🐴 Baby agency + transforming screen time (#128)

From infant learning to teenage tech use: new insights on student agency

Author

Charlie Deist
February 05, 2025

In today’s edition:

  • Why agency for young people matters more than you think

  • New research reveals secrets of effective educational technology

  • 3 practical shifts to transform your child's relationship with tech

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💡 THOUGHT

Agency Starts Earlier Than You Think

Be careful infantilizing your kids – even the infants.

  • Let them initiate interactions

  • Respond to their cues

  • Give them choices

Don't wait for "school age" to respect their learning capacity.

📊 TREND

New Study: The Secret to Making Tech Work in Education

While many parents worry about screen time, a new study from Bath Spa University (it’s legit - we checked) and Liberty University found that when children are given agency in their learning, they develop different relationships with technology:

  • They tend to use devices for active learning rather than passive consumption

  • They naturally develop digital literacy through interest-driven projects

  • They find ways to collaborate with other learners across distances

The key finding wasn't about the technology itself - it was about the learning environment. When students are given the freedom to pursue their interests, technology becomes a tool for exploration rather than just task completion.

🔨 TOOL

Want to transform how your child uses technology?

Try these 3 shifts:

  1. Let them choose topics that fascinate them

  2. Show them how technology can help explore those interests

  3. Connect them with other learners who share their passions

That’s all for today!

– Charlie (the OpenEd newsletter guy)

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