1. Set a four-digit passcode in place of the math problem that children could potentially solve.

To do this, tap the lock icon at the bottom right corner of the app. You will have to solve the math equation yourself first. Then you will be prompted to replace it with a four-digit passcode. When you are in the “Settings” menu, you can also set a timer.  It automatically locks the application when the time you have allotted has passed.

2. Control what content your kids can see so that Google’s algorithms will work their magic and offer only the most relevant videos.

You can turn off “Allow searching” in the “Settings” menu which will limit the human-curated videos your child can see. Under this setting, you can control the content level of the videos to either “Younger” or “Older” audiences. In addition, you can “Pause watch history” which prevents YouTube Kids from using search terms to recommend videos.

3. Report and block objectionable videos, if either you or your kid finds such.

The YouTube Kids app gives you the opportunity to flag any content (block it or report it) that you find inappropriate. You can do so by tapping on the three vertical dots on the right upper side of the video. This means you will no longer see the video when you log into the application.

4. Work with YouTube Kids app yourself first before allowing your kid to use it.

Additionally, I would suggest working with the application yourself before entrusting your kid to use it. This piece of advice is simple but somehow difficult to follow. Although children derive benefits from using YouTube Kids, such as multitasking while waiting for ads to pass, and navigating the world of advertising and technology, their brains can be stimulated in other ways, as well. In the long run, such applications can prove to be detrimental to children’s attention. Thus, it would be helpful to pair their usage with an equal amount of educational games that spark kids’ creativity and curiosity.

5. Look for alternative applications if you determine that the YouTube Kids app is not useful to your child’s development and growth.

Still, if you are looking for perfect substitutes of YouTube Kids, you can try PBS Kids Video and Nick Junior, both of which have no ads, are free to use on Android and iOS, and have no parental control. The only downside of PBS Kids Video is that it is available only in the United States but you can unlock it if you use VPN. Nick Junior also carries educational games for your kids. I have recently browsed the games and can state that after having watched a fair amount of Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig with my cousins, I have found them educational even for myself.

Parents’ responsibilities have changed over the decades. Now we have one more added responsibility – to enable our kids to thrive in a technological world in which technology does not reflect reality. We need to enable our children to find themselves, their path and purpose when technology is there to distract us and derail us from what is the most important value in our lives – love.

About the author: Christina Lalova was born in Bulgaria and moved to the United States six years ago. She graduated from Drexel University with a bachelor’s degree majoring in Finance and Accounting. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Finance at the University of Connecticut. Her professional interests are in the areas of environmental finance, ethical investing, education and development economics. Her hobbies include cooking and tennis.

The post Parents, Beware – YouTube Kids App Can be Your Family Friend appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

I see the limitless possibilities of space in children. To understand the creation and functioning of the universe, NASA says we should start investigating from the Big Bang. I probably could not tell a lot about the events that followed the Big Bang. However, what I strongly believe is that thousands of such bangs take place in a child’s universe.

What is the secret of a child’s universe?

Many sociological, psychological and ethnographic studies have questioned the understanding of a child as an egocentric and cognitively immature being. The studies in question supported the understanding of a child as a powerful and competent being. The child creates and questions the old. It lays down new rules, questioning all that surrounds and fascinates them. Children explore themselves and the world around them through their play.

The child sees every situation as an opportunity to learn, expand and change.

Brain studies have confirmed that learning engages the entire body. In this connection, learning is a mental and physical process. A particularly important quality of learning in children is that this is a social process – a joint formation of knowledge and meaning. On a recommendation of my dear co-worker Dragana, I read an interesting article published by The Guardian titled How children learn – and why robots can’t compete?. The article raises a series of important questions. A particularly interesting story is the one about a father, an expert for artificial intelligence and robotics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who tried to “raise” a robot following the way his child learns. You are probably wondering about the findings of this venture. Raising a child, directed this father to think about the learning methods in people rather than creating a robot who can compete with a human.

Why can’t robots compete with the way children learn?

Learning is a complex, interactive, social and joint process. When learning, children build new meanings and share their feelings. Precisely because learning is a social process, engaging the mind and the body, the “future of intelligence is not in machines, but in the development of our own minds”. Even more importantly, in building relationships. This story inspired me, so I started to explore artificial intelligence. It turned out that many studies related to this issue focused on developmental psychology and developing programs based on children learning principles.

If you ask me what the secret of a child’s universe is and how they approach the exploration of the world around them, I would say that the answer is in the child’s openness, inquisitiveness, curiosity and wish to share what they do with others. Every bang in their universe leads to a new question and exploration.

How shall we know when the bang occurs? Like a newly-born star, you will spot how the child’s face lightens up.

Such radiation is followed by the wish to ask, know and do more. In order to explore the universe, children, like astronauts on their mission, often defy the laws of physics.

How adults use technologies will greatly influence the manner in which the child uses them. Copyright: Syda Productions

How did exploring the universe become digital?

