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UPDATE:
WHAT IS ROBOT HEART STORIES?
Robot Hearts Stories is an experiential learning project that uses collaboration and creative problem solving to put education directly in the hands of students.
MAKING AN IMPACT IN JUST A FEW DAYS
It's only been a few days since we've launched but we're already receiving materials from all over the world!
Jasmine Idun from Switzerland created a knit version of the robot!
Students in Laura Flemming's Cherry Hill Elementary school in NJ have been working with "Laika" our lovely little robot all week.
In addition "Laika" is working with students k thru 5th grade. There is an ESL (english as a second language) class working to tell stories to "Laika" and a number of autistic students have been using "Laika" as a way to demonstrate their passion for books.
Meanwhile the students from Montreal and LA are collaborating to move "Laika" from Montreal to LA.
"Laika" is moving across the North America with a team of award winning photographers
The students' determine "Laika's" journey. Their interactions back and forth each day are very inspiring. For instance the students in Montreal created the following animation for the students in LA. Click here to watch.
BUT WE NEED YOUR HELP! This project has the potential to reach many more students globally. We are working to demonstrate how education can become experiential. How by placing learning in children's hands it can help to make a difference in their lives.
This project moves faster than brand support and granting cycles. We are working to show how passionate people can make an impact on education and how together we can help a robot to reboot education.
Contribute what you can and also make sure to print out a heartpack and share something that you're passionate about.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Robot Hearts Story was recently featured in Good Magazine! Read the article here.
See what Discovery News has to say about the project. Read the article.
SPECIAL THANKS
Also, Microvision generously donated two Pico Projectors for the Montreal and LA classrooms. Yippie!
The Inspiration
http://www.robotheartstories.com/
Hi my name is Lance Weiler and Robot Heart Stories is a passion project for myself and a number of other amazing collaborators.
When my 3 1/2 year old son and my mom (aka Grammy) get together to read stories it is often via our iPad. What I found inspiring is that while "Grammy" was teaching her grandson to read, he was teaching her how to use the iPad.
Media literacy and the digital divide are becoming bigger issues every day, thanks to the connected world in which we live. Robot Heart Stories is an effort to explore these issues in a fun and playful way that makes education experiential.
What is Robot Heart Stories?
Robot Hearts Stories is an experiential learning project that uses collaboration and creative problem solving to put education directly in the hands of students. This fall, two classrooms, a continent apart, will work together to get a lost robot home, and they will need your help
The experience begins when a robot crash lands in Montreal and must make her way to LA in order to find her space craft and return home. One classroom in LA (English speaking) and one multimedia workshop for children in Montreal (French speaking), will use math, science, history, geography and creative writing to help a robot make her way across North America.
At the same time, Robot Hearts Stories extends beyond the classroom, as the project welcomes involvement from a global audience. We need participants of all ages to share their own passions in the form of a creative act involving a robot they can print, customize and document. For each photo or piece of art featuring the robot that is submitted, the "signal strength" of the robot grows stronger and helps her to get back home.
Robot Heart Stories is the first in a trilogy of experiential learning projects from award winning storytelling visionary and experience designer Lance Weiler and creative producer Janine Saunders. It is our feeling that together we can empower endless creativity and, with the help of a robot, we can reboot education.
Come join the fun!
A plush robot toy was designed by Monster Factory in Toronto. This is the first prototype of our robot. Isn't she cute? :)
Where does the money go and what if you raise more?
$15,000 - goes towards:
- Robot and our photography team traveling across Canada and United States for 16 days.
- Technology in the LA classroom including tablets, projectors, and wi-fi.
- Getting the Story Pirates to Montreal to work with the kids in the Montreal after-school program.
- Creating a book that will be published after the project launches, the proceeds of which will be donated to an organization that focuses on creative and experiential education.
- Production and technical cost associated with the project.
- Creating and manufacturing the plush toy robot.
$20,000 helps by doing all the above plus:
- Creating a short documentary about the project that will benefit educators and inspire creators worldwide.
