(on) The Road (to becoming a) Scholar: Kindle Fire: How My Kids See It

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Kindle Fire: How My Kids See It

I was telling my kids about my last post comparing the iPad to the Kindle Fire. One had already read some of it and one of the kids wanted to defend the Kindle Fire a bit. I told them I wasn't getting rid of it, just that it wasn't serving our needs as well as the iPad and hadn't quite lived up to our expectations as a home school "tool." Once they realized I wasn't ditching it, the real truth came out about it. So, I thought I would share some insights from their perspective:

The kids prefer the touch screen of the iPad over that of the Kindle Fire. It doesn't feel the "same" as the iPad. The iPad is more reactive than the Kindle Fire.
My older son loves the text-to-speech feature on the old Kindle. When we got the Kindle Fire, we were really disappointed to see that feature GONE. It is also gone on the lowest end Kindle. He's a multitasker, like I am, and would often listen to his books while working on Legos, riding in the car (he gets motion sickness) or doing the dishes.
My youngest son loves the Kindle Fire, but that, I think, is for two reasons. 1) Since we don't have many education apps, there are more "recreation" apps (like Angry Birds, Where's My Water and Puss-in-Boots Fruit Ninja. 2) He's tiny. The Kindle Fire fits better in his hands than an iPad. He told me he gets tired holding the iPad.
My middle girl said she likes the iPad better because it doesn't crash and that it hold more apps.
My eldest girl likes the iPad better because she can control the volume and she likes the screen better. When they use Kid's Place (the parental control-timer app), they can't change the volume within the app and there is no external volume control on the device.

So, there you have my kids' perspective on the iPad versus Kindle Fire.

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The Road Scholar

Cathie and her husband are blessed with six children and have home educated them since 2003. Before children, Cathie developed curricula and taught classes for adults around the world on a variety of topics in the computer industry at the corporate and technical school level. She loves to develop curricula, teach homeschool co-op classes and organize book clubs. For five years, she held board positions on a large homeschool support group such as general coordinator, membership coordinator and advisory member.

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Topics:

Beginning Homeschooling - Beyond the Basics

Are you new to homeschooling? Where do you start? How do you ensure a very good (not just adequate) homeschooling experience, especially in that important first year? This practical how-to session will help you determine the appropriate first steps on your homeschooling adventure. We'll talk about picking a curriculum, scheduling and strategies for developing an independent child as well as strengthening your family and social relationships.

Get Your Game On!
Using EASY, Almost No-Fuss Games to Help Keep Learning Fun

Kids love games and so much is gained by playing games: learning to taking turns, good sportsmanship, patience and development of relationships. By using games, we can tailor to the needs of the child - not just academically, but socially, too. Come join in the fun yourself and learn how easy it is to put together games for your children—and you don't have to be creative to do it, either! Besides learning how, you will walk away with instructions, tips and resources to make your own games at home.

How to Get Your Kids to See the Light (or Feel it or Hear it)!

Teaching different learning modalities requires different tactics. Learn how to determine which modality your child uses and find ways to present material so that it sticks the first time, especially if it is different than your own learning modality.

This Old Schoolhouse

The school marms and school masters of yesteryear taught several children at different levels and formed many of our favorite American heroes. We will look back at how those school marms ran their one room schools and take some tips on making our school days more successful. We’ll talk about schedules, curriculum, discipline, independence, character development and motivation for the one room school in your home.

Socrates Meets Homeschool Mom

If Socrates could teach you one thing, it would be to use his method (the Socratic Method) for literary analysis. This presentation addresses the fundamentals of literary interpretation from within the accessible world of children’s literature, so even young students can easily identify the language of literary analysis. As they mature they will readily spot these fundamentals in more difficult works, enriching both their understanding of the literature and their appreciation for the author’s handiwork. Learn the aspects of literary analysis and how to help kids appreciate and find the meaning in all the great books they read.

The Motivation Myth

What do sticker charts, time-outs and spelling bees have in common? They are examples of “Carrots and Sticks.” Over the last 40 years, study after study has shown that "Carrots and Sticks" don't work for long term motivation, especially when thought is required in the process. How are you motivating and inspiring your kids to study, do chores and reach goals? Learn about what truly motivates kids, how to mentor them and help them become successful in their endeavors. I will dispel the myths and reveal truths about human motivation and mindset. And here’s a hint. It’s you, not them. I hope you will join me to find out what that means.