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July 27th, 2007 by: Ryan
Swimming, crafts-video gaming?
By Lynda King
Harvard — Connor Delaney says it would be hard to pick just one thing he likes best about iDTech camp. For the next two weeks the 14-year-old Harvard student, a freshman at the Francis W. Parker Charter School, will be attending the camp in Merrimack, N.H. —for his third year running.
The camp was started in California’s Silicon Valley in 1999, to address what the founders saw as a “pressing need for technology education for kids and teens.” After nine years, the organization now hosts camps in 23 states, and one in Spain. The camp offers day and overnight programs to students aged 7 to 17, all held at universities across the country.
Delaney, who for the past two years has studied video game creation at the camp, in addition to some C++ programming, said he plans to take a more advanced program in video gaming this year, as well as a course in flash animation. Other courses offered at the camp include Web design, filmmaking, video editing, computer programming and robotics.
But, Delaney said, iDTech camp “isn’t just a bunch of computer geeks getting together.” He said computers are only half the experience of being there.
“iDTech mixes it up a little,” he said. “There are a lot of outdoor games and other activities.”
A typical day at camp includes time for Ultimate Frisbee, chess, sports and gaming tournaments. Delaney said he like the sleepover camp, where campers get extra time to interact with each other, see movies and maybe even put in a little extra time on a project. He said the programs are fun, and the counselors “are really nice people who really like what they do.”
Delaney said he has created some games that were “pretty good, but not very long or detailed. “I only had a week to work on them,” he said. “I wish it was longer.”
Asked if he sees what he’s learned at iDTech camp playing a role in his future, Delaney said, “I wouldn’t go into a game design field [for a career]. For me personally it’s more of a free-time thing. It’s just for fun now.”
For more information about iDTech camp, visit the Web at www.internaldrive.com.
July 27th, 2007
Posted in: Bentley University, Harvard University, iD In The News, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Merrimack College
July 27th, 2007 by: Ryan
Beyond the joystick
July 27, 2007
LONGMONT — The reception hall was ready at 10 a.m., when the doors opened. The nacho bar was set out, 32 TVs were hooked up and eight guitar-shaped controllers plugged in, soon to blast out a soundtrack of songs by Metallica, Skid Row and Primus.
The people streamed in. Nearly 60, of all ages and cliques, brought together to celebrate their shared interest in one thing: video games.
The event was a far cry from the stereotypical video game scene: an antisocial teenage geek hidden in his parents’ dim basement, grazing on Twinkies and Hot Pockets while wasting the summer away.
Scrap the insulting stereotype. Video games today have adult appeal, and they’re not a secret hobby to be embarrassed about. As games have become more mainstream, they’ve grown more interactive, both for the individual player and as the heart of social gatherings, like Sunday’s 13-hour Summer Bash 2007 at the D-Barn in Longmont. The annual bash was open to anyone. Not just tournament-player and fanatics typically found at LAN parties.
At a LAN — or Local Area Network — party, participants connect their computers together so they can play multi-player computer games.
The Summer Bash featured three Nintendo Wii systems with about 25 games to choose from; eight Xbox 360s with four games; and eight PlayStation 2 consoles with “Guitar Hero” (the hit of the day). The party also included a car racing game called “Forza Motorsport 2,” which spanned three systems and three TVs, and the game “Steel Battalion,” which uses a special controller that looks like the dashboard of a tank. It has a gear shift, gas and brake pedals, joysticks and 40 buttons that control everything from missiles to a virtual windshield wiper.
Sebastian Seeds, 24, was there. The University of Colorado student likes to hike and climb, and he runs several miles every morning. He also works as a sales associate at Game Force in Longmont, which sponsored the bash.
Seeds started playing when the Nintendo Entertainment System came out in the ’80s.
“Everyone expected me to grow out of it, but it won’t happen,” he says.
Quite the opposite. His interest continues to grow as the games become more diverse, the graphics more realistic and the systems more active. You can get a physical workout on the new Nintendo Wii. (Beware of “Wii elbow,” which Urbandictionary.com defines as arm and elbow pains caused by playing too much virtual tennis on the machine.)
The Wii’s motion-sensor controller also appeals to people — often senior citizens or kids — who aren’t as quick with the tiny buttons on hand-held controllers. Players use the remote to mimic actions in real activities, so they can virtually golf, bowl or box from their living room.
