H Duderstadt, New Tech Maven

A recent article in Newsweek magazine talked of how the US is falling behind in creativity. Our education system, it wrote, has so focused on standardized testing that creative thought is taking a back seat to rote memorization. And, as schools are facing ever more drastic budget cuts, traditionally creative programs such as Art, Music, even Digital Design are being eliminated to save money. Additionally, more stimulating and challenging methods of teaching more “academic” subjects such as science, math, and english are being discouraged in favor of standardized lesson plans designed to help schools get higher scores in their annual assessment tests.

Yet, school is not the only place creativity can be encouraged. Over the coming articles, I’ll be examining and revealing exciting ways this most important type of learning can be inspired OUTSIDE of school using the very tools and activities that kids are already big fans of. From the next generation of iPhone/iPod/iPad apps that allow children to create drawings, animation, even movies to video games that provide the tools for them to build their own games. From websites that provide detailed instructors on how kids can become their own version of Thomas Edison with easily available things around the house to free programs that empower them to design and even invent.

This is a very interesting column

The 4th of July was always a very big celebration in my home town. It was the 1960′s and we were just beginning to hear the call for “Safe & Sane” fireworks. You could still buy pretty much anything short of tactical nuclear weapons if knew where to go.

One of the most distinct memories of have of those hot summer days when the air smelled of smoke and the sounds of pops, whizzing, and an occasional KABOOM range out across the town was my father’s annual war with our neighbor Bruce. There was a open lot separating our houses and every year my father and Bruce would attempt to fire rockets back and forth at each other in and effort to span this gap. At first, we used bottle rockets but would harmlessly land and explode in the middle somewhere. But, as dad and his nemesis would explore an ever larger array of “weapons dealers” the size of the rockets began to grow. And so their range.

Finally, fateful day arrived. I was down in my dirt pile (it had been a sand pile but I had mixed the sand with dirt because any 10 year old boy will tell you, sand is boring, DIRT IS COOL! I was busy placing a pair of black cats under an enemy car. “Come on, let’s show Bruce whose the boss!” my dad exclaimed as he walked by. I jumped up and followed along, noticing his was carrying a rather large cardboard box under his arm. We strolled down the incline in our lawn to a point near an old tree. Across the vast (at least to a 10 year old) expanse of the open lot I could see Bruce doing what he loved to do on hot summer days, sleep in his hammock in the front yard. Dad placed the box on the grown and with a flourish pulled out his pocket knife and deftly opened it. He reached in and carefully removed one of the largest rockets I’d ever seen. “This’ll get him, for sure!” dad gleefully said. We set up the launcher, and dad carefully gauged the wind and distance before targetting this monster. “OK, when I light this run up and get behind that tree. I’m not sure what it’s going to do!” He reached down, and with this tip of his Falcon cigar carefully lit the fuse. It immediately sparked to life and we dashed up and hide behind the tree. WHOOOOSH! the rocket suddenly roared off the pad. We followed it go up…up…up…then arc over and start falling…falling…then KABLAM!!!!! It couldn’t have done better if it had been GPS guided as it exploded about 10 feet above Bruce’s head. He suddenly flipped up and out of the hammock and landed on his lawn. He sat there dazed for a few moments then suddenly jumped up and looked our way. By this time Dad was out in the open. “Phhhhhttttttt” dad razed him. Bruce shook his fist and dashed into his house. So began yet another year of the great Duderstadt/Finalyson war. It was kind of like the Hatfields versus the McCoys accept we used rockets, and every other day of the year my dad and Bruce were good friends.

Sadly, the rockets got every larger until they no longer just hit our lots but our neighbors and complaints brought an end to this annual battle.

There’s been a lot of press lately on the school in Rhode Island that fired it’s entire teaching staff.  Even the president stepped in and agreed with the move.   But, I personally believe that though there may be a few teachers that could do a better job, the solution to the education crisis in the US involves everybody from politicians who will honestly back education and not just use it to help get them re-elected to office then cut, cut, cut when they need to balance the budget; or administrators who are educators and not polticians; or voters who will support a school bond even though they don’t have any children; or media producers who are willing to explore adding learning content to their product because it can make them more entertaining if done right.

But no one key component of the process of raising children is so important as the parent. They are key to the future of their children.  Yet, all too often they are struggling to keep up with their kids and their kids “tech”.

Take a look at a typical teenager today and you’ll find a walking advertisement for best buy.   Armed with iPods, iPhones, laptops, all jacked in to networks that give them access to twitter, facebook, texting, phone messaging, World of Warcraft, Second Life, Wikipedia and the vast array of content that is the internet they are easily the most connected generation in history.  At home, many have Xbox 360s, PS3s, Wiis, and any rang of sophisticated game platforms, often hooked up to high def TVs.  Even their conversations can be a blend of texting shortcuts, typical teen slang, and rap tunes.

So, it’s little wonder that those who grew up in the shadow of one media type, whether it be television or radio, or even first generation Mac’s sometimes have a difficult time really understanding these “Digital Natives’ as they come to be known.  And not the least mystified is often their parents.

Though a parent might be a definite blackberry addict (often called “crackberry”), have a facebook account, and actually be at level 70 on World of Warcraft, they must realize these kids are on a whole different level.  A key goal of this site is to attempt to help decode the world modern children live in and help parents better understand and so play an active role in their children’s growth and learning.  Especially now with the severe budget cuts that school districts all over the US are facing, the importance of parents being involved in supporting their children and their learning can not be underemphasized.

So hang on, as I set out to help you 20th century raise 21st century kids1

Have you ever wondered about the way you learn things.  When I was studying education for my MS, I was introduced to amazing test called the VARK test.  It’s a series of multiple choice questions like: