In my last post, I had shown what I wrote so far for my article
for my two-page spread. Today, I am posting the final draft of my article!
However, I may make changes to the content if when I put the text to the
magazine I have more room to write or if I do not have enough room.
Nevertheless, please enjoy my article, “STEMulating Young Minds”:
In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Tell
me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” From the
invention of the wheel to today's 3D printers, revolutions of thought and
engineering drive the progress of our lives and of humanity as a whole. It
seems that students with passions for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics) are able to become the innovative voice of their generation
now more than ever.
In many high schools globally, students
are able to obtain a STEM-oriented education and embark on projects that
interest them and spark their enthusiasm for STEM fields through classes or
extracurricular activities at their school. One example of an extracurricular
activity offered by many high schools that stresses the importance of STEM is
the robotics club. Clubs such as this provide early access to an environment with
workplace-style teamwork and creative thinking helps prepare students for their
future years before they enter the workforce. Furthermore, students are able to
obtain real-world experience as they encounter prevalent challenges, such as
managing funds and ensuring that all components of a project are completed,
despite being in a classroom environment. Most importantly, the variety of
skills that students can derive from this experience are not solely applicable
in STEM fields, but can be applied in any job that a student may hold in the
future. As Modern Robotics employee Colton Mehlhoff explains, robotics aids in “implementing a broad skillset and critical thinking.
Programming and building robots takes a wide knowledge of manipulators,
functions, gears, chain, electricity, programming concepts, functions,
robustness and more. No robot builder needs to be an expert in all these areas,
but all robot builders need to know about the strengths and weaknesses of areas
like these and how to learn more about them. This means knowing where to start
research after a problem is presented. Critical thinking is the concept of
making decisions and conclusions based on fact. This can be learned through
working with sensors. Robots must determine what to do (and not to do) based
only on a few inputs. Getting results based on seemingly arbitrary numbers is
only possible through critical thinking. The robot (and other computers) will
only do what you tell it and nothing more.”
Today, the robotics community is growing
throughout the world, and more schools are integrating classes that incorporate
this STEM field. As this process occurs, however, it is becoming more and more
important to devise new methods of increasing outreach and inclusion in STEM
activities. Students and adults alike are often intimidated by the complex or
technical aspects inherent to such forms of education. Because of this,
educators such as Angela Ashley, Robotics teacher and Robotics club sponsor at
Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Florida, are making the most out of
extracurricular activities such as robotics by encouraging students to actively
contribute to their community and make STEM exciting and engaging. Her student,
Alyssa Marotta, states, “When I joined
the robotics club, my involvement in the school reached a new level. Instead of
only going to school, I began to actively participate [in both robotics and
school] and I felt that I was contributing to what makes Cypress Bay the
recognized school that it is.” Ms. Ashley explains,
“STEM education needs to be fun and hands on. We need to not ‘teach’ STEM in a
traditional manner. Instead, we need to let students explore with their
minds, and learn to create and build with their hands. Most importantly,
we need to encourage them to build what they can imagine. Traditional
classroom settings tend to stifle imagination and creativity - the exact
opposite of what we should be teaching them.” Students at Cypress Bay have taken
this message to heart. Each year, they participate in robotics competitions and
apply their knowledge and understanding of programming and engineering to plan,
design, and build a robot. This year’s
challenge, entitled FIRST RES-Q, is modeled after rescue situations faced by
mountain explorers all over the globe. The team’s robot can score
points by “resetting” Rescue beacons, delivering Rescue Climbers to a
shelter, parking in the Rescue beacon repair zone or floor goal, and parking on
the “mountain.”
Not only do these students apply their knowledge and
abilities towards competitions, but they also work towards expanding the impact
of a STEM education. For example, at Cypress Bay High School, the department
head of the special-needs program reached out to the robotics class and asked
if they could construct inventions that assist special-needs students with
daily tasks, ranging from putting papers into a paper shredder to watering a
garden. As a result, the class is currently creating an apparatus for
wheelchair-bound students to be able to bowl as well as a blender that can be
safely used by students with poor dexterity. In order to fully derive use out
of STEM fields and STEM-oriented education, it is essential that everyone is
included and accounted for. As Ms. Ashley states, “With each passing year this
world gets more and more high-tech. It affects everyone in every aspect of
life. Young or old, we are surrounded by technology.”
I hope
you liked it! I think it came out quite well and suits my magazine nicely. I am
really proud of my work.
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