The handheld Nintendo DS, released in 2004, has a touch-screen.
“They’re just finding more ways to appeal to everyone,” Seeds says.
Like Seeds’ attraction to games, the gaming industry is growing, too. PricewaterhouseCoopers projects global consumers will spend more on games than music this year. Game sales already surpass the film industry’s annual box office. Movies such as “Final Fantasy,” “Resident Evil” and “Laura Croft: Tomb Raider” all are based on video games, which helped move games out of private homes and into the public eye.
Seeds attributes the major demographic shift to “rhythm games,” such as “Dance Dance Revolution” and “Guitar Hero.” These games, which center around the player’s ability to follow the beat of the music, attracted more women and newbies.
Combine that with popular sports games, such as the “Madden NFL” football game, which Seeds says appeals mostly to middle-age businessmen. The largest percentage of customers at Game Force are now older adults, he says.
The Entertainment Software Association says 67 percent of American heads of households play computer and video games. The average player is 33 years old.
A recent Nielsen survey found 37 percent of American adults who are online also own a gaming console, and 16 percent own a portable gaming console. Nearly 70 percent of gamers are married, and 40 to 50 percent have children.
Jayel Gibson recently wrote a book, “Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale,” inspired by her own passion for games. Gibson, 58, of Oregon, is a retired teacher. She enjoys online role-playing games — sometimes playing as much as eight hours a day.
Her book was released May 1 by Synergy Books.
“The image of the gamer is really changing,” Gibson says. “There is something for everyone out there. It doesn’t matter the age, gender, whether you like murder, romance, sci-fi, fantasy, driving a race car or flying a plane.”
Gibson says she saw the social power of video games when she used them in the classroom to teach her fifth- and sixth-graders team-building.
“You never saw such teamwork develop anywhere,” she says. “To solve a puzzle in a game, kids will do just about anything.”
Mark Hilton, 13, of Boulder, has attended programming and video-game creation camps for the past three years. He returned from a 3-D design course at Stanford on June 29. The workshops, called iD Tech Camps, are held at 50 universities, including the University of Denver.
The Altona Middle Schooler designed and programmed an original game using an engine called Beyond Virtual. Increasingly more games have built-in options for players to personalize and add to the existing games.
Still, Mark says the best part of the camp was the water balloon fight participants had Friday.
“You meet a lot of kids with similar interests,” he says.
Tim Test, 28, of Longmont, is the founder of the annual Summer Bash party. He calls the bash the only event in Boulder County “that takes LAN parties to the next level.”
The first party in 2003 drew 13 people. It was originally supposed to be an 24-hour “Halo” party, he says with a laugh. “Halo” is a best-selling science-fiction epic adventure that you can simultaneously play with as many as 16 people.
“That idea was quickly nixed,” he says. “People said they didn’t like the idea of not getting sleep.”
July 27th, 2007
Posted in: Colorado State University, iD In The News, University of Denver
July 25th, 2007 by: Ryan
July 25, 2007
By Jennifer Wake
During summer, it is not uncommon to see children of all ages blissfully spending hours playing video games or controlling robotic toys, but how does it all work?
Thirteen Lamorinda kids, ranging in age from 7 to 15, enrolled in iD Tech Camp at Saint Mary’s College last week to find out. The weekly camps offered at local colleges and universities teach campers how to create video games, build robots, and develop Web sites.
For 11-year-old Nick Barendregt, from Lafayette, the robotics camp was a far cry from his previous Lego work. “I’ve always been interested in robots,” he said, “but this is hard-core robotics, and a more hands on real-life experience.”
Barendregt and six other campers have been building two robots: one being encoded using Easy C programming language, the other using the VEX Robotics Design System. “I’ve started to get into more robotics languages and coding, and will be able to use it outside the camp,” Barendregt said.
Other campers participated in Video Game Creation Xtreme, where they used Clickteam Multimedia Fusion 2 Developer software to develop their own video game animation. It was the third time 12-year-old Amanda Griggs from Moraga has attended the camp, and her first time taking Video Game Creation Xtreme – the more advanced course.
“We’re working on making our characters move when you move, so they jump and fly,” said Griggs, who developed a game where her creatures collect orbs and bring them back to a specific location. “The hardest part is making each level harder, and to make it go to the next level. I’ve learned it’s really hard to make the complicated video games you buy in stores.”
