evening and, together, we designed, built, and
programmed a somewhat functional robot.
Off to Ellensburg we went for our one-andonly competition of the year—with us, a couple
of totes of tools and spare parts. Upon arrival,
we quickly realized we looked like the “Bad
News Bears” compared to our competitors. At
the end of our 11th match over two days, with
a record of 2-9, the season and our robot were
over.
As we rolled back into our pit area, collectively,
the four students decided they were going
to work on components of the robot that we
had never had time to finish, and get to work.
Together, the team grabbed components
from the tote and began the process of
understanding how and why with an endless
series of “If, then, because” principles they
had learned in science class. One by one, they
began connecting tubes to components to other
tubes. The problem solving was off the charts.
Imagine an athletic team going 2-9 for their
season, and immediately following the final
buzzer all the team wanted to do was figure
out what went wrong and how to get better. As
I sat back and watched, it was one of the most
amazing moments of my teaching career. This
eclectic group came together for a common
goal, yet, in their own ways each grew from
this contextual learning experience. And
instead of food, they wanted to learn. Finally,
I pulled the plug, and we went to lunch where
the conversation was dominated by “what if ’s”
and “next year.” Even lunch could not stop the
learning.
Later that afternoon, in a packed gymnasium,
our team was recognized as the “Most
Inspirational Rookie Team” as voted on by
all the other competitors. The four boys
graciously accepted the trophy on behalf of all
of the other Asotin Ag Engineering students
who were back home.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) brings
relevance and application to learning. As
education and the implementation of Common
Core State Standards evolves, it is imperative
that schools, through scheduling and funding,
maintain enhancement programs including
CTE, the arts, music, and others. The student
engagement in these programs can be off the
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” they said in unison. 8