A Modern Twist on Credentials: Show Me Your Digital Badges

Considering earning a Digital Badge this Summer with Pingry’s Hi-Tech Camp Programs in Robotics and Computer Science Programming along with an Entrepreneur “Think Up” Camp.

If you participated in the Cub, Boy or Girl Scouts as a child or a teen, then you recall being awarded a colorful designed badge for having earned and mastered a skill as set forth by the organization.  To earn a badge, a series of activities needed to be successfully completed either as an individual or a group.  There were countless opportunities to earn badges over the years depending on the leader and personal interests of the troop.  It was a sense of accomplishment when you earned a badge and had it sewn on your sash or uniform that you wore proudly.

Today, a world of online badges or a consortium of virtual emblems has emerged onto the marketplace.  A broad initiative to expand the use of digital badges representing a mastery of knowledge or a specific skill set earned by students and adults.  This modern day cyber credential is being developed to recognize an individual’s abilities, talents and experience in an online or offline setting.  The open badge infrastructure is being driven by the non-profit Mozilla Foundation, best known for inventing the free Firefox Web browser, the choice of nearly one-quarter of all Internet users worldwide.  Strong public support and backing for this new entity is being driven from academia, business leaders and the non-profit community, including Purdue, Carnegie Mellon, the University of California, the Smithsonian, Clinton Global Initiative, Intel and Disney-Pixar.  

Once obtained, badges are stored inside a digital backpack that reflects the specific completed tasks and goals set forth by a learning provider or a website, whom awarded badges for achieving skills, academic knowledge or an online task.  The provider or website create the criteria to achieve the badge.  This information along with other relevant details is embedded inside the digital badge in the form of metadata file.  Digital badges can be shared on your favorite web and social media platforms for friends, peers, employers, schools and teachers to view.

Looking for an opportunity this summer to earn a digital badge?  Consider, Pingry’s Hi-Tech Summer Camps beginning the week of June 23rd and running for seven consecutive weeks at the Basking Ridge campus.  Students many select any individual week or they can participate in several of the weekly sessions; the Hi-Tech Camp allows campers the opportunity to build upon what they learn each week and expand their skills through out the entire summer.  Several activities that campers may complete to earn a badge this summer include creating programming games, teaching a robot to move or manipulating robot motion sensors, building an online obstacle course, conducting presentations, learning how to design a business plan among others. Elementary and middle school students who successfully complete their assignments can earn digital badges to recognize their learning milestones in the field of robotics, computer science programming and entrepreneurship in Summer 2014. 

For further information on Pingry’s Hi-Tech Camps, visit www.pingry.org/bigbluesummeracademics.  All programs are open to the students in grades 2nd through 8th in the surrounding communities.  Put your skills to work and earn a digital badge this summer!