NEWS BYTES
programs for Digital Kids ages seven to
17 at 50 prestigious universities in 23
states ( www.internaldrive.com).
Locations include Columbia University, Stanford University, Georgetown
University, Brown University, UCLA,
and Northwestern University.
Project-based learning shifts away
from traditional classroom lectures. Instead, it actively engages students by
promoting understanding, empowering
kids, and motivating them with energetic, lifelong investigative learning.
According to the George Lucas Educational Foundation, with project-based learning in the classroom, there
is a decline in absenteeism, an increase
in cooperative learning skills, and improvement in student achievement.
These benefits are heightened even
further when technology is integrated
into projects.
With this hands-on approach,
learning becomes more relevant to kids
and helps them to establish connections
to the “real world.” When students
are more attentive, they retain more
knowledge. This knowledge can then
be applied to students’ current and
future schoolwork, hobbies, and eventually a career.
Each student has a different style
of learning. What once was difficult to
articulate in a written report can now
be demonstrated powerfully through
digital movies and other multimedia
vehicles. Learning through hands-on
projects allows students to delve
into the content in a more direct and
meaningful way.
Project-based learning is the core
of the iD Tech Camps philosophy. “Our
teaching philosophy is ‘
experience-based’ which means from the moment
the students enter our lab, the experience is hands-on,” said Karen Thurm
Safran, VP of Marketing. “We challenge
and guide our students, encouraging
each to experiment. Students work at
their own pace and prepare for the
grand debut of their projects at the end
of the week using industry-standard
products like Adobe® Photoshop®,
Autodesk® 3ds max, and Apple® Final
Cut Pro®.”
During the last 10 years, the Secretary of Labor selected a commission
to determine necessary 21st-Century
Digital Age skills for competing in the
working world. What may have worked
in the past — simply focusing on the
“3Rs” of reading, writing and arithmetic
— doesn’t hold up for today’s kids. Instead, the following Digital Age skills
have been identified: teamwork, planning, problem solving, critical thinking,
researching, information synthesizing,
using technology, and communicating.
A number of those Digital Age skills
are developed through project-based
learning, including knowing how to
work well with others, making careful
decisions, being proactive, and solving
difficult problems. Thanks to hands-on
learning, students are paving the
way to future careers filled with
independence, critical thinking, and
lifelong learning.
Continued on page 61
April 2007 45