Robots, dinosaurs, and aliens... Oh my!

by Phil Houseal

Club Ed column, as published in the Community Journal (Kerrville TX)
May 21, 2008

Robots, dinosaurs, and aliens will invade Club Ed this summer, and kids will be screaming. Not in fear, but screaming in excitement as the projects they create bash, crash, and soar.

The students have so much fun, that many don't realize they are learning.

Kathy Patterson of Computer Explorers is queen of this wild world. Every summer (and soon, year round) she brings out her magic treasures of computers, clay, robots, building blocks, and microscopes for kids ages 6 to 13. This summer the titles of camps include Junior Engineering, Alien Invasion, Clay Animation, Spanish, Dinosaur Discovery, Robotics, and Adventures with GPS.

This is learning with passion, and some kids have lots of passion. One young man paid for his own camp last year, using money he earned selling lemonade.

"Girls and boys get just as excited with these activities," reports Patterson. "I have had kids crying because they didn't want the class to end."

There is just too much going on in these camps to list everything here. But last summer, the students got immersed in building robots; programming machines to navigate a maze, making clay animation movies; and using blocks, levers, gears, and computers to build and program simple machines. During the Digital Microscope class, one bright youngster rushed into my office and yanked out a hair to scan.

Ouch. Sometimes learning hurts.

Patterson has owned her educational business for two years. For the mother of two, the decision to offer Computer Explorers locally was personal.

"I have young kids, and was looking for things for them to do in the summer," the A&M graduate said. "I wanted to provide more educational activities. I had a passion for it. If we know even one child who decided to become an engineer because of these classes, it will be worth it."

Computer Explorers has been proven and field-tested nationally since 1983. The camps are taught by certified teachers and are based on sound educational practice, aligning with current curricular standards. Patterson is able to accommodate at-risk students and has seen students flourish "who don't always function well in a typical classroom."

But that is not why the kids love it.

"It is educational and fun," she said. "I think it challenges the kids, and they are learning in a fun way, solving problems that are challenging to them. You don't get to build robots in any other school activity."

More important, you don't get to crash them into each other.

xxx

Computer Explorers is teaming up with Club Ed for Kids to offer 12 different Tech Star camps after school on Kerrville ISD elementary campuses. For complete information, visit www.clubed.net and go to the Just For Kids link, or call 830-895-4386.