#TechTuesday – Avoiding the Summer Brain Drain

Students anxiously await summer break. It’s a time to sleep in, hang out with friends and spend lazy days on the beach.

But, unfortunately, it also can undo some of the learning from the recent school year. In fact, many students will lose between one and three months of learning during the summer, according to the National Summer Learning Association.

The phenomenon is often called “brain drain.” But technology is one tool that can help fight it.

Products mentioned:

Investing in Young People’s Potential in Tech

It’s important that we bring the potential of technology to our young people for their (and our) future.

As Best Buy and Geek Squad bring more teen tech centers online, here is what they’ve learned: The Gift Of Insight: Five Lessons In Preparing Youth For A Tech-Reliant Future.

WTAM 1100 – Computer Science Education Week

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – December 9th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland OhioAs mobile smart devices become common, everyone will have a computer in their pocket. Learning how to program will only become a more important skill kids may need for future careers. To help with that education, December 8th-14th has been declared Computer Science Education Week, with links and resources for students, parents and educators.

A key part of this is the “Hour of Code“, which introduces coding in hour-long tutorials, designed for all age ranges and computer familiarity. Young kids can learn basic programming skills with Anna and Elsa from Disney’s Frozen. Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg and others teach you how to write your first program. As students progress, they can be introduced to more advanced topics, including JavaScript.

Educators and parents looking to help spread the word can find additional resources at csedweek.org and hourofcode.com.

Back to School – Technology to Help Kids Learn

WTAM 1100 – Geek Squad – August 15th, 2011

While kids are deciding what lunchbox they want to take to school, parents are looking at ways to give their children a technological edge in their education.

I spoke to the Wills & Snyder show this morning on Cleveland’s WTAM 1100 Newsradio about educational software and websites.