Do you ever worry that your kids are wasting precious homeschool time playing video games? ? Experts agree that technology, in moderation, can improve critical thinking skills. In fact, the top U.S. military intelligence agency?is using role-playing video games to teach the next generation of American spies how to analyze complex issues like Islamic fundamentalism.
Technology is not inherently evil?it?s the misuse or abuse of technology that leads to problems. ?Why not take advantage of your kid?s techie passions for homeschool purposes? ?Today?s technology summer camps could be the solution to improving critical thinking skills while accumulating high school credit for the transcript. ?Here is my top 10 list of technology summer camps from least expensive to most expensive:
You can?t beat this economical alternative to residential summer camp?tuition is only $ 275 for each course plus your teen gets to wear his pjs while attending the live online weekly course. ?Get experience and technical skills studying the core concepts and principles of computer science, programming, digital arts, and engineering by completing challenging design and programming projects, which will make great additions to your academic portfolio. ?Technology courses offered:
- Audio Engineering
- Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
- Computer Literacy
- Computer Science I & II
- Digital Arts I & II
- Engineering Design I & II
- Flash Game Development & Animation
- Game Design
- Image Design & Editing
- Intro to C++ Programming
- 3D Art Modeling & Animation
Another terrific value, this week-long commuter robotics camp at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL is only $ 275 for kids in grades 7-12. ?The focus of this camp is engineering and engineering technology using a ?radio-controlled aircraft. ?Each day after classroom sessions where theory is presented, the kids pilot aircraft on a simulator.? This will teach them how to fly and prepare them to pilot their own RC aircraft. ?With the help of experienced pilots, campers will take the controls of their very own plane.? Depending on the competence level, he or she may be allowed to solo their radio-controlled plane.
This week-long commuter camp in Oakville, Ontario for 9-14 year olds is only $ 335 for the full-day session. ?Your budding technology geek can choose a camp in:
- Digital Filmmaking
- LEGO? Robotics
- Stop Motion Animation
- Video Game Design
Does your homeschool kid like building with Legos? ?Does he want to learn how to program robots and compete in FLL (FIRST Lego League) competitions? A series of challenges will hone your collaboration, programming, inventiveness, and strategic skills. Build and program a robot to execute a number of tasks like navigating a maze. ?In the Stop Motion Animation camp, your kid will work with small toys, legos, and play-dough to create animated movies with a soundtrack using stop motion animation computer software.
This highly selective three week residential camp is held at Truman State University near Kansas City, MO for talented kids in grades 7-9 at a per week cost of $ 520 ($ 1550 total) offers several academic tracks with two in particular that focus on technology, ?Computers in Art and Design? and ?Computer Programming.?
In ?Computers in Art and Design,? your teen will explore how the computer has been integrated into the image-making processes by incorporating traditional art processes such as drawing and markers with modern Graphic Design software. He will learn how professional artists, designers, and illustrators utilize the power of Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other software to create digital artwork and enhance images to create digital graphics such as maps, posters, and postcards through tutorials and original artwork resulting in a digital and print portfolio. Students will also utilize digital cameras, scanners, and output to laser/inkjet printers. Quad-Core Intel Macintosh computers (the industry standard platform) power this exploration into the realm of digital imagery.
Talented South Florida homeschool kids entering grades 7-12 can take a week long specialty camp in Computer Science for $ 534. ?IMACS curriculum has been used in prestigious programs such as Duke University?s Talent Identification Program and John Hopkins University?s Center for Talented Youth. Students work with interactive tools available only at IMACS and are taught by highly qualified and trained professionals. The computer science camp goes well beyond a traditional introductory course, introducing advanced concepts such as recursion, functional programming, object-oriented programming, and artificial intelligence.
Two week residential summer technology camp sessions for gifted 7th-12th graders are held at Purdue University in Lafayette, IN for $?925 a week (total?$ 1850 ? 2 weeks; need-based scholarships are available). ?Technology track courses include:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Application and Game Design
- Digital Media
- Electronics in Action
- Nanotechnology
- Music Video Production
- Rube Goldberg Engineering
- Web Design
For example, in ?Rube Golderbineering,? kids who enjoy building machines and inventing new solutions to problems join a design team to brainstorm and build creative contraptions to solve everyday problems in complex ways. This course will use hands-on learning to emphasize science, technology, and engineering concepts. ?In ?Aerospace Engineering,? teens discover the research and design aspects of?flight and aerospace engineering by designing?futuristic aircraft and spacecraft using?computer software, then creating and testing their?designs. They also get to test propulsions systems in hands-on?labs and challenge their flying skills in a flight?simulator.
Now this $ 985 a week residential camp is truly for technology fiends?I don?t even understand all the computer lingo on the website! ?Held at four universities in CT, GA, OH, and NY, this individualized internet-supported curriculum allows each camper to work at a comfortable pace in learning:
- Android App Programming
- Computer languages (BASIC, JAVA, C++, Open GL, Javascript, Assembler)
- Digital video production
- Preparation for the A+ hardware certification
- Preparation for the Network+ certification
- Software applications
- Video Game Design (2D and 3D)
- Web page design
Excellent prep for the AP Computer Science exam, teens who learn JAVA?study variables, strings, input, output, Boolean logic, loops, methods, overloading, objects, classes, constructors, assessors, mutators, references, arrays, sorting, searching, recursion, applets, labels, buttons, events, graphics, keylistener, and mouselistener. For a final project campers typically design and write a one or two player game of their choice. Examples of such games are: Tetris, Tron, Checkers and Connect Four.
With over nine university locations on the east and west coasts, one in Illinois and one in Texas, plus a slew of courses (over 50) your 12-18 year old homeschool techie will love these one and two week technology courses in:
- Computer App Development
- Computer Programming
- Digital Art
- Filmmaking
- Game Design
- Music Video Production
- Photography
- Robotics
- Web Design
Tuition for a one week technology course is $?987. ? An introductory course in filmmaking condenses content from a university film production school in a fast-paced and entertaining format. Your teen will shoot and edit his own digital film while learning the concepts and structure of cinematic storytelling. In-class presentations cover and demonstrate techniques of movie making like sound production, editing and other basics.
Two week technology camps ($ 1497 week) held in CA, GA, and MA for your 15-18 year old homeschool teen where they learn to build a video game, learn the design process, and what it?s like to work at today?s top game design studios. ?During this fast paced summer technology camp, your teen will:
- Animate with?Flash?, Maya? and 3ds Max
- Create?Digital Music, 3D Sculptures and Anime Music Videos
- Design?RPG/Xbox 360/Action/Strategy/Nintendo DS games
- Build?Radio-Controlled Cars and Robots
- Make?iApps & explore programming
- Challenge?other teens to console and computer gaming tournaments
Finally, the mercedes of technology summer camps, Internal Drive offers almost 40 technology courses from their signature week-long Tech Camps to their intensive multi-week Teen Academies for teens from $ 1248 a week for overnight camps. ?ID Tech specializes in the study of Film, Gaming, Programming, Robotics, Graphics, and Web Design. ?Real-world 1-on-1 instruction (max 8 students per staff) ?from practicing professionals on the hottest technologies from Adobe?, Apple?, Autodesk?, Google, and Microsoft? is available at 60+ prestigious universities including Stanford, MIT, Brown, Northwestern, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Emory, and UCLA.
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And if travelling to a commuter or residential technology camp doesn?t meet your family?s needs this summer, you could let your teen teach himself some technology skills for high school transcript credit like my son, Connor, did. ?Read his book review about one of his?computer programming?texts. ?What other ways have you found for teaching a homeschool technology credit?
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