Questions from Google's 10 to 100th Challenge
Carrot™
10. What one sentence best describes your idea?
All levels of students are allowed access to favorite technology (chat, text, Internet,
cell, TV) ONLY after lessons and demonstrating their knowledge
11. Describe your idea in more depth.
Carrot™ is a conditional-access software. With Carrot™, parents no longer need to
constantly motivate their children to do homework.
By using Carrot™ learning occurs as a by-product of what students love to do most.
Carrot™ stimulates young people’s minds by meeting them where they are: on the
computer, Internet, text messaging, playing video games, chatting on cell phones or
watching television. Carrot™ interrupts these activities with a screen containing a
brief lesson, then later, corresponding questions or problems, at random intervals
defined by the parent, guardian or teacher. By answering CORRECTLY the student
can re-gain access. Until the student answers a question correctly, he or she
CANNOT re-gain access. However, the student can get assistance by either asking
for a hint or asking for an easier question. A wrong answer by the student will NOT
re-gain access to their activity. Questions are based upon lessons previously
presented and correspond to knowledge taught at student’s grade level.
The parent, guardian or teacher installs Carrot™ and defines all of its parameters,
including the particular lesson plan(s) to be activated and how often Carrot™
interrupts.
When a student asks, or insists, on using the computer, cell phone or other, the
parent, guardian or teacher has the peace of mind in knowing that the student is
gaining positive and constructive knowledge as a by-product.
Carrot’s software engine along with foundation knowledge base, the three R’s, will
reside with the ISP or can be downloaded to individual devices. Specialty courses
can be purchased from a vast array of third party vendors then installed directly to
clients device.
Carrot™ will be offered to parents, teachers and guardians around the world by the
ISP’s as a service. It will be available in most languages.
12. What problem or issue does your idea address?
The process of learning is in constant competition with an enormity of high-tech
distractions. Compare the amount of time a student spends on homework to time
spent indulging high-tech devices. If we could integrate the two, collective
knowledge around the world would increase exponentially. Carrot™ successfully
integrates these at levels K-12 and beyond, including college and professional
levels. Because Carrot™ interrupts periodically and in parallel with normal daily
activities a more efficient and convenient way of learning results.
13. If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and
how?
7% of the world’s population or 462 million will have direct access to this technology
via the Internet. Most directly affected will be 116 million Internet children under the
age of 18 years. People of all ages who endeavor to gain knowledge, in all
developing nations, will benefit from this technology. The human race as a whole
will benefit by more enlightened members. Enlightened by what they wish to know
and what their mentors wish them to understand. Armed with knowledge, prejudice
and ignorance will at least begin to diminish. Once unlikely achievers will become
our leaders of tomorrow.
14. What are the initial steps required to get this idea off the ground?
1) Our initial patents have been filed and are near issuance 2) Proof of concept
and demonstration software has been completed 3) Advanced programmers have
been identified and are ready to get started 4) A vast array of third-party
educational content is already available 5) WE NEED at least one major partner
willing to make a commitment
15. Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and
successfully implemented. How would you measure it?
Carrot™ maintains a log of lessons and problems presented and questions asked.
It maintains a log of correct as well as incorrect responses. This log can be housed
locally or automatically transferred to ISP’s server for analysis. The logging of
millions of responses each day will provide a direct measurement of knowledge
gained, nearly instantaneously. It will also provide, through the logging of incorrect
responses, areas of needed focus.
18. If you'd like to recommend a specific organization, or the ideal type of
organization, to execute your plan, please do so here.
Google™ will be the ideal partner in making Carrot™ a reality. Additionally a major
cell phone provider such as AT&T would round out the team.