At Calais, we believe that an interactive learning environment is the best way to keep our students engaged. Two electives offered at Calais that are fully hands-on and growing in popularity are Robotics and Technology and here’s why…

No textbooks or lengthy exams in these classes, just a lot of creativity, focus, and forward thinking… 

Robotics is a relatively new high school class at the Calais school taught by Mr. Martin. He uses an unconventional curriculum where students are encouraged to think outside-of-the-box with learning applications that go far beyond the classroom and embrace 21st Century technology! In Robotics, students both work together and compete side-by-side… planning, designing, building, and testing projects throughout the year, including a computer operated Lego Ev3 Car.

Earlier this year, students got their first taste of Robotics when they learned how to construct their Ev3 cars. They used computer code to program their cars to move forward and backwards. Some students added color sensors to recognize commands by color. One student even connected the sensors used to navigate his Ev3 car to a Tesla on autopilot. “The project culminated with a final test/competition in the school gym where students raced their cars from one end of the gym to the other. It was so much fun!” said Mr. Martin. “I loved watching my students interact with technology and apply what they learned in class to real-life situations.”

Technology is another class elective taught by Mr. Martin for high school students wanting to explore, problem solve and innovate. In this class, students took part in a 3D Printer Buoyancy Boat Project. The objective was to build a boat that could hold the most pennies without sinking. Students could use an existing boat design from a Tinkercad App, but many opted to design their own.

The biggest challenge for students was managing the high-tech 3D printer. If their designs were too large, the printing took too long beyond classroom hours. Students had to learn to work within time constraints and with limited resources while still crafting a buoyant and sturdy design. They learned about patience, trial and error, the scientific method, and rules of buoyancy. Joshua D’s boat was the winner, holding about 35 pennies! Yay, Joshua!

Technology students also took part in the Calais Drift, a student-chosen project based on the Fast and Furious movie series. Students incorporated rules of physics into their car design. The winning car was the fastest car that drove on the straightest path.

Mr. Martin feeds off his students’ enthusiasm as they discover and learn. Calais’ Robotics and Technology courses are structured, but the classes seem to take on a life of their own as students design, build and test their ideas.

“I think it’s important that we prepare our students to embrace the future, which is going to be filled with technology. Our students will not be afraid or timid because they already have a taste of it in these classes.” he added. 

The Calais School, a private state-approved special education provider for grades K to 12 Plus, creates a nurturing environment and therapeutic approach enabling special needs students to regulate their emotions, build self-esteem for successful learning and personal growth.