Image Credit: CFJC Today / Jill Sperling

By Jill Sperling

LEGO ROBOTICS

Kamloops students learn a lesson in problem-solving through robotics class

Jan 10, 2020 | 4:42 PM

KAMLOOPS — Technology is ever evolving and School District 73 is trying to keep up by teaching students how to use technology in new and creative ways.

Several classes across the district have been learning about robotics.

Grade six students at McGowan Park Elementary School have built and programmed their robots using Lego Robotics.

“I love Lego Robotics,” said student Skylan DeSantis. “I love Lego and I love robotics. My mom, when she got the email she was like, ‘oh man, he’s going to love this, it’s Lego and robotics.'”

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Skylan loves the creativity involved in putting his robot together and the countless programming possibilities.

“We’ve programmed them how to drive around and now we’re programming them, we’ve put a sensor on today, and we go towards the wall and then we turn, it just follows the wall around so it never hits the wall,” he said. “We’re going to race, have a race with them.”

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Jill Sperling

Elizabeth De Vries is School District 73’s technology coordinator. She’s been leading the class through the steps involved in getting their robots to move.

“Because we’re in January and this is the start up of the term, I’m the one leading this off with this group, but the teacher is taking it from here and at the end of January these students will be teaching another class and then the equipment will be moving from this class to another school where the next class will have a chance to learn,” she said. “So these students are building their expertise as teachers, but they don’t even know it yet.”

The class was provided with laptops and robotics kits thanks to a grant from RBC Future Launch.

The students are developing critical thinking skills as they use code to make their robots move the way they want them to.

Image Credit: CFJC Today / Jill Sperling

“It’s really just a way that we can use technology for learning and build real-world skills and understanding how to trouble shoot when something doesn’t work and being able to work with things in a different way,” De Vries said.

These skills will be beneficial in future careers, whether in robotics, or something else.

“I like it as a hobby,” Skylan said, “but for a career I’d like to be an NHL superstar and a police man.”