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PrintParent to Parent: Robotics Camp
Posted: 05/08/12
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Janna Ross
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Picking the right summer camp to keep your child happy can be hard, but one camp is exciting and will keep their brain active. 7's Lynn Martinez shows us in tonight's Parent to Parent.
WSVN -- Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "I want a clean match. Minimum contact. Remember, the goal is to score goals, not to destroy each others' robots."
Did he say "robots?" OK, this is no ordinary soccer match.
These kids from Immaculate Conception School in Hialeah are becoming experts in robotics.
Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "We were trying to get some way to get the kids real excited about science and math, but you can't do that by teaching them science and math."
So science teacher Stephen Hanrahan started teaching them how to build robots.
Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "You're probably going to need to figure out a way to stabilize it more."
The program became so popular, it went from the classroom to a summer camp.
Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "They'll learn how to do programming, they'll learn how to do design, they'll learn how to do electrical work."
Like a lot of kids, Stephen's interest in building robots started with Legos.
Stephen Hanrahan, Jr., Eighth Grader: "When I was six years old, my dad came home with a Lego Mindstorm Kit. It was like from there, kept going."
He says the projects are always challenging.
Stephen Hanrahan, Jr., Eighth Grader: "It's really good at getting your brain working. It's good so you don't slack off in the summer."
Campers spend most of the day carefully building their robots with certain goals in mind.
Of course, there's always a few glitches to work out.
Nathan Fernandez, Eighth Grader: "Something doesn't fit, something doesn't work the way you wanted it to."
But then the true test comes: showing off how your robot works, like this motion-activated one.
Nathan Fernandez, Eighth Grader: "It should hit that spot if you did it right. Nice."
This robot's goal is to pick up the ball and make a basket.
And sometimes, it's just about two bots battling it out. And if you don't think a camp like this is for girls, Victoria says think again.
Victoria Segovia, Eighth Grader: "Just how everything connects and everything works together, it's pretty cool."
This robot seems to think so.
Lynn Martinez: "The teacher says a lot of his students go on to careers in engineering."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Immaculate Conception School
Robotics Summer Camp
www.icsmiami.org
Click on club's link and download flyer on robotics page, or e-mail Stephen Hanrahan at shanrahan@icsmiami.org
Did he say "robots?" OK, this is no ordinary soccer match.
These kids from Immaculate Conception School in Hialeah are becoming experts in robotics.
Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "We were trying to get some way to get the kids real excited about science and math, but you can't do that by teaching them science and math."
So science teacher Stephen Hanrahan started teaching them how to build robots.
Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "You're probably going to need to figure out a way to stabilize it more."
The program became so popular, it went from the classroom to a summer camp.
Stephen Hanrahan, Science Teacher: "They'll learn how to do programming, they'll learn how to do design, they'll learn how to do electrical work."
Like a lot of kids, Stephen's interest in building robots started with Legos.
Stephen Hanrahan, Jr., Eighth Grader: "When I was six years old, my dad came home with a Lego Mindstorm Kit. It was like from there, kept going."
He says the projects are always challenging.
Stephen Hanrahan, Jr., Eighth Grader: "It's really good at getting your brain working. It's good so you don't slack off in the summer."
Campers spend most of the day carefully building their robots with certain goals in mind.
Of course, there's always a few glitches to work out.
Nathan Fernandez, Eighth Grader: "Something doesn't fit, something doesn't work the way you wanted it to."
But then the true test comes: showing off how your robot works, like this motion-activated one.
Nathan Fernandez, Eighth Grader: "It should hit that spot if you did it right. Nice."
This robot's goal is to pick up the ball and make a basket.
And sometimes, it's just about two bots battling it out. And if you don't think a camp like this is for girls, Victoria says think again.
Victoria Segovia, Eighth Grader: "Just how everything connects and everything works together, it's pretty cool."
This robot seems to think so.
Lynn Martinez: "The teacher says a lot of his students go on to careers in engineering."
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Immaculate Conception School
Robotics Summer Camp
www.icsmiami.org
Click on club's link and download flyer on robotics page, or e-mail Stephen Hanrahan at shanrahan@icsmiami.org