ROBOTEACHER
"The Classroom of the Future"
by Floyd T. Holt
Walt Disney American Teacher in Science For the United States
IBM Teacher of the Year
Physics Teacher Resource Agent For the USA
New York State Science Mentor
Premise:
1. The future of America lies in the advancement of our Science, Math, and Technology.
2. We should use Technology to push a major overhaul of the educational system.
Concept: A futuristic, computerized, portable, interactive, Multimedia display system for use at:
1. Corporate conferences
2. University presentations
3. Other government, business and educational applications
Advantages
1.Voice and computer control allow greater efficiencies
2. Enhance the dramatic character of all presentations.
3. Perfect time with the arrival of the "Information Superhighway"
Disadvantages
1. Present day costs are beyond many means.
2. Access in many parts of the country is not there.
3. The Learning curve is very lengthy
4. The efficiency of learning should always be questioned.
Timeline:
Phase I - Inventing the ROBOTEACHER presentation device.
Phase II - Building a prototype SCIENCE CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE
Phase III- Create an "Excelsior" classroom as models for the United States.
Rationale:
1] Showcase Futuristic Technologies
2] Make this an on-site research station
3] Why your corporation?
4] Create partnerships
5] Preparing for the Future
a] Virtual Reality
b] "Cyberspace experiences in Education and
Industry"
6] "The best defense is a good offense!" Beat the competition now!
7] Features:
1] Wacom digitizing tablets
2] Roc Tech computer video overlay
3] CD-ROM
4] IBM Action Media Display Adapters
5] IBM Person to Person
6] Large video screen and BARCO projection system
7] COVOX and IBM Voice recognition
8] Teleconferencing
9] Interactive Physics
10] IBM Team Focus Interactive software
11] Full access to the Internet
8] Functions: (What can be done differently?)
1] Today vs. Tomorrow’s learning styles
2] Student lab work should be multimedia "portfolios"
3] Tests and measurements can be infinitely changed
4] Homework papers can be instantly checked
5] Instant replay
6] A student models an engineer’s notebook
9] Future Marketing Strategies (and applications)
1] Clever advertising - Using IBM computers with "Morphing" programs to capture the attention of the target audience.
2] Owning an IBM is like having a Mercedes in your driveway.
3] Ziff Davis - Produce a television program highlighting the Future of Education in America and the world. (ex. 2000 and beyond)
4] Conferences, presentations and training
5] Increase efficiency and performance and eliminate nonproductive time spent in tedious and uneventful meetings
6] Satellite and fiber optic connections are increasing
7] My connections with Princeton, Disney etc.
10] Conclusion: Who wins?
A] Corporate America does!
1] Tax credit - Any equipment, time etc. could be written off at full cost. (Tax free institution)
2] Advertising - Is the secret to success!
3] Market Share - Sales skyrocket!
4] Corporations save America" (Hero status in the world)
5] Train executives from other companies
6] Innovation: Your company is a world leader!
B] Education wins!
1] Students win!
2] Teachers win!
3] America wins!
4] Our Economy wins!
5] Our position in the world is improved
Description: ROBOTEACHER is an interactive, voice controlled computerized teaching and presentation station whereby: Three levels of speech recognition control high speed computers that automatically trigger multifaceted functions including large screen displays, computer controlled robots, Internet and World Wide Web (WWW) connections, Scanners, lights etc. enabling an operator to increase the speed of access and reduce the need for keyboards and other "non-user friendly devices.
Operation: The operator can literally speak to "ROBOTEACHER" and it will respond back. Video cameras in the robots transmit a signal via RF modulators back to the station for visual feedback. In addition, the presenter draws on Wacom digitizing artist tablets such that the signal is sent via an Infrared wireless link to the master console whereby the operator/presenter can overlay a greater range of computer graphics directly over video and other computer displays. Advanced 3D multimedia and Virtual Reality images are instantly displayed on large screens with a BARCO light cannon.
Purpose: To advance the "State of The Art" in Corporate, Educational, and government presentations for the future. To create an improved system of learning that will provide an atmosphere for a more sophisticated approach to communicating advanced concepts at high speed in the electronic future that is imminent. To provide a vehicle that will offer success to a broader range of leaning styles.
Broadcast: This "Classroom of the Future" project has appeared on MSNBC, Ch 2, Ch 4,
Ch 6, C-NET, and The Disney Channel.
Corporate Sponsors: These productions showcase the latest technologies from IBM, Hewlett Packard, Motorolla, AT+T, Texas Instruments, Digital Media Labs, Knowledge Revolution, Videodiscovery, Hash Enterprises, and many others in a unique and powerful way.
Applications: This device dramatically increases the efficiency of Corporate and Educational multimedia presentations.
Endorsements: See corporate sponsor page.
Equipment: Three levels of speech recognition, teleconferencing capabilities, cellular phones, a satellite dish, VGA-NTSC converters, color copier/scanner/printers and much more, IBM 755 CD Thinkpad with speech recognition, 21" monitors.
