Robotics Class

[Kristian Calhoun]

Here are some other threads with the same/a similar topic that you might want to check out:

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=40520
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=48306
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=31765
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3745

But we also started a robotics elective (one marking period long) in our middle school that deals with the history and different aspects of robotics. The course is more of an "Intro to Robotics" course, and generates an interest for science and technology in the students who take the class, who will hopefully then be recruited for our FRC team upon entering high school.

[Doug G]

We're not in your area, but my class is in its 4th year, centered around FRC of course. It's becoming more popular in schools, primarily because of teachers involved with FIRST and carrying that message to school boards. Out here in NorCal many high schools have an Academic Decathalon elective class, so it seemed easy to then have a robotics class centered around a competition - unfortunately Academic Decathalon is much cheaper to run and we now fight over the students we recruit (something you don't usually consider in schools these days - but a neat trend).

[Mr.T]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

Does anyone know of high schools that offer a robotics class as an elective? Our school has had one for about five years. We build a bot for FRC and do various other projects throughout the year. We were talking in class yesterday and could not think of any other schools in our area that offered a robotics class.

McKee High School, Team 522, home of the 2006 World Champion Robo Wizards has had a Robotics course structured after FIRST for over 3 years. It is a hands on class designed so that the students who work in teams are given a set of problems that they need to solve, then they are given a certain amount of time with material and tools provided, to fabricate a structure based on physics and sound engineering principles and perform a certain set of tasks all done in a timed environment. Mckee also boasts of having the only full working state of the art machine shop in all of the NYC high schools. The teams of students compete against each other in their respective classes and then there is a run-off competition between the winners of both Robotics classes. They also vie for prizes. The classes meet one period a day five days a week from September thru June. Robotics class students also have the option of joining the Robotics team. The whole idea came from the fact that the students did not learn enough about Robotics, just attending team meetings one hour a week. The classes are taught by the same people that run the Robotics team. It has been a hugely successful endeavor on the part of the teachers and administrators at McKee. The teachers and staff have also written an entire Robotics curricula that the school is trying to implement for all public high schools throughout New York City. McKee Vocational High school is located on Staten Island, New York.

[ytfalconrobot]

Originally Posted by fatjoe3833

Does anyone know of high schools that offer a robotics class as an elective? Our school has had one for about five years. We build a bot for FRC and do various other projects throughout the year. We were talking in class yesterday and could not think of any other schools in our area that offered a robotics class.

Team 842 Falcon Robotics has had a robotics class for about 5 years.

[Mike Starke]

Churchville-Chili High School just got a robotics class this year. The course itself is called "Intro to Robotics". Throughout the year us students will work with Fisher Techniks, VEX, and FRC, as well as other stuff. Our teacher (2006 FLR Woodie Flowers Award Winner) Jason Rees teaches the class. As always, if the class isn't awesome in itself, is so much better with Rees as our teacher.

[FourPenguins]

Mount Olive High School has a series of four robotics elective classes, each a full year long and taught by the one and only Mr. McGowan. The classes start off with Legos freshman year and moving up to Robix, BOEbots, vEx, and finally a 1/3 scale FRC competition in junior year. The senior class is independent study, often a continuation of the Jr. class.
In the middle school we have a lego robotics class that fields three FLL teams as well as a massive afterschool club. (God bless you Mrs. Wozniak)