Michael Guggenheim is twelve years old, a full-time 6th grade student in southern California. He’s recently won the Volunteer Service Award from Secretary Spelling of the U.S. Department of Education and another award from the Inland Empire Branch of the International Dyslexia/Dysgraphia Association. He’s been interviewed by Good Morning America, the LA Times, and CNN. And he’s a blogger.
Michael Guggenheim uses his blog for education – as a teacher to document his nonprofit organization and his extracurricular activities teaching even younger students how to use a computer.
S.P.L.A.T. Inc. (Showing People Learning And Technology) was set up by Guggenheim to help him tutor youngsters at homeless shelters, low income housing projects, and community centers. Whatever funds he raises goes to the distribution of used computers, monitors, printers, and donated software. He himself teaches basic computer skills and also shows the younger children how to use computer learning games.
Guggenheim got interested in computers because he discovered that his dysgraphia, a learning disorder that impairs his writing, wasn’t affected when using a computer instead of handwriting his school notes.
He started his nonprofit after participating in school-sponsored volunteer work and observing that some children had little or no access to technology. According to the an article in the Los Angeles Times:
“Many disadvantaged kids and teenagers don’t have the opportunities and access to learning and using computer skills,” Michael said. “The tool that changed my life was a laptop, and it’s a skill that’s necessary to learn to get good grades and a good job so you aren’t left behind.”
He isn’t blogging about tutoring or using the blog as a classroom or teaching tool. Instead, he has a novel blogging purpose – to let donors and funders know how he is using their money. SPLAT is a non-profit with an EIN (IRS) tax exempt status and donations are welcome.
Developmental dysgraphia is a neurological condition which affects fine motor skills. Writing becomes distorted but other social skills aren’t affected. While a typewriter or word processor won’t improve the motor skills, they do allow students to keep up with their written work. Guggenheim, however, may be onto something using computer games. Games which involve hand-eye coordination, or mousing or trackball games, might help as part of regular therapy.
According to the US Department of Education Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), there are more than 6.5 million children with disabilities entering or currently within the educational system.
12 responses so far ↓
1
12 year-old blogger educates . . . « Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub
// Jan 29, 2008 at 4:13 am
[...] reader, Dr. Pamela Bumsted wrote about a 12 year-old kid in Southern California who blogs to reach underpr…. Michael Guggenheim is twelve years old, a full-time 6th grade student in southern California. [...]
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26: برنده ي بزرگترين جايزه ي كارآفريني آمريكا « بالان
// Feb 2, 2008 at 9:19 am
[...] و پيشرفت شاگردانش مي نويسد. «مايكل» در ژانويه ي 2008، بزرگترين «جايزه ي كارآفريني آمريكا» را دريافت كرد. با او در Good Morning America و LA Times و CNN مصاحبه [...]
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fef3
// Feb 4, 2008 at 6:40 am
I thnk what Michael is doing is really awesome.It is always a good thing to help people learn new ways to help them self.And in his case it really cool because he is only a 6th grader!
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jordan cantara
// Feb 4, 2008 at 6:42 am
i think its kinda sad that he cant write. but its cool that he gets to help people that dont have the computers and show them bloging. access to the comuters is a good thing to have at a school.
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jeremiah
// Feb 4, 2008 at 6:42 am
it is ok
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jamie
// Feb 4, 2008 at 6:45 am
i think that this story is good because it says that anybody with this disease can still write but on the computer and they have games to help them ..
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stephanie thorpe
// Feb 15, 2008 at 8:01 am
saw you on gma , your terrific!!! Wanted to say if you need more computers the state of noth dakota website has many that are listed in their salvage…
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Charlotte Jensen
// Feb 25, 2008 at 11:02 pm
This warms my heart so MUCH! My own daughter suffers from dysgraphia, and computers made her life as a student so much easier (not EASY but EASIER!). She has just become a doctoral candidate at Johns-Hopkins (School of Public Health). It has been a long struggle — but with persistence and computers — anything is possible!
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M Pamela Bumsted
// Feb 26, 2008 at 1:23 am
Charlotte, I’m really impressed about your daughter. PhD programs, even with modern technology for note taking etc is a lot of work, especially in public health and human biology.
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Bonnie
// Feb 28, 2008 at 6:29 am
This is so wonderful to hear my son also suffers from dysgraphia and has been using an alpha smart to help him with is writing. He is wanting a computer because it is cool to the other students and less embarrasing for him.I love to hear about other students helping other students.
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http://magazine.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/6th-grade-entrepreneur-wins-top-volunteer-award-for-splat/
// Mar 24, 2008 at 12:54 am
[...] writing a post about this entry http://magazine.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/6th-grade-entrepreneur-wins-top-volunteer-award-for-splat/ Stay [...]
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26: برنده ي بزرگترين جايزه ي كارآفريني آمريكا « بالان
// Nov 26, 2008 at 1:41 pm
[...] و پيشرفت شاگردانش مي نويسد. «مايكل» در ژانويه ي 2008، بزرگترين «جايزه ي كارآفريني آمريكا» را دريافت كرد. با او در Good Morning America و LA Times و CNN مصاحبه [...]
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