Proposal Part 4 - FIRST Efforts

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) represents a dynamic and powerful learning environment for all who become engaged in the program, from students to school faculty to industry and business mentors.

It provides the culture for individuals to grow both cognitively and emotionally. FIRST is an ideal template upon which to build a truly liberal arts program that is inclusive of science, math, engineering, computer science, communications, English, social and global studies and the creative arts such as multi-media design and production, graphic arts, Web service design and development.

Using FIRST SWWRocBot will make the maximum use of the real-life, real-time metaphor FIRST offers its students and other participants (including parents).

SWWRocBot students will be drawn from those with the traditional interests in math, science, engineering and technology. What perhaps makes this proposal just a bit different is that the program will be marketed to students who are not particularly interested in those subjects by providing a wider variety of “hooks” to engage their interest.

Using this dual approach, all participating students will have a unique advantage over a single themed robotics program. Students who would never imagine they would have a need for or even an interest in communications, language arts, graphic design, advertising or fundraising will have that opportunity. Those who are naturally inclined toward the “artsy” side of things will have the opportunity to be introduced in a meaningful way to science, math, engineering and technology.

Undergirding SWWRocBot’s robotics program is the foundational belief that to be a fully functioning person in the 21st century requires a knowledge of and an appreciation for empathy among people and organizations, cooperation and collaboration vs. a single-minded dedication to win-at-all-costs competition. In other words, grace and civility.

It provides the culture for individuals to grow both cognitively and emotionally. FIRST is an ideal template upon which to build a truly liberal arts program that is inclusive of science, math, engineering, computer science, communications, social and global studies and the creative arts such as multi-media design and production, graphic arts, Web service design and development.

Using FIRST, as illustrated above, SWW will make the maximum use of the real-life, real-time metaphor FIRST offers its students and other participants (including parents).

SWW students will be drawn from those with the traditional interests in math, science, engineering and technology, what we are calling "Mechanical Arts". What perhaps makes this proposal just a bit different is that the program will be marketed to students who are not particularly interested in those subjects by providing a wider variety of “hooks” to engage their interest.

Using this dual approach, all participating students will have a unique advantage over a single themed program. Students who would never imagine they would have a need for or even an interest in what we are calling the "Liberal Arts",communications, language arts, graphic design, advertising or fundraising will have that opportunity. Those who are naturally inclined toward the “Liberal Arts will have the opportunity to be introduced in a meaningful way to the Mechanical Arts: science, math, engineering and technology.

Undergirding SWW’s robotics program is a foundational belief that to be a fully functioning person in the 21st century requires a knowledge of and an appreciation for empathy among people and organizations, cooperation and collaboration vs a single-minded dedication to win-at-all-costs competition. This, we believe, will result in the diminution the "attitude of failure" and the growth of grace and civility.

School Without Walls

School Without Walls is supportive of the robotics program as described above. This includes the principal, Dan Drmacich, the computer/digital media faculty, Ken Steffen, the math, science and technology faculty, Negussie G. Tsadkan and the Information Science and Learning Technologies specialist and "team champion", Nick Clark. These people make up the initial instructional design team. Other faculty and mentors will be added as each module is laid out.

If you are the master be sometimes blind, if you are the servant be sometimes deaf.

R. Buckminster Fuller