Technology has reshaped the world and the life we live as time goes by. One of the most powerful tools invented by mankind is the computer. The power of information and computing will become the core driving force of the future of the Internet of Everything.
Children nowadays are exposed to technology as early as they are born. However, most of them are just passive users in the advent of technology products such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers. What deep connections and positive interactions should children have with technology? This is the question I have been asking and exploring for the past ten years.
We have to guide children to access and understand technology. Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development, believes that children are the builders of their own cognitive structure. According to the findings of Ofcom, six-year-olds are as technologically aware as 45-year-olds. They are even able to understand the core concepts of technology, such as computational thinking as the core literacy in science, at an earlier stage. While at MIT's AI Lab in the 1980s, Prof. Seymour Papert developed the LOGO programming language, with the aim of helping children "concretize" computational thinking. He believes that children would connect their knowledge with the areas of mathematics and physics in the process of understanding the way computers operate.
We should guide children to master and apply technology. They need to realize that everything in life can be understood, designed and changed, including an alarm clock, or a computer. Technology is not only a tool for children to recognize but also to create.
From the beginning, Matatalab has always been determined to provide cognitive and creative technology tools for children around the world, as well as supporting courses for families and educational institutions. Our intention is to help children develop technological confidence so as to rise up to and change the world.
Two years after its establishment, the company released Matatalab Coding Set, an enlightenment programming product featuring screenless and hands-on for children aged 3-9. With Matatalab Coding Set, children only need to handle the simple and intuitive instruction coding blocks on the control board to instruct the robots on the map to perform corresponding actions. This hands-on experience will bring not only new knowledge, new experiences, but also new fun to children, and it is distinguished from any robot they have met before. Most traditional robot products are designed to teach children what to do. This time around, children are able to instruct the robots. From a passive user to an active explorer, designer, and problem solver, children will have joy and be motivated to create more of their own programs, thereby facilitating their sense of autonomy, competence, and achievement. More importantly, they can master computational as well as design thinking in such a process. In addition to the enlightenment set, we hope to enrich the products and courses, provide more children with high-quality educational resources, protect their curiosity, encourage innovation, and help them explore and realize their potentials.
Children are the future of the world. We are building a path for children to get to the future.
Rishon Su, Founder & CEO of Matatalab