Computer Coding for Kids

A couple of weeks ago, I did a short series on gaming in the classroom, highlighting some of the programs and online resources we like best. Since that time, Eva has completed her chosen module on the Descartes Cove math game, and escaped her digital number-laden island. Though she enjoyed Descartes Cove, really she’s never been “that into” math, and didn’t want to begin another module. Starting next fall, I’ve promised a year of hands-on math learning: origami, geometry, pattern making and discovery, Fibonacci work, etc. She can’t wait. But for now, we’re kind of stuck, because I need a summer of planning to make sure this approach really works for her. I want to get her excited about math again.

This got me thinking. Eva’s about two grade levels ahead of where she needs to be in the traditional math trajectory, so we have the luxury of time. (There is plenty of room for debate over the worthiness of the accepted established trajectory, but that’s not for this post.) I started reflecting about the video from Code.org that I shared last week – how coding is the language of the future. No – that’s not exactly right. It’s the language of our present.

When you look at the traditional education model, coding is mostly absent. Perhaps in some high schools you could take a coding elective, but it’s not part of the core; it’s excluded from the “real” sciences like biology, chemistry, physics. Or should it be considered a math? If so, it certainly is nowhere in our math lineup of AlgebrathroughCalculus. But so essential. Coding is everywhere! Apps, webpages, facebook, youtube – you name it. It runs our lives, yet we know nothing about it, reserving it for “computer guys” who are 20-something mostly men who speak what seems to us a foreign language.

What-evs, as Eva would say. I’m taking this back for my kids. Today I offered to Eva the opportunity to study coding as her math time for the rest of the semester. We popped up Code.org’s website, and she got to work, immediately completing her first coding challenge, earning points, and looking like a Boss.

The learning screen of code.org

Code.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to – you guessed it – teaching people how to code. They are a coalition of sorts, cleanly offering a selection of online education options, like a buffet. Scratch, Codeacademy, Khan Academy, and CodeHS are all right there on the same page. Click on one, and you start immediately. Change your mind? No problem. The other tabs are still there, patiently waiting their turn. Eva started with Codeacademy. And though reluctant at first, Ian completed his first Codeacademy assignment as well, admitting upon completion that it was “pretty cool.”

Here’s the deal: my kids don’t want to grow up to be computer programmers. I’m fine with that – they don’t have to be. But wouldn’t it be cool if Ian wanted to create an app for drummers that helped them practice rhythms (this was actually suggested by his band instructor), and he had the skills to make that happen? That’s for me. And the best thing is that the instruction is right here, right now, free, user friendly, and available. What are you waiting for?

Education Through Gaming: Math and Science Roundup

To wrap up my mini-series on educational video gaming, allow me to share the other online resources that we have particularly enjoyed over the last year or two. Given our tech limitations (we own only laptops – no Ipads or Itouches or anything like that), we generally stick to the resources we can easily access on the web.

As I was writing this post, I realized there is perhaps a discussion to be had as to what constitutes a video game. Is it simply a self-contained app that you play exclusively on a tech device? Or do you take into account resources that provide challenges to accomplish away from the computer or Ipad, rewarding players only upon completion of the task? For this post, I choose the second and broader view.

CellCraft

I’ve spoken about this game before. CellCraft is a game we discovered only this year, and thoroughly enjoyed its fun combination of learning with super fun video-gaming challenges and silly fantasy. Here’s my take, from my previous post:

The other completely addictive activity we dived into is a video game called CellCraft. Holy cow, folks – this was ridiculously fun. Though the creators definitely took some artistic license (you find the organelles you need, and at one point our animal cell is given plant cell chloroplasts to generate more energy), the science behind most of the game is pretty accurate. The player must run the cell, making sure all organelles are doing what they need to do, and are getting the resources they need to thrive.

Viruses periodically attack the cell, which you must biologically defend, and there is an overarching fantasy narrative: an alien platypus race on a threatened planet is sending this cell across the expanse of space to land on a new planet (Earth) where it can grow into new platypusses. Platypi? Whatever. It’s cute and fun. Eva and I played it together for days, and I loved hearing her yell out “we need more lysosomes!!” and the like. It’s free for download, so check it out. Ian played it a little too, but he hasn’t covered cell biology yet. After watching both experiences, I recommend using it after the student has already studied the structure and function of a cell. It’s better as a reinforcement activity than a straight-ahead teaching tool.

