Past projects 3
Mission to Mars: A Robot's Story, the Sequel.
Funded Dec 19, 2016The robots my students received are amazing ! The students had a great time putting them together and learning about the different parts of a robot and the function of each part. One of the outcome I wanted to get out of this project was the collaboration of the students. This is a skill they will need in the future to be successful in their careers as engineers and scientist or in general to work in the work force of the future . Building robots with a group of sixth graders can be challenging but if done right it can yield tremendous rewards. Giving each student in the group a duty that comes with a responsibility made it easier to manage the group and it also made it more meaningful for the students.
Another objective of the project was to have the students communicate effectively to each other. The students had to identify the parts of the robot while taking an inventory of each item. Through this they learned new vocabulary words. After constructing their robot they had to program the robot to accomplish a desired task. Although it was challenging at first the students were able to meet many of their goals. This is just the beginning and the tip of the iceberg of what they can create. Thanks again for your generous contributions to this project it will certainly bare fruit in the future.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
Mission to Mars: A Robot's Story
Funded Aug 2, 2016One of the things that stands out right away after the robots were introduced in my classroom is the fact that the female students got involved in building the robots. They wanted to know more about how robots work and what they are used for. I was glad to see that they were not intimidated by the technology that was involved with building and programming the robots. My class as a whole was very excited about the new technology. Some of the things that the students are excited about is the fact that you can program the robots without any prior knowledge of a coding language. This is done simply by connecting predefined text label blocks. The students are excited about the fact that you can get started right away. This keeps the students engage which encourage them to want to learn more. I am encouraged by the fact that the students can branch off into many different subject matter areas, for example careers in robotics. They can also explore the science, technology and math that involved in robotics.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas
This classroom project was brought to life by Infosys Foundation USA and 2 other donors.A Chance to Replicate their Future
Funded Aug 26, 2015For those of you that are unfamiliar with a 3D printer and what it does, it is a machine that uses a thin filament of plastic to reproduce any object that can be designed on the computer. As an example, car manufacturing companies uses them to design new prototype parts to see how the part actually works before they go to full scale production. So with that said, you can't imagine the excitement of the students when they see the first objects printed from the machine. They are surprised and amazed that it really work and they can't wait to see what else it can print.
The thing about the 3D printer that is most exciting to the student is the fact that you can create an object on the computer and then print it out and you can touch, feel and hold that object. Another exciting thing for the students is that they can't wait until they get to print something they create on the computer.
So far all my students are eager to learn more about 3D printing and what they can do with it. This is a great opportunity for our students to learn about the manufacturing industry and product design and the future that awaits them as engineers, scientist and entrepreneurs.”
With gratitude,
Mr. Thomas