Are You Rearing Your Kids to be Learners in the Smart Machine Age?
Parenting is the most important, all-consuming job one could have. Parents are tasked with doing whatever they can to ensure their kids are happy and prepared to pursue their wildest dreams.
But as our economy undergoes tectonic technological innovation (often referred to as the Smart Machine Age [SMA]), this already challenging job will require parents to develop a mindset about learning that’s vastly different from the mindset most of them had growing up.
In this new economic age, learning will not stop at the high school or even college campus gates. Learning is something we all must continue to do throughout our lifetimes. It’s how we will stay relevant in this age of advancing automation and artificial intelligence. It’s how we will be prepared for the next economic disruption that will likely require us to learn something we do not know today.
I know you are probably thinking “my kids are already tech savvy.” Little kids can unlock an iPad to access Dora the Explorer and kids at every age are competent with a computer, a smart phone and other smart devices. This basic level of technological intelligence is of course is a start and a skill today’s kids can put to good use. But if they are to stay ahead of the machines they may one day work alongside or that may replace any number of jobs humans perform today, they will have to learn how to learn. What does this mean and what does this mean for how we parent?
Learning how to learn means first understanding how learning occurs. According to research learning effectively requires:
1. Autonomy – some choice and control over our actions
2. Effectiveness – a feeling of competence and sense of accomplishment
3. Relatedness – a sense of mutual respect and reliance with others.
Kids’ need learning environments at home and at school that allow them to foster intrinsic motivation and enable and promote good learning behaviors.
Knowing your parenting style and how it may help or hurt your child’s learning process is a great place to start. Determine whether you are authoritative - retain control, but also are warm and communicative; authoritarian – strict and controlling; permissive – warm and accepting making few demands; or uninvolved – demand almost nothing and give nothing in return. Children with authoritative parents typically do well in school, develop good social skills, and avoid problem behaviors.
Embrace “The Why”
In the SMA, parents should embrace the word “why” – a word that readily flows from children’s mouths once they become old enough to talk. Answering one or two whys is easy. Answering the tenth one can often try one’s patience. But continuing to ask questions – being curious and inquisitive as kids grow older is a one of dozens of learning behaviors kids will need to acquire and hone. Silencing that curiosity works against their interest in this new age.
As you look at your kids, in addition to seeing them as the cutest kids ever, see them as a scientist whose job is to discover – not just when they are young and new to the world, but as they continue to grow. Scientist are open minded, embracing of ambiguity, uncertainty and new challenges among other behaviors. In his book, Learn or Die, Ed Hess compiled from learning science behaviors like the ones above and others that are fundamental to learning. How many of these behaviors are you promoting and enabling your child to acquire?
This list originally appeared in “Learn or Die: Using Science to Build a Leading-Edge Learning Organization” by Edward D. Hess.
Parenting like life is a journey. If you’ve tips to share about how you are enabling and promoting learning behaviors in your children, I invite you to share them with me.