Interestingly, now that the semester is over, I’ve been able to compare having a kid use it in tandem with biology study and not. Eva played the whole game through, and even now, months later, she has a firm grasp on the variety and function of a cell’s organelles. Ian, who only dabbled in the game one afternoon, still has to really think to recall the same information. Eva engaged with the material more deeply than her brother because of CellCraft; the game took us many hours to play, and oftentimes she and I had to work together to make sure the cell got what it needed during its more dire moments. It was exciting and fun, and now that information is hers. Ian on the other hand learned the information more traditionally – through lectures and texts – and never became emotionally invested, so the information failed to resonate. I mean, he gets it. He just doesn’t own it.

Alcumus

Alcumus falls under my broader video game definition. This “game” is honestly more of a cool math problem generator that rewards success with XP and challenge badges (pre-algebra and up). Think along the lines of a Khan Academy setup. For a while, Ian loved Alcumus. This was a couple of years ago when he was stagnating in math. I could give him a set of problems on a sheet of paper, and he would absolutely hate it. But when the same problems were presented to him with Alcumus’ digital rewards, math became something to look forward to. Seriously – he went from struggling through this topic for 40 minutes a day to working without interruption for up to 4 hours at a time! This excitement did eventually wear off for him, and Alcumus has never had the same pull for Eva that it did for her brother, but still. It’s free, has quality problems with funny educational instructional videos to help you out if you need it, and it just may be the thing your kid needs to get through a difficult hump in math. To be honest, I think the instructional videos – though still limited in scope – are more engaging than the ones Khan Academy produces. Not to diss Khan. I love me some Khan. But hopefully by now, you’re well-educated about that fabulous resource.

DIY

This is our newest discovery, and hoo-boy, are we instant fans. Their mission is to help kids become makers. Makers of anything – music, art, clubs, science gizmos, computer gizmos… they challenge you to cook, work on open source sites, create forts, make magic, build an engine, study wildlife, and yes you Minecraft-addicts: they even have Minecraft-related challenges. Here’s the very simple way it works: choose a challenge (or create your own), follow the instructions (or make your own), complete the challenge, photograph or film it, and upload it to your free account on the site. The staff reviews and approves your work, and you get an awesomesauce badge (think Girl Scouts) once you’ve completed three tasks in a single topic. If they like your work, they’ll highlight it on their website, making you feel super-cool. Eva and I have decided that science for all of next year will simply be making stuff, using this amazing resource.

Hmm. So now you may be asking: what no Angry Birds? Well, actually, no. I’m a reluctant gamer, I suppose, and my preference for the most part is topic-specific resources like CellCraft and Alcumus, and those like DIY that encourage real-life interaction. At the end of the day, I hope to have spent much more time away from screens than in front of them.

But before you techies judge me as a stone-ager, allow me to share this video that came across my feed this week: a message about the importance of moving beyond simply playing games to learning the code that comprises them. (And, you guessed it -  there’s a link at the end to a site where you can learn how to code with a bit of gaming help!) No matter how we feel about them, video games and technology and the code that makes them do what they do are an important part of our existence today. Code is our language now. And we’d best not get left behind.

Eva’s Take on Minecraft as History Class

Eva recently began blogging on her website, and this week talked about her experiences using Minecraft to create her history timeline. To read the post, click here!

Education Through Gaming: Descartes Cove

Not often do my blog posts garner the attention that my most recent “Minecraft in the Classroom” did last week. Man, you people are seriously seeking video game justification! It reminded me again how much we as a community – parents, teachers, students – are looking for ways to improve our learning experience by taking advantage of all the new and exciting technology at our fingertips. And perhaps you, like I, want to make sure that we keep these tools in balance, choosing only the highest quality resources, and stowing our laptops next to our paints and brushes, binoculars and bird books.

Though the kids’ Minecraft history timelines are coming along nicely, it will be a while until I can share their work with you. Minecraft is not the only educational video game we use, however. This week, I’ll share a couple of other little gems we’ve fallen in love with. Consider if you will….

