Unmanned Aerial Vehicle The latest drone news
November 23, 2018 at 6:19p.m.
Photo by William D. Lewis
|
Zaiden Husk, left, and Meadow Smith, both Liberty seventh-graders, control their robots during robotics class. This is the first year for robotics and some other science, technology, engineering and mathematics program in the Liberty schools.
By SAMANTHA PHILLIPS
LIBERTY
Seventh-grader Zaiden Husk wants to learn computer programming so he can fulfill his dream of creating video games someday.
His interest in programming is one reason he enjoys the robotics class that was added to the Liberty School District’s curriculum this year.
“It’s really interesting and helps you learn how to work your way around a computer,” he said.
Students in seventh and eighth grade are required to take the class. The students build and design the robots and program them to perform different tasks.
“I like coding and building,” Zaiden said.
Carrie Sinkele, robotics and engineering teacher, said the first week is dedicated to learning the history of robotics, how it plays a role in everyday life and what kinds of jobs are available in robotics. Then, “the kids build and design them, and learn the mechanics. The robots go through obstacle courses and races.”
The students use software that allows them to drag and drop lines of code to program the robots.
Seventh-grader Meadow Smith said, “We learn how to code the robots, we do research, we do group work. … This is a growing industry. We use robots everyday.”
Students have the option of joining the after-school Vex Robotics Club, in which they compete in competitions such as Youngstown State University’s Northeast Ohio Robotics Education Program competition.
About 50 students are enrolled in robotics, Sinkele said.
She also teaches a drones’ class, an elective offered to high- school students.
“They are learning about aviation in general, drone safety and history, and they learn how to fly drones,” she said.
The students learn to fly the drones first with remote controllers, then learn how to fly the drones by programming them with their Chromebooks.
Students also are learning how to use computer-aided design (CAD) programs to design and 3D print their own drones in the engineering lab.
Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics talked to the students about aviation mechanic careers.
These programs don’t just teach students technical skills, Sinkele said.
“There’s teamwork, they have to learn to work together to make things operational,” she said.
They also learn how to give presentations and solve problems.
“They are finding out with CAD that if you draw something and the dimensions aren’t right, they might have to delete something to go forward,” she said. “There’s always continuous improvement, and that’s a hard concept to grasp, but as an engineer that’s what you have to do.”
