Robo-Coach
Pretty excited that I just got a side gig as a robotics coach at a local K-12 private school. It's just a few hours a week, hopefully not too intrusive to my main toy design job at Inventoy. The program is squarely targeted at VEX contests, but you can be sure I'll cast a wider net at every opportunity to include Parallax products and maybe an occasional flamethrower...
Comments
10 good reasons to head back to school.... 1st spot on the list taken !
Ataboy erco!
Erco, Chadwick School is so lucky to have you! But, having done something similar myself, I can tell you this: those "few hours a week" will be among the most rewarding in your life.
-Phil
The flamethrower angle will hold their attention..
Erco cant do it without a flame, thrower!
Erco cant do it without a flame, thrower!
Unfortunately with $40K annual tuition, I need to be on my best behavior around these students for at least fall semester. I'll only break out the flamethrowers if it gets cold. For humanitarian purposes!
Day one is in the books, mostly helping kids assemble erector set-style robot chassis. Man, it's hard to watch kids struggle to thread a nut on a bolt, but kids gotta learn by doing! Righty tighty, lefty loosie...
But nobody lost an eye, so it was a good day!
I had a whip-smart student one time who didn't even know the difference between a screw and a nut. When I was a kid, my dad built a workbench in the basement, complete with a vise and basic hand tools. My brothers and I always had some kind of projects going on. And we learned some basic lessons the hard way. (e.g. If your brother is asthmatic, don't ignite homemade gunpowder in a closed space when he's around. Also, don't pour lead into a wet mold -- lucky to have both eyes)* I think that's the best gift a parent can endow upon their offspring!
Quoting another teacher I know, regarding field trips, "Nobody got injured, arrested, or pregnant, so it was a successful outing."
-Phil
*It never ends. The emergency room nurse told me, at 70 years old, that I need adult supervision to use sharp tools.
Erco,
I remember being told to ask students probing questions if they were struggling with something so they would realize the error of their ways.
Sage advice, Genetix!
Erco,
That was also when I learned there is a big difference between supervising and managing.
Non-academics seem to be the best teachers.