• Subject: Math
• Intended audience: grades 6-8
• Fun level: 8/10
• Challenge Level: Excellent, though we haven’t played all the modules yet
• Cheating Potential: High, but easily resolved by strategically assigning partners or providing personal oversight
• Physical Interaction Potential: Medium. Problems are provided on the game, and players solve them using paper, a white board, etc., before selecting the answer.
• Price: $155, with shipping. Special rates for schools.

After hearing rave reviews of this Myst-type math game developed in 2006 by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, I ordered it for our public library’s children’s collection. Here’s the description, taken from the website:

“Marooned on a desert island once inhabited by Rene Descartes, students discover his notebook and gear and begin their journey through the island’s tunnels, volcanoes, abandoned mines, and sunken ship.  At each step, they solve increasingly difficult puzzles and math challenges that follow NCTM standards. As they master each math concept, they prepare to tackle the final quest to build a means to escape from the island.”

Upon arrival last summer, I immediately checked the game out, eager to try it on my kids and share my recommendations with other patrons. It’s intended for grades 6-8, and we quickly discovered that it was too easy for rising 9th grader Ian and too difficult for rising 6th grader Eva. However, the beautiful graphics are true to the game’s promises of Myst-style quality and appearance. The kiddos were so disappointed that it was just out of their reach.

I returned the game, and Eva and I carried on with our 6th grade math studies, moving into beginning algebra and geometry over the winter. On a whim, I checked the game out again last week, and this time, Eva was ready. You can choose six different math quests, selecting from measurement, number and operations, data analysis and probability, algebra, geometry, and reasoning and proof. Eva chose data analysis and probability. The player is equipped with a backpack for the journey that holds a notebook of handy explanations of the basic concepts you’re studying. The game’s concept is really very simple: solve 10 problems and move on through the locked door just ahead. In solving the problems, you also earn pieces of something you need to build to move on to the next grand level. Use the notebook in your backpack if you need a little help.

Ultimately, I suppose you could cheat your way through the game: the problems are set up as multiple choice. If you get the wrong answer, you can just keep trying other selections until you get the right one. There doesn’t seem to be any penalty for this. It’s all a matter of approach, however. Although I don’t watch everything that Eva does, I sit nearby to help with problems she’s stuck on. She sits by our huge white board, and I can see her working out the problems before she punches in the answer. Sometimes she does get them wrong completely, but she talks to me about it, and then explains why the solution is what it is. I have her work on it approximately a half hour a day, and she loves it so much better than worksheets and textbooks, she’s happy to do it. She knows that talking with me about the problems is part of the deal, so I am assured that real learning is happening.

All in all, I give this game an A+. Still need convincing? Watch this demo. Have fun!

Minecraft in the Classroom

Blogging Note: If you don’t know what the video game Minecraft is, check out this link and watch the little demo.

Over the last couple of weeks, Minecraft, gaming, and personal devices have continued to surface as topics related to education. Ian shared the following link with me on facebook. He thought that maybe – just maybe – I would finally see the light and let him have as much Minecraft time as his little heart desires. I had to laugh, and it took me a couple of days to get around to watching it, but then I did. And it was quirky and fun. Give it a watch.

This little video led to other threads of conversation, including this TED talk about making education exclusively a gaming format. Now I simply just can’t get into that. At one point in the presentation, TED talker Zichermann describes the days of his grandfather in which a person might sit down on a Sunday afternoon with a good book and a cup of tea and then says with a laugh, “I don’t think that today’s kids are ever gonna do that.” Oooooh. Bad form. Totally lost me there, Zichermann.

But then, as if the stars were aligning, by friend and fellow blogger The Suburban Matron posted about her kindergartener’s school asking its students to bring in their own personal tech devices for use in the classroom. She was struggling with what it meant to use these types of tools at so young an age. (You should read the post, and others of hers too. She’s ridiculously funny). Lots to think about.

But back to Minecraft, to which both of my children are slightly addicted. Eva, who also watched Ian’s little video find, has also been at me to include Minecraft in school. But I just couldn’t get my mind around it. Until today. She, wise child that she is, finally figured out that she needed to be specific to get me to take her seriously. She suggested that she make a history timeline in Minecraft. This caught my attention. “What do you mean?” I asked. “I would make a huge wall out of wool,” she said, “and then post signs along it to create the timeline.”

