Using robots as a hands-on tool for learning Bessemer City Middle students use robots as a hands-on tool for learning
In Andrew Graff ’ s classroom at Bessemer City Middle School , the first 10 minutes of the lesson look a lot like what you ’ d expect to happen on a typical Friday morning . Students are seated in their desks with notebooks and pencils ready . Graff stands at the front of room .
With a dry-erase marker in hand , Graff leads a discussion about the word of the day -- “ Conservation of Energy ” -- and diagrams a motor on the class whiteboard . But when he turns back to face the class , the notetaking ends and the active learning begins .
“ Are you ready ? Go ahead and get your robots ,” said Graff .
Now , the students put down their pencils and divide into teams , pulling out plastic boxes filled with metal parts and wires . Some plug robots into computers for programming ; others pick up screwdrivers or wrenches and start making adjustments to wheels and other moving parts .
For several weeks , the student teams have been working to design , build , wire and program a robot to pick up plastic blocks and to make it faster and better than their classmates ’ -- there will be a contest at the end of the project .
Graff ’ s classroom is the first in the district to use robotics kits as part of the CTE ( Career and Technical Education ) curriculum . In the future -- and depending on available funds -- Gaston County Schools ’ CTE Department hopes to offer the project to all middle schoolers across the district .
In their course of the CTE class , Graff ’ s students are learning concepts related to math , science , computer programming , and more . But by adding a robot to the process , it moves these lessons off the SMART Board and into the students ’ hands .
This is one goal of the project , said Russell Wingfield , instructional management coordinator for Career and Technical Education .
“ The use of robotics is a hands-on tool to integrate math , science , art and reading , and it helps students understand how all the core academic classes work together ,” he said .
Building a robot with classmates develops middle schoolers ’ problemsolving skills and teamwork , and as the teacher , Graff said he ’ s seen one significant benefit : “ The main thing is the students are very excited about coming to class .”
For several years , students in Gaston County Schools have been able to participate in FLL ( First Lego League ) Robotics teams , which meet after school and travel to competitions around the region .
These teams are limited to small groups of students , however , and for those whose parents can arrange after-school transportation . By integrating robotics into courses that all students take in middle school , the CTE Department aims to give every child the chance to build a robot .
At Bessemer City Middle , Wingfield explains , “ instead of reaching six to 10 students who have the ability to meet after school , the robotics curriculum is bringing those benefits to 300 to 350 students in the classroom .”
Integrating robotics into the core curriculum also reduces the gender gap , Wingfield said , giving more girls the chance to get involved with the math , science and programming aspects of the project . In Graff ’ s classroom , this is easy to see .
In one corner of the room , Esmeralda Ruiz was kneeling on the floor beside her team ’ s robot as they worked to program its mechanical arm . “ I like putting the wires together ,” she explained .
Another team was huddled around a computer , working to program their robot ’ s remote control . “ It ’ s like a challenge . When we got it working , it was fun ,” said student Samarion Sheppard .
The challenge is what motivates student learning , Wingfield explained .
“ The project has driven students struggling in math to work harder in a core math class so they could understand and write their robot ’ s code ,” he said . “ They have to figure out these issues through math calculations -- it makes them want to learn in the math classroom .”
Graff explained that he uses the robots to teach science and physics concepts as well : center of gravity , torque , mechanical advantage , and others .
“ These are things they need to have a conceptual understanding of before they can make their robot ,” he said .
Students also have to use their computers to design and program the robot ’ s remote control , giving them the chance to explore coding . “ There ’ s a lot of teachable moments ,” Graff said . “ Students will have everything programmed correctly , everything working fine , then suddenly the motor stops working . At that moment , it becomes a real-life troubleshooting scenario . They have to find the errors in the system . They are solving these things for themselves .”
Rebecca Wilson , principal at Bessemer City Middle , said the pilot project has been a success .
“ The students are talking about it outside of his class . They ’ re talking about the robot and being able to drive the robot . Students that typically are not as engaged in class are paying attention , are excited and are starting to take an active role in this part of the curriculum ,” she said .
Wilson looks forward to seeing the program replicated at other middle schools across the district .
“ The magnitude of the impact this could make -- integrating all the subjects together in a hands-on , very concentrated way , is immense . I don ’ t even know that we have realized how much of an impact it can make .”
8 • May / June 2016 • Parent Teacher News