First-time camper, 8-year-old Carter Wirtz of Orinda, built a game called Animal Wars, where animals attack each other, but the hardest thing was “making the guy move, and stuff and make the enemies bounce around.”
“I have kangaroos as some of the enemy and they bounce,” he said. His game also includes a scorpion that shoots venom and dragons that shoot fire balls.
Lead instructor Sean Mauney (called “Professor” at camp, who taught the younger campers Video Game Creation) expected the class to be a little harder to teach. Mauney, who is a full-time 3-D Animation student at the Academy of Art, was surprised how bright the campers were and how easily they picked things up.
On the final day of camp, parents get to see their children’s work on display. “At the end there’s a presentation: every computer shows the project name and they can view the projects,” Griggs said. “And then we have a sponge fight.”
The final camp at Saint Mary’s ends next week. For more information about iD Tech Camp, you can visit www.internaldrive.com or call 1-888-709-TECH (8342).
July 25th, 2007
Posted in: iD In The News, St. Mary's College of California, UC Berkeley
July 23rd, 2007 by: Pete
From Kendra, Manager of iD Tech Camps’ Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Program in Spain:
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging in Via My Camp Account
¡Hola!
It is now Friday and our first full week in Spain is coming to a close. We have had an extremely busy week learning Spanish, participating in cultural activities and tours, collecting lots of footage, and having fun in Cadiz with new friends from around the world.
Spanish classes have been going well, and the students are beginning to gain more confidence in their speaking abilities. In video class the students have learned the basics of Final Cut Pro and have been busy logging and capturing all their footage. By the end of today they will all have completed their story boards and scripts to help them focus on their documentaries. Then they will begin to put it all together in the timeline, and see if there is any additional footage or interviews they need to collect over the weekend. Next week they will delve more deeply into editing by adding in music and voiceovers, transitions, titles, and just putting their own personal touches to make each of the movies distinctly individual.
As I said before, we have had a very busy week this past week with our many cultural activities. On Tuesday afternoon we all participated in a dance class to learn the Sevillanas, a typical Flamenco dance that is performed at the Feria in Sevilla.
It is a beautiful dance, and although the steps are not difficult to learn it is very hard to incorporate the intricate arm movements that really make the dance beautiful. There are 4 stages to the dance and we learned the first one. The students did well, all in all – we have some pretty good dancers.
Later that night after film class the group went to a traditional Flamenco bar to watch a professional performance. One element that is persistent in the Flamenco art form is the serious and passionate expressions on the dancers’ faces. Everyone had fun watching the dancers perform and listening to the live Flamenco music.
Wednesday afternoon instead of going home for lunch we stayed at the Colegio to cook some typical Spanish food. Everyone helped to prepare a huge pan of Paella, the most famous Spanish dish made with rice, saffron, meat, fish, and vegetables.
It takes some time and attention to prepare, but the finished dish was delicious. Hopefully the students will remember the recipe so they can cook for their families when they get back home to the US.
On Wednesday night we had quite a party at the school! It was a fiesta de disfraces, or a costume party. Carnaval is huge here in Cadiz, so the students were able to put together some great costumes with some help from their host families and some cheap purchases at local shops. Costumes included Flamenco dancers, Sevillanas dresses, gypsies, belly dancers, pirates, rock stars and more. Kevin, our director, has been know as “Abuelo” this trip, so he appropriately came dressed like an old grandpa.
I dressed in a traditional Greek Toga. Some of the other teachers here at Mundo Lengua had some hysterical costumes as well. It was so much fun with everyone dancing the night away in costume.
At the end of the night they crowned the king and queen of the party and one of our students, Chad, who wore a scary mask and a silly hat was named the king! You can laugh at our outfits by looking at the rest of the pictures online at My Camp Account.
Thursday afternoon we toured the Cathedral in Cadiz and learned a little bit more about the history of the city.
The Cathedral was constructed over the course of more than 100 years and therefore includes multiple styles of architecture, including baroque and neo-classical. The highlight of the tour is visiting the crypt below the cathedral – it is a little creepy, but very cool.
That brings us to today. This afternoon we have just video class, then the students get some much deserved free time this weekend. Tomorrow we will be going out to tapas together for lunch, and then will have some free time to go to the beach and do some shopping. On Sunday we will be taking a boat to the nearby city of El Puerto de Santa Maria and will attend a bullfight. It should be a great weekend!
