When did you go to school? For many people with children, it was before the internet and home computing took off. Learning was an entirely different experience. With the internet, today’s children should be the smartest there have ever been.
No longer do they have to attend libraries or spend money on extra classes to earn money, they have all the knowledge in the world at their fingertips.
But this level of information, outside of school, can be mind-blowing. How can you encourage your children to follow their passion online? Here’s everything you need to know.
1. Ebooks
Libraries have always existed with free books but they could often be lacking in the specific book on the specific subject you wanted when you were a child. Furthermore, they were an effort to get to. They could involve a long walk and significant time out of your day, only to find they don’t have the text you want.
Ebooks are revolutionary because they allow your children to purchase and read virtually any book in the whole world within seconds.
An Amazon Kindle with e-ink can also prevent your child from absorbing too much damaging blue light before they go to bed, preventing them from being able to sleep. There is now a new kids’ edition of the Kindle which might be worth purchasing.
2. Listening to Different Genres of Music on Spotify
Music is a great hobby for many and now almost every song ever written is available in one place. This allows your child to experiment with listening to different types of music they might not otherwise listen to without having to buy the record.
Encourage your child to listen to a new artist or song every day to broaden their horizon and to curate playlists for different moods.
Before long, your child’s passion for music might develop further and they will be applying for a music grant to help them kick start their career.
3. Documentaries
Watching documentaries can be just as illuminating as reading a book because they can add a visual element to a complex issue. Documentaries are also designed for the general public so they are generally more accessible than a book and are a good starting place.
True crime documentaries are very popular and there are some great examples on Netflix about topical issues. Their documentary on disgraced businessman Jeffery Epstein has had lots of rave reviews.
4. Long Read Articles
Journalism, although much derided of late as being fake news, can also be insightful and educational. A recent trend is of long-form pieces that have taken months or even years to put together.
They could deal with subjects from the secret plans for the death of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain to the origins of the recent protests in Hong Kong.
Learning Outside of School Can be Fun
If you want to encourage your child or your students, be sure to remind them that learning outside of school can be fun. Teach them how to use the internet properly and hunt out the information that interests them.
If you want to know more about how learning outside of school can be fun, be sure to check out the rest of our site.