It is well known that BIG is the adjective most appropriate for the State of Texas. And nothing that comes out of Texas is bigger than that series of film, interactive, and music festivals and conferences titled SXSW (South by SouthWest)  that has taken place in Austin, Texas the Spring of every year since 1987. 

How big, you ask?  Well, where else will you find over 250,000 performers, bands, films and other exhibits in the first weeks of March!

And while the thousands of bands,  performers and independent films  make for a great time after a long winter, South by SouthWest isn’t just about music and film. Long considered a breeding ground for new ideas and creative technologies, it is also about recognizing important innovations in media,  human computer interaction, and perhaps most important of all to our nation's’ continued technological dominance, creative and innovative new ventures in education technology like our RobotsLAB’s BOX. The BOX is one of only ten finalists selected to participate in the SXSWedu Festival after months of extensive evaluation of hundreds of applicants by a panel of stakeholders including university professors, teachers, administrators and policy makers.

Why was this distinguished panel so impressed with our RobotsLAB Box?  Well, Imagine being taught quadratic equations by a quadcopter. The RobotsLAB BOX is a revolutionary teaching-aid demonstrating Algebra I, Algebra II, Physics, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus’ core concepts using robots. The easy-to-use tablet includes 50 hours of interactive lessons, in-class quizzes and instructional videos, helping students understand why math is relevant to their world. Without any prior experience in robotics or computer science, teachers can demonstrate abstract concepts like slope, sine, cosine, and vectors right out of the BOX. The lesson plans are strictly aligned with mandated Common Core, TEKS and STAAR standards for middle and high school. Designed by teachers for teachers this affordable solution improves student’s understanding and information retention; robots are the best engagement tool math classes have ever seen.

If you’re not busy this March (3rd-7th) you might want to get over to Austin, Texas and see what a big festival is really all about. Not only are you likely to have a real good time, you will probably get a glance at the future of math education--robots!

 Learn why RobotsLAB BOX was nominated and is a finalist: