FIRST Impact on School Curriculum
 Continued from the July 2007 Newsletter...
According to Bill McGowan, teacher-coach of Mount Olive's FIRST Robotics team (Team #11), a curriculum using FIRST that involves not only their high school, but also junior high and elementary-aged students will be in use starting with the 2007-2008 school year.
The high school curriculum is a 4-year program that uses mainly FIRST resources, was first offered back in 2000. The first year students use the NXT LEGO platform, then sophomore year move into the FIRST Vex Challenge platform. The first two years are mostly exploration of robotics. "We try to get across the message explaining how robotics work. Kids with different levels of experience are enrolled." says advisor and teacher McGowan. "But they're all focused on what they want to accomplish - mechanical design, electronics, programming, etc."
McGowan says the third year is really a turning point for many students; the school provides an honors program for both juniors and seniors in the course. Using the previous year as a model and reference, students build their own ¼ size robot using old FIRST control systems doing the required machining and processing.
The senior program focuses on assistive technology robotics, where students design manipulations for people who have physical handicaps. One student is designing a method for a wheelchair-bound person to pick up bowling ball from the rack, hold and aim the ball, and shoot it from the chair. Another project in this class is developing a pool cue system that will let someone hit a pool ball with a cue that operates pneumatically.
"The course connects what the students do as part of FIRST to what further study of technology in college is going to expect of them. Its about giving students experience in solving real-world problems," explains McGowan. "It gives students the ability to learn how things work."
The junior high school in town has 3 FIRST LEGO League teams and an FLL club with 60 members! The elementary school will have simple robotic and engineering modules taught mostly by students in grades 8-12.
"We think the success of FIRST should be measured in part by its impact on schools' curricula. Like Dean says, 'create demand among kids and the rest follows,'" explains McGowan. "We think Mount Olive is a leader in that regard and we're happy to share our approach with others."
It is clear that Mount Olive is doing all they can to produce the best engineering learning environments, sticking to their motto "FIRST we'll be best, then we'll be FIRST." |