I agreed to grant one hour a day to Minecraft for this purpose. Because I am so very stingy with video game time (both kids get only up to 1 and 1/2 hours each week, and only on the weekends), this was like saying tomorrow was going to be Christmas, part 2. She started immediately, and as I watched, she created the wall, divided it up into centuries, color coded different cultures (light blue is China, brown is England, etc.), and pulled up some internet resources to help her plot major world events.

At this point, Ian discovered us. He wasn’t going to have this new delight unshared, especially since it was all started by the video that he found and posted to my wall. So I agreed to additional Minecraft time for him for history timeline purposes (if possible – he’s a bit busier than Eva is right now). He took a different approach, digging down into the recesses of the earth, in which he would plot out early human history. As written history begins and the story gets more complicated, he plans on building up out of the earth and creating branches that stretch upward with different and parallel story lines.

Really? Sometimes school planning is so difficult – coming up with creative things to keep the kids engaged in learning is frankly a challenge. And sometimes, it’s like this. The kids create something new and awesome, and I kick back while they teach me about what they’ve discovered. I can’t see anything bad in this. And though I will always always be an eclectic homeschooler (meaning a wide and varied combination of methods), I am happy to include Minecraft in our repertoire, at least for now.

What do you think? Pros and cons? I’d love to hear of your experiences and opinions about gaming in the classroom.

Ian: the High School Student. Eva: the Skype an Author Author. Me: Lost in Moving Boxes.

Well, in the midst of all our boxes and packing and trucking our material lives across town into our new house, we’re still educatin’ and advocatin’ over here at the Ridenhour abode. We met with the high school principal yesterday about having Ian do an additional subject grade skip and take two high school band courses as a 10th grader. Once again, years of positive advocacy seem to have paid off, and the principal not only agreed to recommend his enrollment to the higher ups, but encouraged us to look at the various science and math courses that the high school has to offer. As we left, he told Ian that he was “breath of fresh air.” We couldn’t have been more pleased.

Eva Skyping into the Teaching and Technology conference

That was yesterday. Today, Eva is Skyping into two sessions of the North Dakota’s Teaching and Technology conference. She is being featured as a model for using Skype in the classroom to connect children with authors and other professionals. She just finished her first presentation, in which she talked about how her Skype sessions work. The next one’s up in about a half hour. Hopefully this will lead to more opportunities for her to connect with kids and encourage them in their own writing endeavors.

And now for the move… two days and counting (assuming all the lenders can get their paperwork wrapped up in time!). Next post up: engaging kids in creative summer learning/exploration. If you have thoughts about this or awesome plans already in place, let me know, and I’ll share some of them here!

But until then, please enjoy Ian’s rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” videoed last weekend. The boy’s got pipes.

The Creative Education of Writer and Speaker Adora Svitak

Meet Adora and her mom, Joyce

I’m happy today to introduce you to Adora Svitak, though many of you may already know her. I’m going to take the liberty here to share TED’s short bio of her:

A voracious reader from age three, Adora Svitak’s first serious foray into writing — at age five — was limited only by her handwriting and spelling. (Her astonishing verbal abilities already matched that of young adults over twice her age.) As her official bio says, her breakthrough would soon come “in the form of a used Dell laptop her mother bought her.” At age seven, she typed out over 250,000 words — poetry, short stories, observations about the world — in a single year.

Svitak has since fashioned her beyond-her-years wordsmithing into an inspiring campaign for literacy — speaking across the country to both adults and kids. She is author of Flying Fingers, a book on learning.

“A tiny literary giant.” Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America

Like Isabella Taylor, Adora was kind enough to talk with me about her own unique education, and I’m excited to share that conversation here. But first, please enjoy her wonderful TED talk. And don’t forget to check out her webpage!

Adora, you have experienced a wide range of educational models, including a brick and mortar school, online classes, and the school that your mom set up. Can you talk about these experiences? How do you feel about the various modes of learning? What are your favorites, and what hasn’t worked, and why?

The school that my mom set up, Seeds of Learning, took place at my house; some other neighborhood kids joined us for afterschool lessons, and classes were never larger than 10 people. As a result, we all got very personalized learning, and each student could be working on a different project, all in the same room. I loved the fact that we were able to form great relationships with our teachers, who usually taught us for 2 years or more. Definitely I would say the Seeds of Learning experience was ideal—individualized learning, small classes, good teachers, involved parents.

