10-10-06_05 Joe Pouliot: “S” In STEM Stands for Science!
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The document summarizes Joe Pouliot's career path and involvement in robotics programs at Trinity High School in Manchester, NH. It describes how he started the Advanced Competitive Science program in 2004 using robotics kits to teach engineering and programming concepts. It outlines how the program has expanded over the years and uses various robotics competitions as project-based learning experiences for the students.
10-10-06_05 Joe Pouliot: “S” In STEM Stands for Science!
- 1. Trinity Robotics as an apprenticeship Joe Pouliot Science Instructor Trinity High School Manchester, NH
- 2. My Educational Path Earned BS in Math Ed from UNH in 1980 Taught Math in ME and the Seacoast Returned to UNH while being Mr. Mom Began working at Trinity in 1998 as a Physical Science instructor Took over Physics classes in 2003 Created Advanced Competitive Science in 2004
- 3. Trinity High School Small Private Parochial school in Manchester, NH Roughly 450 students in attendance College Preparatory Curriculum 98 to 99% of seniors are accepted into colleges Roughly 8% study engineering w/ another 8 to 10 % studying biological science and medicine.
- 4. Trinity Robotics Trinity’s FIRST team was established in 1997, but wallowed in obscurity until 2003 In 2000, Dan Larochelle joined the team and soon after intelitek returned to the FIRST scene after a brief hiatus. Very successful FRC team, generally known as the best 2 nd place team in NE. Roughly 25 students work on the team during any one year.
- 5. Advanced Competitive Science Began as ACS I in 2004 with Lego Mindstorm kits. The prime reason was to teach C programming for use in FRC. ACS II was instituted the next year using the VEX robotics kit and EasyC. In 2006, the Vex robotic kit and REC were used exclusively in ACS I and ACS II.
- 6. REC in ACS ACS is a Project Based Learning course that uses robotics to teach engineering and programming. REC I is used in ACS I while ACS II uses REC II. ACS diverges from REC as robotics competitions occur, such as WPI’s Savage Soccer or the VRC. Students who are not involved with the Robotics team can compete in a number of events. The competitions allow students to work collaboratively yet competitively with each other. Out of large numbers of competitors, one or two designs become truly noteworthy.
- 7. Nostrila 2004 WPI Savage Soccer
- 8. Big Easy FTC 2007
- 10. 2009 Trinity FRC Robot
- 11. Team Sprinkles 2007 Savage Soccer North
- 12. BenchPress FTC -2008
- 14. Gary VRC Elevation -2009
- 15. Simone -Savage Soccer 2008
- 16. VRC Clean Sweep 2009
- 19. Project Based Learning Authentic real world problem solving Capture students’ interest (engagement). Provokes serious thinking Teacher as coach and facilitator, no longer the authority Student directed learning The projects are the curriculum Competitions as ill defined problems
- 20. Project Based Learning Teacher guidance fades as group members gain confidence with the subject matter and become more competent with the learned procedures. As learning progresses the problem is adjusted by adding components to make the problem more realistic and more difficult. This progression motivates learners as they gain expertise, responsibility, and ownership. This is often referred to as “scaffolding.”
- 21. Scaffolding of solutions Worked examples of robots and simple C code Goal free problems; completion suffices Scaffolding takes place by gradually increasing the difficulty of the problem solving with each successive project. The eventual outcome is a student centered project. They design and build their own competitive robot.
- 22. The Physics of Robotics The structure of the robot itself sets the pace and the format for introducing various physical concepts. Batteries and motors are addressed late in the senior year, if at all, but comes first in REC I. Circular motion and rolling require an early introduction. Force, work, torque, and mechanical advantager become everyday terms when working with robots. By the time a students takes a course in physics, the vocabulary and formulas are not new, thereby making the learning more concrete. The ultimate goal is produce future engineers.
- 23. Robotics Competitions as PBL’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Mini-FRC VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) WPI’s Savage Soccer Competition BEST BattleBots IQ Mate ROV competition
- 24. The Future of Education Collaborative teaching strategies Personalized learning using household technology Just in time learning/whenever and wherever- mobile computing Critical thinking and complex problem solving E-books Simple augmented reality/ LEGO’s digital box http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v =mUuVvY4c4-A&feature= player_embedded # !
- 25. Phil Sheppard working on scissors lift
- 26. Tom Kroll working on roller claw
- 27. Dave Pounds working on articulating claw
- 28. Gerid Paquette working on gragger mechanism
- 29. Robert Desmarais working on his monster 4-bar and pneumatic claw
- 30. Conclusion What started out as a seasonal game has become a year round educational endeavor. As the level of experience and responsibility increases from year to year so does the difficulty of the tasks encountered the student. By their senior year, students can have experience in machining, CAD, mechanical design, computer programming, etc. Trinity students have a pronounced head start in critical thinking, engineering, and college.
- 31. 2010 Trinity FRC robot
- 33. 2010 Trinity Drive Team at the FIRST Championships
- 34. Harrison Williams Junior in 09-10 FRC robot driver Java programmer Electronics intern