Robotics: the 4th R?

"If we're going to keep our innovation engine cooking, we need to inspire more children to pursue science, engineering and technology," says Robin Shoop, a 30-year teaching veteran at Pittsburgh Public Schools and educational outreach advisor for the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Shoop hopes to encourage budding scientists through the robotics curriculum he is developing.

The curriculum, co-developed by the Robotics Institute and LEGO Education, teaches concepts in math, science, technology and communication. "Instead of having kids memorize math, they do math," says Shoop. "When you give them a robot and ask them to program it to go forward one meter, students have a reason to measure. They learn ratios, proportions and geometry by applying it." The curriculum also includes projects like getting robots to communicate using Bluetooth technology.

Professional development, offered in-person or online, will help teachers become comfortable using the hardware, software and curriculum.

In James Jones' technology engineering classes at Timbercreek High School in Orlando, students use LEGO Mindstorms to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Jones trains other teachers how to apply robotics to their classes, too. "A language-arts teacher asked her students to build robots and write technical descriptions of how to put them together. There's a whole gauntlet of things you can do to make it cross curricular."

Jones' lessons also focus on teamwork and partnerships. "The ability to work on a team is a cornerstone of most corporate engineering careers. My classes model the real word."

www-education.rec.ri.cmu.edu, www.legoeducation.com