The Future of Education

The research deals with the study into psychological aspects of early development of modern preschoolers who are born into the digital world and grow up surrounded by all kinds of media and gadgets. Cartoons as a genre of cinematographic art are an inseparable part of kids’ lives and it would be a big mistake to ignore their educational potential. In this respect, the authors define the term “semiotic space of cinematography” which is filled with values, images, signs and symbols of culture which children acquire while watching. The semiotic space of cinematography is build up from separate sings and symbols. Like letters in an alphabet make it possible to understand words and their sense, these signs enable children to decode the deeper meaning of values hidden in them. The modern world that offers children a great variety of cartoons and animated fairy-tales is the certain semiotic media-sphere. Immersion into this sphere definitely shapes child's world outlook, enriching it with different connections between magical and real, space and time, causes and consequences. Fantastic heroes acquire features of the ideal, become models to follow in imaginary and real situations. The focus of the research is on the age-related phenomenological build-ups of four, five and six-year-olds and the impact that cartoons have on their cognitive, communicative and creative skills. One more aspect of the research is connected with cultural role of cartoons. Cinematography teaches kids the core values, both national and universal ones. In this respect, the paper touches upon traditional Russian fairy-tales, as well as eastern and western plots and their implications for the development of the coherent world outlook, devoid of national prejudice and filled with respect towards cultural diversity. Understanding the language of signs from fairy tales feeds imagination, reveals connections existing in the Universe and the unity of values (beauty, love, the good, knowledge). This kind of development is of special importance in the modern world where eternal values get gradually lost.