The extraordinary people who make up the Galileo HQ aren't just superstars on the job. In fact, we're regularly impressed by their awe-inspiring extracurriculars. One such Galileo team member, Science Curriculum Manager Lance Akiyama, just inspired our awe by publishing a book called Rubber Band Engineer, a how-to guide for making awesome engineering projects—slingshots, catapults, hydraulic Galileo isn't just an awesome place to spend the summer (although it is a really, really fun place to spend the summer). And it isn't just a camp that turns kids into innovators (although we do that, too). Galileo is also a community of some of the brightest, most passionate people you'll ever meet, from the first grader determinedly wiring his first simple circuit to the veteran staffer who Inspiration struck on a long, uncomfortable field trip. Emmanuel Bard, 13 and both visually and hearing impaired, didn't eat all day because he couldn't see the menu displayed behind the counter.

Sometimes he can use an iPad or phone to snap a photo and zoom in, but this menu (like many of its kind) was obscured by lighting and impossible to read. "After that trip," Emmanuel said, "I realized The Minecraft phenomenon is undeniable. With over 100 million registered users and unrivaled popularity, it's nearly impossible to ignore. used hoover vacuum cleaners for saleAnd whether your kids are already obsessed with it or haven't shown any interest, you might wonder if investing in a week of Minecraft camp is worth your while.genesis vacuum cleaner instruction manuals To get some insider perspective, we talked to Justin Alle-Corliss, the returning Mod Design withbest vacuum cleaner for home use in uae

Minecraft isn't like anything else. It's part computer game and part art project, part technical coding and part pure creativity. And its possibilities are as vast as a big, blocky ocean. But you still might wonder: Why would I send my kid back to Galileo for another session of modding when they just did that last summer? To answer that question, we got the behind-the-game scoop from Justin As the last glue guns, robots and sewing machines return to our warehouse for hibernation, I want to thank you for being part of the Galileo community this camp season. As I visited camps throughout California this summer, your kids both cracked me up and inspired me. I saw them program Java to modify Minecraft, build vacuum cleaners, customize models of R2D2 using 3-D printers, Our friends and frequent collaborators at the Center for Childhood Creativity (CCC) at the Bay Area Discovery Museum recently published an illuminating white paper about inspiring creativity in kids. Using research from over 100 studies, it concludes that there is a set of skills kids can learn to become creative thinkers "whose mindset and problem solving skills will solve today's (and

You've probably heard of Minecraft®—with over 100 million registered users in the US, its influence is hard to ignore. Last summer, we debuted a Minecraft major at one of our camps. We built the class around modding—developing new worlds within Minecraft complete with environments, characters and the rules that govern them—then took it a step further, using modding as a jumping-off point to We are thrilled to be recognized today by the White House at their fifth annual Science Fair for supporting the President’s Educate to Innovate Initiative for our work pioneering new and exciting ways to engage students in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) fields: Direct delivery of STEAM and innovation programming to more than 20,000 students per summer, How many Nebulas fit inside a hula hoop? Can helium balloons simulate anti-gravity? Is this glittery enough? These are the kinds of questions seasoned Galileo curriculum developer Jamie Diy spends her day asking.

"The problems we're troubleshooting probably sound crazy," she admits, "but we're totally serious about figuring out the details of every project." Jamie is a teacher, artist andSeptember 29, 2013 by Erika Is your child CRAZY about Minecraft but you’ve been wondering what the hype is about – and if you should let your child play it?  Do you worry your child might play Minecraft too much, or worry that it’s too violent?  Maybe you’ve heard some parents say that it’s an amazing tool for learning and will cure all the ills of the 21st Century (doubtful, right?) Well, I was once clueless about Minecraft and, in fact, I would not let my children (ages 7 and 4) anywhere near it!  But they wore me down – and now, I am fine with it.   In fact, they’ve even converted me to it a little bit – and taught me more than I ever wanted to know about it.  Which is why I decided to write this little review for you, my dear  readers. Minecraft is a video game designed to lull children into a zombie-like state so they never leave their bedrooms, which allows their parents to finally have a moment of peace!  