To wrap-up this edition of my blog, I have asked each of the students to give me a brief reflection about their first week here in Spain, whether it be what they like or difference they have noticed, or just random observations. Here are their serious and comical thoughts!
Aaron: “Being in Cadiz, Spain is very exciting for me. Not only is it a wonderful cultural experience, but I can also further my knowledge in Digital Film editing – a combination not often seen.”
Alex: “Sweet!”
Andrea: “The people here are so nice and willing to help with whatever you need.”
Anders: “It’s AWESOME! The people here have nice mullets.”
Chad: “Um… I’m not in Ar-Kansas anymore!”
Chris: “This trip is all I expected and more; there’s nothing else like it!”
Erin: “The people here walk a ton and eat rarely. Haha… but seriously. The culture is so amazing, full of vibrancy and color. It is as if things at home are in black & white and I’ve just entered the Technicolor Land of Oz for the first time.”
Hector: “It’s super hot, and it’s funny that huge water bottles cost less than small water bottles. But everything is so wonderful here.”
Jessica: “In Spain the people are lively, beautiful and tan….”
Natalie: “Mom, I am moving to Spain!”
Noelle: “I’ve already learned so much in Cadiz. Particularly how to explain being late in Spanish.”
Thanks for reading! Please do look at the wonderful photos online, and feel free to email me anytime with comments or questions.
Ciao,
Kendra
July 23rd, 2007
Posted in: Summer Camps
July 19th, 2007 by: Pete
Our hero at iD Tech UCF
James: a.k.a. Mac.
Our hero here at UCF does not go out of his way or try to impress us. But he does impress us. From the minute he walks into the lab in the morning and cheers, Mac motivates all of us with his energy and positive attitude. Mac inspires all the other campers, who high-five him every time we line up for activities and lunch. He makes us laugh and smile, and he puts up a good fight on Guitar Hero II and Armagetron. He is a core part of our iD Tech group.
Besides his interpersonal connections at camp, Mac is extremely focused: he is determined, curious, and sharp. He has a clear goal that we all know he will meet. His game is certainly on par with the rest of his class in terms of complexity and depth, and it’s a lot of fun to play. When he runs into problems, he does not get frustrated or mad, he keeps going.
If he asks for help, we know it’s for a really tough problem, which usually requires the help of more than one instructor.
Mac does not have to try to be the motivator he is or the video game creator that he is becoming. For Mac, iD Tech UCF is just another day, another challenge, and another group to inspire.
Thanks Mac.
-Your Staff and Camp Mates at iD UCF!
This is Pete, iD Prez now…Congratulations to James and UCF for winning this weeks “iD Hero” guest blogger entry. James (Mac) you appear to have clearly inspired those around you–and it’s not that you have done just one thing–it is what you do and how you carry yourself daily that makes everyone better around you. You absolutely fit the definition of an iD Hero–and I personally thank, and, salute you.
-Pete, Prez & CEO, iD Tech
Other Hero Entries…
Stanford, iD Gaming Academy Heros:
Georgetown iD Heros:
I also want to acknowledge iD Wake Forest and iD Vanderbilt. You sent me some formats that aren’t easily imported into this blog interface, so I’ll see what I can do to get you posted in the next few days. Your content is worth posting!
I want to thank the above participants, and all others that participated, in this week’s guest blogger contest. More importantly, I want to thank all of our staff and students who go above and beyond on a daily basis to make iD so special. I thank you all for inspiring me, and each other, to get better everyday.
Have a great Friday!
-Pete
July 19th, 2007
Posted in: CEO's Blog
July 19th, 2007 by: Ryan
Digital Camp: No singing “Kum Ba Yah” here
by Bob Bartel
As this summer’s almost daily rains have inundated local residents, three Baytown students have found what may be the perfect summer camp: the iD Tech Camps at the University of Houston Central Campus.
These camps teach kids the basics of computer programming and game design, and let them create their own computer games.
Camp director Trae Stanley explained how the camp works. “This is a niche camp. We teach children how to build games, using proprietary software from many of the game manufacturers themselves. We have different levels of instruction so that campers can start at a beginning level, and work their way up to more difficult programming tasks. At the end of the week, the students get to take their games home on a CD where they can continue to work on them if they want with help from the manufacturers,” he said.
