Events

Teaching STEM with Robotics

Conference / Symposium
 
For NYU Community

In the last couple of decades Robotics programs such as FIRST have enabled young people to experience the excitement of STEM disciplines and inspired them to explore careers in STEM fields. Institutions of higher education such as Polytechnic Institute of NYU and Carnegie Mellon have developed sound academic programs that build on students’ enthusiasm for robots through hands-on, STEM curricula using LEGO Education and National Instruments classroom tools.
This symposium will showcase how successful robotics tools, platforms, and programs are transferring robotics into the classroom.
In the morning, speakers from Polytechnic Institute of NYU, FIRST, LEGO Education, Carnegie Mellon University, and National Instruments will talk about the migration of robotics into the classroom.
Attend two of the six hands-on workshops offered in the afternoon to experience firsthand how to teach STEM using the different robotics platforms.

From 9:00 am to 11:00 am speakers from Polytechnic Institute of NYU, FIRST, LEGO Education, Carnegie Mellon University, and National Instruments will speak about the migration of robotics into the classroom. If you would like to attend this session, please register here.

From 12:15 to 4:30 pm, you will have the opportunity to attend two of the following six hands-on workshops:

  • Teaching STEM using LEGO MINDSTORMS® Education Robotics Platform: During this workshop, discover how to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts by using the LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Education NXT robotics system and engineering curriculum developed by Carnegie Mellon University. Through hands-on activities, learn how to enhance student creativity, logic, and problem-solving skills to meet challenges with today's technologies.
  • Teaching STEM using LEGO MINDSTORMS® NXT with TETRIX® and ROBOTC®: This workshop will provide attendees with a tour of all of the resources and tools available for using ROBOTC® for MINDSTORMS with the NXT and TETRIX platforms. Highlights include a full demo of ROBOTC and its capabilities; information and a walkthrough of the Teaching ROBOTC Curriculum for NXT and TETRIX platforms; and also a look at all of the free tools available for students, teachers, and competition teams. Attendees will receive a free six-month version of ROBOTC to help them get up and running, along with samples of the ROBOTC curriculum and training materials. 
  • A Model for Sustainable Expansion of FIRST Programs from Tournament to Classroom: Learn about Clarkson University’s "Contest to Classroom" concept and how they have implemented it to date. The workshop includes a discussion of best practices and hands-on demos of teacher-developed learning experiences. Experiences involve LEGO MINDSTORMS Education, TETRIX® by Pitsco, and LabVIEW™ for Education-based software in conjunction with third-party sensors from companies such as Vernier. These are designed to meet New York state standards in science, math, and technology for middle and high school students. 
  • STEM with LEGO Education WeDo Robotics in Early Elementary: This workshop introduces the LEGO Education WeDo™ Robotics platform and shows how it can be used as a tool for five- to eight-year-olds to cover multiple STEM concepts. Attendees will walk away with all the necessary information to feel informed and ready to implement a successful program. 
  • STEM with LEGO Education in Elementary Schools: This workshop illustrates how LEGO-based activities can address elementary school standards on scientific inquiry and measurement. Planned activities can be used to introduce students to concepts of pressure, flow rate, and nozzles. Liquid is released from a bottle under various conditions, e.g., nozzle and back pressure. As the released liquid drains into a beaker, two light sensors acting as photogates are used to perform various measurements and the results are used to test students' scientific hypotheses. 
  • STEM with LEGO Education in Middle and High Schools: This workshop will illustrate how LEGO-based activities can address middle and high school standards on mechanics concepts, specifically, using LEGO components; sensors; and NXT module concepts such as gear ratios, friction, potential energy, kinetic energy, and oscillations.

Participants must preregister for the workshops as there is limited availability. The workshops are on a first-come, first- served basis.
Participants of the workshop will be entered for a chance to win a free LEGO Education MINDSTORMS Set and Software and/or LEGO Education WeDo Robotics Set, Software, and Activity Pack. There will be two winners per session.

Registration ends October 15, 2010.
Continental breakfast will be provided by LEGO Education. Lunch will be available for purchase.

Sponsored by: