Ed3Weekly: Issue #6 of Web3🤝Education
Aloha everyone and welcome to issue #6. The focus of this week's issue is the discussion about when is the right time to introduce NFTs to kids. I share a Vox article that discusses a Summer camp happening in Los Angeles targeted at 5-17 years old. Even here in my home state of Hawaiʻi, I came across an online program for middle and high school students on crypto and web3. You may also see some programs popping up in your area.
So when is it the right time? I don't think there is one answer to that question. I think it also depends on what lens you are viewing this emerging technology through. On one hand, it can be seen as part of the ecosystem that is made up of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, programming, and gaming. Things you typically find in many STEM programs. But it seems to be once the cryptocurrency layer is added it becomes a lot more complicated.
Personally, I think it will be hard to separate the two moving forward. Many of the STEM technologies will be intertwined with web3 and crypto. My opinion is that to be part of this emerging technology and economy that it is never too early to expose children to these things. And it is best done by trained educators in safe spaces. There is an opportunity here to be part of a dramatic restructuring of our technological systems. It is essential that we provide the next generation of learners with the tools they will need to succeed in this new environment.
As always your likes, Tweets, and Retweets really help spread awareness of this newsletter. Also, if you have any interesting web3 articles, news, or events feel free to share in my DMs, I am always looking to learn more about what is going out there!
Articles
Let's start with the article that inspired this whole issue. This is a pretty thorough analysis of the current issues surrounding crypto and kids. I will say that towards the end it gives in to some of the more common narratives around the impact of crypto on children, for example, highlighting middle school boys fanboying Elon Musk as being a concern. But overall I think it is a useful summary of where we are at.
Kids’ summer camp teaches children about cryptocurrency, virtual reality, Web3 - Vox — www.vox.com Today’s parents must ask the age-old question: When’s the right time to teach my 5-year-old about NFTs?
Here is another article covering a similar topic as the Vox article, but focusing more on the crypto side. This is in the Financial Times so takes more of a financial and investment approach.
Crypto in the classroom: Lucy Kellaway on the kids’ new craze | Financial Times — www.ft.com In an age when trading apps have made investment cool, understanding money is more important than ever for school children
This is a cool article about how an educator is using blockchain technology to issue credentials on the blockchain. It's a fairly simple process and is a great way to introduce students to NFTs.
Assessing on the Blockchain. — theflippedscientist.blogspot.com This year I am again teaching junior science and one thing that I reflected on last year was the nature of assessment. Most assessment I use...
NFTs and Kids
I am predicting that in the next 1 to 2 years we will see a rise in NFT projects that are directly targeted toward kids. I think this is a good progression for the space because it exposes children to the technology, but does so in a way that is age-appropriate. Zigazoo is one such project, and with backing from Serena Williams, has some good financial support to hopefully succeed.
Zigazoo — www.zigazoo.com “It's just like TikTok but for kids. My kid loved it. She was bugging me about getting TikTok but when we found this app she was all over it.”
If you wanna go even deeper on this topic I suggest you check out the new Metaverse for Education Newsletter by Vriti Saraf. In this issue, you will find a whole bunch of links that cover this topic from a variety of angles.
NFTs for Kids: Metaverse for Education Newsletter Issue #12 | Revue — www.getrevue.co
Tweets
I guess this is "kinda" web3 news. I'm sure you all heard that Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter has been accepted by their board. Whatever your opinion might be on Jack Dorsey, Twitter, Elon Musk, or pineapple on pizza, this will have some sort of impact. What that is, we don't know. I am sharing it here though because if you are in web3 or NFTs, you are probably on Twitter.
I found Jack's take interesting because it emphasizes his original desire to use Twitter as a place for public discourse. In a time when public discourse has quickly disappeared, I find his goals possibly both aspirational and naive. We shall see what Musk can do to try and achieve Jack's goals.
What I do want to say is that in a quickly shifting world full of complexity and ambiguity, having a centralized place, a town square if you will, where people can come together and discuss topics can be a good thing. What this looks like in its next iteration we shall see.
Thanks again for reading, you can read my blog on the decentralized blogging platform Mirror, sign up to receive my Substack, or go old school and read my bloggy blog. They all link to the same content 🤪