Calais Students are learning more about technology and preparing for more careers in the field by learning robotics.

“It is important for us to keep in mind that we are preparing our students to become comfortable with technology and this robotics class allows students to prepare themselves for the jobs that await them when they leave Calais,” said Calais Robotics Teacher Tony Martin.

In recent classes, high school students constructed robots using Lego Mindstorms EV3 kits.

Over the course of a few weeks the students worked on designing, testing and improving their robot builds. “It is a slow and methodical process as students need to follow the instructions carefully” said Martin.

Each Lego kit includes different units with instructions, Martin noted. “So, once they master the first lesson, they are asked to go on and build another project,” he said.

In the first lesson, students built the driving base and then made the unit move forwards and backwards, he noted. “Some students went beyond that and built their own independent unit and programmed it to spin or multitask. The students must ask themselves what they want to make their robot do and then how they can achieve that.”

The students are enjoying what they are learning and are gaining confidence in themselves. “From the look on their faces, they are absolutely thrilled by this,” Martin said. “This is a hands-on project which requires students to focus on intricate details. It is also a wonderful way for students to be creative and run with their imagination.”

While instructions were necessary to build the robots, a good portion of the project focused on trial and error. During the assembly process students were also learning about the various parts and their functionalities. Mr. Martin plans to collect student feedback to learn about the challenges they face and what aspects of the project they enjoyed most.

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