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Mrs. Smiley’s Classroom Edit display name

  • Varsity Lakes Middle School
  • Lehigh Acres, FL
  • More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

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My students love to create, and they love to build! It is always inspiring when these kids learn to use the simplest tools, as many had never touched a screwdriver, turned a wrench or lifted a hammer before entering my class. Most can operate a retail video controller with aplomb, but what glowing smiles I see when they manage to build a robot, solder a circuit board and wire a controller to manipulate their own creations! My students learn to design and build underwater robots (SeaPerch) as well as many other robotic builds (Vex) ranging from dragsters to a manufacturing assembly line. Using the design process from start to finish allows them to see those electronic items they use every day in an entirely different light! Most importantly, it opens their eyes to so many future opportunities for themselves. Adding the drills, soldering irons and vises will allow the students to deepen their knowledge of tools and improve their building efficiency. It will allow more time to create, troubleshoot and innovate as they spend a bit less time on the repetitive assembly tasks. Using the proper tools will allow for complex and more durable builds, enhancing their potential successes at future robotic competitions. Competitions are an excellent way to build character, hone leadership skills, and practice those critical collaborative efforts. Additionally, the tools are high quality, so while this project lists my current students funding this project will benefit future students as well, giving even more bang for the buck!

About my class

My students love to create, and they love to build! It is always inspiring when these kids learn to use the simplest tools, as many had never touched a screwdriver, turned a wrench or lifted a hammer before entering my class. Most can operate a retail video controller with aplomb, but what glowing smiles I see when they manage to build a robot, solder a circuit board and wire a controller to manipulate their own creations! My students learn to design and build underwater robots (SeaPerch) as well as many other robotic builds (Vex) ranging from dragsters to a manufacturing assembly line. Using the design process from start to finish allows them to see those electronic items they use every day in an entirely different light! Most importantly, it opens their eyes to so many future opportunities for themselves. Adding the drills, soldering irons and vises will allow the students to deepen their knowledge of tools and improve their building efficiency. It will allow more time to create, troubleshoot and innovate as they spend a bit less time on the repetitive assembly tasks. Using the proper tools will allow for complex and more durable builds, enhancing their potential successes at future robotic competitions. Competitions are an excellent way to build character, hone leadership skills, and practice those critical collaborative efforts. Additionally, the tools are high quality, so while this project lists my current students funding this project will benefit future students as well, giving even more bang for the buck!

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About my class

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