My online classes offer me flexibility and the rigor of a planned curriculum with teacher support, but I don’t feel quite as close to my online high school teachers as I did to teachers at Seeds of Learning (unsurprising, considering that the teachers at my online school have to teach hundreds of students where teachers at Seeds of Learning taught ten). I feel that there are some things that just can’t be replicated easily online—hands-on group work, science labs, et cetera—without losing some of the tremendous value of face-to-face interactions.

Going to a brick-and-mortar school gives me a chance to meet diverse groups of people and better learn how to work together; it also introduces me first-hand to what it’s like sitting inside one of the “typical classrooms” I’ve mentioned often in my speeches. I do definitely see a lot of problems that need to be fixed. I feel that the brick-and-mortar school model needs to shift away from the focus on obedience and order that pervades everything, from how students are seated and told to behave, to the use of passing-hour bells; after all, if you were teaching someone at home, would you get up and ring a bell every hour to indicate that they should get up, leave, go to the bathroom or talk quickly, and then come back for a different subject? It would seem ridiculous. Yet this is what we train students to do at school. I think there has to be a better way to arrange school schedules and teach kids that is a little less military drill-evocative. Overall the biggest problem I see with brick-and-mortar schools is that for the most part it’s still a very 19^th-century model.

How do you have time to pursue all the amazing work you do and keep up with more traditional school subjects like math, history, and science?

Taking mostly online classes lets me bring my studies with me; however, it definitely has been a challenge to balance work and school. I’ve fallen behind a few times and sometimes have to catch up over weekends and breaks. Honestly, often I’ll sit down to write an essay for school and in the back of my head I’ll be thinking, “Remember that you have three speeches to write, two presentations to edit, and a blog post to write”—and whenever I work on one of those, I’ll be thinking about the next thing. I think it all depends on how you manage your time—unfortunately for me, I’m a terrible procrastinator (I’ve stayed up past midnight to write speeches for the next day). I know that I wouldn’t be able to do it all without the help of my amazing mom, who schedules events for me and manages requests for my teaching. In general, managing a busy life needs good time management…in absence of or in addition to that, great parents.

How much in charge do you feel of your own education? Do you help make your own goals? How much control do you have in what you pursue?

Like many other students, I feel a little powerless on the issues that really matter. Even as someone who speaks widely about education and blogs for Edutopia and the Huffington Post on school-related issues, I can’t do anything about an ineffective teacher in my classroom or a course that doesn’t challenge me. The important thing is that my classmates have insights to share that are of equal value, yet there are no good ways for us to submit feedback to our teachers and administrators and see rapid change taking place as a result, a problem I’m working to change.

I definitely do make my own goals, but there are often differences between my career goals and my academic goals, and sometimes I feel that my learning in school doesn’t always further my career goals. For instance, it’s difficult for me to miss more than a week of attendance at my brick-and-mortar school to go and travel, yet in the long run probably that week giving speeches will benefit me more than the hours sitting in the classroom. I would love to have more control in what I pursue—in the ideal world, I’d be able to work closely with teachers to design more independent studies for myself in various courses, calling on teacher support when needed (actually, something I think all students could benefit from). Right now I can choose which courses to take at school, but I don’t have a voice in what is taught or how it’s taught.

What have your parents done for you to help you pursue your creative passions?

My parents have done a great deal to help me pursue my creative passions—by providing the unique educational experience for me so that I would have access to high-quality, challenging learning from a young age (I was lucky to be able to sit in creative writing classes with seven- and eight-year-olds when I was just three years old), and also by taking my dreams seriously. When I declared to my mom, “I want to publish a book!” at six years old, I didn’t realize how rare and precious her support was.

Adora has a studio from which she offers video conferencing classes and lectures to kids all over the nation.

Talk a little about your varied work. You are an author, you teach kids about writing, have coordinated a TEDx conference, and have guested on countless news programs. It’s clear what you’re teaching in all this – you’re giving back to so many people, both kids and adults. But what are you learning from the process? In other words, how are your activities a part of your own education? How are they preparing you for your own future?

This is one of the most unique and intriguing questions I’ve received about my work—thanks for the different perspective!

