Learning in the digital age

How to captivate a child with learning in the digital age? To solve this problem, Smart Course has developed a whole strategy. First of all, an atmosphere of trust is created and a scenario that is obviously known and not very attractive to children is rejected. “Our coaches are young (25-30 years old), they don’t teach in the classical sense of the word, but communicate with the guys, show them techniques and strategies that can be used here and now,” says Mikhail Mordasov, project leader and inspirer. At the same time, no one promises either parents or children that after the program, for example, about a conscious choice of profession, teenagers will decide exactly where to go to study and what to do for the rest of their lives. “We promise to teach children to listen to themselves, to work with the information they receive from various sources – the Internet, schools – we give practical communication and social skills: how to work in a team, speak without fear, be able to lead a group, be a leader, – Maxim adds Chernov, Marketing Director and Managing Partner of the project. “They will definitely need these skills, and it is better to start mastering them as early as possible in order to ensure a quick and high-quality start.”

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• What profession to choose: training

The second point: it is important to immediately agree on the rules within which the work will take place. For example, all day, from 10 to 18. “We give an hour to adapt, after we say that now children can only do what is provided for by the program, and they will do their own business – checking social networks, playing games or posting fresh photos – during the break “, – continues Mikhail Mordasov. At first, this seems impossible to children. But thanks to the efforts of coaches, no one remembers smartphones and tablets. “However, our classes are not a show. We do not entertain children, but involve them in the learning process: if they do not get involved in the action, no matter how cool it turns out, there will be no effect. The child will just look, be glad that he is being entertained, and that’s all, ”Mikhail sums up.

Parents are not invited to the trainings. You can learn about how they are arranged from the description offered on the site. “Another thing is that after the program, children may experience changes that are not entirely clear to others. To explain what happened to them, why and how not to interfere (or help) the child, we hold master classes for parents. And by the way, we warn them in advance that everything may not turn out the way they might like,” says Maxim Chernov. For example, a child can return home with a firm conviction that he will not become a financier (like a father or mother), but an actor – because only on stage does he feel truly himself … A lot depends on the reaction of parents. It will not be easy if they are sure that they themselves know perfectly well what is good for their child, and everything else does not bother them. However, people do not come to the training on conscious choice of profession with the request “Help my son/daughter figure out what to do with him/her”. Parents begin with the fact that he/she does not want anything, does not strive for anything, is bored… In the program, children learn to set goals and achieve them, to be responsible for their actions. A good result – after the training, the child gets the feeling that he finally understood what he wants, what he likes. “The main thing is that parents should not have the idea that in life you need to do not what you like, but what is useful and brings money. Then, no matter how cool the children are at the training, this effect will quickly disappear, – says Mikhail Mordasov. – Although according to our observations, 80% of children succeed. There is another observation: teenagers who are late on the first day of the program (as a rule, they do not like the very idea that the training will drag on for two whole days), the next day they arrive on time. And that’s a very good sign.”

Read more: Digital natives: how to teach modern children?