Whether it's your birthday or the birthday of some one close to you, it'll always be an occasion that remains the reservoir of happy memories, lots of laughter and wholesome family fun! Birthday is one of those occasions where the strong emotional bonds, warmth of heartfelt best wishes go beyond the barrier of language and sincere and cordial birthday wish always becomes successful in conveying with its true glory.

Other than the usual party, celebrations, good food and sparkling birthday gifts, it is a day when the spotlight shines on friends, relatives, parents and cheerful memories. It is the day when the birthday boy or girl is in his or her most emotionally vulnerable state. Feelings, thoughts previously unspoken, may be in fear of denunciation are expressed on this day as it is the perfect occasion to share feelings and emotions along with best wishes.

When it comes to wishing your loved ones on his or her birthday, originality and uniqueness is the key to make your dear one feel surprised and delighted. It's hard to put in to words what you want to express to the birthday boy or girl on that special day, but once you tell them how wonderful you feel on their birthday, the expression on their face with bright smile and cheerful look makes the day all the more special. To brighten up the birthday of your loved onesyou may be finding the right word to express your heartfelt best wishes can be a difficult task, so why don't you go beyond the barrier of language and wish happy birthday in different languages. It's sure to make your friend, relative or whoever is the birthday boy or girl, feel fascinated and really excited at this unique birthday wish. Even if it is the birthday celebration of a little kid, wishing happy birthday in different languages can be a quite an educating way of wishing someone happy birthday. Kids can learn those languages a little and feel fascinated in exploring more, consequently stirring their learning faculty in an indirect way. Here is a list which will help you to wish "Happy Birthday" in different languages of the world. So next time you are at a birthday party you can share the joy and excitement in different languages. It can be an amusing at the same time a unique learning experience for both of you.

Brazil: Parabéns a você! nesta data querida muitas felicidades e muitos anos de vida.

Chinese-Cantonese: Sun Yat Fai Lok!

Chinese-Mandarin: qu ni sheng er kuai le

Croatian: Sretan Rodendan!

Czech: Vsechno nejlepsi k Tvym narozeninam!!

Danish: Tillykke med fodselsdagen!

Dutch: Hartelijk gefeliciteerd! or Van harte gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag!

Esperanto: Felichan Naskightagon!

Farsi: Tavalodet Mobarak!

Finnish: Hyvaa syntymapaivaa!

French (Canada): Bonne Fete!

French: Joyeux Anniversaire!

German: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Greek: Eytyxismena Genethlia! or Chronia Pola!

Hawaiian: Hau`oli la hanau!

Hebrew: Yom Huledet Same'ach!

Hungarian: Boldog szuletesnapot! or Isten eltessen!

Italian: Buon Compleanno!

Japanese: Otanjou-bi Omedetou Gozaimasu!

Russian: S dniom razhdjenia! or Pazdravliayu s dniom razhdjenia!

Spanish: Feliz Cumpleaños!

Swedish: Grattis på födelsedagen

Taiwanese: San leaz quiet lo!

Thai: Suk San Wan Keut!

Ukrainian: Mnohiya lita! or Z dnem narodjennia!

I. Introduction

“You can’t achieve what you can’t conceive.”

-Author unknown

The United States of America may lose its supremacy as a superpower if our children of today can’t grasp the technologies of tomorrow. The trend has already been set. High-level engineering jobs are currently being outsourced to other nations, not only because of cheaper costs, but inadequacies of filling them in the states. Let’s face it; there are not too many Americans who strive to have a doctrine in Electrical Engineering to do research and development. To other countries like Korea, many students see Math as the “universal language” and foresee a technically based doctorate level diploma as a necessity for excelling in their country. To many, this is the only road out of poverty. American children, stereotypically, do not have this fear to motivate them. Many children in this “superior” country just view mathematics as something needed to pass a proficiency test. Its value is discarded. The implementations are unseen. The desire of children to follow this type of career path is decreasing. Obviously, these future implications are disturbing and may some day be detrimental to the foundation of our country. However, I believe nurturing children’s enthusiasm in needing to use math may be the answer. Not surprisingly as stated in Robots for Kids, “Robots rank right up there with dinosaurs when it comes to grabbing the attention of elementary school students…” [1 p. 232]. Hence, I predict an interest, active participation, and proper guidance in robotics will increase nationally recorded math scores.

II. Staggering Math Scores

The facts don’t lie. According to the US Department of Education in 1999 [2], the United States ranked 12th among 4th graders, a staggering 28th among 8th graders, and just 19th among seniors in nationally recorded math scores. How can poverty stricken and problematic country like Israel be three rankings ahead of us with 8th graders? Clearly, money isn’t the answer. Nor do I believe Israelis have fewer fears about violence than our inner city children do to distract them. Although I’m a bit perplexed by the answer, I believe solution lies in a child’s own aspirations and inner desires. Many of our youth dream to be professional athletes or pop singers. That’s what they see. That’s what they know. That’s what they love. These young easily influenced children view these avenues not only as fun, but also as a means for financial freedom. With mathematics being the “universal language,” children in other countries may see this as the only way to break through levels of poverty and thrive in life. Let’s face it; math can be a difficult subject to grasp. Unless one either has the first name ‘Albert’ or discovers motivational reasons to put forth extra effort, the scores will suffer. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) has found that “students who agreed that they like math and that math was useful for solving problems, scored higher than students who disagreed” [3]. To no surprise, many educators have already taken this as a given. The question that now arises is how to motivate the children? Or better yet, how does one follow a handed-down curriculum while taking advantage of today’s enticing technologies? As stated by Druin and Hendler, “I believe the desire for learning has to do with an animating idea or an engaging project. New technologies enable students of all ages to pursue richer, far more complex learning experiences. With robots, students can truly be scientists, engineers, designers, and builders” [1 pp. 161-62].

  Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 12

Rank Nation Score Nation Score Nation Score

1 Singapore 625 Singapore 643 Netherlands 560

2 Korea 611 Korea 607 Sweden 552

3 Japan 597 Japan 605 Denmark 547

4 Hong Kong 587 Hong Kong 588 Switzerland 540

5 Netherlands 577 Belgium 565 Iceland 534

6 Czech Republic 567 Czech Republic 564 Norway 528

7 Austria 559 Slovak Republic 547 France 523

8 Slovenia 552 Switzerland 545 New Zealand 522

9 Ireland 550 Netherlands 541 Australia 522

10 Hungary 548 Slovenia 541 Canada 519

11 Australia 546 Bulgaria 540 Slovenia 518

12 United States 545 Austria 539 Germany 495

13 Canada 532 France 538 Hungary 483

14 Israel 531 Hungary 537 Italy 476

15 Latvia 525 Russian Fed. 535 Russian Fed. 471

16 Scotland 520 Australia 530 Lithuania 469

17 England 513 Ireland 527 Czech Republic 466

18 Cyprus 502 Canada 527 United States 461

19 Norway 502 Belgium 526 Cyprus 446

20 New Zealand 499 Sweden 519 South Africa 356

21 Greece 492 Thailand 522    

22 Thailand 490 Israel 522    

23 Portugal 475 Germany 509    

24 Iceland 474 New Zealand 508    

25 Iran 429 …(28th)United States 500

   

Figure 1: Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) of 1999 Math scores [2].

Figure 2: Average mathematics scores by students that state “I like math” [3].

Figure 3: Average mathematics scores by students that state “Mathematics is useful for solving everyday problems” [3].

III. Robots in the Media

Television may be lending a helping hand in the educational pursuit of sparking kid’s interest in robots. Maybe the eyes have been blessed to see Honda’s commercial of a 4 foot robot walking down the driveway to pickup a Sunday paper. This completely autonomous robot, which appears to be wearing a space suit, is currently on tour around the world. This “Advanced Step in Innovative MObility,” or better known as ASIMO, is the result of a robotics program that began in 1986. Being the most advanced humanoid robot in existence, this intriguing creation walks on two legs, has 26 degrees of freedom, can walk up steps, and is currently on a North American Educational Tour. Recently, this technological marvel visited the Bronx schools in an attempt to “encourage the interest in the study of robotics and science” [4]. Even a section on the website is dedicated to teacher’s resources for children. With ASIMO, Honda is truly giving our youth “The power of dreams” [4].

Sony is also doing its part to “Change the way you see world.” AIBO has become a pet of the future for many while the SDR-4X II is all the rave. AIBO is an autonomous dog that can learn, do tricks, and express feelings. This approximately $2000 piece of entertainment is completely programmable for upgrading and educational purposes. Be prepared for the pet to express 6 different types of feelings, act according to its environment and attention it’s receiving, seek out its toys, and without human help it will wake up and fall asleep on a charging station. Not only does the dog mature overtime, but also it won’t dirty the carpets as a puppy! The SDR-4X II, on the other hand, literally has become the rave among youngsters. This humanoid can be caught “raving” (a techno dance technique), throwing balls, doing tai chi, and even jogging. Even better, the video clips available on the Internet and television demonstrate five of them doing it in unison. And it gets better! This robot also has face recognition, a 20,000-word vocabulary for speech recognition and synthesis, color recognition, and still finds time to map out a room for optimum placement to show off. Now only if this thing didn’t need to be charged. Oh, did I mention work is already being done on that [4, 5]?

The stated robots do a wonderful job of creating attention for themselves and portraying to youngsters “cool” jobs to have when they grown up. However, I believe the television show Robot Wars is a driving force for inspiring them to begin building. I can vouch as living proof of that statement. Turn on TechTV and you will have the pleasure of watching robots battle to the death in an arena that has gusts of fire, pits to oblivion, and flippers that launch unfortunate robots through the air to their doom. Combine this with hundreds if not over a thousand screaming children in the stands and this show becomes a quick favorite. The program’s website even provides a daily quench for the thirst of building. Direct links are provided on how to start creating robots from home. GI Joes begin to look like baby toys in comparison to a 500 pound robot that shoots fire, spins blades, has crushing pinchers, and is moving strictly to survive and destroy someone else’s creation. Inside this 20- by 54-foot arena is the ultimate in robot combat and competition. Children love it [7, 8]!

