PREPARE THEM FOR THE FUTURE THIS CHRISTMAS

If this year taught us anything, the most prominent lesson has been the importance of embracing digital transformation in business, schools and at home.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to be smarter and to start thinking of solutions outside-of-the-box. This has had a big impact for youth in South Africa due to the sudden shift in schooling in both the way that we teach and the way that students are expected to learn. It is imperative for parents and educators to start equipping children with the necessary skills and tools to understand the imminent world of technology and the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). So instead of a toy car, doll or board game for Christmas, why not consider a gift that will make them digitally smarter while having fun?

Brian Andrew, MD for RS Components Sub Saharan Africa said that the country’s education sector had been forced to adapt with students and teachers interacting via online classes. “I believe that this situation has helped the education sector understand the importance of how technology can be used as a delivery platform and what could be possible for the future of learning. There is no better time than now to start preparing our youth for the not-so-distant future by introducing them to tools that will allow them to have fun with technology and to also improve their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) knowledge along with other topics to inspire their imaginations, solve problems and enhance innovative ways of thinking,” he said.

In addition, the toys we choose to buy for our kids can make a difference in their development. During their growing years, it is important to give them access to educational toys that allow them to learn while they play. Different types of toys require children to use various skill sets and tap into different learning areas of the brain and while any toy can offer value to a developing brain, there are certain toys that provide specific long-term value to children. The beauty of educational toys is two-fold – at their core, they are still toys, so they don’t seem like homework or a bore to children, yet they conveniently and creatively provide learning benefits.

Andrew added that it was important for parents and educators to look beyond the one-dimensional toys of yesteryear and focus on those that will establish the skills of the future. “Gadgets such as the Sphero Bolt, Raspberry Pi and xChips are just some of the tools that are available to parents and educators to help introduce skills such as coding, robotics and electronics to children from a young age. An early introduction to these skillsets will help children establish confidence and a natural curiosity to attempt new life skills as well as a propensity to seek out science-based curricula at a high school and tertiary level.”

RS Components is passionate about developing the next generation of engineers, makers and innovators and we partner with innovative companies to distribute educational technologies across the world.