The camp day is divided into instructional time and free time. During the free time, youngsters can play any of a variety of popular games on the market, some of which call for dividing into teams. Teens and pre-teens are separated for these activities. Supervised outdoor activity is also encouraged during free time.
Daniel Krizak, 13, and his brother William, 10, were both enjoying the camp. The brothers signed up for two weeks, so they were able to try more activities. Daniel is making himself a “Star Wars space game.” His is a single player, two-dimensional game.
He said, “It’s really simpler than you might expect to create all the features. I made a simple game, and it took two to three days to create it.”
Jessica Parker, 14, also from Baytown, was equally exited about the game that she created. “I’ve always wanted to make a video game with my own characters
since I was little,” she said. “I’m having fun doing everything. It’s great making my own backgrounds, drawing my own things, animating everything and making it all work. The program they have makes it really easy, because it does everything for you.”
Stanley said that students can choose from a variety of basic shells for games. They have libraries of characters and objects from which to choose and integrate into their own games. There is an instructor for every six or seven children, so if they run into a problem, the counselors can help them. Counselors are given a week of training before camp, and have a large support network, including help lines and online forums.
“Even though each game is different, the problems are often similar in nature, making them easy to diagnose and fix,” he said.
One of the instructors, Joey Lapetina said, “This is the kind of camp that I would have wanted to do when I was their age. The kids are learning a lot about games and programming concepts in general, and we’re all having a lot of fun.” Lapetina is in web development and was recruited for the position by his college professor.
Each of the children said that they hoped to come back next year, and learn to work on 3D games. They were going to invite their friends, as well.
iD Tech Camps started in California nine years ago. They are now operating in 50
college campuses around the United States. Each student has his/her own computer to work on, and they use leading edge products from major software and hardware manufacturers in the classroom. Classes are limited to 36 or 37 campers per weekly session. The cost of a week at camp is $729 for commuters or $1,129 for students who stay in the dorms. For information call 1-888-709-TECH (8324), or visit web site:
www.internalDrive.com.
bbartel@hcnonline.com
July 19th, 2007
Posted in: iD In The News, St. Edward’s University, University of Houston, University of the Incarnate Word
July 17th, 2007 by: Pete
From Kendra, Manager of iD Tech Camps’ Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Program in Spain:
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging in Via My Camp Account
Trust me! The photos from the first week are incredible. It is worth it to logon and see all of the photos. Rene and Kevin (iD Staff) have been duking it out for “best photographer” honors this week.
Bienvenidos a Espana!
The second session of iD Tech Camps Documentary Filmmaking and Cultural Immersion Study Abroad Program is officially underway.
We have already seen many sights and experienced a lot of the magnificent Spanish culture. Occasionally throughout the program we will be posting many photos. I’ll also be making a handful of post to this blog, to keep you updated about our adventures in Europe. I hope that you enjoy reading and learning a little bit about the history and culture that the students are experiencing and learning about everyday here in Cadiz.
First, let me start by giving you a little bit of history about Cadiz, which happens to be the oldest city in Western Europe. We are so incredibly fortunate to all be living in the middle of the “Barrio Antiguo” or old historical area of the city, with narrow winding cobblestone streets. Legend has it that Cadiz was founded as a result of the mythical 12 labors of Hercules, which included separating Europe from Africa. The first settlers came here after their oracle advised them to construct a city overlooking the Atlantic between the Pillars of Hercules. This is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. The Phoenicians established a trading post here in 1,100 BC and called the town Gadir (meaning enclosure), a name that later became Gades under the Romans, and now is known as Cadiz. Hercules and the two pillars remain on the official seal of the city of Cadiz today.
On Friday the entire group made it safe and sound and everyone, although very tired from the long journey, was excited to be here in Cadiz. The flights were on time and the group arrived in Cadiz around 2:30pm, where their host families met them.
After the traditional dos besos (two kisses on the cheek) to say hello, the students went home with their familias to eat a nice big lunch, unpack, shower, rest and take a siesta. Later Friday evening we met again for a brief orientation, and to go over some important logistics like where to find the ATMs, where to buy phone cards, and how to call home.
