Feedback:
1. Revise mission statement to be more specific toward my design strategy
2. Revise graphic to look more like a scientist
3. Develop vehicle concept
4. Convey difference in approach from existing toys.
5. Convey the fun and playful aspects of the project.
NY Times Article
1 comment:
David, your evidence-based observations about the need for creative toys that build interest in science and engineering among young children is flawless. You are on to something that is of great importance to the Nation now, and, while the payoff for this effort will not come for many years, we cannot succeed without taking these steps now. I am ready to suspend any remaining doubts I have about the methods you propose, because this is such an important problem that we need to solve now.
I'm sure that you are aware of the various robotics competitions that are going on around the country, mostly sponsored by USFIRST, which was started by Dean Kamen of Segway fame. This is based on a brilliant idea, namely co-opting the successful model of team sports in schools to create competitions where intellect and creativity are rewarded instead of athletic prowess. If we could, as country, devote even part of the energy and enthusiasm currently invested in high school sports to teams of budding engineers and artisans, we might be able to solve many of our problems. But you seem to be saying that to train the next generation of engineers and other makers of things, we need to start even earlier, getting kids as young as kindergarten to get into the habit of thinking through complex problems by doing practical design exercises that are then validated by actual fabrication and testing. This will require a thoughtful, nuanced response, with plenty of examples that you can try out with real kids.
steven
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