A sold-out event at Magnificat High School recently garnered the attention of 100 girls from throughout Northeast Ohio, all focused on one thing: robots.
NXT-powered LEGO robotics, to be more specific.
Together, in teams of two or three, the girls assembled a LEGO robot mechanism and then programmed its motion and speed, among other aspects.
Ian Roberts, director of youth and family engagement at Great Lakes Science Center, said that events like this help foster interest in science and math, especially for girls who are on the cusp of attending high school, where curricula usher in a broader range of subjects and social pressures escalate.
But at its heart, the event was about having fun and learning that it’s easier than it looks to learn new skills.
“We’re trying to prepare our students as fully as possible for the environment of the university,” said Sister Carol Anne Smith, president of Magnificat. The event echoed her school’s approach to teaching, while bringing together girls from a wide array of school districts for the day.
Morgan Massad, a student at Kensington Intermediate School in Rocky River, said the day was fun. And, while there were counselors on hand to guide them, she and her partner, St. Christopher student Anna Schroeder, found that the best way forward was talking through the problem at hand.
“We live in a technological age,” said JonDarr Bradshaw, director of STEM education, adding that it’s critical for schools to reach students at a young age and showcase the fun side of math and science.
Beyond that, as Massad and Schroeder pointed out, the learning environment encourages the social and collaborative side of education, which is an increasingly significant reality in today’s classrooms and workplaces.
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