Learning to live, living to learn, or both
I'm in a homeschool group and one of the other families has a dyslexic son as well. Both our sons are into game design, so we thought we'd get them together often to work on a project of their own choosing. We really didn't set up protocols or expectations or any kind of curriculum. We just thought we'd let the kids figure it out on their own. They would plan and develop their game and we would just let the whole thing be a learning experience.
At the very least, they would learn teamwork and compromise. At best, they'd create a really cool game we can sell on iTunes.
The only thing us parents did was help decide which program would be best for them to work with. We chose Blender because it is free (big plus for both families), and there are a lot of video tutorials, user forums to consult and support for the program and its users.
The first time we got the boys together, my son, Nick, showed Jacob Minecraft and Blockland. These building games are perfect for teaching physics in games and creating scenes, plot, action and other things games need. Nick has been using the games for a long time and I'm often surprised by what he comes up with. He created his own Blockland Zombies series on Youtube with the Blockland program as well as doing his own animation. He can set up situations in Blockland and Minecraft, and it's basically like an introduction to coding and design.
The second time we got the boys together, they got serious. Jacob's dad is teaching him Python, the code language Blender uses, and Jacob had written some code for the game. Then the boys discussed characters and what the characters would be doing. When Nick got home, he began working on a model for the game so the boys can have something to work with. He did this all on his own without me having to prompt him.
Truthfully, I don't know what they are doing. I'm beginning to think I need to learn more about Blender so I can at least know what they are talking about. I know that I might be of assistance with the artwork because I am a graphic artist. Nick has been talking about creating textures in Photoshop, and I know ALL about Photoshop. I know I could help there.
But I'd also like to know what's going on because I'm curious. I'd love to be able to get more creative and I've seen some of the things other Blender artists have come up with. I'm really, really amazed. Nick and Jacob are off to a good start with the paths they are choosing for careers. But I think it could also help me venture into new avenues in my own career.
A learning experience that couldn't have gone better
So this is turning out to be a big learning experience for all of us. And it is all just from living our everyday lives and following our dreams.
