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A policy goal of one member of the United States Senate got a boost this afternoon from one nearly-universal fact about modern American culture:
Almost everyone thinks robots are way cool.
Sen. Jean Shaheen (D-N.H.) was aided by a small army of robots (and by the teams of students who built them) on Monday in unveiling legislation to help high schoolers gain more access to programs furthering science, technology, engineering and math education.
In a presentation tied to the legislation’s introduction, student participants in a national robotics competition called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) exhibited their remote-controlled creations in a hearing room normally reserved for decorous Senate hearings on military issues.
Luckily for humanity's side in a hypothetical apocalyptic man vs. machine science-fiction scenario, these teenage-engineered robots were at least more Johnny 5 than Cylon.
Shaheen, a former teacher herself, used the event to stress the point that "traditional teaching methods don't appeal to a lot of these students."
The Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program she has proposed would create a public/private partnership by encouraging school districts to find businesses that will match federal funds and provide math and science industry mentors.
The New Hampshire Democrat is hoping the program will be included in the reauthorization of the early and secondary education act later this year.
But while Shaheen described the legislation as providing "new incentives and resources for our schools to think outside the box," it's hard to divorce the announcement itself from the timing.
On a week when government spending is in the forefront of the news and the House GOP's 2011 continuing resolution cuts $4.9 billion from current Education Department spending, it's difficult to see on paper how proposals for new spending are going to fare. Also, conspicuously absent from the list of cosponsors is anyone's name with an "R" next to it.
Still, participants in the FIRST program say that while “playing with robots” sounds like a taunt directed at the lovable pocket-protected high school nerd character in a John Hughes movie, technology education initiatives have some serious benefits.
Tavon Johnson, a 16-year-old student at Willow High School, said his mother first talked him into learning about robots but that he plans to keep participating when he goes to college. "I believe FIRST is important because it teaches students science and technology," said Johnson. "When I first began I didn't know too much about tools, too much about measurements and now FIRST has really changed me."
Because FIRST is an extracurricular activity, others say, programs like this one can answer the question of what kids are doing after school. "It does not happen during school hours," said 17-year-old Jade Womack of George Mason High School. “There are six weeks where you are allowed to build a robot and so I usually expect that if I come to school at 7am, I'm leaving school at 7pm. It's a lot of time and commitment."
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Bless those who understand and work with these kids.
As a mentor of a FIRST team who was there with our team, I want to thank you on behalf of all the mentors of the over 2000 FIRST Robotics teams around the world and the mentors for over 3000 VEX Robotics teams also around the world (we could use more help - check out their websites and come join us, it's great fun!)
Better than the other kind of robots that watch FAUX News.
Beep beep, bop, bop, 00100110011100011 *Glenn Beck* all hail Sarah Palin - 10001101001111001010
With all the debauchery that goes on Bender would be proud to call you his own. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRnq-PFboMI
Giggidy
:^/
Louis J
It also will keep the kids off the street.
Yes the T-baggers are a bunch of robots controlled by their corporate masters.
Also, you stole my thunder. Read my reply to NJ John in the First Thoughts thread post #6.6.
Great minds think alike. RMAOFWL
nothing really new. Education has always grown up and expanded by what was accomplished in the past.
When I was a HS senior calculus was an honors math class. Physics and chemistry were really, really basic compared to beginning physics and chemistry at university.
Good to see these students taking an interest in math and sciences as extracurricular activities and that they are also getting support from their parents.
It is a shame though that many equate spending cuts as being injurious to educational lessons learned. In reality funding cuts creates opportunities for the student, parents and teachers alike. the oportunity of how something can be done with limited resources. A mindset that some of these youngsters can apply later in life as we face limited resources.
$$$ does not make for innovation as much as the mental desire to innovate and resolve challenges.
Education in any form is a plus.
But in order to ensure the very best education, the very best facilities and the very best instructors it does take money. If we cannot fund education, we fail our students. We do not give them the best we can. We cheat them of all that we have promised. And we don't keep up with the rest of the world who DO place a premium on education.
Man....that stuff you are smoking must be illegal, look how it's messed with your head! If you think you can educate your kids better than the teachers can, STFU and educate them yourselves! Say what?! That's your rockefeller/Soros/Kluge/Rothschild agenda anyway - dumb them down, control their conversion of natural resources, then "cull the herd," and the Bilderberger agenda that "bought boy" is implementing? I don't think I'm gonna vote for "bought boy" this time, or ever again.
fielden - You continue to equate "state of the art" and money with what it takes to be educated and succeed but ignore the likes of gates, buffet, steve jobs, steve wozniak, zuckerberg, edison vanderbuilt, carnegie, the founders of google, etc, etc etc, How about Banting - Macleod - Best and Collip that discovered insulin and how to produce it? jonas salk and others as well. Wasn't the guy who invented the artificial heart a non-doctor?
Steiner - so glad that you think parents shouldn't have a roll in a childs education, isn't it time for your nap?
Let's watch Boehner say "Hell No You Can't!" to these kids. Education and after school science and technology stuff like this is the best use of my tax dollars. Hey! . . . Take the oil company subsidies and give that money to these programs!
The robots should have felt right at home. The kids, innocent as they no doubt are, not so much.
Robots?!? You mean the mindless disciples of Soro's bought boy have invaded Washington?!? No wonder the muslim mansion has stunk for the last two years!
Don't foget the aluminum hat wearing Michael Moore robots marching around saying, "theres plenty of money, were not broke, you can't have any of mine, but there's plenty of money, tax and spend tax and spend".............
Wouldn't ya know it? The two Repubs posting so far have to refer to our President as "bought boy" and bring Michael Moore into the conversation. How much are you actually paid to sit and put all your crap which has no relevance to anything in the conversation each day? You better ask the Koch bros for a raise so you can get better material, as you seem to be "bought boys" yourself. Add something to the conversation sometime, rather than your daily spitballs. I get it, you're still in jr. high, now I understand. A little education and you might be able to come up with some ideas instead of the Frank Luntz talking point of the day....or the Repub clinical depression dialogue. So sorry you have no hope.
Another great post from the Cut&Paste Queen, that troll, Bev.
Try original comments Bev, it might help to improve your mind.
For conservative thinkers, today's word for the libbies is troll.
The teenage winners of the competition developed a robot that can place two burgers and a fry in a bag. However they still can not get it to correctly count the change back to the customer.
Sounds like the Democratic Party and the budget.
This is really nice and helpful for the students struggling in math.
Learning is always fun if taken in the right spirit. And, math is a very good and important subject to learn. I think children should take it seriously from the very beginning. And, parents should take important part to encourage them. Children can ask parents or school teachers to help. Otherwise, they can take advantage of any online tutoring services like tutorteddy.com. My daughter uses it and has improved her grades.