IV. Creative Avenues

A common place many turn to when compelled to build a bot is David Cook’s book, Robot Building for Beginners. Following these instructions, not only will a line following robot be built, but math is unavoidably used and pursued. In order to understand speed, one must first understand Revolutions Per Minute, trade offs between speed and torque, battery levels, friction, robot mass and ways to manipulate these values with different voltages, gear ratios, and tire sizes. Trial and error is always an option and, might I add, a popular one amongst beginners. Remember, robotics is something that making a mistake is ‘OK’ and a tremendous amount of the learning results from these mistakes. However, this is where a teacher steps in and provides a ‘bag of tricks’ to the knowledge hungry children. I believe Miller and Stein say it best when they detail reactions from a second grade class:

“…several students will stare with awe and admiration at the one or two students who know their multiplication tables and can predict how many times a motor needs to turn to make the wheel on their robot turn once… All of a sudden radii, circles, circumferences, and so on have utility—as one of our students suddenly loudly exclaimed, “So that’s what pi is for!”” [1 pp. 231-32].

Wow, all that to just determine speed. Lets not forget that the person reading the book is going to learn about materials science (i.e. textile strength), basic electronics (voltage = current * resistance), mechanics (loads and stress), diodes, resisters, capacitors, LEDs, and all the tools and procedures to use them effectively. At first glance, this may seem like a lot to learn for a child. Remember this: it’s not the teacher’s lessons being forced on the kids, it’s their own! What child becomes enthused with a question stating, “If Jack is half as old as Jill, and Jill is one third as old as Jan? Then how old is Jack on Jan’s 60 birthday?” Building robots is a teacher’s dream--true problem solving with the added benefit of enthusiasm [9].

With DC robots, the sky is the limit on how technical the project will become. However, sometimes quicker and less complex solutions may be more appropriate. BEAM technology uses solar energy to power very simplistic, yet captivating, robots. This acronym for Biology Electronics Aesthetics Mechanics represents an area of robotics using no computational power, inspirations from Mother Nature, a focus on designs that appeal to the eye, while making it all work with the small amount of power given from a solar panel. There are rarely circuit boards used, no programming is involved, and just a few inexpensive are parts needed. My first BEAM robot involved a paper clip, a pager motor, a solar panel, a capacitor, and a little solder. In about 20 minutes, the 5 parts came to life! The beauty of these robots is the simplicity to build, the parts are cheap to buy or easily found in techno junk around the house, and only a soldering iron is necessary to build them. While these robots generally take the form of a bug or some other small creature, they have a large appeal to children. Projects are very quick. This fact alone adheres to those with a short attention span who want immediate feedback on their progresses. In addition, many of the basic principals of science and biology are incorporated in the design and can be discussed with respect to solar energy. Visits to the zoo will become more educational as children will seek out animals to mimic their moments and appearance. “Construction material and project ideas that appeal to a broad range of interests allow multiple entry points into science, mathematics, engineering, design, art and music for all types of learners. These materials not only make new knowledge domains accessible, but also provide new ways for children to relate to domains of knowledge to which they have already been exposed” [1 p. 22]. In addition, an obvious challenge of this solar technology is to minimize the current used and find ways of storing (capacitors) what little energy that is available. Hence, young robotists will learn the importance of reading and comprehending part data sheets in order to choose the appropriate parts wisely. Naturally, some of the most basic problem solving techniques are utilized at its finest [10].

When the pupil is young or the soldering skills have not quite matured, Lego Mindstorms is always an exceptional choice. Actually, anyone of any age will find this technical and robotic line of Legos a wise investment. Not only are the parts reusable and nonexclusive to a particular project, but also they can be programmed in various languages on a computer from Visual Basic to Lego’s own object oriented programming language. No cables are needed either. All of this can be done via an infrared transmitter! It’s difficult to fathom how Legos have walked hand-in-hand with technology. For example, let’s take a closer look at the kit “Robotics Invention System 2.0.” This set includes a battery operated RCX Microcomputer used to store programs and connect all the peripherals, 718 pieces which include 2 motors, 2 touch sensors, and 1 light sensor, a USB infrared tower, and a simple yet powerful picture based programming language on CD. Of course, all the Legos from any of the prior kits can be used in conjunction with this educational tool. In addition, at the Mindstorms website, there is a free online program in which to create projects choosing any Lego in existence. This 3D virtual environment is ideal for posting creations on the web or experimenting with Legos that have yet to be purchased [11, 12, 13].

As a result of the software included, children can have their first robot built in less than an hour after purchase. There are a slew of practice lessons, training sessions, and missions included on the CD. Each of these training sessions teaches a specific capability of the Robotics System while describing various ways to test, troubleshoot, and tweak the constructions. Eventually, the lessons will escalate into such capabilities as: using sensors to interact with the environment, programming with icons that represent blocks of code, and create environmental responses for the robot to do anything its creator desires. By the time the CD is completed, nearly all the fundamental techniques necessary to complete projects will have been covered [11, 14].

Already, there are over a dozen books written about Lego Mindstorms with detailed how-to’s of creating everything from a scanner, musical instrument, and a picture creator, to a spy bot, fingernail polisher, and M&M color sorter. I even own books that describe the creations of an ATM machine, card dealer, elephants that squirt water, and even a robot that does the work of cleaning the Lego’s from the floor [15]. By completing these projects, according to Cole and O’Conner, “(Educational) benefits include helping children to improve their concentration skills, work with instructions, problem solve, and develop patience” [16]. This line of Legos created by MIT professors is currently being used with thousands of educators across the world. Since most children only view the robot as a “toy”, they tend to stay highly focused and engaged throughout the lessons. Thus allowing more productive group settings, more creative and in depth solutions to given scenarios, and development of interpersonal skills and team-building skills. All of this is accomplished without the use of a pencil [17, 18]!

