Technology, Language & Our Children’s Education.

Our everyday lives are transforming along with new technology, and communicating with one another has become quick and easy. In fact, every aspect of education is changing: children now have more opportunities and parents are even earning degrees online. The children of today are growing up in a technological era, one that is filled with huge possibilities for a better future.

Even the youngest children are learning computer games fairly quick and some are even teaching their parents. Technology has sparked our children’s interest to discover and learn new things, and education has become something fun and exciting that parents and kids can enjoy together.

Nonetheless, many Latino parents have trouble helping their kids on the computer. Many have difficulty due to the language barrier, or because they are not computer savvy enough to be able to help them. Many parents are finding themselves in a situation where their kids are speaking little or no Spanish and they don’t have command of the English language. According to recent studies, in spite of this situation the Internet has turned into an essential tool for the Hispanic family. However the third annual AOL/Roper U.S. Hispanic Cyberstudy has discovered that language continues to be a barrier in regards to Internet use.

“We understand how important it is for parents to actively communicate and participate in their children’s education. That’s why we provide free online English courses to our subscribers”, said David Wellisch, vice president and general manager of AOL Latino. We are doing our part to break the language barrier that exists between parents and children”, added Wellisch.

The means and the services to learn are more accessible than ever before. The important thing is to have enough interest and time to learn and form an active part in your child’s education. Here are some suggestions that can help you make the decision to become a participant of all that technology has to offer:

— If you don’t have a home computer, visit your local library where you and your family can have access to an extensive variety of educational services, including free computer use.

— If you are planning to purchase a home computer in the near future, ask the salesperson if the locale offers any basic computer literacy classes with an emphasis on the Internet.

— Find out about the English and computer classes that government agencies may be offering in your community.

— Make sure that your Internet service provider is bilingual, so that you will be able to study alongside your child as you learn English.

— Visit your child’s school and ask his or her teacher about online bilingual resources that can help you study with your child.

The effort and sacrifices that we do for our children today will be the base of their academic and professional success tomorrow. Technology is for everyone.