Overview
Category
Education Management
Valiant Technology is a small company which has been designing and selling educational robots to the pre-K-12. 'Roamer' is a Turtle-type robot evolved from the work of MIT's Seymour Papert. It is a constructivist tool that helps make students into active learners through a blended process of traditional learning of facts with a focus on developing understanding. Valiant has brought products to the market for over 30 years. It is probably the oldest extant educational robotic company in the world. It has sold its products to 27 different countries and has pioneered many of the standard ways of using this technology. CEO and designer Dave Catlin is a leading educational robot researcher which is reflected in the company's awards, starting with the first robot, the Valiant Turtle, being included in "The Best of British Design" published by the Design Council. Other awards followed including a BETT Award for Best Primary Product, the Queen's Award for Innovation, two Millennium Innovation Awards and the Horner's Award bestowed by the British Plastics Federation for the most innovative use of plastics. Recognition of the company's contribution to education includes the "Firefly" award presented by the technology teachers of Michigan State in the USA for contributions to technology teaching in Michigan and a Congressional Partnership award given by US Congressman Major Owen for work done in Brooklyn schools. Although Valiant is a small company, it has an extensive network of contacts around the world with whom it works to create excellent educational experiences for all students.
