Will Crayons Become Extinct Because of the iPad?

Will we be eliminating the design process for our children?

Are we crushing the creativity thought process of the next generation by using iPads?

How much will it cost for our children to attend kindergarten if they need iPads?

These are all very legitimate and frightening (as least to me) questions we should be asking ourselves. I know technology changes over the years which is wonderful but at which point should it be introduced to our kids? Kindergarten? First grade? Second?

Will finger painting be a craft of the past?

I heard on CNN today that “they” are thinking about introducing iPads to kindergarten kids. How can they do this? Don't they know that hands on learning is vital to the wiring of the creative mind? Eliminating this process will be detrimental to the development of the young minds which in fact, will be our next generation of designers and artists. And no, the creative process on the iPad is NOT the same as getting your hands dirty in arts and crafts.

When I was a child, my first experience with a box of crayons was magical. From enjoying the smell of the crayons to watching my art unfold before my eyes was priceless. I always had a crayon in my hand or at least not to far away from me. Nothing to do? Draw. Waiting at the table for dinner? Draw. In your room because you just got grounded? Draw. Mom or Dad's birthday? Draw them a card. Do you know how many drawings, cards and crafts of mine my Mom saved over the years? Her memory box was full of my cards and projects and the best thing about that memory box was not only remembering when I made the art but years later looking at my Moms face when we were looking through it - again.

If our children become too electronic, will their parents have a memory box of arts and crafts from their kids?

Will this -

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replace this?

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I love the iPad and it has it's place in our creative world today. You have to start with “A” before you get to “Z”.  Sippy cut before the drinking glass. Do you remember holding crayons when you were a kid? Smelling the box of 64 when you first opened it? Using the built in sharpener when you wore your favorite color down to a nub? Will our children ever get to experience this or will they be looking for the charger every time they've had too much iPad time or wondering how they'll get the peanut butter and jelly off the screen before mom can see it or how about wondering why the iPad doesn't work anymore after it's been thrown to the ground too many times?

Can you imagine the disappointment and anger a young child will have after spending 10 minutes (long time for a young one) on a drawing then accidentally hitting the wrong button and it disappears? Will they know to save right away or will that lesson be learned in second grade?

I found this video clip of a teacher showing the children how to make an A. Not thirty seconds into the “lesson” there's already a screen problem. Oh no! Someone didn't have the white screen to start! What doesn't that spell? Frustration for the kids. Ok, after a while they all do their ABC's but when they're done, where's the paper to bring home to mommy and daddy? Where's the art to hang on the refrigerator? Where's the physical satisfaction of “look what I did in school today!” None.

Fridge Art

I recently visited one of my neighbors who had two children. One child was 4 and the other was 18 months old.  My visit was about 2 hours and the whole time I was there, these children were playing with electronics. The 4 year old had an iPad the the 18 month old had a smaller version, the iTouch.

There were no blocks, no dolls, no cars, no crayons or paper in sight. I'm sorry, I exaggerated, there was a play area that had a few toys - untouched - at least for the 2 hours that I was there.

The sad thing was when the 18 month old “lost a game” he would start screaming on top of his lungs and throw the iTouch across the room in frustration. I later found out that the mom also labeled this child as autistic which in her mind I guess was justifying her child's behavior. Now I've been around many, many autistic children and to me, it just looked like a child that was so very frustrated from his “toy” that his behavior was highly irregular for a child this age. Now I don't want the autistic mom police after me for saying this. It's my opinion and a very legitimate one at that. 

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Will your children learn how to do this?

We all know that the human brain gets “wired” as it grows. This is how kids learn. 

Are we messing up the wiring of these small brains and interfering with the learning process or just using a different system to design a new type of learning?

You tell me.