Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Slashdot Asks: What Will You (Or Your Kids) Learn This Summer?

Posted by timothy on from the shameless-plugs-are-welcome dept.

For those in the northern hemisphere, summer is rapidly approaching, especially for those with kids. Camps, educational programs, and other activities are enrolling now, in advance of the long summer vacation. (Particularly long for Americans!) Aside from conventional sleepaway options for kids, there are science and technology courses, space camps, survival adventures, and more. Whatever your age, and whether on your own or as part of a formal group, do you have any specific learning activities planned for the summer, whether as participant or parent? Are there summer education opportunities you'd like to recommend to others, or ones you'd rate as not worth the price? (Naming details helps, in this context -- which space camp? How much does it cost?)

46 of 81 comments (clear)

  1. Not code.org's programs - he's a boy :-( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'd get my son on a code.org program, but I can't because they pay teachers to exclude boys :-(

    http://developers.slashdot.org/story/13/11/24/187255/codeorg-more-money-for-cs-instructors-who-teach-more-girls

    1. Re:Not code.org's programs - he's a boy :-( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I'm a kid ( 18 yrs), but I was "taught" by my dad to code by reading "Introduction to Visual Basic 5.0" off of his work-at-home shelf. Don't know about other /.ers out there, but it seems to me to be all about devotion (Do you want to write code?). My dad never forced me to learn.

  2. country by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We live in the city so I'm going to dump our kids at my parents over the summer, country style. The kids will get to roam around freely in fields, forests, lakes, watch the stars in the night and all of it.

    1. Re:country by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Interesting

      We live in the city so I'm going to dump our kids at my parents over the summer, country style.

      Same here. My kids will be staying with their grandparents on my wife's side, who live in Zhejiang, and speak zero English. In addition to tending to the chickens, and learning how to plant rice, I expect that they will considerably improve their Mandarin vocabulary.

    2. Re:country by bbelt16ag · · Score: 1

      so basically they will be in front of what ever panel they can find in the vicinity? I bet they hot rod the car to escape..

      --
      NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER GIVE UP! "No limitations, no boundaries, there is no reason for them."
    3. Re:country by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      We live in the city so I'm going to dump our kids at my parents over the summer, country style. The kids will get to roam around freely in fields, forests, lakes, watch the stars in the night and all of it.

      You missed out being forced to wake up at 4am and milk the cows, then getting killed by wolves as they trudge home from their work in the fields in the evening.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  3. Kite Hyrdofoiling by gurps_npc · · Score: 2

    I have always wanted to learn how to kite surf. I decided to do this this summer. The thing that kicked me over the edge was hearing about how some people have added a hydrofoil to the surf board, so I want to try that.

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  4. "Especially for those with kids" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    > For those in the northern hemisphere, summer is rapidly approaching, especially for those with kids

    Summer is approaching for me, a single guy, at the same rate as it does for my next door neighbors, who do. Why the fuck even make that distinction?

  5. college... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    $2500 for two classes this summer... operating systems and global technologies (I'm done with my major and minor all I need is any old crap filler classes to hit my 124 credits... )

    My brother-in-law (13 years old) normally does camps camps camps during the summer... this year the only one I know for sure is band camp, he plays trumpet. Now they live in lansing so they might have more opportunities than some cities. On the other hand, a year or two ago he went to a university camp several states away for a week.

    So my suggestion is contact universities near you and see if they have any summer camps. These tend to be science related as far as I can tell.

  6. This by Etherwalk · · Score: 2

    We live in the city so I'm going to dump our kids at my parents over the summer, country style. The kids will get to roam around freely in fields, forests, lakes, watch the stars in the night and all of it.

    This is absolutely the right thing to do for younger kids. Do that plus take away most internet access and game consoles and make sure they're surrounded by books. They will play and read all summer long without much direction and learn more from it than we can remember not knowing.

    1. Re: This by Charcharodon · · Score: 1
      There is a bit of truth to that. Some people never move much past just reading. The books are supposed to inform or inspire. But then again you need a garage full of junk & tools or a bike and free range to put that information and inspiration to good use.

      Lot's of parent won't let their kid near a saw, supervised or not, nor allow them to ride more than 2 minutes way from the house, so they never make it out of the book.

    2. Re: This by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      . Since I was 15, I have read maybe 3-5 books outside of required school reading and I seem to be more intelligent and more accomplished than most.