In my education talks, I always bring up the importance of being a teacher and a learner; a favorite quote of mine is John Cotton Dana’s “Whoever teaches, must never cease to learn.” As a teacher and a student, I understand this very clearly through my own experience. If I had stopped learning about the art of teaching by deciding that I had learned everything there was to learn, when I first began teaching students about writing, I would be a pretty ineffective teacher today. There’s nothing that saddens me more than teachers who have given up on constant self-assessment and improvement of their own teaching practice and do no more than go through the motions year after year. I am incredibly lucky to have my mom around—as an observer, she’s able to give me feedback on my teaching that I can use to improve.

Through my presentations and speeches I’ve learned about many important skills that relate to how I interact with others, whether through a video conference camera or on a stage. I’ve learned how to address different audiences, how to walk the fine line between supporting revolutionary ideas and offending traditional views (particularly difficult when it comes to talking about education or youth voice), even how to deal with people you don’t like.

In the more academic sense, my speaking, teaching, and organizing has greatly improved my writing by keeping me practicing constantly. When I write content for a presentation, I have to balance the amount of material I want to get through with a need for conciseness and clarity. When I write emails to various companies about sponsoring TEDxRedmond, I sharpen my real-world persuasive writing skills and how to get my point across using as few words as possible (considering that my email’s readers are likely busy executives who read email on their phones). The social, writing, and business skills I’ve learned from my career have been tremendously valuable to me throughout my life.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

I’ve been really lucky to have many opportunities throughout life because of people’s support—the adults who believed in me, the students who listened to me, the readers who read my writing—but even if you think, “I don’t have any speeches lined up or books written, I can’t really do anything,” remember that your life is what you make of it. You can create your own opportunities. Get informed and decide on issues you care about and then advocate for them tirelessly—on your social network, at school, among friends. You can set up groups of your peers to plan events (that’s what I did to organize the youth conference TEDxRedmond) or watch TED Talks and have discussions about meaningful issues. You can submit writing to magazines or start your own. And the important thing to remember is, whenever you first experience success, make sure to thank those that helped you along the way and give back in whatever way possible. That’s what I try to do through my teaching and advocacy.

Eva’s Video-Conference: Now Made Public!

Today, I’m happy to announce that Eva’s video-conference to the third graders at Sweetwater Elementary in Devil’s Lake is available for public viewing! I can’t currently embed it here, but if you’d like to see all the kids in action, click here. Scroll down just below her photo until you see the Quicktime video. It takes a moment for the Quicktime “Q” to turn into the video, so hang out for a moment.

If you watch it and enjoy, please be sure to let Eva know!

 

Kids Video-Conferencing and More: Two Days and 12 Public Speaking Engagements, Day 2.

Eva testing out the video-conferencing equipment.

Hey! Welcome back for the report on Day 2 of the two-day public speaking frenzy for Ian and Eva. Day one was all about sharing passions in 15 minute presentations. During day two, Eva explored more in depth sharing. Let’s jump to it, shall we?

Friday: Video-Conference with Sweetwater Elementary in Devils Lake, ND

Thanks to the coordination of EduTech, Eva was a guest speaker via video conference to two classes of third graders at Sweetwater Elementary in Devils Lake, ND. She was a guest as part of Read Across North Dakota – a day devoted to shared literacy between classrooms via video conferencing. This was a completely new experience for Eva. She was in a room with a camera and a large screen. The kids she was talking to were in another room with a camera and a large screen, looking back. They were 180 miles apart. Additionally, this was the first time that Eva had presented to kids her own age.

Though we didn’t know this when we connected with the classroom, the Sweetwater students were fully prepared for their time with Eva. They had read her books, explored her website, watched her writing videos and prepared questions. They were excited and eager to lay eyes on Eva and interact with her. Eva was excited right back. She started with a brief presentation and then began answering questions as the kids raised their hands. They had great questions; they wanted to know more about how she got started, where she got her ideas, and if she enjoyed what she did.

Eva talking to the kids at Sweetwater Elementary School in Devils Lake

After answering questions, we decided to have the kids act out one of the chapters from Attack of the Reptiles. We chose the battle scene, as it had the most action and included the most characters. The classroom was packed, so we asked the volunteer actors to simply stand and act out their roles from where they stood. Once Eva had coordinated the scene, I read the chapter out loud. We couldn’t see a lot from our end as the camera was blocked by legs and the like, but we heard tons of giggling over the speakers as the kids played out their parts.

