Prodigy. An online “math” “game” my daughter’s school uses. “It is a great way to teach kids math”, they said. “It helps them learn the fundamentals of math”, etc. etc.
I did not like it. I do have my screen bias and that needs to be taken into consideration when critiquing these things. It just seemed like another way to keep kids on a screen even after they have been on a screen for hours with “regular school.”
Talking with my daughter about what she did on / with Prodigy was answered with, “I just wander around”, “I like to buy things after I’ve collected enough coins”, “I just move my character around until my mom says I’ve done my time”. So, on and so forth.
I did not understand the point of Prodigy. It did not seem to be teaching anything math related. Another online screen distraction. Wasted time. When my daugther is with me she is coloring, creating, making up stories, reading books, outside playing, drawing stories, etc. It seemed ridiculous to force her onto a screen that was supposed to be about math. Yet did not seem to really have anything to do with math.
An email came through yesterday from CCFC (Campaign for a commercial-free childhood; Prodigy – Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood ). Talking about all the issues I had with Prodigy (and plenty more I was unaware of). It reminded me that my daugther and her mom were talking about working on a way for my daugther to earn money to buy a subscription to Prodigy. Turns out that is very problematic for many reasons.
This is a hard time. Parents and teachers and students are trying to figure out how best to handle school and learning. We are doing this in the hopes of helping our children continue to learn. Yet, teaching them to be addicted, to stare a screen and tell them it is teaching math, when they know it is not, does not seem a good place to be.
This is a bump. A mistake. It can be fixed. It can be corrected. Why not give students a pencil and paper and say “write, draw, whatever”? Why default to addictive screen games and lying to ourselves that they are benefiting our children in any positive way?
Please, click the link and read. Learn about the dangers and consequences. Even if you do not have kids, this is being done to you through other apps, games, online content. There is good information on the internet. Be aware nothing is free. These people are not trying to help educate America’s youth. They are trying to make money. “Free” comes at cost. Right now, it is our children’s attention, time, creativity, critical thinking, and future ability to say “no”.
Prodigy – Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood
Posted. Not Perfect.
A Vegan Father, navigating a non-vegan world.
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