ACADEMICS
Sphero, Trash Trek, Operation Green, and Pro Terra Nova are not names of the next popular Star Wars mobile game. No, these names represent something greater: an exciting program that allows our students to develop leadership skills while simultaneously building their proficiency in technology and project-management.
assignments.” She adds, “This was especially to basically write the program, try it out, and interesting to see coming from our fifth grade fix the program repeatedly until the robot team. They were the youngest competitors at cooperated. It was not an easy task that the event.” could be mastered in one, two, or even five months,” notes Marshall Wilt. Following the footsteps of Grade 5, Grades 6-8 took the research of recycling and Miranda Marks adds, “I would tell a person robotics to the next level during the Trash who had never been in the robotics program Trek themed competition at Tennessee that it is one of the best ways to spend your Technological University a few months later. after-school time. It is educational, yes, but They were led by team coaches Jonathan it is also super fun. If you cannot program, Reveal and Brad Wilkerson. According to then you can build, research, or even be Jonathan Reveal, “This is an international a part of the Core Values. The program competition that inspires teams around the welcomes people of all skill levels with open globe to research, build, and experiment. arms, and you can learn more about the By doing so, they live the entire process of world, programming, and even each other creating ideas, solving problems, and over- by being a part of it.” coming obstacles, while gaining confidence in their abilities to positively use technology. “I joined robotics after volleyball season. I Forty-eight teams from around the State soon found out that robotics is more than attended the competition. Ensworth was programming robots. We focused on three well represented by our Robotics teams: main components: project, core/teamwork, and programming robots. My favorite part of robotics wa s work ing on core/ t e a mwork c omp onent , because we had a chance to write a song. I also really enjoyed meeti n g w it h experts on many different topics; my group met with a city planner, a past judge from the robotics competition, and even a plastics engineering specia list,” notes Naomi Taylor.
Last fall, Grade 8 students spent a week engaged in mini-enrichment courses, one of which was an introductory computer coding class. “After exploring the Hour of Code, students divided into teams and wrote programming code for Sphero, a ball-shaped robot. The challenge was to write code that directed Sphero’s movements through a pre-established course. Movement commands were entered into the robot through a programmable mobile appl ic at ion ,” C hel s y Ho op er, Te c h nolo g y Integration Specialist remarks. She comments further, “Each student contributed in the decision-making process by selecting which type of movement comments and path worked best to navigate their Sphero robot through the course in an efficient manner. Student tea ms could select optional paths and worked collabo- Operation Green and Pro Terra Nova. Our ratively on additional challenge activities.” teams focused on two topics: abandoned houses and plastic marine trash. Pro Terra Nova was awarded 3rd place in Robot During the winter, Grade 5 students particProgramming, and Operation Green was ipated in their first Robotics competition, awarded 2nd place for Team Work. We and Grades 6-8 competed in the First are incredibly proud of our two Ensworth Lego League (FLL) East Tennessee State Robotics Teams and look forward to Championship at Tennessee Technological continued success next year.” University. Grade 5 students spent time researching recycling and how robotics can help lower the amount of waste in landfills. Ensworth students Miranda Marks, Naomi Chelsy Hooper served as team coach, but Taylor, and Marshall Wilt discuss their the contest required students to perform all experiences with robotics. “This year, our the decision-making tasks independently. robotics team was called Pro Terra Nova, Chelsy shares, “I was impressed to see how Latin for ‘for a new earth.’ Instead of having the students decided which team member one team captain, we had four captains fit best for a given task. They identified the one for each section and one for the design strengths that each member offered the of the robot. I was elected to be the head of team and moved quickly into the challenge programming and table running. My job was
Finding new and innovative ways to challenge our students is an exciting aspect of Ensworth’s extracurricular opportunities. From a computer coding class to robotics for Grades 5-8, there is something for everyone. Learning the necessary skills is not the main focus. Rather, building the foundation to foster leadership outside of the classroom has everything to do with it. Marshall Wilt sums it up best when she says, “STEM programs like robotics have helped me in my regular math and science classes by improving my problem solving skills and in real life through building teamwork skills, sportsmanship, and leadership qualities as I work with a group to accomplish goals and prepare for competitions.” To learn more about Ensworth STEM offerings, please visit www.ensworth.com/Page/ Academics/STEM-Program. 2016 SUMMER | 27