      Hint: you're not.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    3. Re: This by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      There are many problems confronting Western civilization. That too many children are reading books is not one of them.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
  7. I don't know, duh by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What Will You (Or Your Kids) Learn This Summer?

    If I knew that already, I wouldn't be learning it this summer.

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
  8. open european go tournament by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Two weeks of go-games, workshops, teaching games and more for my son and me ;-)

  9. Kids Today! by Etherwalk · · Score: 1

    I will never understand the fascination with books. Since I was 15, I have read maybe 3-5 books outside of required school reading and I seem to be more intelligent and more accomplished than most.

    The book readers tend to be the ones going nowhere because they're too busy reading about it, versus people like me who are actually doing things and may end up writing books about our experiences later - to profit off you book readers.

    15 is a little older (but not too old) as compared to the age range I'm thinking about. Books let kids build vocabulary, think about things much more complex than they see in movies, and use their creativity to subconsciously add hundreds of details not on the page. It helps them learn to think without everything being spoon-fed to them.

    Experiences "actually doing things," as you put it, is also incredibly important. I would go a step further and say that it's important that kids who grow up in one school or community get *out* of the community and maybe off their island for large chunks of the summer.

  10. This summer by Minupla · · Score: 2

    Winter was freestyle skiing - she just finished that this week. Summer will be French camp, a museum camp, and Defcon/r00tz this year.

    Min

    --
    On the whole, I find that I prefer Slashdot posts to twitter ones because I don't get limited to 140 chars before
  11. If i had kids by tomxor · · Score: 1

    They would be going outside, having fun or doing whatever they like... because they are kids and summer should be theirs.

    1. Re:If i had kids by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      They would be going outside, having fun or doing whatever they like... because they are kids and summer should be theirs

      Doesn't mean you shouldn't avail yourself to non-traditional learning opportunities. Yes, outside is extremely important, but just as you exercise their muscles, so should you exercise their minds.

      Basically they can go outside to play, and learn at the same time - creativity (have them try to create a game while they play), sports (if they desire), engineering (try building a treehouse), and so on. Even basic skills like socializing, cooperation and sharing can be taught, learned and experienced. Hell, I'm sure you saw all the YouTube videos of "what happens if we do this...?" - that's a form of learning. You might want to supervise some of the more risky ones (like doing a vertical loop), or if the structural integrity is lacking, but experimentation is learning.

      Basically you don't want them to basically veg out in front of the TV the entire summer - whether it be watching TV or movies or Netflix, or playing video games 24/7.

      "Learning" is not an evil word. It doesn't have to be formalized into mere instruction. Learning can take place anywhere and anytime. Take your kids to the mall, it's a perfect place to learn basic arithmetic (how much is the stuff they want cost? How much is sales tax? How can you tell if you have enough money by estimating the total cost ans sales tax?) without it being a dull math lesson. A vacation to Europe can be turned into a fascinating history lesson.

      Heck, learning can be skills based too - taking up cooking, welding, metalworking, woodworking, etc.

      Hell, even building something with an Arduino, or playing around with a Raspberry Pi counts.

      It's so easy to learn, and there are plenty of activities (even simple "playing outside") where learning can happen. As a parent, all you need to do is encourage it. And also balance - it's completely normal to veg out and play video games as well - but only to end a day of exercising the body and the mind. And the lesson for that is balance - mindless entertainment is fine in balance with the many educational opportunities.

    2. Re:If i had kids by tomxor · · Score: 1

      It's so easy to learn, and there are plenty of activities (even simple "playing outside") where learning can happen. As a parent, all you need to do is encourage it. And also balance - it's completely normal to veg out and play video games as well - but only to end a day of exercising the body and the mind.

      My point is not that learning is bad, it's that excessive and forceful directed learning is bad. Summer should not be the time you use to try and force more learning on your child, it should be the time when you let them learn the most important type of learning in life... self learning. Play is just that, the beginning of self learning.

      Not to mention it's important for kids to actually have fun... Sure every kid is different and learn in different ways, however it's implicitly true that every kid will be happier and the learning will be more natural if it's through their own inquisitive nature and not because some horrible strict parent says you must be good at school or your'e in trouble.

      Kids need time to be kids, and when they want help understanding something or are interested in something, that's what you are there for. Of course the same goes for not letting them veg out on modern technology, letting them have fun doesn't mean be a shitty parent at the other end of the spectrum.

  12. Swimming by Mr.+Sketch · · Score: 2

    My son is 18 months and will be in a Swim-Float-Swim class where they teach them basic survival swimming.

