NewsUpper SchoolAcademicsTechnology
Students learn the art of robotics
Feb 7, 2008 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Written by Andrea Freygang, Young Romans Reporter, Rome News-Tribune, published 2/5/08
Young students at Darlington School have spent the past year learning how to build and program robots in an after-school program by Owen Kinney, Upper School science teacher. As part of First Lego League, Kinney hopes to bring a group of students to international competitions next year.
"This is our first year doing this, so we're not competing, but we'll go next November," said Kinney. "Kids are learning engineering and programming a robot using computer software." While the pieces are made by Lego, he said it's not the traditional brick pieces kids usually use.
For this year, he has worked with 9-11 year old students, but is in the process of starting a Middle School program in the next few weeks. Kinney said Upper School students have been able to take a computer robotics class in their junior year.
"This gives kids the opportunity to experience robotics and engineering at a young age until they graduate," said Kinney. "We try to give kids every opportunity to excel in areas they want to excel [in] because only so many are going to be the quarterback."
Once the kids turn 15, they advance to the next level and are expected to work with more sophisticated materials, but while the kids follow specific directions, they have freedom to find the robot they want to make. Kinney said one is remote controlled, another is in sync with Bluetooth. The kids incorporate all types of engineering abilities to put them together and then use a computer program to tell the robot what to do. Kinney was inspired by his own kids to start the team at Darlington.
"I have three boys who are all cuckoo about Legos. The oldest one got a robot set because he had seen the high school kids doing it, and he really liked it," said Kinney. "With the Lego League, there (are) 100,000 kids around the world, with the first robotic competition at the Georgia Dome mid-April," said Kinney, adding that he plans to take his teams of robot engineers to watch that competition. "It's a rare opportunity to use science. It's an honest indicator of how well kids use what they learn in basic engineering - putting axels in, gears, wheels. They said they can do it, so I need to see it. Plus, it's just fun - just one big puzzle."
For more information on the robotics competitions and the Lego League, visit www.usfirst.org.
Young students at Darlington School have spent the past year learning how to build and program robots in an after-school program by Owen Kinney, Upper School science teacher. As part of First Lego League, Kinney hopes to bring a group of students to international competitions next year.
"This is our first year doing this, so we're not competing, but we'll go next November," said Kinney. "Kids are learning engineering and programming a robot using computer software." While the pieces are made by Lego, he said it's not the traditional brick pieces kids usually use.
For this year, he has worked with 9-11 year old students, but is in the process of starting a Middle School program in the next few weeks. Kinney said Upper School students have been able to take a computer robotics class in their junior year.
"This gives kids the opportunity to experience robotics and engineering at a young age until they graduate," said Kinney. "We try to give kids every opportunity to excel in areas they want to excel [in] because only so many are going to be the quarterback."
Once the kids turn 15, they advance to the next level and are expected to work with more sophisticated materials, but while the kids follow specific directions, they have freedom to find the robot they want to make. Kinney said one is remote controlled, another is in sync with Bluetooth. The kids incorporate all types of engineering abilities to put them together and then use a computer program to tell the robot what to do. Kinney was inspired by his own kids to start the team at Darlington.
"I have three boys who are all cuckoo about Legos. The oldest one got a robot set because he had seen the high school kids doing it, and he really liked it," said Kinney. "With the Lego League, there (are) 100,000 kids around the world, with the first robotic competition at the Georgia Dome mid-April," said Kinney, adding that he plans to take his teams of robot engineers to watch that competition. "It's a rare opportunity to use science. It's an honest indicator of how well kids use what they learn in basic engineering - putting axels in, gears, wheels. They said they can do it, so I need to see it. Plus, it's just fun - just one big puzzle."
For more information on the robotics competitions and the Lego League, visit www.usfirst.org.