Goals/Intentions:
1] To create a futuristic, computer controlled learning environment enabling students to learn at accelerated rates and to increase the efficiency and productivity of all students involved in an unprecedented way.
2] To let this serve as a model classroom to expedite the transition to higher standards and real world industry practices.
3] To produce a national television show that would promote this concept.
4] To use the World Wide Web to Educate the general population in this regard.
Using Technology to support student inquiry
1] Scenario: Pretend that we are in the year 2050 when maglev trains, virtual reality amusement parks ,holographic projections, and smart houses are everywhere. Where communicating to work is the rule rather than the exception.
2] Computers and Education: There is no question that computers will be the "Supertools of the 21st century" Undeniable fact that computers will control every facet of our existence....to help improve the quality of our lives. They will help us organize and manage all this new information that is now available to us.
The "Age of Intelligence" has begun
Futurists predict that The "Information Age" is ending: The "Age of Intelligence" has begun: Therefore it is what we will do with this vast quantity of information that will be our greatest challenge (Information management). It should transform every aspect of the academic life of the student: From finding scholarships to searching for the most complex research material.
We are, reshaping the classroom learning environment: The "Classroom of the Future " will promote problem solving and critical thinking, information retrieval, Math Science and Technology (MST) integration and interpersonal exchanges with experts and other students around the world.
In conclusion, Americans are spending inordiante amounts of time and money on the many great social problems that have befallen us: the crime rate, illicit drugs, etc. I feel strongly that it is a far greater investment to have young children kept so busy in these educational pursuits to minimize their idle time and short circuit this tragic trend in our youth. It presently costs approximately $60,000 to house a prisoner in our "corrections" system: money which could far better be spent in the early development stages of that childs life.
Why ROBOTEACHER? Voice actuated teacher commands assist the teacher in countless way.
Videos, grades, designing tests, modeling labs, scanning pages, correcting papers, research on the WWW, preparing color Xerox copies and transparancies, controlling the classroom environment,
Motivation: We can Model the world. With the convergence of computer and real world applications. ex. Ford crashes more cars on the computer than in real life: Boeing builds and tests planes without building prototypes. Thus I have students predict the answer then try the real event.
Purpose: To advance the "State of The Art" in Corporate, Educational, and government presentations for the future. To create an improved system of learning that will provide an atmosphere for a more sophisticated approach to communicating advanced concepts at high speed in the electronic future that is imminent. To provide a vehicle that will offer success to a broader range of leaning styles.
4] Classroom of the Future: Stations 1] Internet WWW 2] Interactive Physics Model the real world (We can simulate car crashes 3] CDROMs Encarta 95 4] Voice Recognition 3 levels, dragon , COVOX, and ISCS 5] Computer controlled Robots 6] Math Exploration Toolkit We can do all math problems from Algebra to Calculus 7] With a Power Mac we create digital video capture images and Vernier ULI interfaces and probes
5] Other information:
1] It is a new way to expedite the learning process. Skills such as problem solving critical examination, reflection, cooperative learning: Not just learning but great pedagogy
2] The world is changing...our educational system is based on a system that was created in the 1930’s. It’s time to "reinvent education" for the future.
3] How can we compete with the Japanese with their strong emphasize on discipline?
I am proposing a high tech solution: An "All American Plan."
4] Equipment: Three levels of speech recognition, teleconferencing capabilities, cellular phones, a satellite dish, VGA-NTSC converters, color scanners and much more, IBM 755 CD Thinkpad with speech recognition, 486 P100 DX4 75-100 MHz computers, 16 Megs Ram, 350 HD and 17" monitors.
5] Full Internet Access-With the whole world moving onto the Information Superhighway ....it’s time our students communicated to their peers in other parts of the country and the world and competing with MTV and myriad of other distractions in the process.
6] Efficiency: Our students can graph in seconds leaving them more time to analyze, and critically examine the discrepancies that exist
7] Keeping Families together...Calling your family keeping in touch employing the video images on a picture phone rather than just voice.
8] ROBOTS: We are trying to "ANTHROPOMORPHIZE" our computers....R2, She2, and the android ...When we chase a kid down the hall we have the power to get the kid’s attention in a unique way.
9] Entertainment: Education should be fun and innovative: ex. We can model the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park.
10] Creativity: Where else can all 7 Kinds of intelligence be manifested in one place (we usually compartmentalize our learning)
6] EDUCATION:
1] Students these days are very sophisticated
2] Secret ....start them at an early age
3] Worried about keeping students off of the streets and out of trouble....buy them a computer and keep them so busy they won’t have time
4] Labs: so many years we suffered with illegible Lab reports, papers that the Business world demands
5] Partnerships: In the past education was creating something out of nothing. But, education needs to be reinvented, and the way to do that is to form partnerships with these companies.
Design of the "Classroom of the Future":
Electronic desks
Museum
touch screen
teleconferencing