Inspiration
The principal inspiration for my work was demand. 11 yea
rs ago, very few children, let alone adults were using the computer as a creativity tool. The result was the creation of a business that enabled children to explore technology and apply new skills increative ways. Our work is inspired by technology visionaries, such as Seymour Papert and the research coming from the Media Labs at MI
T. Papert was one of the first individuals who really recognized that children can be creative with computers; far beyond word processing and spreadsheets. Through his work and the work of others
at the MIT Media Lab, I have been inspired to create a commercial enterprise that takes these concepts and makes them available to children. Im equally inspired by analogue technology artists such as Roland Emmet and George Rhoads, who have created wonderful works of kinetic machine art.
Achievement
"Prior to starting my business, I was an elementary school teacher focusing on science and computer science education. One of my passions is the creative use of technology in innovative ways and I decided to start my educational business and focus on developing technology-based learning experiences for children. The company is 11 years old now, and one of our biggest accomplishments has been the development of icamp, a technology summer camp for children between the ages of 7-13 years old. Our summer camp programs are now available to children at over 100 locations in North America, as well as in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and soon in Seoul and Johannesburg. This achievement is provides me great personal satisfaction, as I have witnessed children throughout the globe experience technology learning opportunities that they might not have otherwise had the chance to engage in. The sole reason this has been possible, has been our ability to leverage technology so as to ensure that each child is provided with their own experience and this has been accomplished through the development of software tools that enable children to explore technology in creative ways.
I am also very proud of the fact that I was an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2006."
Dream
I hope people of all ages will soon realize how they can utilize technology to learn concepts that might have otherwise been unattainable for them and become creators through the innovative use of technology; and that these opportunities are made available to anyone, anywhere.
Insight
"As new technologies become simpler to use, were able to teach younger children to create things that they would not have been able to create in the past. For example, virtually any child that can hold a spoon can now create digital stories with narration and music and share it as a flash movie with family in another country. Children as young as 7 can construct and program a machine made with toys, or learn to design their own video game or produce their own movie.
Its well known that children are creative individuals, but the advancement in technology and their fearless attitude has combined to offer children a creative outlet that is way beyond what anyone could have imagined."
Darryl Reiter
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