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.