The Digital Adventures Blog

For parents, educators and students to discuss tech education for kids, best practices for teaching coding & engineering design to kids & emerging technology trends

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Kids Should Become Lifelong Learners of Technology

February 28, 2021

As I think back on my educational experiences, I’m struck most not by what I was taught but instead that which I had to apply in new and different ways. When you think about the essence of learning, it is partially building the foundation. But, the one aspect that will stick with you the most is how you utilize that learning.When I was an undergraduate student at the University of Illinois Urba...


Bring Tech Learning With Kids When They Go Back to School

February 7, 2021

In the past 12 months, life has completely changed for nearly every one. Many families are working from home. Many children are learning from home. And, nearly every interaction and engagement in modern day life is facilitated by technology.You can’t put gas in your car without using a payment system powered by technology. You can’t purchase groceries without using a point of sale system powere...


Why Kids Should Learn Ethical & Responsible Artificial Intelligence

January 17, 2021

Over the past several years, ethical & responsible artificial intelligence has come into increasing focus within the technology industry. The main reason for this is that we are learning that when we go down the path of machine learning, there can be all sorts of unintended consequences. For example, Amazon worked for many years to design an artificial intelligence based hiring algorithm. H...


You still need technical acumen to build low or no code applications

December 5, 2020

Over the past several months, there have been a re-emergence of low or no code applications as a means to reduce the technical barrier required to get new products and services into the marketplace.While low or no code applications can certainly make it easier to launch an idea, this does not mean that you don’t need to have technical acumen. In many ways, low or no code applications are not un...


Apple vs. Epic: Fortnite App Store Battle Royale

August 23, 2020

Recently, Apple and Epic have gotten into major disagreement regarding the availability of offering Fortnite on the App Store.  The key issue is the fees that Apple requires for in-app transactions. Fortnite is one of the most popular freemium games. It is estimated that the game generates billions of dollars in fees for different customizations. The core of the argument is what is a fair perce...


TikTok You Don’t Stop

August 14, 2020

Recently the beloved video sharing service, TikTok, has become a political football for relations between China & the United States. The United States has accused the makers of TikTok of partnering with the Chinese government to use the application to spy on Americans. China has accused the US government of sour grapes from an innovation perspective due to the widespread global popularity o...


Deep Tech is The Future

July 19, 2020

Every few years, a new company comes along that promises to deliver all the results of understanding how to program without actually having to write a single line of code. From what you see is what you get on websites 10 years ago to the emerging trend of no code mobile apps. While the pitch is seductive, the reality is that tech’s future is going to require a much deeper knowledge base in orde...


The Future of Tech is Multi-Disciplinary

July 13, 2020

Often times when we think about technology, we think that specialization is essential. While focus is key and valued generically, leading technology companies prove that multi-disciplinary is how to gain and maintain a competitive advantage.Currently, there are 4 massive technology companies that are valued at more than $1 Trillion dollars. These companies serve as a blue print for what the nex...


3 Reasons Why the Mixer & Ninja Partnership Failed

June 23, 2020

This week, we learned that Microsoft is shutting down Mixer. As a result of this move, top tier streamer talent is now free to sign with Twitch, Facebook Gaming or any other platform of their choosing. While this may have been surprising to many, the reality is this partnership was doomed from the start. In business school, we studied a case on top tier financial analysts who were given the opp...


3 Great Lessons the SpaceX Dragon Human Flight Teaches Kids

May 28, 2020

This week, SpaceX is targeting the launch of their first human space flight, Dragon, with NASA astronauts - Bob Behnken and Dave Hurley. Many skeptics did not believe that a private technology company would ever reach this important milestone. They believed that only the federal government could design, develop and launch a complicated project like human space flight.However, Elon Musk believed...


The Digital Future is Here, Right Now!

May 8, 2020

The current public health crisis has exposed many things about the global economy. We are a lot more dependent on each others mutual success than we would’ve ever imagined - Hello, Butterfly Effect. The dependency means that the global economy is not as resilient to challenges. It also means that nations require much more high level cooperation than many of us believed was necessary or even pos...


4 Trillion Dollar Tech Companies

January 18, 2020

“A million dollars isn't cool. You know what's cool? A billion dollars.”  - The Social Network For a long time, this quote really stood out to many about the ambition needed to develop, launch and grow the next generation of technology companies. When Sean Parker shared this quote with Mark Zuckerberg, it unlocked an emerging truth about technology; there is an opportunity to build really big c...


Tesla’s Cybertruck shows why tech keeps winning

November 22, 2019

This week, Tesla released a pickup truck named the Cybertruck. For those who are familiar with the automotive industry, this will likely be the most consequential vehicle Tesla ever releases. And, it will cement their status as innovative disruptor of the status quo in this industry.American buyers LOVE pickup trucks. The Ford F-150 has been the best selling vehicle for the last 30+ years. Duri...


Don't blame it on the algorithm

November 10, 2019

Recently, the creator of Ruby on Rails, David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH), tweeted about how his wife, Jamie, who he shares financial accounts with received a lower credit limit (5% of his) on the newly launched Apple Card. Given their combined income and credit history, DHH, decided to use his social media platform and the associated potential for virality to bring light to an important issue - a...


5 Ways to Make Money with Video Games

October 12, 2019

Video games have changed quite significantly over the past several years. During the good old days, kids simply played games like Mario Brothers to have fun with their friends. Over time, they could develop expertise in specific games. But, there wasn’t a clear way to monetize this skillset.Recently, this dynamic has changed quite dramatically.  Now, gamers are able to showcase their skills on ...