THE FACES OF DJ BLACK COFFEE

I love house music!  I was recently put onto DJ Black Coffee and his incredible talents.  A Transformational House DJ like BC takes a crowd of individuals and connects them into a massive inspired the tribal rhythms, drums and soulful vocals. 

However, it's the DJ Black Coffee Foundation that got me excited enough to blog about him. Black Coffee has moved to serve a new group of followers off the dance floor.  BC will serve and inspire disable children in South Africa through the DJ Black Coffee Foundation.  We hope that BCs efforts to serve and transform inspire others in the industry elevate the conditions of the less fortunate.   Black Coffee is creating his own movement of social responsibility in the world of DJing.  

My question to you is, who do you serve?

THE LAST LESSON

We went to the final class of my son’s Salamander swim lesson’s last week.  Usually the pool is a buzz with four to five classes of different levels going on simultaneously, effectively using all the space in the pool.  On this day easily two-thirds of the swimmers were absent.  Instead of 30 swimmers in the pool there might have been 10.  It amazes me how few people attend the final class of a session of swim lessons.  Only two of four participants showed up for my son’s class. 

Swimmers find out if they pass (and can move on to the next level) or whether they must repeat the level 2 classes before the end of the session.  Repeating levels, especially at younger ages is quite common as it is critical that swimmers demonstrate competency before they are moved to the next level.  It is interesting to see who is there to learn and who is there to be rewarded for their effort.  I understand that external rewards are motivators, but parents have a responsibility to help kids understand the value of learning so that kid’ motivation for participation is intrinsic.  Progress and learning vs. performance. 

I’ve observed the “last class” phenomenon for 2 years now and it concerns me every time.  Funny thing is that the children will learn from their parents to only do things when there is a reward associated.  Parents must have clarity on why they are enrolling kids in learning programs.  If it is indeed to learn then why would you deprive your child of one-tenth of their learning experience?  If the instructor cancelled a class people would want a refund for the class or for there to be a class added.  But nothing when the parent chooses to do it.  Interesting paradox. 

TARGET GAMES

The father in me will always enjoy spending time with my children.  The learning facilitator in me also enjoys this time.  If left on their own in the right environment, kids will create, innovate and modify their own games.

The other day we spent 45 mins playing a medley of sports in the backyard.  I went to set the table for dinner.  My 4 year old son Tobias chose to play outside by himself until dinner was ready.  After setting the table, I checked up on my son to see how he was doing in the backyard.  I looked out the window and saw Tobias standing over a puddle.  I went outside fearing that he was splashing around in puddle.  Once outside I asked what he was up to.  He hid both hands behind his back and looked at me with that "cat that ate the canary" look in his eyes.  "What's in your hands" I asked.  He showed me two stones that were in his hands and explained the game he was playing.  He had created his own target game of throwing stones into a small puddle from about 20 feet away.  He asked "You wanna play daddy?"  I said "For sure!!" It was awesome to play a game that my son had created, that develops his physical literacy and cognitive abilities.

On Canada Day, I took my son and daughter to the schoolyard to play with the soccer ball.  We played what my son calls "Soccer Fights", which is basically soccer where him and I push, clutch, grab, hold while trying to maintain control of the ball.  After "Soccer Fights" I set up an obstacle course.  I used Tobias' bike, bike helmet, his sisters push car and the top of a water bottle we found at the park to create our obstacle course.  We used the items as pylons.  I recommended to Tobias that we dribble the soccer ball through and around the makeshift pylons to work on our ball handling.  After a few minutes of ball handling Tobias modified the game.  He explained to me that we should now use the "pylons" as targets and that from a distance of 10 feet we were to hit each target.  Once we hit each target it would be the other persons turn.  The learning facilitator in me was delighted by his modification of my exercise from ball handling to striking and a target game.

I get excited when I see my 4 year old son create games and modify activities.  There is significant cognitive value, physical literacy and leadership involved in this process.  It's great to see what kids can come up with if you give them the freedom to explore and create.  It's great to see the joy in their faces when you actively participate in the games and activities they create.