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| The portrait of Ir. Galih Wasis Wicaksono, S.Kom, M.CS, an informatics engineering lecturer at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). (Photo by Nelda PR of UMM) |
The use of gadgets in this technological era does not always impact children negatively. Conversely, parents can introduce them earlier to information and technology (IT), but its use must be exact. However, the support for introducing technology to children is not so good in Indonesia. Whereas abroad, many websites have facilitated children with IT.
“Especially in the US, 3-to-4-aged children have been introduced to the curriculum (of IT). There is one website: code.org, which teaches them to utilizing technology and encourages children to think computationally. That website provides games as a way of thinking. So, children are demanded to stimulate,” said Ir. Galih Wasis Wicaksono, S.Kom, M.CS., an informatics engineering lecturer at UMM.
Galih also mentions that on the website, there are many challenges and scenarios, leading students to think logically for problem-solving. They are also encouraged to move forward effectively and enhance their criticality.
"Kids nowadays can pick and choose what they like. So when they want something, they will feel enthusiastic. Therefore, there are now various learning media that can be tailored to their interests. Currently, games are not only entertaining but also training students' reasoning skills," he added.
According to him, a game is one of the IT skills which needs to master from an early age, but parental supervision and guidance must go well based on portions. Children must be warned about negative things they find (in games), so parents do not need to conceal something but provide their children with a good understanding.
“Present and future generations are entirely different from our generation when we were kids—significantly since today’s era has shifted into technological advancements, such as ChatGPT, AI, etc. So, computational skill is one of essential things to innovate in the future,” concluded Galih. (imh/nel/wil)
