When our middle school introduced a robotics course this year, it was a significant development. I had experience with a gamified coding platform in my previous school district and thought it would be a good fit for our new school. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the platform offered a virtual option for students to engage in robotics activities, which helped to maintain their interest in the subject.
I was already familiar with the vendor’s robotics competitions and believed they would enhance the robotics program we were planning to implement. When I joined this school, we didn’t have any existing robotics programs, so we were eager to get eighth-grade students involved in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway.
The implementation of our gamified coding and robotics platform has been successful in preparing students for future academic and professional success. Here are five ways in which the platform has been beneficial:
1. Alignment with state standards: The platform aligns with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards for Technology Applications, making it easy for educators to integrate computer science into the curriculum. The platform provides robust teacher support for interdisciplinary lessons, helping to build a strong foundation for technical and engineering career pathways.
2. Flexible curriculum integration: Our school is currently using the provider’s Cyber Robotics 101 and 102 courses along with physical Lego SPIKE education kits. The coding is done in Blockly, with the option for students to also use Python LEGO. We plan to expand our use of the platform in the future to further enhance our robotics instruction.
3. Real-world knowledge and experience: The robotics course includes lessons that require students to follow pathways to collect energy cells. This hands-on experience teaches students about safety guidelines and how to handle hazardous materials, emphasizing the importance of safety in robotics.
4. Individualized learning: The platform offers student-paced learning, allowing students to learn at their own speed and adapt to their individual needs. Even students with no prior coding or robotics experience can easily jump into the program and catch up through self-paced learning.
5. Easy for teachers to use: The platform is designed to guide students through the learning process with minimal teacher intervention. Teachers can easily track students’ progress and customize the curriculum based on their needs, making it a user-friendly tool for educators.
As we look ahead, we plan to encourage students to complete both Robotics 101 and 102 before graduating, setting them up for success in high school. My advice to other districts starting their own robotics and coding programs is to start small and gradually expand, leveraging online resources like Cyber Robotics 101 and 102 to lay a strong foundation for future coursework.
