe the single skill that will, above all others, distinguish a literate person is programming literacy, the ability to make digital technology do whatever, within the possible one wants it to do – to bend digital technology to one’s needs, purposes and will, just as in the present we bend words and images.”
You can read the full article here, but the point comes across extraordinarily well in that single quote. If you want your kids to be prepared for life in the21st century, you should consider teaching them a programming language. It’s really not that crazy of an idea to start exposing your kids early to programming concepts. The corollary is that many parents teach their young children second or third languages and learning about programming early can help them later on in life. If you’re having a hard time selling your kids on becoming a developer, there are many games developed with the sole purpose of creating programming awareness.
Games & Quizzes to Teach Awareness
FBI Safe Online Surfing is a comprehensive set of games aimed at different grade levels from 3rd to 8th. . Before you start each of the games/quizzes, you are supposed to go through the relevant learning portal. The third grade learning portal covers privacy, passwords, cyberbullying and “netiquette” and presents the information in a fun yet educational fashion. The FBI did a great job of making learning fun with this safe online surfing series.
Cyber Quizzes for Kids
There are many quizzes out to there to teach your kids Internet safety and make them aware of potentially dangerous people and places. A few are highlighted below:
- Online Safety Quiz: Show your kids what it takes to be a safe Internet surfer.
- Are You Cyber Safe?: Should you add people you don’t know to your network? Should you embarrass your friend online if you get in an offline fight? These are questions for kids to consider as they navigate social networks online.
- Safe Surfing Kids: Understand what personal information is and what you should do if you get an unknown email.
Our World is Changing Rapidly
Technology is becoming an even greater part of lives, and that trend will only continue to accelerate. The intersection of games, education and technology is coming together quickly; for example, online games are already being used to find cybersecurity talent and many people are competing in security challenges. Our children’s future will include artificial intelligence, self-driving cars and many other technical advances that will dramatically change the way we live. Taking the time to socialize your kids with technology and cybersecurity at an early age will put your children at the forefront of technology!
About the Author
Chad Fisher has been passionate about cybersecurity since college and enjoys keeping up on the latest cybersecurity incidents and training choices. More than 18 months ago, Chad created a guide to cybersecurity training programs to help students, people interested in a career change and really anyone who wants to find out about the different cybersecurity training options and certifications.