Teaching Taft Students Robotics

Lauren Yang

April 26th, 3:30-4:30 pm

Tutoring Taft Elementary School students

Casey McCullough

casey.mccullough@menloschool.org

For my PACT project, I volunteered with Niky Arora to teach Taft Elementary students how to build robots. We decided to design our own PACT project because we were passionate about robotics and wanted to provide the same expereince to underserved children who might otherwise not be exposed to robotics.  

 We used NXT Brainstorms and LEGO pieces to introduce students to basic engineering principals. After the students finished receiving help for their math homework, we taught them how to build drive bases. Before beginning this PACT project, I thought Niky and I would have to teach students exactly how to build the drive base. We didn't plan for them to finish building the drive base until the third or fourth visit. After actually working with the students, I was surprised how quickly they caught on and got the hang of the engineering principals we were teaching them. After the end of the second visit, some of the students had already built the basic drive base and were working on improving it. Before the PACT project, Niky and I had prepared a presentation regarding how robotics impacted the real world and another presentation regarding the technical aspect of robotics. I thought it would be easier to teach through lecture, but when I actually started interacting with the students I quickly learned that working with them in small groups or individually was much more effective. 

After three sessions, I was excited to come back and continue the progress we've made with the students. I learned that it's really not that hard to teach others something you understand, as long as everyone's having fun. 

Blog Instructions

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PACT ENTRIES

Please write TWO blog entries (approx. 250 words each) about your PACT service work. You will write one entry after you’ve completed your first THREE visits to your site and the other entry after you’ve completed all SIX visits. Post your entries to your advocacy’s blog so that your peers can see and comment on what you’ve done.

ENTRY CONTENT

1. Do not waste your 250 words describing how you got to the site or listing inconsequential details about every action you performed while there. Give us the information that matters. Analyze what was going on below the surface of your actions or interactions. Keep in mind the social issue(s) you are trying to solve. Surface-level entries will not receive full credit.

2. Consider incorporating answers to the following questions:

• Before beginning your PACT, you probably had preconceptions about your organization, your issue, and/or the population you were going to serve. What were they, and how did your PACT work challenge those preconceptions?
• Did you discover anything about yourself through your service work? Were you at all surprised by your emotional reactions over the course of your service?
• Do you believe you had an impact through your service? If so, what did you accomplish?

ENTRY FORMAT

At the top of each entry, list the following information. Then, skip a space and begin writing.

Your Name

Date and Time of PACT Visit

Organization Name

Supervisor’s Name

Supervisor’s Contact Information