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Educators introduced to advanced technology
Hundreds of principals and teachers of kindergartens and preschools throughout the capital familiarized themselves with the importance of technology and the internet of things (IoT) for early childhood education during a discussion at a mall in West Jakarta on Tuesday morning
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span>Hundreds of principals and teachers of kindergartens and preschools throughout the capital familiarized themselves with the importance of technology and the internet of things (IoT) for early childhood education during a discussion at a mall in West Jakarta on Tuesday morning.
The event was held by a Jakarta-based robot learning center called World Robotic Explorers (WRE) in partnership with the Indonesian Association of Kindergarten Teachers (IGTKI).
WRE director Jully Tjindrawan said that through the event she expected to raise awareness among teachers of the importance of introducing children to technology from an early age.
She said that technology kept developing and it was important for teachers to realize that, especially when the country was on its way toward the fourth industrial revolution for global competition.
Jully said she believed that people would not find many difficulties in learning advanced technologies if they become familiar with it at a young age.
“We need to start thinking that [robot development] must be introduced to young children,” she told The Jakarta Post.
She said that in an attempt to ignite curiosity in young minds over robot development she had for about 14 years been visiting schools around Jakarta to show her robots to students.
After the seminar, the robot learning center team took all participants around the showroom on the mall’s second floor. They were shown how robots and IoT technologies work and their importance for early childhood education.
They were told that children were allowed to explore various types of robots and IoT technologies in that place.
Supriyanti, principal of a preschool in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, expressed enthusiasm for the idea of introducing children to technology at an early age.
“Kindergarten teachers are not familiar with this robot thing, whereas this is important,” she told the Post after taking the tour at the learning center.
Supriyanti said she planned to take her students to the place someday.
Meanwhile, Arief Rachman, a sociologist and education observer, suggested that while learning technology was important, teachers must keep supervising them as he was concerned more about the negative effects of technology on children.
“Supervision is a must. Children must be told that technology is like a double-edged sword as once they are attracted to it, they can become so absorbed that they forget about all other things,” he told the Post.
Arief said children must learn about time management and discipline before learning about robots or other advanced technologies. (das)