Saturday morning we had an orientation at our Instituto where all our Spanish and video classes will be held. After going over important rules, handing out the video cameras, and teaching the first lesson in documentary filmmaking and camera operation, we then had a walking tour of Cadiz, walking along the coast from the new part of town back to the old part of the city where we live.
From there we headed to the Torre Tavira, one of the tallest towers in Cadiz. From the roof there are fantastic birds-eye-views of the entire city.
The rest of the afternoon on Saturday was free to rest up and recuperate from any lingering jet-lag, eat lunch and spend more quality time with the new host families, go to the beach, and just explore the city we will call home for the next 2 1/2 weeks.
Sunday we headed to the Sevilla – one of the most beautiful cities in all of Spain. It also happens to be one of the hottest cities in July! We were prepared for dreadful heat. Although it was hot, it was not as bad as we anticipated, and all the students drank lots of water to stay hydrated.
We began our tour in Barrio de Santa Cruz in the heart of this historic old city in Sevilla. We had some free time to eat lunch and shop at the many stores to buy authentic souvenirs. After enjoying lunch and exploring the old part of the city, we began our tour at the Catedral de Sevilla.
The entire city of Sevilla has an ancient history and the architecture depicts wonderful examples of the combination of Moorish and Arabic structures along with Catholic and Christian styles. The cathedral is huge – the third largest in the world! It was originally an old Mosque but was converted to a Cathedral when the Christians conquered Spain. Possibly the most iconic figure of Sevilla is the tower, la Giralda.
We climbed the 30+ floors to reach the top of the tower and get extraordinary views of the city.
After coming back down, we had time to walk around and admire the interior of the gothic cathedral with its tall arches, stained glass windows and beautiful altars and artwork. From there we went to Reales Alcazar, the royal palace.
The royal family will still stay in the palace when visiting Sevilla. Once again, the palace was originally constructed by the moors and then was adapted by Rey Pedro Primero “El Cruel” when he conquered Spain. He maintained much of the Arabic style of the palace with the mosaics and geometric designs, and then added on with a classical Christian style of architecture. The many rooms and patios are stunning, and being inside was a nice escape from the heat!
All of our tours in Sevilla were led in Spanish by our tour guide from Mundo Lengua, then we quizzed the students in English to make sure they understood. The more they hear and listen to the language the better their comprehension will be – it is the best was to learn!
We finished our tour in Sevilla at the stunning Plaza de Espana.
This big plaza contains plaques representing all of the provinces in Spain and was constructed in 1929 for the Iberian-American Exposition. One of the highlights is learning that this site has been used in several Hollywood films including “Star Wars” and “Mission Impossible.”
Today classes began at Mundo Lengua (Monday). We check in with everyone everyday to make sure they feel comfortable in their classes, as we can make changes in the levels if necessary. This week we have a very busy schedule everyday. From 10-1:30pm are Spanish classes. 1:30-4pm is time for lunch and a siesta at home. At 4pm each afternoon we have a cultural activity or tour to participate in. Today we toured the Campo del Sur and the old Castillos (forts/castles) that guard the old city and protected Cadiz from invaders and pirates. After the activity we go to video class that lasts until 8pm – 9pm each day. Today we gave a basic lecture on documentary filmmaking, discussed initial impressions of Spain, and began to log and capture the footage collected so far using Final Cut Pro. After video class each night this week we also have many fiestas and outings planned. It will be a busy but fun two weeks!
We always encourage the students to come to us directly if they have any questions or issues – Kevin, Rene and I are here to help in anyway possible. You can always feel free to email me directly as well with any questions, as I check frequently. This group has already bonded together and become great friends, and we know we will all love every minute we have together here in Spain.
Gracias por su tiempo! (Thank you for your time).
-Kendra, and the rest of Team iD Spain
Reminder: All photos of the Spain Program can be accessed by:
Students: Via the Student Corner
Parents: Logging in Via My Camp Account
July 17th, 2007
Posted in: Locations
July 16th, 2007 by: Elise
Technology camp is worlds apart from others
By Brian Newsome
With deft keyboard strokes, 13-year-old Dillon McCaig flies a jet and blasts away at bad guys. His pilot lands the craft and walks across a landscape of fire and green goo.
The computer game “Hyper Bomber” isn’t so different from the thousands of other video games that make up a multibillion-dollar industry.
Except for one thing: Dillon’s is homemade.
