So here are a couple of resources to get children interested in programming:

•  Scratch is a language developed for teaching at M.I.T.’s Media Lab.  It is simple and it encourages collaboration. Kids can use it to build games and tell stories without the cryptic commands that were once the only way to tell computers what to do.
•  Alice is a similar tool from Carnegie Mellon.  It gives children command over three-dimensional characters like the ones found in video games. Alice focuses children’s attention by giving them tiles with instructions that advance the plot of a story. With tiles like “jump” or “turn,” a kid can tell a skater what to do.

So give them a try. I know I will.

There are three general rules:

1- Setting limits as to how much time they can spend online.

2- Leading by example and ensuring that email and txt messages are not disrupting our family time.

3- Ensure they spend time with their “real” friends.

Read full article.

1- Read 8 books during the summer and log them in a journal.  The journal can be downloaded from their web site.

2- Choose a free book from their list when bringing the complete journal to your local Barnes and Noble store.

To find additional activities and to download the journal so that your kids can log their reading, go to Imagination’s Destination

In response to the concern of low numbers of girls involved in STEM,  ID Tech Camps is introducing a brand new course that combines hot industry software with digital media design concepts: Graphic Design for Advertising.  This course targets students ages 10 to 17.

A 2010 study by the American Association of University Women researched the factors that contribute to this imbalance, and chief among them are (1) girls’ low self-assessment of their STEM aptitude, and (2) a lack of engaging STEM coursework at a young age.  The new ID Tech Camps course addresses both issues, encouraging students to branch out and develop core technology skills while showing them the hands-on, real-life applications of their skills.   Designed to appeal to all creative types, the Graphic Design for Advertising curriculum explores the inventive side of technology and reveals the artistic applications of STEM skills.

To find locations in your area check http://www.internaldrive.com/locations/

1- Stay Calm, Mom (or dad).Use direct language and make sure you use an even tone of voice. Make your point clearly and use short statements.  Try to tell them what you want them to do, not what you don’t want them to do. It is OK for kids to try to test your boundaries (that is how they learn), but you need to help them understand where those boundaries are.  Remember that yelling doesn’t work very well. An intense tone usually scares the child and may prevent them from really listening to what you are saying. It is much harder for your child to understand what you are saying when you are screaming.

2- Set limits. Have a few basic rules and be prepared to follow through with consequences if one is broken as this is how you teach them to take responsibility for their actions. But remember to be fair and age-appropriate.  The first priority is to set limits that relate to health, safety, and basic respect  (i.e: buckling up in the car, staying close to a parent in a public place, using an inside voice when a baby is asleep, etc). And when it comes to consequences, remember they should be immediate, related exactly to the unwanted behavior and overall consistent!!

3- Encourage Cooperation. Offer options when possible as this creates less resistance.  “Do you want the purple shirt or the blue?”, “an apple or a banana?”. This is important as children feel their opinion matters and it makes it easier to manage those situations in which you are unable to provide options. Reward good attitude, and offer lots of positive attention when they demonstrate good behavior.

Read the full article:  3 Golden Rules for Great Behavior

Do your kids watch Disney Jr.?  My preschooler does and she loves all the shows. It is truly the only channel she watches. What do you think?

Have you ever thought about it? what do you think?  the truth is that being smart is much more than that.  There are many different types of “smarts” and many different ways to display signs of high intelligence.  Different kids show their smarts in different ways. As parents I believe it is truly our responsability to help our children discover and also develop their unique mix of  “smarts”.  For example, some kids show their smarts through art, music, athletics, nature, emotions, or just the difficult task of getting along with others.  Although the standard measure of intelligence is IQ, the reality is the IQ does not fully measure each child’s abilities.  So if your child has a high IQ, that is wonderful – or not – As the mother of a child with very high IQ, I also know that comes with certain challenges.  But what is important to remember is that all children, the ones with average IQ and the ones with lower or higher than average IQ, have their own unique mix of talents.  At school they spend a fair amount of time developing their numeric and verbal smarts, sometimes in the detriment of other skills related to music, spatial abilities, and emotional and social skills. So as parents is really important that we expose them to activities that can help them grow as individuals and reach their full potential.