V. Case Study

If something can’t be measured, then I believe it cannot be proven or improved. My hypothesis is that with an interest, active participation, and proper guidance in robotics, the TIMMS scores on average will increase at least 10 points over a year’s time. Since the tests are taken at 4th, 8th, and 12th grade years respectively, this undertaking would need to involve an entire school system and then relate the scores to the year’s prior. Remember, the content of an experience, and not so much the tools, are what is vital to learning. Hence, the roles, guidance, and trainings of the teachers and designated robot/BEAM/Lego Mindstorms “experts” cannot be stressed enough. It is naive to consider placing a computer in front of a person and expecting one to be capable of building a network, creating a webpage, or becoming fluent in a programming language. The same goes for robotics. When launching this curriculum upgrade in the beginning of a fall school year, it is essential to educate the teachers during the prior summer. Obviously, this time will be spent to understand the equipment, discuss and personalize previously created and borrowed lesson plans, and provide an entire summer of uninhibited experimentation. However, this is also a period to overcome any fears or dislikes of technology and change. “For example, some people uncomfortable with new ways can replicate the old ways by using technology. It is a safe way to sneak up on change… Some teachers, who have little experience with new technologies in their classroom, have been known to force-fit new technologies to well-worn curricula” [1 p. 159]. For this case study to be effective, educators must embrace breaking through the mold of “old school” comfortable habits and adhere to the potentials of what technology can foster. This is, of course, the pursuit of “richer, far more complex learning experiences [1 p. 161].

The procedure itself is laid out in a similar pattern amongst the different grade zones. Months prior to the start of the school year, a letter detailing the curriculum changes should be sent out to all the parents. This letter should brief the intentions and communicate resources that a parent could turn to for pre-exposure to themselves and their children with the upcoming technologies. Parental support and involvement are essential to exceeding expectations in this new process.

A. Elementary School

Beginning with the elementary level, grades 1-5, the year should begin with a speaker. Here, Lego Mindstorms will be introduced and accompanied with a display case full of inventions. Demonstrations will be shown to all. This will incite interest and curiosity amongst the listeners. Also, leaving these creations in a strategic trophy-case-like display will perpetuate the excitement and foster a desire for involvement. Lego Mindstorms will be added to the curriculum. This time invested can be substituted for some of the weekly sciences and designated math time slots. When executed properly, the lesson plans of different mathematical principals can be shared as helpful hints to the students. Also, in replacement of the annual science fair, a “Lego Fair” could be established. This will provide for more parental involvement regarding the Mindstorms. How many projects are really done 100% by the student anyway? Also, a sense of pride and achievement will be attained in the ownership of a creation on display for everyone to see. In addition, having the student stand by the project during showing to answer questions and provide detailed descriptions and demonstrations will solidify the understanding, theories, and principles used in the creation process.

Just as in high school, I believe tenure and seniority should have its perks. Assuming the continuation of this curriculum advancement, 4th and 5th graders would eventually have 3 and 4 years of Mindstorms experience under their belts. Thus, allowing for more advanced projects and deeper problem solving capabilities. To add fuel to this fire, a monthly competition could be established solely for the “upper class people.” This could involve creating a solution to build a robot that follows a line and picks up Legos, a race around a track following a line, or even a robot that can navigate through a simple maze. Whatever the challenge; a secret agenda should be accomplished. Carefully choose a project that is best solved using principles that coincide with the forecasted science or mathematical lesson plans that month. I believe this would serve as an honor to be old enough to participate in these activities. Student involvement would inevitably increase as a result. Also, what’s better than having a child seeking out mathematical tricks from the teacher, i.e. how to use fractions for simplification of programming timings, in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage over a fellow classmate? Stated in business terms, competition fosters innovation. Then last of all, administer the TIMMS tests and compare the scores to a prior non-Lego integrated year.

B. Middle and Junior High School

In a similar fashion, grades 6th through 8th will experience robotics with a heightened level of technical skills necessary to complete the projects. The main differences are the integration of electrical components, basic electrical principles, soldering techniques, and solar technology used in the foundation of BEAM technology. A guest will also be brought in at the start of the school year for the technical overview and exhibitions of a display-case amount of BEAM robots. However, this speaker will also be an electrical engineer. This expert will relay the pertinence of the BEAM skills to be learned as they are utilized in the real world. Also, the professional should state the educational path best taken in math and science to prepare for a college major in this field. As with the elementary children, the creations will be left on display and questions will be welcomed both during the presentation and on a one-on-one basis.