    Of course he'll also be learning talking, walking/running, playground, etc and all those other things kids learn between 18 and 24 months.

    --
    Things you think are in the Constitution, but are not.
  13. School is Year Round and Life Long by pubwvj · · Score: 3, Interesting

    School is never out. We homeschool. We're always learning. It's not classroom sit down book learning much of the time but real world things to a large degree. Projects are multi-discipline.

    The latest project our family is almost finished with:
    Building a USDA / State inspected modern meat processing facility (a.k.a. butcher shop)

    History, government, regulations, economics, business, math, engineering, material sciences, architecture, construction, plumbing, electrical, water supply systems, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, meat cutting and so much more...

    1. Re:School is Year Round and Life Long by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      Building a USDA / State inspected modern meat processing facility (a.k.a. butcher shop)

      History, government, regulations, economics, business, math, engineering, material sciences, architecture, construction, plumbing, electrical, water supply systems, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, meat cutting and so much more...

      Leatherface, chainsaw . . . ?

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:School is Year Round and Life Long by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

      Nice. I have a deal with my kids that if they can learn the next grade's materials over the summer (with as much support as they need but relying on their own dedication) then they can homeschool next year. They're specifically interested in the homesteading kinds of opportunities they can't get at a government school or at home when government school dominates 9-10 hours of their day (for 2-3 hours of learning).

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    3. Re:School is Year Round and Life Long by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      they can't get at a government school or at home when government school dominates 9-10 hours of their day (for 2-3 hours of learning).

      If they're getting 2 to 3 hours of actual learning at that school per day, keep sending them there because it's the best school in the conutry by about 3 orders of magnitude.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    4. Re:School is Year Round and Life Long by pubwvj · · Score: 1

      You miss the point. Our family owns, builds, operates and creates it. Same as we did for our house which we also built ourselves, our greenhouse that we also built for ourselves. While you wasted your time in school doing fake things we do real applications and get real benefits. It's a real world out there, kiddo.

  14. OpenSCAD by Nona+Slashdottir · · Score: 1

    Right now two of my kids (10 and 8 years old) are having fun this Easter Holiday learning programming in OpenSCAD (a CSG 3D CAD modelling language). Yes, even a girly girl can have lots of fun with this, designing a lamp, a cool name plate, and a funny 3D cartoon face (all with carefully chosen colors of course) - on the first day. And hardly notice how much they're learning along the way. OpenSCAD is not a toy at all but a great visual way to get started with some basic programming language concepts.

  15. Re:Kids? by dotancohen · · Score: 1

    You've been here since '98 (beat me by a year) and you don't remember goatse? A kid is a goat offspring.

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.
  16. Google? by robiso22 · · Score: 2

    My wife started taking my kids so a museum or a landmark every friday ("field trip Friday"). She just googled museums, planetariums, farms, anything that would be interesting to a 5 year old audience and gone. I like the results. It gets the kids thinking about other things and we avoid the pit of TV.

  17. Mandarin by Vinegar+Joe · · Score: 1

    My daughter will be spending the Summer in Taipei studying Mandarin.

    --
    "The average reporter we talk to is 27 years old......They literally know nothing." - Ben Rhodes
  18. Learn To Fly by Greyfox · · Score: 1

    6 minutes twice a week in an indoor skydiving facility for 6 weeks. It'll cost neighborhood of $1000, but that's still significantly less than a similar number of skydives. If you focus on flying on your belly, you'd be a pretty decent belly flyer at the end of that time. 'Course you might also have a new life-long habit as a wind tunnel rat.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Learn To Fly by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      Falling out of a plane isn't flying any more than falling off a cliff is.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    2. Re:Learn To Fly by Greyfox · · Score: 1

      They're both still REALLY fun. More so if you have a parachute on.

      --

      I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  19. We'll be living Phineas and Ferb by turp182 · · Score: 1

    Actually we'll go camping a lot, the kids are only five.

    --
    BlameBillCosby.com
  20. Geography.... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

    I will learn what the roads look like and feel like as well as what the coastline of every Great Lake will look like from my motorcycle. I'm going to ride around every single one of them.

    Next year I get to learn what it feels like to ride from Chicago to Anchorage, Alaska and back. And I assume how to dodge bears and elk.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:Geography.... by Skidborg · · Score: 1

      I recommend learning to dodge the moose as well.

