KissMyCountry had the chance to meet Team Blob and watch them present at the Microsoft Imagine Cup US finals in Washington, DC on April 26, 2010, where they placed fourth in Software.  One of two all-female teams in the finals, Team Blob is three students at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology - Robyn Krage, Lori Rebenitsch, and Jaelle Scheurman – and their mentor, Dr. Antonette Logar.  Enjoy hearing about the team, their project – an educational tool that encourages the use of technology in classrooms, and their plans for the future!

First Up At Bat
Team Blob walked up to the front of the room and took their positions.  They were the first to present their Imagine Cup project to the panel of judges, which included a senior Microsoft executive, the Chief Technology Officer for the District of Columbia, a CEO and the Chief Washington Correspondent for The New York Times.  Daunting, I thought.  Maybe for others, but not for Team Blob.

Strong Presenters and a Well-Designed Project
Robyn Krage looked at the screen, looked at the judges, and confidently began to speak.  Jaelle Schuerman stood at a laptop, keeping the presentation flowing.  Lori Rebenitsch stood to the side, ready to begin her portion.  Robyn explained the team’s Blob Multitouch Designer, designed to encourage interest in computers and technology among children and teenagers, especially girls.  To address the problem of gender inequality, the team thought about how girls and women tend to learn best – collaboratively and in a non-linear fashion.  The Blob Multitouch Designer is designed around these ideas.  Robyn easily moved images around the screen, combining information to create a presentation.  The judges watched, heads following the images as Robyn combined them on the screen.

The ‘Timeline of Women in Science’
Robyn stepped aside as Lori moved to the screen and presented the team’s ‘Timeline of Women in Science’.  Smiling, Lori told the judges that the ‘Timeline’ was a centerpiece used to demonstrate how to use the system, and went on to highlight the first entry in the ‘Timeline’, during the Sixth Century – the wife of Pythagorus, who  also had mathematical skill.  Wow, I thought, I’d really like to see that timeline.  What a great idea – not only design a system to encourage interest in technology among girls, but give them example after example of women in science, technology and  mathematics.  As Lori touched on points in the ‘Timeline’ I saw the first woman scientist I ever knew about, Rachel Carson, and remembered myself as a 7-year old holding a copy of ‘The Sea Around Us’.  Wow.

Judges’ Questions Handled Well
Team Blob continued to talk about sessions with teachers and children, about Girl’s Day at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology and reactions of young girls to the Designer, and about their plans to continue work on the Multitouch Designer through the summer.  As the judges asked their questions, Robyn, Lori and Jaelle easily answered and made clear their consideration for cost as well as accessibility for home schooling to create a tool for all students and teachers with their system.

The Next Stage for Team Blob and the Blob Multitouch Designer
After the presentation, we had a chance to meet the girls directly as well as Dr. Antonette Logar, the team’s Mentor.  In their team t-shirts, the girls were busy with others, answering questions.  Dr. Logar was friendly, clearly proud of the girls and the work they’ve done, and I liked her immediately.  Asking the girls where they plan to go next, I learned that Robyn, Lori and Jaelle will graduate this year and move on to jobs and careers, but that their project stays with the university.  Team Blob hopes that another group of students will continue to work on the Blob Multitouch Designer .  We hope so too and hope that Dr. Logar will continue to Mentor.

Team Blob – and Dr. Logar – you’ve done a great thing!  You’ve created a technology for teachers – many of them women – to easily use with students, and you’ve thought of ways to make this accessible to everyone.   The best technology makes you drop the way you’ve done something before; you’ve done that here.   This is not only a tool for children and teenagers.  I see application with the elderly, with ESL adults, with anyone challenged by traditional learning techniques.  But I’m sure you’ve thought of that – you’re a very sharp group. 

All the best as you move ahead with your work this summer – we know you’ll leave things in good shape.  Robyn, Lori, Jaelle and Dr. Logar, we’d like to stay in touch – and catch up toward the end of the summer to see what’s going to happen as you each move on.  All the best and we’ll talk later!

This post is part of a series related to Microsoft’s Imagine Cup.  To learn more about the Blob Multitouch Designer please visit their web site.  Prior to the US finals in Washington, DC KissMyCountry posted a guest blog post with Erin Donohue, mentor for the Mango Bunnies, the other all-female team competing in the Imagine Cup US finals this year.  Watch for KissMyCountry’s upcoming post on the Mango Bunnies, as well as a post by Mr. K on the Gaming finalists.  We will also follow the Imagine Cup as the international final in July, in Warsaw, approach!