Since students will more than likely be changing classes for the different subjects, the science labs should be equipped with the necessary tools for the solar robots. This robotics class will need to be slotted in a certain portion of the week in replacement of the sciences. In addition, a yearly BEAM robot fair should also be created. Robots that interact, seek out light, and intertwine independent ideas (as apposed to just following directions out of a book) should be suggested. A new twist will be added to this fair though. Students will be required to provide a write-up that details schematics, electrical calculations, and descriptions of the robot. This should even include how light transforms to energy for the motor. This insures that the student is actually understanding the creation and learning the principles—not just excelling in the field of directions following. If the Beam Robot Fair is the yearly event for all grades, the monthly projects for the privileged 8th graders could be a robot race. I would like to better name these functions “The Solar Roller Races.” Here, students will create solar powered drag cars to race their fellow classmates. These simple creations will be entered into a bracketing system in which the monthly winners will have their names engraved on an annual plaque. Winners could be encouraged to retire that car and work on a new one for the next month. This will encourage continued devotion to these races from everyone. And as the last step in this process would be, TIMMS test should be administered to the students and compared to prior non-robot years.

C. High School

With no surprise, the most involved, demanding, and in depth robotic projects will be asked of those in high school. The sky is the limit on the complexity of any project here. Also, in hopes of keeping the robotics program alive for many years, those who began with the Lego Mindstorms will be able to utilize their skills since first grade on the projects. Robot bases can easily be made of Legos and light can also be used as a power source. Students will eventually learn there are advantages and disadvantages to every decision they make.

The school year for grades 9-12 will follow in line with K-8 and begin with a visit from a speaker. This speaker will be an Electrical Engineer fluent in the field of robotics. Again an overview will be given, creations will be demonstrated, a Q/A session will take place, career paths will be detailed, and specific class routes will be suggested. Although the speaker descriptions appear to just be reiterations of other grade levels, the importance cannot be stressed enough. Many teenagers begin career paths based upon what they enjoy. Hopefully, those who become passionate about robotics understand the importance of accelerated classes for technical majors in college. This fact cannot be forgotten. The classes specific to robotics will be offered to each grade level with increasingly more in depth coverage for the higher grades.

Also, instead of a yearly robot fair, I desire the yearly event to be participation in FIRST. “For Inspiration in Science and Technology” is a 6 weeklong competition modeled after an MIT 2.70 mechanical engineering class [1 p. 248-49]. As described on the FIRST website:

“The FIRST Robotics Competition is a national engineering contest which immerses high school students in the exciting world of engineering. Teaming up with engineers from businesses and universities, students get a hands-on inside look at the engineering profession. In six intense weeks, students and engineers work together to brainstorm, design, construct and test their “champion robot.” With only six weeks, all jobs are critical path. The teams then compete in a spirited, no-holds-barred tournament complete with referees, cheerleaders and time clocks.

The partnerships developed between schools, businesses, and universities provide an exchange of resources and talent, highlighting mutual needs, building cooperation, and exposing students to new career choices. The result is a fun, exciting and stimulating environment in which all participants discover the important connection between classroom lessons and real world applications.

Each year, the competition is different, so returning teams always have a new challenge to look forward to. However, the details are kept secret until the unveiling at the Kick-Off workshop. This provides a high level of excitement as everyone sees the new challenge for the first time and ideas immediately being forming in people’s minds” [19, 1 pp. 248-49].



Upper class people will also have their privileges in high school. The monthly event open to 10th and 11th graders could be robot sumo. Here, students will create completely autonomous robots and mimic the rules of one of Japan’s most popular sports—sumo. Instead, the idea is for the size and weight class restricted robots to push each other out of a circular ring. Robot sumo has already made its way into many robot clubs, high schools, and universities. The popularity of this event can be credited to its low part costs and simplicity of rules. In 2001 alone, more than 4,000 robots competed in a 4-month season in Japan and those numbers are growing at an exponential rate. Innovation is what keeps this “game” growing in numbers and proves invaluable for student participation and educational advancement [20].

Naturally, in order to prove my hypothesis, the high school students would also need to be administered an internationally recognized TIMMS exam. These scores would then need to be compared to non-robotic years.

VI. Conclusions

Although the robotic case study has not been implemented to test my hypothesis, I will make predictions on the findings. As forethought, I also believe the conclusions to be correct to a high amount of accuracy. There are many ingredients to this success and I will attempt to touch on most of what I consider obvious outcomes. However, as a person of science, I admit that these ideas are not factual and even incomplete without the study actually taking place.

Public displays of projects and competitions have fostered extraordinary outcomes. So does the cooperative participation with all students. In time, I believe this will portray robotics as a “cool” thing to do in school. This being the case, some of the educational barriers will be hurdled in the process. Especially during the competitions, students will be working with the adults and not for them. Realizations that it is not the gender, race, creed, sex, or social status that matters in reference to partnering in robotics, but what they know and can contribute to the cause is a vital lesson. The differences in people will be grayed out while their possibly unknown qualities will shine. Robotics gives a chance for people who generally wouldn’t have associated with each other to seek each other out for their robotic potential [1 pp. 287-88].

Specifically looking at gender differences, it is important to note the participation of females in robotics. A finding from Robocamp states, “It appears that girls in particular may need encouragement and a formal structure in order to experiment and be creative… They would do more advanced exercises only when specifically asked” [1 p. 321]. Another finding exhumed from the book Robots for Kids details finding at an elementary school in Reston, Virginia. Believing the importance of ideas to be best left in the author’s words,

“We (KISS Institute for Practical Robotics) distributed flyers to the fifth and sixth graders (ages 10-11), and the next day 30 registrations appeared: 29 boys and 1 girl.