      --
      Supporter of the +1 Over Dramatic mod option. In memory of apk.
    2. Re:Geography.... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      I was told that moose were soft and cuddly....

      I knew I should not have trusted that guy in the red jacket and big hat.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  21. Man stuff by Charcharodon · · Score: 1
    Don't have kids, but the nephew is coming out for a chunk of the Summer. Last year list included:
    home repairs
    truck oil change/chassis lube/tire rotation rope climbing courses
    hot lunch meat w/melted, cheese sandwiches & scrambled eggs(how to make)
    how to do a fresh OS software install
    BF3
    a day at Busch Garden doing a little height de-sensitivity training on all the roller coasters
    shark fishing from a kayak.

    This summer will be:
    BF4
    SCUBA diving
    how to drive a stick shift truck(private roads for the win)
    vehicle corrosion prevention, (pull all the plastic off and clean up any rust we find underneath)
    how to apply do a plasti-dip and paint job
    some bolt on off road vehicle upgrades
    some electrical vehicle upgrades
    more home maintenance
    Busch Gardens again
    how to operate and field strip various firearms, he already knows how, but he needs speed and some problem solving skills
    how to grill
    hit all the basic kitchen tricks such as Mac-N-Cheese/Ramon so he can feed himself
    more ocean kayak fishing
    If he is really lucky and I can get his mom on board and we can squeeze it in, maybe this year we'll include how to ride a motorcycle or a flying lesson

    1. Re:Man stuff by Charcharodon · · Score: 1

      I say "Man Stuff" but when his little sister hits 11 next year she'll be coming out for pretty much all the same. Though we'll have to add in getting the hair and toes done (the girlfriend can handle that business) in addition to the shark fishing (something the girlfriend also will be handling).

    2. Re: Man stuff by Charcharodon · · Score: 1

      Girls like to do girl things, but mine also likes a lot of the things I do as well. I've spent more on her for fishing, SCUBA, and trips to the gun range than spa days, dinner, and jewelry. She does demand flowers, so I murder a bunch for her every week.

    3. Re:Man stuff by turp182 · · Score: 1

      This sounds quiet dangerous:

      truck oil change/chassis lube/tire rotation rope climbing courses

      But also quite exciting.

      --
      BlameBillCosby.com
  22. Bicycle repair and maintenance by blind+biker · · Score: 1

    This, I think, is one of the best ways to form a bond between me and my son: I teach him how to take care of bicycles, how to use tools and how some minor issues are fixed. This also increases his hand dexterity and other skills. We're both having fun doing this, and then riding our bikes.

    --
    "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
  23. Life skills by hambone142 · · Score: 1

    First, we'll start out by going camping in the coastal redwoods. He'll be the camp fire starter as he usually is. Making smores is important :-)

    Next, he'll work on improving his cooking. Let's face it. If one wants to eat, it's important to be able to prepare meals. Nothing like Costco crap in a box or mac and cheese. Our meals are from scratch and they have been since he was born (I made his baby food... not a "helpless male" here). Cooking (like playing music, etc.) tends to bring people together and it's just a good skill to have.

    Later, we'll work on our stand up paddle boarding and snorkeling in Maui.

    Some every day home maintenance stuff. Car and boat oil changes, fixing sprinklers, wood working among other stuff.

    All done without electronic crap.

    I will add that I'm a hardware E.E. by trade but balance is important.

    Yes, he'll spend time playing PC games and we'll likely mess around with the RasPi hardware/software and home brew projects.

    When I was brought up by my parents/grandparents, I was lucky enough to have them take me under their wings and show me a whole lot of unrelated skills (burping, telling jokes, farting were included which made for good "show and tells" at school). My dad made me my first boat (in our garage) at age 8. My grandfather taught me how to take care of a boat in dry dock and how to pilot it to Catalina when I was about 10. This is the perspective I teach my son.

    Life skills are important to have.

  24. Re:Kids? by dcw3 · · Score: 1

    Seriously? I've been here longer, and have read multiple comments about peoples children. Sorry, but the whole site isn't all about you, and maybe that gives some insight into why you don't have kids.

    --
    Just another day in Paradise
  25. summer camp and homeschool by Augmento · · Score: 1

    kids want to do basketball camps so they will but I also ordered the next grade up of a state approved home school curriculum. I don't expect them to finish over the summer but it will definitely keep them learning and prepare them for the Fall.

  26. something in the natural world by peter303 · · Score: 1

    Must take a vacation from screens now and then.