Plugged-in Kids
Connecting NEO Youth with Technology

They have lots of names: Generation Z, the Homeland Generation, the New Silent Generation, the MySpace Generation. But no matter what you call them, you can’t dispute that today’s kids are the most plugged-in of any generation to come before them.

While Northeast Ohio may not be Silicon Valley in the availability of resources for connecting kids with technology, the demand from NEO kids and parents for opportunities to create and explore technology is substantial and growing. Schools are doing more to integrate technology into their curriculums, and at younger ages than ever before.

But those kids dreaming of becoming the next Bill Gates or Shigeru Miyamoto will have to go beyond the schoolhouse doors to get a real schooling on technology. Read on to find out how …

Technology: Good or Bad For Kids? Kids are wired virtually from birth with Brainy Baby and LeapFrog interactive toys. In childhood, they tend to their stuffed animals’ virtual needs on Webkinz.com and tote portable gaming devices for instant entertainment. As teenagers, they opt to text or IM their friends instead of calling, and develop a virtual social life on MySpace.com or Facebook.com.

So what’s a 404 parent – that’s chat lingo for clueless, for those of you who are – to think about all this technology in our kids’ lives? “It’s neither a good thing nor a bad thing,” says Dr. Carol Paull, an educator and social worker who serves as director of professional development, education and allied studies at John Carroll University. “It all depends on how it’s used and how much it’s used.”

She encourages parents to seek out opportunities to use technology that go beyond just point-and-click. “Some of that is fine, it’s pleasant and can be helpful,” says Paull. “But I encourage parents to look for interactive, creative opportunities to connect with technology, ones that require more thinking and creating for children.” Uncovering what those experiences are, she says, will require thoughtful discussion with your child, as well as a little research. “It requires listening and paying attention to your child and their interests,” says Paull. “But the other issue for parents is deciding how much is too much.”

Ted Jordan, founder of Funtation Tech Camps, says the parents who bring their kids to his camps and after-school programs “see the big picture. A lot of parents look at this as an investment in preparing their kids for college.” These parents may not be techies themselves, but “it’s more so parents who understand the value of education. Many of them are teachers or have advanced degrees,” says Jordan. He said demand for technology education for kids still far exceeds the supply here in Cleveland.

Area schools are gradually catching on to the need to connect kids with technology. But according to Karen Frye, president of Children’s Technology Workshop Ohio, leading-edge technology education for kids hasn’t yet made its way outside of the private schools and universities. “The kids lacking in these experiences are the ones in the public schools,” she says. “When they come (to Children’s Technology Workshop), they say there’s nothing like this anywhere else.”

Paull agrees. “I have seen some wonderful things going on with computers in some schools, but more often than not educators are not well-trained or thoughtful about how to use them,” she says. “I see a lot of computers in schools taking up a lot of space doing nothing.”

NEO’s Technology Resources for Kids
So how can you find opportunities to connect your kids to creative, collaborative experiences in technology? They may not be in abundance, but with a little digging you can find classes, workshops or camps that match your child’s interests. Here are a few local resources to get you started:

Children’s Technology Workshop (440.484.2222 / http://www.ctworkshopohio.com)
Housed in a converted barn on River Street in Chagrin Falls, the Children’s Technology Workshop (CTW) offers a one-of-a-kind spot for kids to learn everything from computer basics to video game design, robotics, animation, film making and more. While CTW is most active in the summer hosting iCamps in various locations throughout Northeast Ohio, they also offer drop-in hours after school on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6PM and Saturdays from 10AM to 3PM. Wednesday workshops start at 3:30 and 4:00, and Saturday workshops start at the top of each hour.

Among CTW’s core principles is “Creativity First, Technology Second,” so you won’t find a bunch of kids sitting for hours just pointing and clicking. Their programs are interactive and collaborative, so you’re more likely to see kids huddled in a circle building a Lego robot or plotting their movie. While most of CTW’s programs are geared toward kids in second to eighth grades, new programs this fall will reach down into the preK and kindergarten set.

Funutation (888.386.2673 / http://www.funutation.com)
About five years ago, IT consultant Ted Jordan was giving a presentation on home computer security when a parent approached him and asked him if he offered computer camps. From that conversation sprung Funutation Tech Camps, which not only offers summer computer camps on college campuses, but also hosts after-school and summer technology programs throughout the school year.

This fall’s programs – which are geared toward kids aged eight to 15 – include 2D and 3D video game design, website design and robotronics. These two-hour classes are held once a week for six weeks and are offered through the recreation or education departments in a number of suburbs, including Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Hudson, Solon, Twinsburg and Aurora. West-siders, get ready to put some miles on the car, or call your local rec or community education departments to demand Funutation programs close to home.

Youth Technology Academy (216.987.6302 / http://www.ytaccc.org)
The Youth Technology Academy (YTA) of Cuyahoga Community College offers high-school kids the chance to learn fundamentals of technology and engineering in after-school programs at a variety of locations. Each week, the YTA team work collaboratively to design, build and program VEX robots, preparing to enter them into competition. Along the way, these kids also get the chance to take engineering and manufacturing technology courses at Tri-C, giving them a jump start on college credits. YTA also partners with Young Opportunities Unlimited to provide work-readiness training and access to summer job placements.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Jennifer Jeirn jenniferkATwowway.com
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