This overwhelming imbalance highlighted an obvious need to reach out to girls, and this inspired immediate action on our part. We received permission to present short robot demos for second graders. During these demos, students were invited to push buttons, flip levers, and otherwise interact with a couple of real robots. We then distributed flyers to the second graders for an after-school robotics class. This time we had enough response to form two classes, and about 40 percent of the registrants were girls.

Four years later when this group became sixth graders, we again offered a fifth/sixth-grade class. This time half the students who signed up were female. None of this resembles an actual scientific study (why we are developing); however, there was a fairly strong indication that when students had a fun experience with robots at an early age, they were much more likely to pursue that topic at a later point in their life. Presumably, the same effect would occur later in life, in that students would be more likely to choose college courses and/or career paths further down the line after having been exposed to fun experiences with robotics in middle and high school” [1 pp. 232-33].

Along with the proposed findings that more students will choose a technical career later in life, I believe that local robotics clubs will also begin forming in the community. This will lead to in depth community involvement of older more experienced people volunteering for robotics help in the local schools. Hence, this cycle will lead to better teachings and of course better projects. Also, I believe this will help perpetuate a more enjoyable school experience for children. This can be proven just by a jump in attendance. Another way to validate the statement is to look at the children’s Christmas/birthday lists. I believe they will include more robotic related materials than before.

All of these reasons encapsulate why math scores will improve. More specifically, I believe scores will improve by at least 10 points on the TIMMS scores as compared to non-robotic years. I say this because,

“In regular classes many teachers try to use grades to motivate students, and sometimes they miss the mark. It is best for students to push themselves to excel, so teachers give exams to test student achievement and attach a grade to motivate students to do their best. But one of the real problems of…education is that grading standards vary widely and continually slip downward. At the same time, students would seem to be foolishly wasting their time if they did anything more than the minimum required to get an ‘A’ in a class” [1 pp. 289].

Also, I foresee a higher enrollment in advanced math and science classes. This is, of course, a result of more students having their eyes opened to technical careers and taking proactive educational steps to achieve these dreams. If more students enroll in advanced math classes, then more students will score better on nationwide math based exams. In addition, lets not forget that students have been unknowingly working on problem solving skills and math based robotic inspired formulas for the duration of the year. The best part is that these processes were probably utilized in a majority of the student’s free time as projects were being created and completed. If portions of students are inspired to focus on robotics every spare hour they are free, increased math use is unavoidable. Hence, with this practice, so is improvement upon these skills. A 12-year long study of the continued robotic intervention of the 1st graders to their 12th grade testing would be interesting. The implications of perpetuated involvement in the robotics field would be fascinating.

People under the legal age of 18, or dare I categorize them as children, possess all the tenacity, creativity, and capacity to learn, as do adults. Channeling these incredible energies into something as positive and productive as robotics will have effects that ripple on beyond our comprehension. As best stated by a high school participant in FIRST, Daniel Lehrbaum shares his insight on people.

“…I think if students are put in a position where their opinions are valued and their designs are valued and people listen to them, suddenly they can rise to that new level. I think the one thing is that people fill the shoes that you put them in. If the engineers and advisors (that assist the team with FIRST) put them in really big shoes, they are going to fill them. They will do the things they need to do to get the job done. Especially if they are, you know, dedicated to the cause. People can do incredible things” [1 p. 271].



References

1. Druin, Allison, and Hendler, James, eds., Robots for Kids: Exploring New Technologies for Learning, San Diego, Academic Press, 2000, pp.159-62, 232-233, 248-249, 271, 297-288.

2. US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics: Overview and Key Findings Across Grade Levels, March 1999, , accessed May, 12 2004.

3. National Center for Education Statistics, Mathematics: The Nation’s Report Card (home), 17 June 2003, , accessed May, 12 2004.

4. Honda, ASIMO: North American Educational Tour, 2004, , accessed May, 12 2004.

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In today's society, beauty, physical attraction, and sexuality are all commonly misunderstood as some transcendent inevitable fact; falsely interlocking the three makes it seem doubly true that in order to initiate attraction between a man and a woman, both sexes should be beautiful to be sexual.

That of course is not true at all. The definitions of beautiful, attraction, and sexual constantly change to serve the social order, and the connection between the three ideas is a recent invention.

Some psychologists contend that the disparity among the concepts of beauty, attractions, and sexuality is based on the premise that both sexes are inclined to physical or sexual attraction because women are able to view men just as men view women, as subjects for sexual and aesthetic evaluation.

In a survey conducted by an "evolutionary psychologist," from 10,000 individuals who were interviewed, it was found out that men have high-regards to physical attraction in their budding sexual mates, while women attach importance to prominence, goals, and monetary sources.

No wonder why most cases of attraction are all based on sexuality and physical attributes. This is because men and women would rather have their significant others physically and sexually capable of giving them their necessities.

For instance, men are attracted to women who look good because this indicates excellent vigor and the capacity to produce offspring babies. On the other hand, women are attracted to men who look good because this indicates abundance in financial resources, in which, the ability to provide the basic necessities to their children is generated.