Think about your children and try to determine “how” they are smart:

1- Word Smart: they like words and how they are used in writing, reading, and speaking. These kids love word games, foreign languages, storytelling, spelling, creative writing, or reading.

2- Logic Smart: they enjoy figuring things out and are good with number and math concepts. They like finding patterns and are very curious about science. They enjoy riddles, brainteasers, computers, creating their own codes, or doing science experiments.

3- Spatial Smart (or Picture Smart): They love to look at the world and see all interesting things in it. They picture things in their heads. They love art, design, photography, architecture or invention.

4-Science Smart (or Nature Smart): They love classifying things, plants, animals and rocks. They love science. They like the outdoors, pets, environmental causes.

5- Music Smart:they like music, rythm, melody and patterns in sounds. They hear tone and pitch. They enjoy playing instruments, listening to music, and singing.

6- Body Smart (Kinesthetic Smart): Graceful and comfortable in their bodies. They are athletes, dancers, actors. They like to work with their hands with crafts, building or repairing things.

7- Self Smart (Emotional Smarts): They understand their own feelings, what they are good at, the areas they want to improve. They like to keep journals, plan for the future, reflect on the past and create goals for themselves.

8- People Smart (Social Smarts): They are interested in other people and how they interact with each other.  They have lots of friends and like to be involved with causes. They truly enjoy casual social groups.

So how are your children smart? how are you smart?   If you want to learn more,I recommend this book: “You are Smarter than you think: A Kid’s Guide to Multiple Intelligences”.

ROBONAUT

Created by NASA and General Motors, the work on the first Robonaut began in 1997. The idea was to build a humanoid robot that could assist astronauts on tasks in which another pair of hands would be helpful or to venture forth to perform jobs either too dangerous for crew members to risk or too mundane for them to spend time on. The result was R1, a human-like prototype of a robot that could perform maintenance tasks or be mounted on a set of wheels to explore the surface of the moon or Mars. Through 2006, R1 performed in numerous experiments in a variety of laboratory and field test environments, proving that the concept of a robotic assistant was valid. The same year, General Motors expressed an interest in hearing about the project. They had been developing their own dexterous robots, and after seeing what NASA had already accomplished, GM proposed teaming up.

A Space Act Agreement was signed in 2007 to allow GM and NASA to pool resources and work together on the next generation Robonaut. In February 2010, R2 was unveiled – a faster, more dexterous, more technologically advanced humanoid robot than had ever been seen before. Its potential was quickly recognized, and space was made on one of the few remaining shuttle missions to provide it a ride to the space station. There it will make both history, as the first humanoid robot in space, and progress as engineers get their first look at how a humanoid robot actually performs in the absence of gravity.

Watch a 2-minute video at http://news.discovery.com/videos/space-robonaut-2-your-future-coworker.html

Download his fact sheet at 469616main_Robonaut2_factsheet

Read more details at http://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/default.asp.  

Or even cooler, interact directly with Robonaut on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NASArobonaut. My kids have had a a lot of  fun asking questions and getting answers from him.

Vampire Flying Frog. Jodi J L Rowley © Jodi J L Rowley/Australian Museum

Straight from the jungles of Vietnam!! a new frog has been discovered. This unusual frog has adapted for life in trees, using webbed fingers and toes for moving from great heights and gliding, hence the ‘flying frog’ name. But it’s the strange black ‘fangs’ the species’ tadpoles display which have earned it a place in the vampire world…              

The new species is known only to inhabit a high-elevation area of forest in southern Vietnam, breeding in holes in trees.

Can you imagine the surprise in a child’s face when playing with tadpoles in a pond and seeing they have black fangs? Very scary indeed!