Sachem East High School Robotics classes and the Sachem FIRST Robotics Team 263 "Aftershock" would love to share our love of programming robots with the lower grades. We are looking to have a group of students take robots and programming tablets to middle schools (and eventually elementary schools) to lead an after school activity. We are asking for a set of nine Sphero 2.0 SPRK Robotic balls and nine Android Tablets. The students from the Robotics classes and the FIRST Robotics Team at the high school will show the younger students how to use block programming to lead the robot through a maze, avoid objects, or even learn dance moves and change colors. The goal is to show younger students how fun and rewarding the world of math and programming can be!
With these materials Sachem High School Robotics students will be able to mentor younger grade level students to show them the fun of basic programming. Sphero Robots along with their paired Android Tablets allow students to use basic drag and drop programming loops to perform many tasks, such as driving through a maze autonomously, using sensors to sense and react to the environment around them, and to practice angles and distance. Both the high school students and Middle and or Elementary aged students involved in this mentoring program will be able to learn from each other, and maybe a thing or two from Sphero!
In Their Own Words
Programming is a skill that is best learned through play. Younger students will have a blast programming with Sphero which will blur the lines between play and learning. As high school students we would benefit from the community service opportunities, and be able to grow our Robotics team from year to year.
Teaching younger students is a way to improve our learning skills and to be able to create a more realistic role model. Younger students usually look up to older students and for them to see how we use science and math to our advantage in ways they have not seen before may spark an interest in math and science, or even take away a fear of math and science for younger students.
Robotics is always more interesting when you are involved in it, but it's a hard endeavor to start on your own. As a mentored group, a symbiotic relationship is created where everyone grows, learns, and wins. Younger students get that jump start in math, science and robotics, and High school students get to help out with their robotics skills!
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