Children found another way to express themselves and explore the world around them. Watching a boy who encountered a VR headset for the first time during last year’s Friendship Games, you could see, in addition to cries of joy and excitement, an important and magical change. A desire to know more appeared, to ask new questions, share this experience with other children and volunteers and to take part in encountering the new and the unexplored. Big and unexplored areas, such as the cosmos or digital space, cause apprehension and give rise to the question – what lurks in the dark and remote places of these expenses.

Every technological discovery leads to a change. Will the augur of that change be positive or negative depends on the attitudes we develop regarding the use of technologies.

These attitudes cannot be reduced to mere technical skills, because the children are very skilled at that. It relates to something much more important – developing a culture of using technologies. Developing a culture of using technologies represents a life-long process during which we develop our attitude based on the interaction with other unique and close universes (parents, siblings, and others from your environment). How adults use technologies will greatly influence the manner in which the child uses them.

Direct contact (look, kiss, hug, touch) between a child and adult cannot be substituted by anything. The value of such contact is immeasurable. However, we cannot doubt the power of our children to face the digital. It is necessary to explore the unexplored with them. So, put on your astronaut suits on time, listen to your children and ask and answer questions.

The little girl, which now lives in the body of a 25-year-old woman, is thankful to everyone, and especially her parents, who explored the universe with her, imagined and created and still continue to do so. Now, every sunset results in new questions, which are poured from the sky like dyes into a new exploration, which is often recorded with the camera on her phone.

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Jelena Stojkovic is a Djokovic Scholar, class 2018/22.    The program Djokovic Scholars at the University of Belgrade was launched in 2018 and thanks to this scholarship, Jelena now attends a Ph.D. program at the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy. Her research interests encompass early childhood education and development in the modern world, child rights issues and their participation in society, as well as the role of digital technologies in ECD.

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After I receive my Ph.D. in preschool pedagogy, I hope to inspire and mobilize key players in the field of early childhood to empower children to live their dreams and equip them with knowledge and skills they need to succeed.

Jelena Stojkovic is a first-year doctoral student in Preschool Pedagogy at the Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. Since September 2017, she has been a deputy secretary at the Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy, where she earned her bachelor and master degree, researching the topic “How Digital Communication Impacts Relationships among Young People and Risks They Face Online”.

Thanks to the Novak Djokovic Foundation scholarship, Jelena now attends a Ph.D. programme at the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy. If you want to find out more about Djokovic Scholars, read our published interview with Nevena Mitranic.

• When you think about your childhood, how would you describe it?

I grew up in a small village called Troponje, near a town called Svilajnac in central Serbia, in one of those close-knit communities where people know each other well and function as one big family. I finished primary and secondary school in Svilajnac. This town and my home village remind me of the excitement of the first school days, falling in love for the first time and the joy of playing outdoor games with dear friends. We spent many happy hours together, exploring our micro world shaped by beautiful nature and rural life. I also enjoyed reading and reciting poems and taking dance lessons.

• What are the things you remember the most regarding your early learning?

When I was a child, everyone addressed me as “doctor Jelena”. I liked that very much because I dreamed of helping people. However, finding my way was not easy at all. It took me a while to define my interests and aspirations and choose the career to match my passion for early childhood education and care. I had no idea that in the end I would be actually studying to earn a doctoral degree in pedagogy, instead of in medicine. In pedagogy, I ultimately found my inner self and got everything I ever wanted.   My childhood dream still came true, even though I don’t work in a hospital and wear the white coat as I initially imagined.

I’m glad that I have a chance to empower children and to help them get the most of their learning. It’s a pleasure to  work together with educators to bring the best practices of teaching to preschools.

Jelena Stojkovic, Djokovic Scholar, class 2018 – 2022

• How did you set your mind on getting a university degree in pedagogy?

Based on the knowledge I gained in high school by studying philosophy, sociology, and psychology, I became interested in examining how young children learn and discover the world around them. They encouraged me to put the theories of early childhood education and development to practice and further research these areas. Eventually, I knew that my goal and mission were to support children to reach their full potential.

I decided to study pedagogy because I realized that by working with kids I would be doing something really important for the whole society. But at the same time, I would be able to preserve the little girl within who is a significant part of my identity.

More importantly, pedagogue’s job goes beyond the academic field. It’s about being a practitioner and making a difference in the education and upbringing of young children. My focus has always been on children – the way they perceive the world and their place in it, face challenges, how they communicate with peers and adults, express their emotions and show empathy for others.  

• Your research and doctoral dissertation are focused on digital technologies. Why did you choose this topic?

Digital technologies are increasingly acknowledged as an important aspect of contemporary early childhood education. Children grow up in media-rich homes. They like using digital technologies for learning, playing, communicating and creating. Therefore, I’m particularly interested in understanding the role that digital technologies play in young children’s lives.

Instead of seeing digital technologies only as challenging in terms of their control and regulation, we should guide and empower children to participate effectively in this digital world and stay safe online.

• What are the ways to improve preschool education in Serbia?

Primarily by increased support for preschool education and investment in high-quality preschool programs. I think the dialogue between early childhood educators, parents and policymakers is crucial in order to make a breakthrough in the development of preschool education in our country.