Okay, so that’s not really what it is!  Minecraft is a video-game that consists of digital blocks that the player can use to create whole new worlds.  The game is available on a variety of platforms (iPad, iPhone, Mac, PC, and even  Xbox 360)! The next step is to install a chip in the head to play Minecraft…just you wait and see! We started off with the Minecraft Pocket Edition for iPad.  The kids did great with that.  It has many of the same options as the PC game at a fraction of the price.  I am SURE you are aware, but if your child is using an iPad please please please do yourself a favor and get a good case for it (we have an OtterBox Defender). I cringed at the price when I bought our case, but it has saved our iPad from ruin countless times.  (Getting off soapbox now)… We “upgraded” to the PC Minecraft version awhile back – and it has many more things you can do…which for our purposes was a little too much!  The kids prefer the iPad version because it’s simpler to navigate.  O

n the PC version, you use the keyboard to command, and it’s easier to connect to a server (ain’t gonna happen in this house…more on that later!) Also, note that the game operates in one of four modes:  Survival, Creative, Adventure and Hardcore.  If you have a young child, you NEED TO CHANGE the setting to Creative!  We did not know this, and it was bad.  Paprika (age 7) had nightmares for a month about Zombies coming to eat her alive. In Creative Mode, you have access to all the resources you want and you never die (and you can’t kill anyone either).  Oh, and no Zombies! That’s the happy land where I’d like to live! Is Minecraft educational or just another mindless video game?: Minecraft is different than a lot of other games in that the user can actively create the setting, and the world the user creates can respond dynamically.  I know people say Minecraft is like “digital Legos” – and that’s true to some extent.  The difference is that in Minecraft, the building blocks can be used in an infinte number of ways.  A

lso, the creations can stay forever, and you can build on them potentially forever. That being said, Minecraft is just about as educational as you make it.  If your child just walks around the world for the day, perhaps that day would better be spent walking around an actual park.  M If you want the best of both world – there are now Minecraft-Themed Legos!  Hathough, I would opt for the digital Minecraft because goodness knows I don’t need any more Legos to step on (or suck up in my vacuum cleaner).  Ge What aspects of Minecraft should concern me? Even though Minecraft is a great tool for all ages – there are some areas of caution: My kids can be sucked into Minecraft and never want to leave.  Everyone has their own level of screentime allowance in their home, but bottom-line…it’s just not healthy for anyone to be so fixated on one game.  My kids get a limited amount of time to play Minecraft, and I use it as a reward, as well.  That being said, my kids do play it together and so while I was worried that playing it would be an isolating experience, I find that they often sit together and build worlds.

2)  Connecting to the Server: A huge feature of Minecraft is the community.  Your child can connect to a server and play with other people (of all ages)  who are also playing Minecraft at the same time.  Stt in my house.  Not with my kids. My husband figured out a way to network our two computers together so that we have an internal server where we can play against each other (technology wayyyy over my head).  But for the most part, I DO NOT let my kids play on the server with other people.  I am sure I don’t have to tell you why that’s a bad idea, especially for young kids! There are a ton of Minecraft videos on YouTube, especially, where people can show off their Minecraft creations.  There are Minecraft building contests, music videos, and short movies all featuring Minecraft.  Paprika (age 7) has begged me to watch the Minecraft Videos. But here’s the thing:  many of those videos have some very foul language and inappropriate content.  I used to watch them before Paprika and then bookmark the videos she was allowed to watch.   Th

e few times I DID NOT preview the videos…let’s just say I exited out REALLY quickly.  Ha I don’t let her watch the YouTube Minecraft videos anymore because I don’t have the time to pre-screen everything.  Seriously:  Ain’t nobody got time for that! Plus, even the “safe” videos always led to other videos she wanted to watch which had not been pre-screened.  I suppose I could find a “safe” YouTube alternative – but so far, I haven’t had any luck. 4)  War-Like Behavior, Scary Themes: In Peaceful Mode, everything is…you guessed it…Pet when you venture into the other modes of Minecraft, your child’s player could kill or be killed, and also could be attacked by something scary.  They could also kill animals like poor sweet little sheep. That has not been something I’ve wanted to let my kids experience.  So, like I said:  we choose Peaceful mode when we play.  If you venture outside Peaceful mode, it’s not such a Happy Land anymore!  😉

Do you recommend Minecraft for Young Children? Overall, I think Minecraft is great in moderation.  I do limit the amount of time they can play (otherwise they might never come up for air)!  Also, because of the strict controls I have in place – always in Peaceful mode and never on a server – I know that they are safe.  They have built beautiful castles, elaborate mansions, and explored the depths of the sea all in Minecraft. It’s a phenomenal creative tool.  With the right limits in place, it can be a wonderful game to teach problem-solving while having a lot of fun. The downsides are that it can take up a lot of time, and if the right parental controls are not in place, it can be inappropriate for young kids.  So, take your precautions and then go have some fun! What has your experience been with Minecraft?  Are you a fan?  Yesl me in the comments!  🙂(I was NOT compensated for this review – I just love sharing my knowledge with other parents!)