The point here is that both men and women may have their own basis for attraction but everything is generally focused on the physical and material aspects. This is because attraction is associated with the fact that the physical attributes motivate that part of the brain known as the "hypothalamus" that will produce different kinds of reactions from the body such as sexual arousal, increased heart rate, and perspiration.

So the question now is: How can the individual identify the clear signs of attraction?

There are many probable actions that might suggest attraction. However, the real signs include but not limited to the following:

1. Visual contact

This is when both a man and a woman gazed upon each other and instantly prolonged the moment as they look at each other longer than the typical glance.

Both are completely immersed on each other's anecdote, and every word will impress them both. All eyes are glued to each other that send a message that they are drawn to each other.

2. Preen

Preening means to adorn oneself carefully or to groom oneself with particular attention to details. Hence, attraction sets in when both would try to instantly make a quick fix and conquer each other's space.

3. Flirting

Teasing could have been the more appropriate term for it. This is when both sexes converse in a relaxed manner, with bodily actions associated to their thoughts and feelings, where, most often than not, sexual tensions and arousal are the primary upshots.

4. Physical contact

This is when a woman leans to wards the man and places a modest hand on his hand or arm. In this way, the woman is trying to tell the other person that she is attracted to him and that she is open to possibilities that involve the concerned person.

All of these things are boiled down to the fact that the asymmetry of the correlation among beauty, attraction, and sexuality that tells both men and women lies on how they both perceive each other's physical attributes. This is inevitable because the lack of it will definitely keep them sexually estranged.

Attraction is generally focused on imagery that is exclusively on the physical attributes of both men and women, where the society has created a very important role. This goes to show that the signs of attraction indicate the clear identification of desirability.

Given all that, both men and women should make the choice, by and large, to take each other as human beings first and not just mere sexual objects.

It should be well noted that these signs of attraction may be well confined on the premise that both men and women send out these signs as a ticket to conquer each other's space so as to start the "getting-to-know-each-other" stage.

There are millions of people around the globe taking treatment for bad circulation, and there are many others who suffer from bad circulation, but not aware of that. Most people ignore the symptoms or take it lightly and hence fail to diagnose it in time. When the person dies all of a sudden, then only others realize that he/she was suffering from bad circulation. This is why bad circulation is sometimes referred as a silent killer.

Bad circulation, in medical terminology Peripheral Vascular Disease PVD, is a medical condition which is somewhat similar to carotid artery disease and coronary artery disease. Bad circulation is caused when fatty deposits are accumulated in the inner linings of the artery wall. This accumulation results in the blockage of blood circulation. Bad circulation in arteries leads to the kidneys, arms, hand, legs, and feet. Most people who suffer from bad circulation may have fatty deposits in the arteries of brain and heart. This can cause the death of the patient from heart attack and stroke.

Bad circulation is considered as a serious condition and can result in heart attacks, loss of limbs, stroke, and in many cases even death. However if found in the early stages, bad circulation may be prevented or treated in the early stages with meditation, drug treatment, surgery, life style changes, or mostly a combination of all these treatments.

Some of the main symptoms of bad circulation are legs and or feet falling to sleep, cramping of the buttocks, legs, or feet, pain in the legs, swelling of the legs, tired aching feet; and very low temperature in your hands, arms, legs, or feet. If you feel that you have some or most of the symptoms then you may have been suffering from bad circulation. It is better to visit your family doctor and take a complete check up. Bad circulation can be diagnosed by a physical examination, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging angiography MRA, and X-ray angiography.

Some lifestyle changes which can help you to lower your risk include controlling diabetes, quit smoking, controlling blood pressure, and consuming low cholesterol diet. Bad circulation can be prevented to some extend by taking healthy fat free diet and regular exercises.

All we have to do is take a good look at the lifestyle we are living and it should be quite obvious to everyone why this is happening. First of all most people do not get enough exercise which is a crucial factor in allowing our blood to circulate properly. Bad circulation can lead to heart attack and strokes and if that is not enough all the fast food and fatty foods most people eat, only add to the problem.

Sometimes it seems for pregnant women that their belly is growing before their eyes, or, on the contrary, it's almost unnoticeable. Let's read experts comments on this question.

• Which factors sizes of belly during pregnancy depend on?

• Height of belly, i.e. height of uterus normally corresponds to the term of pregnancy. For example, on 32nd week of pregnancy it should be 32-33 cm. And volume of belly depends on a woman's individual peculiarities. Sometimes anatomic structure affects it: miniature women with slim pelvis have bigger belly, than tall women with full thighs have. But most of all growth of belly is connected with pregnant woman's general weight gaining. This is the factor which a woman should always pay attention to.

• Which weight gaining is considered to be normal?

• Every woman has her own individual norm. It depends on index of body mass, which can be calculated according to a special formula. Divide weight in kg on height in square meters. Normal index is from 19,8 to 25,9. If you're expecting twins, add at least 2,3-4,6 kg to this figures. Majority of women gain 40% of weight during the first half of pregnancy, 60% - during the second. If a woman had normal weight before pregnancy, then in the first term she may gain 1,5-2 kg, during the second - 0,5 kg a week, and for the whole 9th month - no more than 0,5-1 kg. Weight should be increased evenly and little by little. Normal baby's development depends on this.

