There was a lack of robotics learning at the high school, said 5th-year Middletown High School Physics Teacher Janet Creech, who created the class after spending six years as a youth coach for a non-school robotics club.
But that learning void is now filled, said Creech, of her “Competition Robotics” class.
Credit: BILL@KILGALLONS.COM
Credit: BILL@KILGALLONS.COM
“There weren’t opportunities for kids to pursue robotics or learn coding or electronics. So, I took my volunteer (robotics coaching) experience and created a course around that and bring that opportunity here,” she said.
Reaction of students to the year-long class “has been great and it’s a lot of fun.”
“I can tell the students are enjoying it and they are really engaged. We are learning together and I constantly ask them for feedback because this is the pilot year of the class, so I need to know if this is working for them,” said Creech.
That’s an easy question to answer, said Middletown junior Zach Howdon.
“I was interested in robotics and being able to compete in competitions sounded fun,” said Howdon.
“And it has actually been way more fun than I thought it would be because of the people here I’ve met. Especially being able to meet all the nice people at competitions while they help us out.”
“And it has given me a better understanding of what I want to do in this field. It fascinates me. And being able to build something from scratch is really nice,” he said.
Classmate Landen Uhl, who is a senior, praised the new class offering and eagerly recommends it to his younger classmates as they are now signing up for next school year’s classes.
“It’s definitely a unique experience and really fun,” said Uhl.
He tells them “if you like building robots, learning (computer) programming and 3D printing this is the one class where you can do all that.”
Credit: BILL@KILGALLONS.COM
Credit: BILL@KILGALLONS.COM
Middletown Schools Superintendent Deborah Houser pointed to the as an example of the school system’s expanding “Passport To Tomorrow” career exploration program involving local industries, businesses and other area organizations.
“This robotics program is exactly what Passport to Tomorrow looks like in action,” said Houser, who has visited the class to review its various projects.
“Our students aren’t just building robots, they’re building confidence, collaboration skills, and the ability to present their ideas to real engineers. That’s workforce readiness happening right now.”
“When you walk into that classroom, you see innovation, teamwork, and purpose. Students working side-by-side, learning to network, collaborate and compete at the next level. That’s the future of Middletown on display,” she said.
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