The Colorado Springs teen is one of nearly two dozen students who spent last week at Colorado College creating video games and video game worlds at technology camp. It was the fourth of six computer camps being offered at CC this summer through California-based iD Tech, which runs camps across the U.S. and in Spain.
Students ages 8 to 17 learned the ins and outs of game making, from the seemingly simple arranging of trees or buildings to creating the physical laws of a virtual world.
When Matthew Sadeik, 12, of Colorado Springs, defied a law of physics, his hero — a Sonic the Hedgehog look-alike named Shadow — did bellyflops in the ocean instead of fighting the evil monster.
They used game-making software that provided some basic building blocks — ninjas, swordsmen, tanks, animals, trees and buildings. Otherwise, the virtual sky was the limit.
Maile McCann, 11, of Pueblo, led a squid on an adventure in search of treasure and sea urchins. In 15-year-old Ian Barnhart’s game, the protagonist goes on a camping trip-turned-quest. Make a wrong move, and you might get this message: “Well you managed to die in the woods getting firewood. Sucks to be you…”
Another student’s tank plowed through the battlefield. Others sent their swordsmen and ninjas against armies of skeletons and evildoers.
Beaming with pride, Will Pulham, 11, boasted that no one, including camp instructors, had successfully beaten “Kamikaze Watermelon,” in which one must guide a falling watermelon through obstacles to go splat in the city below.
“It’s beatable,” he exclaimed when he conquered his own creation. “I beat the game! I beat the Kamikaze Watermelon!”
Down the hall, older students created new 3-D worlds for an existing video game called “Battlefield.” Jacob Key, 17, of Brandon, Miss., built a warehouse with carefully placed barrels, scrap and boxes — and weapons.
Although the camp revolves around computers, instructors make sure students are doing more than hovering over a monitor each day. The group goes ice skating, hangs out at coffee shops and plays outdoors, said Terri Balogh, director of the CC camp.
Other camps offered by iD Tech include making digital movies, building robots and designing Web sites. The hope, says Balogh, is that students will come away with an education that didn’t feel like school.
“They’re having so much fun that the learning is just something that ends up happening.”
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0198 or bnewsome@gazette.com
July 16th, 2007
Posted in: Colorado State University, University of Denver
July 13th, 2007 by: Ryan
Whiz kids at CWRU
By Rania Shakkour
CLEVELAND — Eight-year-olds creating video games. Twelve-year-olds building robots.
Thirty-six children, ages 7 to 17, were designing, programming and creating video games, Web sites and robots at the internalDrive Tech Camp at Case Western Reserve University this week.
On Wednesday, 11-year-old Matt Avampato, of Avon Lake, was trying to beat the last level of the video game he had created.
“I beat the last level about 50/50,” Matt said as the queen killed the hero, making him lose the game he was playing. “It’s just luck and strategy and what you do.”
Matt shrugged off his loss and continued to tweak his alien- and army-themed video game.
Prathna Kumar, 8, of Avon, was also busy testing out her video game, “The Dark Sea.” She quickly hit the up, down and side arrows on her keyboard to avoid the vicious sting of eels and octopuses. The object of the game was to get the little fish across the ocean safely back to its family.
At the end of the week, Prathna and all the other gamers will be able to take their games home and play them on their computers against their friends.
“This camp builds their confidence,” said Gloria Badillo, the camp director, adding that her favorite part is seeing their transformation.
“They keep coming back,” she said.
The tech kids don’t just sit at their computers all week. They have gaming tournaments and even play some non-electronic games such as freeze-tag.
“We try to give them a sense of community-building,” Badillo said.
This is iD Tech Camps’ first program at Case Western and fourth weeklong session. Children enroll for one or several weeks, learning a new program each week.
This week is 12-year-old Trent Taylor’s third week at the tech camp. The Cleveland Heights student and two other kids are building a robot.
Glitchy, the robot, must have been sick Wednesday, because it was not functioning properly — going left instead of right.
The robotics challenge of the day was for the four-wheel structure to pick up a ball with its robotic “hand” and place it in a bowl.
Trent spent his first two weeks at camp working on a Web site. As he clicked on a 4-inch icon of the Statue of Liberty, the structure crumbled into six pieces — way high tech.
Rania Shakkour at 329-7127 or rshakkour@chroniclet.com.
July 13th, 2007
Posted in: Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, iD In The News, Ohio State University
