Woodland Hills School District Director of STEAM and Innovation Ms. Tina Dietrich and VEX Robotics Vice President of Global Educational Strategy Mr. Jason McKenna recently presented "VEX Robotics 101 for Administrators" at the Woodland Hills Impact Center in Rankin.
The presentation focused on the ways the VEX Robotics program works to enrich education, including in the development of skills that can translate to other subjects. Problem-solving skills, teamwork, and communication are critical tools for all learners, not just those who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Mr. McKenna and Ms. Dietrich highlighted the ways the robotics curriculum helps students learn to collaborate, whether it's building a robot or figuring out optimal ways to score points in a competition. It also promotes creativity, as a unique build design for their robot could be the key to more success.
The presentation also focused on the ways administrators can get involved with the curriculum and the competitive robotics environment, including how it can be integrated into other core subjects. It highlighted the various ways that VEX Robotics has become part of the Woodland Hills School District over the last couple of years, including being part of the daily schedule in elementary school classrooms; the launch of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition team, which sent a group of fifth graders to the World Championships in Dallas this past spring; the formation of the Unified Robotics League, which pairs regular education and special education students as they complete various challenges; and the creation of the Mother-Daughter Robotics Club, which introduces elementary students and their mothers to STEM careers through robotics.
Following the presentation, a VEX team member worked with the administrators in attendance to teach them how to drive the robot on this year's competition field.