Jan. 25—Robotics Teams at the middle school level operating in the Niagara Falls School District are designed to make education more fun and robust and to group children with shared interests to promote team learning as they prepare for high school and beyond.
On Jan. 20, a Falls robotics team began drone racing.
“Its phenomenal,” said Mark Laurrie, the Niagara Falls Schools Superintendent, “they are meeting continuously.”
While recent robotics events have been held at LaSalle Middle School, teams from Gaskill bus to the location in order to be able to participate.
Robotics helps present science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education with a uniquely fun and practical application.
“Our teams have participated in all kinds of competitions,” said Laurrie, “in one competition they placed 7th in the world.”
According to the school board website, “The Vex IQ Challenge fosters student development of the teamwork, critical thinking, project management, and communication skills required to prepare them to become the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.”
The Niagara Falls teams competed in the Vex IQ World Championships Virtual in May of 2021 where one placed first in their division and seventh in the world. The members of that team are now students at Niagara Falls High School.
Laurrie said the teams engage in several tasks including coding, drone flying and building robotics.
“Robotics is preparation for the Pathways in Technology (PTECH) Early College High School program,” said LaSalle Middle’s Principal Kathy Urban. “It helps get Middle School students into the STEM field.”
PTECH allows students to choose between disciplines in the trades, or engineering.
“It’s important because these students will be our future engineers,” said Richard Clark, Prep Level 10 Coordinator at LaSalle Middle. “They learn to code robots, to drive them solo and to compete in a teamwork challenge where they have to communicate.”
“It teaches them life skills,” said Mike McGrath, a 7th grade science teacher and Robotics coach. It prepares them for life.” They get a box of parts and have to design a robot to task, if it does not perform they have to redesign it.”
“Right now teams at LaSalle are currently ranked in the top eight spots in the state,” said Clark, “and our top robot is ranked 54th in the world.”
Since Covid, much of the competition has been completed by way of LRTs or live remote tournaments. To participate with these, a company loaned equipment to LaSalle Middle.
As teams gear up for further competitions, with three slated to soon attend championships in New York City, they are looking to get a team to qualify for the World Robotics Championships to be held in Texas later this year.
Source: https://news.yahoo.com/falls-robotics-team-flight-224600404.html