This year has offered some new educational opportunities. A few years ago I was scared at each change of teacher, school, and or curriculum but I have learned change is good and often benefits our family and helps resolve concerns or problems I'm worried about. This year at the Middle School they offered a robotics class. Harold loves the building, programming, and winning competitions so this was very exciting for him. I of course just desperately want my kids to have opportunities that stretch their minds and the boundaries of rural living so I was very excited too.
The teacher asked for parent volunteers to come and monitor the students one morning while he had a teacher meeting. I signed up. After Harold turned the paper in he asked the teacher if I could bring the kids. The teacher said sure, how many? Harold replied, well 10. The teacher hesitated.... We will try to find other parents. As the day approached no other parents were available and so I worked it out and went in to observe with just Bruce. It was so cool. My kids love legos and this was a motivating project. The students built models of animals and real life structures think milking table where cows stood on a rotating disc to be milked and milk tanks or manure tanks rolled off depending on where the disc was rotated to by the robot.
There were many aspects to this class. Research and reporting on an animal human problem. and building the structures, programming the robot. These two girls pictured along with another young man primarily worked on the research and report. Harold and a friend did the robot side. All crossing over and trying their hand and brains at the other's role too.
The competition was interesting. Both to see who was there- so many friends and associates that Greg and I went to church and high school with and to see the excitement in the room. I'm hopeful this program stays around as it combines John's two loves legos and robots into one cool competition.
Rural America is still locked into the locker room mindset that rural kids are good for their brawn not necessarily their brains.
The little girls enjoyed trying out the desks while we waited. They love getting to see where the big kids go all day. They also liked the fish found in the science classroom. One more experience to toss in the back pack of this school year's education. Best to you today.
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