And there were more and more questions afterwards. The Sweetwater students were now departing from their prepared inquiries and going out on their own, coming up with new questions piqued by their time together. Eva asked for a show of hands of kids who either wanted to write or who were already writing their own stories. The vast majority of hands shot up. Eva encouraged them to keep writing and to share their success with her through her website. It was a wonderful time.

When we got home, we received a delightful email from one of the staff at Sweetwater, who had videoed some of the experience from the Devils Lake end. She posted it on youtube, which means I can share it with you here!

They also posted a lovely entry on their school’s website. Thanks so much to the staff, students, and teachers who coordinated the event and made it so successful. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with you!

Later that morning: Saxvik Elementary in Bismarck, ND

Eva talks to two classes of third graders at Saxvik Elementary.

After the video conference, Eva and I set off across town for Saxvik Elementary. Eva’s presentation here was also a part of Read Across North Dakota, but since the school was local, we decided that an in-person visit made more sense. We were greeted by the smiles of two more classes of third graders and a host of friendly teachers. We discovered that though these children had not read Eva’s books, they had spent a lot of time on her website, exploring her videos. Like the Sweetwater students, the Saxvik kids had all prepared questions for Eva.

Eva spent some time answering the kids’ questions, and we invited the kids to play-act the battle chapter of Reptiles. We had more room to spread out, and we divided the students into birds and reptiles. Eva gave the backstory, and soon all the kids were ready to play their parts. It was so much fun. The kids acted out their parts beautifully, were very respectful, and giggled all the way through.

After the reading, the students returned to their seats, and Eva began asking them questions about their own interests. Many of the kids wanted to be writers (or already were writers), but there were also three aspiring mathematicians, some engineers, atheletes, artists, and a couple of veterinarians. These eight and nine year olds already had definite plans and dreams. Since this was a presentation on writing, Eva talked again to the writers of the group, asking if they now felt like they had the tools to turn their works into books. Eager nods all around.

Several students wanted to hear Birds on the Run. Though Eva has never read from her own books aloud (she prefers that I do it), she agreed to read it herself, and did it, from a comfy rocking chair in the front of the class. Of course the class didn’t realize it, but this was another big step for Eva; I can see her confidence blooming daily. They were a delightful audience, and the teachers closed the presentation with some group photos.

Eva and the third graders at Saxvik Elementary

During these two days, I had a lot of reflections. I loved watching how positive the experience was for both Eva and the students. There was true sharing going on here, and genuine mutual inspiration. I wished for these kinds of opportunities to be available for more kids. There are so many children out there with extraordinary talents and passionate interests. What if we had a “Share Your Expertise” event, set up like Day 1′s Career Day? Tables spread out and hosted by kids for kids. Or perhaps we could have an ongoing video conferencing program that connected kids like Eva and Ian with students across the state or country. Topics could rotate based on the interests of the presenter. Could be interesting….

Why I Let My Kids Have an Internet Presence

Eva and Ian using the computer Eva bought with income from her book sales. Those sales have in part been made possible by her website.

Education and technology – it seems everywhere I look folks are talking about it. Should we do more, less? What about virtual schools? Interactive white boards? Cell phones? Facebook and Twitter? Should we let kids be out there on the ‘net? Should we post their pictures? Won’t they be kidnapped??

These are legitimate conversations, and each person has to make these kinds of decisions based on their own comfort levels and according to the needs of the individual child. I know people who are aghast that my kids each have a website with their names attached. I know many others who don’t even blink about it.

The way I see it, there is risk in everything we do. We put our kids on school buses every day without seat belts. We let them play contact sports. We drive our cars on roads with thousands of other imperfect drivers (the legal license age here is just 14!!). We fly in planes. Heck, we get up in the morning. I figure you can get injured or killed just as easy staying safe at home as you can if you travel across the world. But personally, I would take the second, far more interesting option.

So yes, I let my kids have a presence on the internet – first and last name and everything. And though I’m sure there are risks involved, the benefits for us far outweigh them. Here are some of those benefits:

I’m going to be talking mainly about Eva’s online presence, because it is more fully developed than Ian’s is currently.  Ian is still developing product for his site; once he has sheet music that bands can use, he’ll be able to connect with people in much the same way that Eva has. We are also still developing his website’s overall message and determining how it will best benefit other kids and musicians.

