Magazine 2017

Do you ever think, “I wish I could go back to school”? Usually not, however, every now and then a parent will walk into one of our Robotics classroom, and a phrase along those lines is spoken. It is “fun” to play, build and create grand designs with Lego. Our learners do not need to be reminded that they “better enjoy Robotics”, because frankly, they do. Fun however is a serious business and to quote Einstein, “Play is the highest form of research.” The younger grades are exploring the WeDo 2 kits which introduces them to the concept of building a model based on the simple machine concepts learnt in Grade R and 1. The learners build their model, write the code, download it via Bluetooth and the magic happens. There are flashing lights, mechanical movements and animal sounds. The little model starts to move, as the motor turns an axle, which turns a wheel or gear. The learners have become engineers and scientists solving a world problem, be it a robot that navigates Mars using its sensors or a crane to crank up a beam. The smile that spreads across their faces once a solution has been found is wonderful to see. The older grades are learning to decompose and recognise patterns when they code. Learners observe that getting a robot to drive in a square actually requires two pieces of code which is then repeated four times, thus using three pieces of code instead of eight. The EV3 robot is a great tool to learn about building and programming in a way that is engaging. Often learners want to get to the end and solve the problem in one go, however, they are learning that to figure out the algorithm they have to figure out the problem first and then build the solution piece by piece. Scratch is a great way to learn about algorithm design and the games that were built were phenomenal. The learners interacted with each other’s games and compliments had to be given. Games included obstacles that had to be avoided, baddies and goodies moved around the screen, and completing the level was a requirement for getting to the next one. A number of learners also enjoyed learning how to code by using Swift Playground. These learners were passionate about coding and we look forward to seeing what they will be getting up to next. The Senior Preparatory entered 6 teams to participate in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) regional round that was held in Somerset West. The competition was fierce as many more learners participate each year as Robotics grows in popularity in South Africa. A lot of thinking went into building today! Figuring out how to use the gearbox 72 Parklands College, Twentieth Edition, 2017