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Mr. Brusate's Classroom

  • The Learning Center
  • Lexington, KY
  • 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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Make a donation Mr. Brusate can use on his next classroom project.

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Past projects 2

  • Yet-To-Be-Named Robotics (FTC Team #23626) Needs More Equipment

    Funded Sep 7, 2024

    On behalf of Yet-to-be-Named Robotics, the FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team at The Learning Center, I'd like to thank you for your contributions to our team. With your help, we were able to procure a second REV Robotics Starter Kit. The team's old equipment had already gotten a bit battered and scuffed after our last year's competitions--one controller had begun to tear up and a USB port on the driver hub had begun to glitch, so the timing of your gift was particularly apt. When the team saw the new controllers and robot kit, they were ecstatic. Moreover, last year we had over a dozen students attempting to build one robot--not an ideal situation! This year, your generosity allowed more students to get valuable hands-on robot design and construction experience.

    Having a second kit allowed us to break the class into two smaller groups, each building their own individual robot. One team opted to design a traditional tank drive chassis system, and the other opted to design a mechanum drive chassis. Each approach provided unique challenges and I'm proud to say that the students handled both well. Perhaps it's to be expected that each team insisted that their drive train was the better choice. So just before Thanksgiving, we had both class teams square off for a "best of five" competition, where the mechanum team won three of five matches. Their chassis proved more versatile, though the tower and claw design of the tank-drive team proved more effective.

    When it came time to meld both robots into one before attending the official FIRST Tech Challenge matches in early December, the class opted to stick with the mechanum wheel chassis but use the claw system designed by the tank drive team. The resulting franken-robot, which the class has named Franklin, subsequently won two of the five official competition matches. Given that we were competing against dual-credit high school students from Morehead and Louisville teams with deep pockets, we were very pleased with our results. If it were not for you and your generosity towards our small team, I don't believe we would have been as successful.

    You may also be pleased to hear that your contributions are already changing the lives and futures of individual students on the team. One of the class's young female students, an 11th grader who had been indifferent to robotics at the start of the semester, became more and more engaged as she helped design and build the tank-drive team chassis. Her enthusiasm eventually grew to the point of gushing with pride about her participation to anyone who would listen. Then, on a school visit to Toyota Manufacturing in Georgetown, she enthusiastically recounted her experience to the tour guide who, recognizing her fresh passion, offered her an internship next summer. It's a huge success that may open doors for her that she had never even considered.

    We at TLC appreciate your generous contribution. With the materials you helped us procure, we hope to compete and succeed in the State Championship next February. We cannot thank you enough.”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Brusate

    This classroom project was brought to life by The Gates Foundation and 15 other donors.
  • TLC's Brand New Yet-to-Be-Named Robotics Team

    Funded Jul 31, 2023

    Thank you again for donating to Mr. Brusate's class and our Yet-to-Be-Named TLC Robotics Team. We've been making the best of our new equipment. We ended up not getting the Techtronic kits that we originally requested because when DonorsChoose went to purchase the items, they found that they were no longer available. But we were able to turn this setback into a HUGE win since it gave the class the chance to buy more specialized equipment from REV Robotics, the company from whom we had purchased our initial classroom robotics kit. It's a blessing because we weren't sure the Techtronic kits would even integrate with our robotics equipment, but once we were granted the opportunity to get more REV equipment, everything integrates perfectly. We procured several items that will help us build a better robot that will move more quickly and perform more competitively.

    The item that the students have appreciated more than anything is a new Mechanum Wheels Chassis Kit. Mechanum wheels have smaller wheels mounted diagonally on larger wheels; this set-up allows a robot to not only move forward and backward but to crabwalk sideways. The students were quick to unpack this equipment and replace the omni-wheels on the first robot we built so they could see how the Mechanum wheels work. This turned into a learning opportunity: While the Mechanum wheels did give the first robot more maneuverability, these wheels work best when they're programmed to work in tandem diagonally. Ah, the importance of reading directions! (We've now got a group of students assigned to building the original Mechanum kit from the instructions.)

    We also procured several more Servo motors and a Control Hub Expansion kit so we can add extra motors to our robot. We purchased two extra robot batteries for competition back-ups, and a Lift Extension Arm Kit so the robot can reach and pick up items instead of having to roll up to them. We've broken the class into smaller groups and assigned one of these new kits to each, instructing the students to assemble items as needed, to learn how the kits work, and to prepare a presentation for the rest of the class about the construction, programming, use, and care of each piece of new equipment. The groups will present after Thanksgiving break, a final project for this semester.

    As to the team's name, the students are still arguing over it. Some students want to go with White Tigers (The Learning Center's school mascot); but others have suggested the White Knights, Red Knights, Primus Machina, Robot TLC, and a slew of other possibilities. We don't really need a team name until January when we have our first competition, and I have not pushed the class to decide because I think whichever students actually compete then should have more say in the final decision. So as of right now, we're still known as TLC's Yet-to-Be-Named Robotics Team. Stay tuned!”

    With gratitude,

    Mr. Brusate

About my class

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