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As we wrap up Robotics Week, I\u2019ve found myself thinking about the nearly imperceptible ways that robots show up in our lives, well beyond the virtual assistants we have sitting on our kitchen counter or barking out directions from the GPS on our phones.<\/span><\/p>\n Robotics, the engineering field that enables their creation and use, is already ubiquitous in the 21st century. A PWC report<\/a> found that by next year, 77 percent of jobs will require some degree of technological skills. And while futurists are racing to predict which job will be the last one humans do themselves<\/a>, there\u2019s no question that, for the foreseeable future, coding those robots will be in demand.\u00a0 Nonetheless, robotics is rare in PK-12 education, and it is primarily affluent, urban and white boys who get to play.<\/span><\/p>\n The teachers who do teach robotics often see students use what they learn to build practical skills in adjacent fields, including computer programming and mechanical engineering.<\/span><\/p>\n Kayla Heimann teaches robotics to some of her young students.<\/p>\n Kayla Heimann<\/small> \u201cIt\u2019s a more engaging way to learn elementary physics concepts,\u201d said fifth-grade teacher Kayla Heimann, who uses robotics kits in her math and science classes at Eastern Elementary in Lexington, Ohio, is a part of my organization\u2019s prestigious national Teacher Forum. \u201cIt provides a hands-on, and most importantly, fun way to learn.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n This excitement applies to older students, too. Sylvia Wood, who teaches high-school computer science and robotics at Rouse High School in Leander, Texas, and is also a member of the Teacher Forum, finds that students are more engaged in the learning process when they get to see the material in action in projects they\u2019ve directly worked on.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had students get so excited about robotics that they started trying to learn STEM-related materials in class and out on their own,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n This is key. Studies have shown that students achieve higher grades<\/a>, by as much as 70% in math and 40% in science, when they\u2019re able to do hands-on activities related to those subjects.<\/span><\/p>\n As with all good, relevant, student-centered learning, teaching robotics can be an opportunity to practice lifelong skills.\u00a0 Daniel Garrison, a Teacher Forum member who teaches at Woodrow Wilson High School STEM Academy in Dallas, Texas, and coach of their robotics team “The Robocats,” found that students learn invaluable skills like teamwork, persistence, and abstraction, which pay off long after they graduate from school.<\/span><\/p>\n The Robocats hard at work making robots for their next competition.<\/p>\n Daniel Garrison<\/small> Unfortunately, robotics curricula are available to too few students. According to Dr. Carol Fletcher, Deputy Director of the STEM Center at the University of Texas at Austin\u2019s College of Education, a big reason for this is cost. <\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>\u201cA class set of enough robots to ensure that all students have substantive experiences will typically exceed thousands of dollars per teacher, which is more than the entire instructional budget for most teachers,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n This also means that robotics courses are often not inclusive. Robotics classes become extra-curricular activities and are primarily the domain of those with extra time and extra income. Making it an after-school activity also makes it opt-in and thus subject to cultural and social pressure, acting as a barrier to wide groups of young students, especially young girls. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf explicit attention isn\u2019t paid to designing robotics experiences with broadening participation in mind, using robotics exclusively to address the \u201cT\u201d in STEM could exacerbate existing stereotypes and gender gaps in participation,\u201d said Dr. Fletcher. <\/span><\/p>\n Fifth-grade teacher Kayla Heimann agreed. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRecruiting students can be a challenge, especially young girls,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n The Robocats, coached by Daniel Garrison, pose as a group with one of their robots.<\/p>\n Daniel Garrison<\/small> Teachers can be more supportive of inclusion<\/a> by actively soliciting diverse students to participate, valuing the varied strengths that each student brings to the projects, and encouraging them to support each other wherever they may struggle. Daniel Garrison said that it took personal effort to break down these barriers. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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