I Am Going to Sandbox Summit

Sandbox Summit: Pixel the Possiblities, Nurturing Kids Imagination in the Digital Age in Cambridge, MA this April is a conference about helping kids use technology not as passive participants but as innovative creators.  I am very excited to have registered for this event and am thrilled to rub elbows with the academics, educators, industry professionals and writers who focus on how kids play, how they learn, ubiquitous technology and what all this means today and in the future.  A big order?  Perhaps.

In researching the conference I found videos of some of last years speakers.  This comment from Heather Chaplin, Assistant Professor of Journalism at The New School made an impression.  As a child someone had said to her, "Show me the games your children play and I will show you the next 100 years."  It is humbling and inspiring to remember that what we do today, ie what we teach and share with our children has consequences for a very long time.

This is how the co-founders are framing this event. "From a simple line drawing to conceptualizing in the fourth dimension, the way content is envisioned, presented, and received affects the way kids play, learn, and communicate. Our focus this year is to look at the best ways to actively engage kids, to promote playful learning using 21^st century tools," said Wendy Smolen , cofounder of Sandbox Summit. Cofounder Claire Green adds "Kids may not come with instructions, but they are loaded with imagination. As educators, product developers and parents, it is our job to harness all the resources available to keep imagination at the forefront of play and learning."

Who am I especially interested in meeting/hearing?  Two come to mind right away.  The brothers Jib Jab and Cari Frisch Associate Educator, Family Programs, Department of Education, The Museum of Modern Art.

JibJab came onto my radar during the election in 2004. I have spent a lot of time creating media in Flash and teaching Flash.  This collage style of animation is one that I find compelling as a creator and viewer.  Of course this piece of political satire was pure delight.  

One of the first apps I downloaded was JibJab's StoryBot.  A important features of this app is that kids/readers can add their own photo to the story to become the main character. I had tons of fun playing with the book The Biggest Pizza Ever.  An incredibly humorous and inventive story about a little girl who makes the biggest pizza ever and the consequences. The animation and the audio effects are brilliant.  A very imaginative and entertaining experience.

 MOMA is one of the giants in the world of art museums.  I recently reviewed their exhibition Century of the Child: Growing in Design, 1900 - 2000. MOMA app AB EX NY is a inspiring document that features images, video, essays and more about the Abstract Expressionists and NYC history.  The work and the artist come alive in a truly engaging experience. Cari Frisch has been with MOMA since 2005 and played a role in their recently released art app for kids. I am looking forward to hearing Cari talk about her experiences at MOMA and what we can do to help children see art as a window on their world. My app development focuses on these concerns.

I am a docent at the Maier Museum at Randolph College and provide workshops for kids at Lynchburg College, where I also teach traditional college-aged students.  I see little difference in the techniques that spark the creative fires of my younger friends and the college students I teach. A willingness to play, make mistakes and learn from others are characteristics of creativity for all ages that come to mind immediately.