• What are the dangers of overweight?

• If a woman gained too much weight, both she and fetus may experience troubles. Excessive weight gaining - is one of the symptoms of late toxicosis, unhealthy state of a pregnant woman. Late toxicosis may lead to development of miscarriage threat. Under such circumstances, a woman begins feeling pains in waist and lower part of belly. In extremely serious cases premature delivery or premature placenta exfoliation may take place. Moreover, overweight makes muscles work difficult. It also leads to edemas on feet, front abdominal wall, hands. Back and calf-leg muscles begin aching, blood circulation in legs' veins is gets broken, varicose disease becomes more intense. Pregnant woman gets tired more often and strong, becomes irritable. As for fetus, late toxicosis may cause chronic anoxaemia and even pre-natal death. Very full women's risk of such complications is higher.

• What can cause extremely quick weight gaining during pregnancy?

• Sometimes those who like eating well gain weight quickly. However, moderation in eating still doesn't guarantee normal weight. Too much liquid may accumulate in some women's organisms - for example, when kidneys work not well enough. So, if a pregnant woman gains weight too quickly, she should check quantity of liquid she drinks and evolves for day-and-night. Healthy woman evolves more liquid, than she drinks. And accumulation of liquid in organism leads to overweight. Then not only external organs, but also internal become swollen. Placentas' edemas are especially dangerous: they break normal fetus development.

• How can a pregnant woman get rid of edemas?

• While visiting maternity welfare centre, she should pay careful attention to recommendations concerning regimen of nutrition, which a doctor will give to her. As a rule, doctors advice all pregnant women to limit salt, piquant, fried and fat products consumption. The matter is that these products contribute to liquid accumulation in organism and lead to edemas. Once in 10 days it is recommended to arrange fasting days. Of course, this doesn't mean a pregnant woman should go without food. Hunger is categorically contra-indicated to a future mother. During fasting days a pregnant woman should restrict herself with certain products, for example, apples, cotton cheese, kefir, meat in strictly determined quantities. Moreover, she should observe confinement to bed - this improves liquid excretion out of organism. Diuretic herbs also help a lot. However, she shouldn't restrict quantity of liquid drunken suddenly. She should drink no less than 1,2-1,5 liters per day-and-night.

• It turns out that it's rather simple to struggle with edemas?

• Unfortunately, not always. Weight gaining depends on kidneys' work in many aspects. Thus, for example, weight is gained quickly if a woman has chronic urolithiasis, chronic pyelonephritis. Sometimes pyelonephritis appears already during pregnancy. As hormonal background is changing during this period. Organism begins producing more of a hormone, contributing to urinary tracts dilation. And various infections come to kidneys through these open gates. That's why all pregnant women should pass bacteriological test of vagina's excretions, control urine analyses constantly.

• What if a pregnant woman has too big fetus and this explains her overweight?

• Such thing happens sometimes. But this may testify of another problem. Very often women suffering from diabetes have big fetus. If a woman herself was born being big, then she needs to check sugar content in blood and urine, as diabetes can proceed also in latent form. Sometimes diabetes appears already during pregnancy. Again because of hormonal background change. Such pregnant women are in a risk group - even if heightened sugar content was shown only on one of several tests. By the way, overweight during pregnancy often force accoucheurs to use Cesarean section.

• On which terms sudden weight gaining is specially unwanted?

• Excess weight gaining is especially dangerous in the second half of pregnancy, to be more exact, since 20th week. And the earlier such complications happen, the more difficult confinement a woman will have. That's why we recommend women to take care of their weight, take arterial pressure on both hands and urine tests. If a woman has late toxicosis, as a rule, her blood pressure increases and albumen appears in urine. If all 3 symptoms are found - edemas, heightened blood pressure and albumen in urine - a woman is urgently hospitalized.

• Probably my question will surprise you. Is it possible to "adjust" a size of fetus somehow?

• I think, yes. Balanced nutrition, including products, rich in animal and vegetable proteins, vitamins, minerals, is necessary for this. A woman should take vitaminous preparations for sure. Of course, these are copy-book truths, but a woman observes these rules not always, for this or that reason.

• Apparently, size of belly depends also on quantity of amniotic fluids? Does liquid a woman drinks influence them?

• No. Reasons of excess of amniotic fluids are quite other: diabetes, anomalies of fetus development, Rhesus-conflict, infectious complications. If a woman has little amniotic fluids, this quite often means she will give birth to a post-mature baby.

• Probably, too small belly is better, than too big?

• No, I wouldn't say that. Insufficient weight gaining often leads to defect of fetus development, giving birth to a very small baby, premature birth, and sometimes even to death of a new-born. Pregnant women should strive for "golden middle". By the way, American scientists noticed that women with optimistic view on life give birth to babies of small weight less often. Experts explain that optimist women take care of their health better: do exercising regularly and eat well.

• Is there a straight dependence between a pregnant woman's emotional state and excess kilograms?

• Probably, there is. You know, being under stress situation, some women begin eating any food they see and emptying fridge. Here goes excess weight. And, on the contrary, other women just cannot eat at all in stress situation. That's why it's so important for close people and future mother herself to take care of her stable, calm emotional mood.