Barbara Feldman: Poll Finds Teen Social Networking Educational

There is a huge opportunity to use the natural enthusiasm of kids to speak and support each other in a bid to engage parents as well.

Huge concern exists in the UK concern over the drop in performance in a child's schooling that can occur as they move up to secondary school. A significant number of 11- 13 children who excelled in primary school fail to thrive at secondary level. The experience of the larger environment, spread in pupil ages, number of teachers and lesson structure all conspire to overwhelm.

Now add the 100,000 children in the UK who did not get into the school of their choice. They enter secondary level already primed with a feeling of rejection and parental chagrin. It is difficult to see the solution apart from a dramatic increase in the number of good local schools. An understandable reaction by many parents to their plight is to consider the possibility of home educating their children. Whilst this is a reasonable option it requires a significant commitment that may ultimately prove to be impractical. But there is an alternative.

A child's schooling motivation needs careful handling but the process initiated in school can now gain further emphasis with parents. Teachers use a range of educational games such as maths games as the main teaching resource to support lessons. Their subsequent use at home now allows parents to reinforce the lesson content in the relaxed home environment at the pace of the child. The opportunity to practice leads to greater learning retention and helps overcome resistance or sticking points at school. It also provides parents with a dynamic view of their child�s performance rather than the historic end of term report.

Many children contending with a new school would benefit from parental mentoring related to the schooling activity. Advice from the teacher, followed through by visit to an online website such as www.keen2learn.co.uk The extensive range of educational games matched to the curriculum could help fill any gap left by the �wrong school�.

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This sounds refreshing to hear but we have to be critical readers. In reading this what struck me is that this was reported by the users/tweens themselves. So, in examining that we must understand that if they are on such sites taking part in undesirable chat or communication, many would not report that. I cannot ignore the fact that the reports indicate site use for education just as the research did not ignore the sites use for social networking. I think all we can do is encourage our children to explore site use for exploration purposes regarding education and career. The social networking can be equally important because we are social in nature and as adults we network in many ways for the benefit of our careers. We must however continue to warn and educate our children on the dangers of some site social connections and communications.