Ordinarily, in elementary school, kids learn the basics of reading, writing and arithmetic. But at Frank Wagner Elementary School in Monroe, students also get the opportunity to do something a little bit different.
They get to build robots.
The Frank Wagner Elementary School Robot Club, which is available to 30 first and second grade students, is just winding down from a very successful pilot program. Meant to introduce kids to very basic robotics fundamentals, the Robot Club utilizes kits made by LEGOGäó Education called WeDo Construction Sets, which provide an interactive, hands-on curriculum for young students.
The Robot Club meets in the west gym at Frank Wagner Elementary School from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Friday night. The Robot Club's inaugural 8-week series began on Friday, Oct. 10, and will end on Friday, Dec. 12. The Robot Club will reengage at the end of January.
Parent volunteer and Robot Club organizer Dana Brash decided he wanted to create a Robot Club after his 6-year-old daughter, Zoe, responded enthusiastically to an afterschool engineering program that she was able to attend through a family friend.
"It was a girls' engineering thing,GÇ¥ said Brash. "She came back from that and she walked into her closet and was like, "Daddy, LEGOs are engineering, and they are my favorite toy.' She dusted them off and has been playing with LEGOs ever since.GÇ¥
Deciding that this was an enthusiasm that he wanted to bolster, Brash explored the idea of starting a Robot Club at Frank Wagner, and found that the school and
the PTA were both receptive and supportive. He then spent several months fundraising for the LEGO WeDo kits, along with both laptop and tablet computers to run the software and provide the LEGO interface for the kids to use.
"We spent the summer begging,GÇ¥ said Brash. "I work at Microsoft so a lot of the money came from Microsoft matching.GÇ¥
Through the Microsoft matching program, support from parents and family members of Frank Wagner Elementary School students, a Robot Club garage sale fundraiser and additional support from members of the Monroe business community, Brash raised enough money to purchase 15 LEGO WeDo kits and the 15 laptop and tablet devices necessary to facilitate the classes.
He decided that it was feasible for the kids to work in two-person teams, which meant he had enough equipment to accommodate 30 kids.
The response to the new club, which requires a $20 membership fee, has been enthusiastic from the onset. Initially, more than 50 kids wanted to participate, far more than he had enough equipment for. To help him determine which kids would be formally enrolled, Brash had to coordinate a lottery system. When the Robot Club begins functioning again in January, he will survey parents to see if anyone is planning on discontinuing the series so that another student can possibly take that student's spot.
"We're going to fill in slots through attrition, so whoever chooses not to sign up again, we're going to have those spaces available,GÇ¥ said Brash.
Each WeDo kit gives students the opportunity to build robotic models of items including an airplane, a hungry alligator, a goalkeeper, a drumming monkey and several other creations designed to be fun and interesting for kids.
The LEGO kits support a learning process known as the "4C Learning ProcessGÇ¥ which is a phased series that includes four concepts; connect, construct, contemplate and continue.
Not only do the kids get to learn about cooperation and how to function in a two-person team environment, they also learn to problem-solve while enhancing their skills in math, social studies and language.
Esmeralda Padilla, who attends Robot Club with her six-year-old son, Jose, said that she has really enjoyed watching him navigate the projects each week. "He's been doing better in math,GÇ¥ said Esmeralda. She also finds that the club is helping him to become better at following instructions and working with others.
Additionally, she's gotten an enthusiastic response from her younger son, 5-year-old Ulysses, who has been accompanying them each week. "He loves it so much that when we come he pays attention and wants to build too,GÇ¥ said Esmeralda.
Although there are only enough kits for 30 students, whenever there is an absence that frees up a kit, Ulysses gets to work with Brash's pre-kindergarten-aged son, Zachary.
Brash's hope is that the club will be able to broaden its scope, and that perhaps an additional Robot Club can begin meeting during a different timeslot during the week. To him, the more kids who get the opportunity to utilize the equipment, the better.
"We do Friday nights because that's when I'm available,GÇ¥ said Brash. "I'm hoping that other parents will take the kits and create another time slot.GÇ¥
Each week, Brash has help with Robot Club from several other regularly-attending parent volunteers. And through a serendipitous turn of events, they've also had help from Denise Moccia, a first-year teacher at Frank Wagner. After learning about the club, Moccia, who has extensive familiarity with LEGO robotics kits, volunteered to help facilitate the pilot program.
While Moccia will be leaving Robot Club to concentrate on her teaching, she will still be able to give advice and function as a consultant whenever necessary.
Overall, Brash has been infinitely pleased with the way Robot Club has turned out, and has appreciated the favorable response from the school as well as the parents.
"One of the things that I'm super stoked about is how many dads we get showing up,GÇ¥ said Brash.
Several local businesses stepped forward during the fundraising process including Sweet Indulgence, the Monroe Digital Copy Center, Sam's Cats and Dogs, Naturally, Amsberry's Panting, Inc., Monroe Medical Massage, Creation is Messy and Jump, Rattle and Roll.
Donations can be made to help support the Robot Club via the Monroe Public Schools Foundation. To make a donation, please visit the Monroe Public Schools Foundation webpage, at: http://www.monroepsf.org/core/ler03.html. Checks can be made out to the Monroe Public School Foundation with a notation of "Robot ClubGÇ¥ in the memo line.
For more information on the Robot Club, please visit the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/FWEROBOTCLUB. Anyone interesting in speaking with Brash or another Robot Club parent volunteer can send email to: fwerobotclub@outlook.com.
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