I asked FOYP (friend of Ypulse) Kathy Ishizuka, who also happens to be the amazing technology editor over at the excellent School Library Journal, if she would write up a recap of the recent Sandbox Summit event in NYC. The organizers describe the Summit as "a series of innovative conferences exploring how technology is changing the ways kids play, learn, and connect." If you are interested in writing a Ypulse Guest Post and work in youth media or marketing, just email me.

Report From The Sandbox Summit

What's the key to unlocking childrens' creativity? "A box of bike parts," according to Andy Berndt, managing director of Google Creative Lab. In his keynote address at the Sandbox Summit 2008 on September 24, Berndt related his own experience of a childhood find to the convergence of play, learning, and technology, the subject of the conference series, which brings together educators, industry folk, and journalists, this time to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

As to that box, it was not the parts to one bike, but one part from every bike that fueled a seemingly lifelong creative riff for Berndt, who—some crazily constructed bikes and several concussions later—ended up leading the marketing team at Google.

The Web, he says, is akin to a bunch of bike parts whose complexity and cost is rapidly “going to zero.” So is the line between playing and doing for kids.

How to put bike parts in the hands of kids fueled the day’s discussion, with experts and industry leaders offering perspectives on developmental needs, marketplace demands, and rapidly changing technology. Some highlights:

- Mitchel Resnick, Professor of Learning Research, MIT Media Lab: Thus far, kids have uploaded more than 200,000 Scratch projects, some 30,000 are remixes.

- Don't promise what you can't deliver. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek psych professor, Temple University and author of Einstein Never Used Flashcards, told the industry: "Please guys, take brain growth off the packaging. Bilingualism from a mobile? No, that doesn't happen”

- Parent-child interaction is key to play, several experts said. Deborah Linebarger of the University of Pennsylvania recommends that being built into products.

Peter Shafer, of Harris Interactive presented some interesting findings. In a survey of 1300 kids aged 8-18:

- Ease of use is important when it comes to toys, especially among girls
- Kids see the learning value in toys, but it's not their primary objective
- They want a variety of experiences from one product
- Kids are very brand and platform aware. It’s not specific games for them, but rather Nintendo or Wii.

Shafer also cited the availability of 150 virtual worlds in the coming months. “What's next after Webkinz?” he asked. “Where are these outlets going to be? There's no tiering, no migration pattern. Kids are trying a lot of things, but nothing's really sticking.”

Scott Arpajian, cofounder of Dizzywood, a virtual world for ages 8-12, is considering an educational application. He has brought Dizzywood into a fifth-grade classroom in Marin County, CA, to help students practice “good digital citizenship.” Interestingly, he was approached by the principal, who was prompted by a spate of bullying.

You can also listen to audio from all of the panels online (how cool!).

Categorized under: Tweens, Web

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