I teach a unit to Years 7s and 8s on digital citizenship that centres on the theme of respecting yourself and others when online and using mobile devices. The opening lesson of this focusses on respecting themselves as people who can make a difference, especially with devices like the iPad and the new services online. I run through a series of examples where teenagers have made themselves successful primarily by having an “I can” approach to life.
I don’t like to focus on money making but it certainly grabs their attention.
Here’s a summary of the sort of things I discuss: (The icons are links)
1. WRITE A BLOG
All a kid needs to take over the world is an email! This is a simple idea but when you explain that blogging (WordPress or Blogger)on their favourite topic (Even if it’s Clash of Clans!), dividing up the topic into areas, such as tools, skills, strategies, training. Then writing for 1/2 an hour, twice a week on a new idea or lesson for your readers can make you a world name in your chosen area. I even use myself as an example!
You can spark their interest by explaining that A) Millions of kids around the world will be looking for a Kid’s perspective on the topic and B) Once they have readers, Google Adsense will bring home the money!
2. RUN A YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Making videos on the iPad is easy and uploading them to Youtube is a single button click! Again best on a single topic, kids can video their own information or lessons and build a following. Children always prefer watching their peers more than adults and learning is more effective and fun. This gives any student a potential audience of subscribers for their chosen topic. One girl in my class started a child’s channel on horse riding! Popular channels will be approached by Youtube to add adverts and the money might start rolling in!
Example (50,000 views a video!):
3. eBOOK YOUR STORY OR KNOWLEDGE
Free publishing is the new thing and opens new opportunities to young people to make money from their writing and imagination. Amazon are now publishing free plus many others like Lulu.com. I find kids are happy to write on the iPad and should not be encouraged to think that their works wouldn’t be published or enjoyed by a large audience. Here’s 2 case studies: 1. Teenage Author 2. Young Author. If you make an informative non-fiction iBook then Apple will publish it but you’ll need to make it on a Mac computer with iBooks Author.
Example:
4. SHOWCASE YOUR FILMS
In a previous post I covered the idea that students should learn the 3 or 4 basic film production techniques including multiple angled camera work and foley sound production. With a little film making knowledge, the iPad really is the only thing you need and there are more and more film festivals mentioning the use of iPhone and iPad film makers, including famous directors. Obviously the films can be uploaded to Youtube or even better Vimeo (The thinking person’s Youtube) for more exposure.
5. GET ON AND MAKE THAT ALBUM
I have singers, rappers, guitarists, pianists and drummers throughout my classes and they hold their iPads often without seriously considering that recording with Garageband could lead to big things. There are now crowd-funding sites and Justin Bieber was discovered singing into a Youtube camera.
INTERNATIONAL PROMOTION
Another issue I cover in this lesson and in general is appreciating the number of people on the internet. I like to point out that if 0.0001% of the internet buy your product for $1, that’s $5 Million! International promotion used to cost millions and was certainly only available through agencies. Now, social media makes promoting your products easy and even finding your target audience is easy. I recommend new accounts for communicating with the world as a professional separate to their personal accounts.
SUMMARY
It really is just a mindset I feel I must instil in my students to appreciate that the age barriers that once existed no longer do. The iPad is all they need to conquer the world and why not start today!
Kid thinking big Example 3: (Programmer)