Every adult has a stake in the education of children. That’s why teachers, childcare experts, and professionals must reach out to parents, local communities, leaders, and work together for the well-being of the youngest and their better future.

In 2018, the Novak Djokovic Foundation started cooperation with the Faculty of Philosophy, University  of Belgrade with the goal to create a new generation of leaders in the field of ECE and ECD – academic change agents who conduct cutting-edge research, translate and communicate research into policy and practice related to quality preschool education in Serbia.

The post Jelena Stojkovic : Empowering children to live their dreams should be our top priority appeared first on Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Kids who haven’t yet learned to read can use the app to craft their own interactive stories and games by simply snapping together colourful graphical blocks, much like LEGO bricks or puzzle pieces, without any of the obscure punctuation and syntax of traditional programming languages. ScratchJr is available as a free app for both iPad and Android tablets.

Giving Children the Tools They Need to Create and Become Creative Thinkers

People view coding as a narrow technical activity, a valuable job skill useful for only a small subset of the population but Scratch aims to make coding accessible and appealing for everyone, says Mitchel Resnick, the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab and director of the Scratch Team.

The original Scratch programming language is already used by millions of older kids, but it was too complicated for younger kids. Therefore, the Scratch team redesigned the interface, simplifying it in order to make it more accessible to younger kids and ScratchJr was launched. Platform is the product of a collaboration between the DevTech Research Group at Tufts University, the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, and the Playful Invention Company.

How Does ScratchJr Work?

Through moving and interacting with the library of kid-friendly characters, children will begin to understand how the commands they put together impact the activities on the screen. Users can move characters in any direction, have the character speak, record narration, and choose to hide or show the character. Users can also add customized backgrounds by importing their own photos and change the look of a character using visual editing functions. These technological tools have been inspired by the best kindergarten materials (blocks for building, crayons for drawing, dolls for role-playing, tiles for making geometric patterns), with the aim to allow children to express themselves creatively on the computer. In addition, children can share their interactive stories and games on the Web and engage with other kids in an online community that provides inspiration and feedback.

Copyright: Photo smile

Transformative Potential of Digital Technologies in Education

According to Resnick, in most places where technologies are being used in education today they are used simply to reinforce outmoded approaches to learning.  Both Scratch and Scratch Junior are projects of Resnick’s Lifelong Kindergarten research group, focused on developing new technologies and activities that, in the spirit of the blocks and finger paint of kindergarten, engage people in creative learning experiences. In this way the group hopes to realize what they consider the greatest potential of technology in the educational context.  If creative approach to learning has been so successful in kindergarten, it should be applied in other parts of the educational system as well.

He believes that digital technologies, if properly designed and supported, can play a transformational role in education and extend the kindergarten approach, so that learners of all ages can continue to learn in the kindergarten style”Š and continue to develop as creative thinkers.

What Makes for Good Learning Experiences?

Research has shown that many of our best learning experiences come when we are engaged in designing and creating things, especially things that are meaningful either to us or others around us. In addition, coding allows kids to learn a new method of communication and expression. Coding teaches problem solving and analytical skills that force children to grow intellectually and think outside of the box. As young children code with ScratchJr, they also use math and language in a meaningful and motivating context, supporting the development of early-childhood numeracy and literacy. In other words, children don’t just learn to code, they code to learn.

Creative Thinking – A Crucial 21st Century Skill

Computers are not just information delivery devices and communication enablers. They are also a medium through which people can create, express and share their creations with others. If we want to take advantage of new computational technologies we need to preserve the creative thinking mindset that is natural to kindergartners. They are quick to find smart solutions to problems that remain unnoticed by  people with a fixed mindset.

Copyright: Syda Productions

How to Get Kids Excited about Coding

One of the most distinctive features of ScratchJr is that young learners can use the app even before they know how to read. This creates the potential for children even younger than ScratchJr’s specified age range to get a jump on learning code. The action of using digital blocks, photos, and backgrounds to make meaning can serve as a new method of creative expression for young students, and can add to the choices for multimodal play in both classroom and home settings. Unlike traditional programming  where it can take days of coding just to get something to move around on screen ScratchJr lets children see pretty good results almost instantly, which then pushes them forward to develop their coding skills further.

Coding as a Way to Help Children Achieve Their Dreams in the Digital Age

The Lifelong Kindergarten Research Group’s mission is to nurture “a world full of playfully creative people who are constantly inventing new opportunities for themselves and their communities”. ScratchJr does this through early hands-on exposure to coding and computational thinking. The idea behind ScratchJr is to provide young children with opportunities to work on projects, based on their passions, in collaboration with peers, in a playful spirit. It helps them prepare for a world where creative thinking is more important than ever before as well as see computers as the valuable learning tools they are rather than merely fun playthings.

Do you think it’s important to introduce children at an early age to the world of coding? Are your kids familiar with ScratchJr? What sorts of projects have they made with this app? Share with us your stories and experience.

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