#akedchat Archive
#akedchat is a great way for Alaska-based educators to share teaching strategies, educational resources, and more.
Monday May 16, 2016
11:00 PM EDT
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Please take a moment to let me know who you are and where you are located.
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Wade Roach is an engineering teacher and robotics coach at Dimond High School in Anchorage, AK.
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Hey , I'm here in Kodiak, Asst. Principal at , happy to be here for
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I am a teacher at Dimond HS in Anchorage AK. I teach engineering and coach robotics
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A1: Educational robotics makes me think about legos, motors, wires, batteries, fighting robots, problem solving robots
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A1: yes, with groups of kids trying to figure it all out and seeming to have an amazing time while doing so...
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"figuring it all out" that's the important part
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When I heard All Tech Considered on npr today it was what came to mind for robotics...art and tech
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When I think of art in engineering I think of elegance of solution: blend of modularity, maintainability, fit to purpose
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A2: I think that it can. It's all about how students are engaged.
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Q3: only you , we need more people participating at the competitive level here at
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yes there is an elegance in a nice robot design that is hard to pin down... you know it when you see it.
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There is a teacher at kodiak that brought a couple teams to State FTC and they advanced to the next level!!
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FIRST is just one of a few big producers of robot competitions, it was the first one I got involved with.
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For inspiration and recognition of science and technology, they have a goal to change the culture of the world!
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A4 I'm going to have to say it's about the design cycle, Bob
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A4: robotics is tricking kids into solving problems, working together as a team, and communicating...good soft skills
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FIRST is a non-profit that produces 4 different robotics programs for K-12 +
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A5: I think that all ages can do some level of robotics. All ages are interested in problem solving for sure.
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FIRST - started by inventor Dean Kamen in 1992 as a high school compeititon (FRC), grown to include JrFLL, FLL, and FTC.
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in AK we have limited Jr.FLL (K-3), strong FLL (4-8), strong FTC (7-12) and just one FRC team (9-12)
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The FIRST Robotics Competition Team (FRC) 568 is an all state team that is open to high school students in AK.
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A6: If you can find old electronics you can create a "breakerspace" for next to nothing. Higher level robotics has not top end.
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A6: Yes, I have collected tons of "junk" over the years and we harvest it as we need, but this does need space to store it.
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A6: and as to competitive robotics it has become somewhat of an arms race with those that have doing well
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Our own thought breaker space is a cool enough idea that she made it happen. https://t.co/5NpzicXNCP
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A6: If you can find old electronics you can create a "breakerspace" for next to nothing. Higher level robotics has not top end.
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good point. Space is at a premium, so that can be hard. Also, tools need some forethought too.
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I am just getting in. Watched some great kids present at Board meeting tonight. I'm the principal of
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A1 I see kids solving problems.
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A6: FIRST does provide rookies with additional resources and design games to mitigate veteran advantage...but never enough
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A7: Robotics as a sport helps to provide urgency and audience. Makes it real, allows a venue for student to learn from each other.
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A7: ASAA, gpa requirements, infrastructure, good and the bad...club vs varsity, funding, fee waivers, maybe more participation?
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A2 I haven't thought of it that way before but that is a good idea. It can be artful when we have elegant solutions
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Cool to have you, were the kids from the Kodiak HS FTC team?
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A3: I haven't. I imagine there is a lot of highs and lows
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A8: A single team at a school, a single team at a district, community teams, university sponsored, mentored by others, cte?
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A4: that is so true. All of my greatest accomplishments have not been about the thing, but about the process and what I learned.
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A3: I have coached all levels of FIRST -- started with FRC 568, run school and community FTC teams, after school FLL and JrFLL
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A8: The robotics community would like to see all AK students have an opportunity to be on a robotics team.
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A8: We are growing a program at the high school level. We have classes at the middle school, but have not yet been competitive.
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A8: but this may not appeal to all, there are other options...maker movement
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A5 my kids love using the foo's to learn about robotics.
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A7: does competition add something? or is it a relic from our past? the old way of thinking about the world?
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A9: Provide space, time in the schedule, and access outside of the normal school day
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A9: and reliable funding. We have also found that getting the robotics coach is one of the limiting factors
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A6 it doesn't need to cost that much. You can do robotics with very basic things. You could lump a lot into robotics
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A10: wow, never really thought about that one. I think that it'll become more common, popular, normal.
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A7 I think it puts too many limitations to think of it as a sport
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A10: kind of a big question I know...
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I agree, it seems so archaic to compete, even if there is coopertition and gracious professionalism.
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Awesome π― https://t.co/vW8cTSvIW0
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we are trying with FRC568 to connect with rural areas that do have internet via opensimulator which creates a virtual lab space
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A10: i have this feeling that our FRC team will become self sustaining and produce the future we want to live in
