“(...) Mas o melhor do mundo são as crianças (...)”—Fernando Pessoa (1888 - 1935)

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What Pessoa wrote, everybody agrees, I guess, which can be translated to something like: “(...) But the best of the world are the children (...)”

SOME CONTEXT
Digital technologies are changing our world, posing new challenges to societies, citizens, professionals, business, culture, values, communication, (... please add other things here), and in particular, education and children.

The first contact of our kids with digital technologies is being made earlier and earlier… from 13-10-6-4-2 years old.

In several countries, 6 years old kids are receiving mini-laptops, elementary schools are being equipped with technological kits (digital boards, computers, 100Mbps internet connection, digital contents, etc). Altogether, these changes are allowing and promoting transformations in kids’ education, posing new challenges to all involved: students, teachers, parents, publishers, IT professionals, governance, etc.

This is already changing how kids face media, for example, but more change will come, I guess.

(add your ideas…)

SOME QUESTIONS
* what are the challenges we should be prepared to face, as parents, educators, IT professionals, ... ?
* what are the opportunities and threats created by these changes in educational settings?
* what are the pros and cons?
* ... (add your questions)...

SOME NOTES (after discussions)
* technology is influencing pre-teens education: contents, methods, tools
* technology is sometimes a hurdle, but only the first one, probably the easier;
* there are several personal, social and pedagogical hurdles on the process of improving digital literacy of pre-teens under educational settings
* there is a large set of research opportunities on this topic, covering several knowledge areas, from engineering to education and social sciences.

Thanks to all that shared ideas about this topic during ISDT09.
   
YOUR NOTES

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