Playing in the background while I’m writing this post is the song Now Your Gone by DJ Alex of Bass Hunter, and God Is a Girl by Groove Coverage.
It feels weird. I am sitting here, by my desktop, pondering of what to write about in my blog. Nothing seems that interesting, plus, I do feel lazy to upload those photo’s which I have in my K550i camera phone. 
I guess, it would be so darn boring for me to say that I have been busy for the past few days. But that is a fact. My robotics team, hit a new record… doing their training (or rather robot building) until night yesterday. I wonder whether it shows commitment, because I frankly told them that they should have finished their project weeks ago if they were more serious during the previous sessions… but I guess, students will always be students.. no matter how good they are. The debate on whether the “F1 in Schools” project is better than the “Robotics” project continues, and I guess, it has created sort of a rivalry between the two projects, with, yours truly backing Robotics.
I was told that the ‘F1 in Schools’ project is a pet project of Datuk H, the current Malaysian Education minister, and Robotics is a project devised by Sasbadi Sdn Bhd, and approved by Tun Mahathir. I was also told that the ‘F1 in Schools’ project is just an ordinary hi-tech extra curricular activity, where as Robotics would be made a subject in schools in the future… so, judging from those small points, it seems that Robotics is more beneficial in a long run, even tough its more towards using Lego sets to build a robot.
If I were to look at it as the teacher in charge of MJROBOTICS, which is my robotics team… I’d have to say that I pity them so much more than those taking up the ‘F1 in Schools’ projects. Students in Robotics have weeks to think of what they want to do, and design what they need to build based on the given theme. After the idea is out, they would have to sketch, and start making what they only though would be possible in their minds. With weeks and months passing by, they would see their project change at least 5-6 times, with numerous enhancements, and additions. At some point, they would even have to do a complete overhaul and redesign the whole project if what they have imagined does not materialized.
In addition to that, they must equip themselves for the ‘never forgiving’ Q&A sessions during the competition, in which will see their designs being questioned till they eventually drop a jaw… They would have to defend their projects, and at the same time show what’s it worth to the human race. Seems easier said than done.. but the challenge is what pulls students to Robotics.
So, what about the ‘F1 in Schools’ project?? Ahhh.. I adore the fact that they do have to do marketing to find funds for their team, but my fascination on the ‘F1 in Schools’ project stops there. I do feel that the whole thing is not challenging enough, and is more towards introducing secondary school students to the use of car designing softwares. Nonetheless, I know that those in this project would bury my statement.. and say ‘F1 in Schools’ is better than Robotics. SO who is right?? beats me.. I’m still for Robotics.. and there goes my worthless rants of today….
MJROBOTICS… educating through robotics…yeahhhh!!!