How Can I Help My Child?

Computers and the other forms of technology that we have been talking about on this Web site are essential for what educators call "information literacy," which is the ability to gain access to, evaluate, and make use of different kinds of information. Many kinds of careers require information literacy, and your child is more likely to be successful as an adult if he or she can gain information literacy skills in school and, if possible, at home.

You may be wondering just what you can do to help your child develop these skills, especially if you have had only limited experience with computers and the other technologies featured on this Web site. Indeed, it isn't at all uncommon for kids to be more technologically savvy than their parents. Do you really have anything to contribute if your child already knows more about computers and the Internet than you do?

The answer is a resounding "Yes!"

The use of information technology takes place in a larger world of social relationships, ethical choices, and individual responsibility. When it comes to things like these, you have a wealth of experience that can prove invaluable to your child's intellectual and emotional growth. As a parent, you have the opportunity to affect how the next generation makes use of new technologies; and the uses to which technology is put will in turn affect all of us.

In a nutshell, you don't have to be a computer engineer to be a good parent in the twenty-first century. Click on the links in the navigation area to the left to learn more about the different ways you can play a positive role in your child's quest for information literacy.