The TED web site, which features talks by some of the world's most innovative technologists, recently published a great talk by David Merrill, whose team has created a set of programmable building blocks called siftables. As you can see, the possibilities for a new generation of user interfaces is endless -- and maybe just around the corner. Just think how this might transform classrooms, businesses and yes - tech camps!

When you ask kids what they want to be when they grow up, many say they want to make video games for a living. Today, video game careers are growing and making. I was just browsing through Game Career Guide (Fall 2008) and the following average salaries for three or fewer years’ experience in the U.S. were published for video game programmers, designers, artists and more:

• Programmers - $83,383
• Artists - $66,594
• Game Design - $63,649
• Audio - $73,764
• Production - $79,970
• Quality Assurance - $39,309

Giant Campus Tech, Digital Media and Gaming Camps are a great way for kids to dip their toes in the water to find out if they want to get more serious about creating their own video games. Check them out at www.giantcamups.com

A few weeks ago I discovered Edutopia.org, a Web site dedicated to promoting positive trends and best practices in the K-12 arena. Funded by the George Lucas foundation, the Web site devotes a lot of space to project-based learning -- an approach to learning that is at the foundation of our curriculum at Giant Campus. With our roots in the summer camp world, we've always been big proponents of learning by doing; it's what our learners expect when they attend our programs. More recently, we have begun to realize how much our students are learning about other things, like teamwork, leadership skills and problem solving when they spend their summers with us. It's cool to see the project-based approach gaining ground in all sectors of the education world!

Today President Obama began to flesh out details of his plan for a major overhaul of the country's education system.  One of his key "tiers" was a focus around different measurement and testing standards.  He urges states to develop tests "that don't simply measure whether students can fill in a bubble on a test but whether they possess 21st century skills like problem-solving and critical thinking, entrepreneurship and creativity".

Our summer programs feature the latest software from companies like Adobe, Microsoft, Apple and Valve. But our campers are always looking for free software as well. The problem is that a lot of free stuff on the Web isn’t very well made or even very stable. So the last thing you want to do is download some program that ends up not working and hogging your disk space in the process. At Giant Campus, we spend a lot of time evaluating software, looking for the coolest stuff out there. Here are three free tools that we think are well worth taking a closer look at:

If Harvard Business School's Clayton Christensen is right, half of all instruction will take place online within the next 10 years.  Presenting at the American Association of School Administrators conference last week, Mr. Christensen makes the point that online learning is quickly becoming a disruptive innovation.  He offers the primary reason being an economically affordable learning experience that is customized to the student, allowing the student to learn at his or her own pace.  Research shows that this method is how students learn best.
 

The once-popular act of coupon cutting -- introduced by the inventor of Coca-Cola syrup more than 100 years ago -- is again becoming a household chore.

While people may be looking to spend less, they aren't necessarily cutting back on necessities or luxuries. Instead, consumers are hunting for deals on where to dry-clean their clothes, get their oil changed or take the family out to dinner, said MaryAnn Rivers, CEO of Entertainment Publications, which publishes community-based coupon books and Web sites. And what about coupons for summer camps for kids?

After attending a 5^th grade parent meeting a week ago, I discovered that many of the parents are struggling with their kids freely using the internet, because of the mystery of their activity. So, they just don't allow their kids to go online, unless a parent is sitting next to them, monitoring every move. So, I just thought I'd share a product that I stumbled across the other day that may be helpful and comforting to parents.

Norton Online Family gives parents new tools to monitor kids