TMCNet: Learning science, and teamwork, at Patriot High School

[August 10, 2012]

Learning science, and teamwork, at Patriot High School

Aug 10, 2012 (News & Messenger - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- NOKESVILLE, Va. -- One of the things about building robots is learning to work and play well with others.

About 250 middle and elementary school students from across the region got the chance to practice cooperating during a recent robotics camp at Patriot High School.

While they were at it, they learned some science and math, and that was good, too, said Denyse Carroll, Regional STEM Education Coordinator for Prince William County Schools.

The VEX Systemic Solutions NOVA Summer Robotics Program for middle school students and the First Lego League for fourth- and fifthgraders are programs geared to spark students' interest in computer programming, robot building and problem solving, Carroll said.


"The whole point for the kids is to get them excited about science, technology, engineering and mathematics," Carroll said.

Mason Ryan was part of the First Lego League at the camp, where students learned to program a robot with onboard sensors that could avoid walls, detect light sources and put out candles on a 4- by 8-foot obstacle course.

Most of the robots, constructed with Legos, used a paddle fashioned from aluminum foil that was attached to a robotic arm.

The object was to program a robot to maneuver around walls so its sensors could find a candle, or light source, and activate mechanical arm to slap the aluminum foil paddle on the top of the candles and smother the flame.

Mason said the camp was up his alley.

"I've been building Legos basically my entire life, and I've been fascinated by the way robots work. When I found out that there was Lego robotics, I really thought it would be nice to join," said Mason, who will be a fourth-grader at Westridge Elementary School in September.

Mason said he also learned that perseverance could pay off.

"It helped me gain a little more patience. You're never going to get something right away. Nothing is going to work all of the time," the 9-year-old Mason said.

Tyler Weaver said he learned about give-and-take and accepting input from others.

"They all have different ideas, so you kind of get frustrated because you may have better ideas, but they don't like them," said the 10-year-old Tyler, who will be a fifth-grader at Manassas Park Elementary School this fall.

Ryan Osweiler, robotics coach at Triangle Elementary School, said he hopes the students who attended the camp make a "real world connection" with what they learned.

"A lot of the military and different groups around now send robots into different situations, to put fires out or detect explosives," he said.

He also said he liked the idea that students were learning to solve problems.

"Nothing will ever work 100 percent of the time. When you encounter those problems, do you get frustrated Do you give up or do you just keep trying to fix it, keep perfecting an idea " he asked.

The middle schoolers at the camp programmed robots to retrieve 4 by 4-inch beanbags and deposit them into various receptacles strategically placed in a 12- by 12-foot playing field.

Like the younger students, the middle schoolers learned that it takes a lot of people to be successful. "You learn how to work as a team.

You can't just do a robot with just on person," said Anna Pound, a14-yearold who attended the camp. "You all have to meld together as a team." Michael Hardy, a 15-year-old Osbourn Park High School student, said there are lessons to be learned from building robots.

"Patience is a virtue. If it doesn't work once, try, try again," he said.

He also said working for a week in the summer gets the neurons moving.

"It helps kind of sort out the brain and getting more ideas for this competition," he said.

Carroll said the doors open at 8:30 a.m. today at Patriot High School for the final camp competition.

Senior reporter Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.

___ (c)2012 the News & Messenger (Manassas, Va.) Visit the News & Messenger (Manassas, Va.) at www2.insidenova.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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