- Ensuring a beautifully documented launch of the robot into space.
FAQ
Award winning storytelling visionary and experience designer Lance Weiler and creative producer Janine Saunders are the core of this project, but many people from around the world also made Robot Heart Stories possible, including our parterres Story Pirates, Fondation du Dr. Julien, Festival du Nouveau Cinema, Northern Army, DIY DAYS, Design Related, UCLA, and Open Access Week.
Why crowdfund?
When we first started discussing Robot Heart Stories in late May, we knew that we wanted to launch the project in early fall. With such a short amount of time before the launch, we decided to start working on the project itself instead of spending days upon weeks working on funding opportunities that aren't even guaranteed. What was first only a conversation quickly grew into a large scale project, with many collaborators heavily involved. We feel that crowd-funding mirrors that collaboration, a core theme of project itself, and thus makes the most sense as our source of funding. We also hope that people will feel good about financially contributing to a project that directly impacts 40 students in disenfranchised areas and moves us one step closer to rebooting education.
When does this start?
Robot Heart Stories kicks of on Oct 17th and concludes on Oct 28th.
How do I follow the progress?
What is the rocket all about?
How does the robot travel?
How do I know this is real?
We were very fortunate to partner up with the Story Pirates in LA and FNC + Fondation du Dr. Julien in Montreal. Between these three partners we were able to identify teachers and students that would not only benefit from the experience, but were also open for global collaboration.
How is the curriculum being built and how can it be used in the future?
Why is the plush toy so expensive?
When Will I receive my perks?
WHOSE INVOLVED?
LA Teacher:
Mr. Dennis Hagen-Smith is a 5th grade teacher at Toluca Lake Elementary School in North Hollywood, California. He was born and raised in the greater Los Angeles area, and earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees at UCLA. A National Board Certified teacher, Mr. Hagen-Smith is a firm believer in public education. He strives to integrate the curriculum to make learning more meaningful to his students. Mr. Hagen-Smith was awarded the Historical Society of Southern Californias highest award, the 2009-10 Joseph S. OFlaherty Distinguished Teaching Award.
Montreal Teacher:
Daphne Cyr is an artistic trainer. She creates multimedia works with at-risk children. Since 2008 she is director of the film camp Les Ptits Loups and a programmer for the Festival of New Cinema in Montreal.
Story Pirates:
Story Pirates is a nationally respected education and media organization founded in 2003 to celebrate the words and ideas of young people. By pairing world-class teachers with first-rate actors and comedians, Story Pirates offer a variety of tools to make learning more engaging and effective. Dually based in New York and Los Angeles, they are best known for the Play/Write Program, a series of writing workshops that lead to a musical sketch comedy show in which students' stories are performed by professional artists. Story Pirates' acclaimed programs and professional development services for teachers are in place at over 150 schools from coast to coast.
The Fondation du Dr. Julien:
The Fondation du Dr Julien is a social enterprise that is renowned for the quality of its professional services which are offered to vulnerable children. Our approach, community social pediatrics, touches on the disciplines of health, social sciences and law. All involved parties work together towards a common goal: encouraging the well-being and development of children, while also respecting their fundamental rights and maintaining a consistent link with their environment (family, friends, recreation). Simply put, interdisciplinary work within community social pediatrics teams, as well as the inter-sectoral work with different networks (health, social services, youth protection, school, community, legal) is essential to this model. We are constantly innovating in order to better respond to their needs by giving families and community the necessary tools from its two social pediatrics centers: Assistance denfants en difficult (AED), in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and Centre de Services prventifs lenfance (CSPE), in Cte-des-Neiges. The Fondation du Dr Julien also supports the network of social pediatric in community center teams that are expanding throughout Canada.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please take a moment to share this project with any teacher or parent that you think would find it interesting. We're also looking to reach as many people who are interested in media and digital literacy as possible. And, remember, the project is powered by people all over the world. We are always looking for individuals or groups who are interested in sharing their time and talents!
Team on This Campaign:
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Lance WeilerExperience Designer
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Janine SaundersCreative Producer