Technological Musings

...to be charitable.

Christmas is right around the corner, only a few weeks away! Time really flies. So, if you're wondering what to get me for Christmas, look no further! I'll tell you.

Child's Play.

That's all. Seriously! That's it.

Child's Play is a charity started by the guys from Penny Arcade. Not content with the bad rap that gamers tend to get, they set out to prove that not all gamers are bad. To that end, they have created a charity that has been growing every year. Money donated to Child's Play is used to purchase games, toys, movies, and more for sick children located at hospitals in the US, Canada, and Europe. Christmas for these kids can be a bit light given the cost of medical care and the strain on their families.

Here, Gabe from Penny Arcade can explain it better:

If you are like me, every time you see an article like this one, where the author claims that video games are training our nations youth to kill you get angry. The media seems intent on perpetuating the myth that gamers are ticking time bombs just waiting to go off. I know for a fact that gamers are good people. I have had the opportunity on multiple occasions to meet hundreds of you at conventions all over the country. We are just regular people who happen to love video games. With that in mind we have put together a little something we like to call “Child’s Play”. Penny Arcade is working with the Seattle Children’s Hospital and Amazon.com to make this Christmas really special for a lot of very sick kids. With the help of the Children’s Hospital we have created an Amazon Wish List for the kids. It’s full of video games, movies and toys. Some of these kids are in pretty bad shape and just having a Game Boy would really raise their spirits.

Please take some time to browse the Wish List. Maybe all you can afford is a package of batteries or maybe you want to go in with your entire office and get the kids a GameCube. Every single contribution will help out the Children’s Hospital and the 190,000 kids they treat each year.

All the toys and games will be delivered to us and we will in turn deliver them to the Children’s Hospital. As soon as the toys start arriving I’ll set up a web site and post as many pictures as I can. We will be making a trip over to one of the hospitals next week and we’ll bring you back stories from some of the kids along with more pictures.

Penny Arcade has a readership of something like 4.5 million gamers across the world. We are arguably the largest community of gamers on the internet. The important word there being community. This isn’t IGN, this isn’t Gamespy, we are not a faceless corporation, you are not just a number tracked by a database and then relayed to hungry advertisers. You guys have proven yourselves to be a powerful force when stirred into action. Here is your opportunity to use that power to do some real good.

Let’s give these kids the Christmas that they deserve and let’s give the news papers a different kind of story to write about gamers.
-Gabe out

That post originally appeared back in 2003 and more information about the start of Child's Play can be found on their About page.

So that's it. That's all I want. Show these kids that even in the darkest of times, there is a ray of hope. Give them the gift of fun and distraction. You'll be happy you did.

About 2 weeks ago, the President gave a speech about a new program called "Educate to Innovate." The program aims to improve education in the categories of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, or STEM. At the end of his speech, students from Oakton High School demonstrate their "Cougar Cannon," a robot designed to scoop up and throw "moon rocks." A video of the speech, and the demonstration, is below.

"As President, I believe that robotics can inspire young people to pursue science and engineering. And I also want to keep an eye on those robots in case they try anything."

As a lover of technology, I find it wonderful that the president is moving in this direction. I wrote, not too long ago, about my disappointment with our current educational system. When I was in school, there were always extra subjects we could engage in to expand our knowledge. In fact, the high school I attended was set up similar to that of a college, requiring that a number of extra credits, beyond the core classes, be taken. Often these were foreign languages or some form of a shop class. Fortunately, for me, the school also offered classes in programming and electronics.

I was invited back to the school by my former electronics teacher a few years after I graduated. The electronics program had expanded somewhat and they were involved in a program called FIRST Robotics, developed by Dean Kamen. Unfortunately, I had moved out of the area, so my involvement was extremely limited, but I did enjoy working with the students. The FIRST program is an excellent way to engage competitiveness along with education. Adults get to assist the students with the building and programming of the robot, guiding them along the process. Some of the design work was simply outstanding, and solutions to problems were truly intuitive.

One of the first "Educate to Innovate" projects is called "National Lab Day." National Lab Day is a program designed to bring students, educators, and volunteers together to learn and have fun. Local communities, called "hubs," are encouraged to meet regularly throughout the year. Each year, communities will gather to show off what they have learned and created. Labs range from computer science to biology, geology to physics, and more. In short, this sounds like an exciting project, one that I have signed up for as a volunteer.

I'm excited to see education become a priority once again. Seeing what my children learn in school is very disappointing at times. Sure, they're younger and I know that basic skills are necessary, but it seems they are learning at a much slower pace than when I was in school. I don't want to see them struggle later in life because they didn't get the education they need and deserve. I encourage you to help out where you can, volunteer for National Lab Day, or find another educational program you can participate in. Never stop learning!