It Provides Real-Life Motivation for Quality Work

I talk a lot about doing away with grades for my kids’ work and instead providing the same types of motivational opportunities that drive adults. Kids aren’t so different from adults in that respect. Getting an “A” might feel good, but having your story published in a magazine feels better. Eva knows that her books aren’t just going to be filed in a cabinet, but read by dozens and dozens of people, many of whom she’ll never meet. Talk about motivation to produce quality work.

The kids’ online presence serves as an important element for this type of motivation. They each want to enhance the quality of their websites, and in order to do so, they have to continue to produce quality work. They also love it when I share their accomplishments on facebook. Though I emphasize that it’s not about the hits, likes, and comments, but instead about the connections those things represent, there is something exciting about seeing that positive feedback. It’s validating.

It Enhances Sense of Identity and Purpose

Over the past two years, Eva has come to see herself as an author. This year, she’s also come to see herself as a public speaker. Her website has not only enhances that sense of identity, but has helped create it, as it has made the sharing of her video lessons on writing possible. Making the videos allowed her to practice public speaking with the comforting lack of a physical audience. Her global positive feedback has boosted her confidence. And when she spends time tweaking and evaluating and adding to her website, she is learning to polish her professional image.

It Connects Us with People from Around the World and Creates New Opportunities

Through social media, our family has been able to connect with some pretty amazing folks – people we would have never had the opportunity to meet otherwise. Many of these people are our creative heroes, including Neil Gaiman, Sir Ken Robinson, Adora Svitak, and for Jamie, Peter Straub. These people live all over the world, and we live in middle of North Dakota. But with twitter and facebook, we have been able to talk with them as if they were next door. Amazing.

We’ve also “met” dozens of writers both young and old, teachers, principals, musicians, home educators, parents, kids. Eva has talked with folks from all over the world, sharing inspiration to write and tell stories.

And the opportunities! As a direct result of Eva’s video lessons on writing, she has been invited to speak in elementary school classrooms, both in person and via Skype. The possibilities are terribly exciting. One year ago, I would have thought the idea of public speaking for Eva was out of our grasp, at least for several more years (she can be very shy). But now… I stand in amazement at her poise and courage.

It Helps Us Be the Change We Wish to See in the World

What I want most for my kids is two things: 1) I want them to be happy and fulfilled by their life choices and 2) I want their life choices to benefit not only themselves but others as well. We’ve got just this one world, and it will be what we make it. I want my children’s world to be full of compassion, intelligence, generosity, and creativity; we have to be those things if we want that reality. We are living in a unique time, and can connect with people across the world in seconds. My kids have gifts to share – to inspire and create, to collaborate and enrich. What better way to improve both the quality of their lives and that of others than by encouraging this exchange of ideas and support?

And There’s More to Come!

With all my talk of internet presence, I recognize that we only dip the surface. We primarily use blog-based websites, facebook and twitter to achieve our digital goals. Starting today, husband Jamie is forging a new online frontier. To promote his novel Barking Mad (Typecast Publishing, 2011), he is embarking on a blog tour. Every day for three weeks, a different literary review blogger will post a unique interview with Jamie. Some of these interviews actually feature the dapper Reginald Spiffington, the main character of the book. What an exciting prospect! He hopes to connect with more readers and writers this way, and of course he hopes to boost his sales.

It really is a hilarious book, by the way – a comedy murder mystery with a werewolf! Set in 1931 England, the book reflects some of the literary joy of Agatha Christie and the Jeeves and Wooster stories. You should come along on the blog tour and learn about this exciting new venue together with us. His publisher is also giving away prizes both during and at the end of the tour. For more information, visit Jamie’s calendar page.

One Final Note on Security

I shouldn’t close without letting you know the ways I do protect my kiddos. They each have email addresses, but I receive copies of every incoming email. I proofread most of what goes back out as well. Youtube comments have to be approved by me, and I don’t allow youtube likes or dislikes. All comments on their websites also come to me for approval. As neither kid is 13 yet, neither of them have facebook accounts. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s not a perfect world. I say we forge ahead and embrace the positives in a smart, informed manner!

What about you? How do you feel about giving your children a presence on the internet? And how do you think the internet should be used in the classroom?