Redesigning Robotics Education & Research to Strengthen STEM Subjects inKenya.
Robots for the House & Recreation
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kISeilKAvXXK2o7PI8qdnF7x3g9E9B5734QckLfEAi8/pub
Issue
Schools aren’t teaching pupils the basics of computing anymore-they are just teaching them how to use software. “Children are learning about applications, which are pretty low-value skills.
There is an increasingly sense of urgency that everyone should be able to participate as writers of computational culture. This need has been expressed by a variety of source, including computer science education researchers (e.g. Guzdial& Forte,2005),literary theorists(e.g.Hayles,2005),and government agencies (e.g.Chopra,2012),and
stems ,in part ,from a concern that unless we understand how to
actively participate in computational culture ,we risk being controlled
by it.
Everyday life is
increasingly regulated by complex technologies that most people neither
understand nor believe they can do much to influence. The very
technologies they create to control their life environment paradoxically
can become a constraining force that, in turn, controls how they think
and behave (Bandura, 2001, p.17)
Computational Thinking
Computational thinking influencesfields such as biology, chemistry, linguistics, psychology, economics and statistics. It allows us to solve problems, design systems and understand the power and limits of human and machine intelligence. It is a skill that empowers, and that all pupils should be aware of and have some competence in. Furthermore, pupils who can think computationally are better able to conceptualize and understand computer-based technology, and so are better equipped to function in modern society (21st century conceptual age).
We need to give students opportunities to learn programming, encourage computational thinking, which is a way of thinking about solving problems. It has applications across the curriculum. Pupils would gain enormously in knowing about.”
In order to support young people’s development as designers, not just consumers, of interactive media, they need access to tools and communities.
Professional Development
The role that teachers occupy in their professional development is a central consideration for designing support and activities. Many professional development opportunities treat teachers as consumers, neglecting fundamental understandings about how people learn, as evidenced by language like “teacher training. “AsPapert (1993) argued.
Although
the name is not what is most important about this concept, it is
curious that the phrase “teacher training “comes trippingly off the
tongues of people who would be horrified at the suggestion that teachers
are being trained to “train” children.(p.70)
For designers of professional development opportunities teachers must be respected as learners. Teachers need to be treated as designers of learning environments, not merely agents enacting a vision, following a prescription for pedagogy. Teachers need to be treated as co-designers of their learning experiences in professional development.
Background
Robotics
The Kenyan Perspective
Robotics Gets More Attention in Kenya
In
a world dominated by science and technology, the use of robots is
increasingly becoming an important feature of industrial production. And
robotics is steadily gaining attention among science students in Kenya,
as confirmed during a three-day Robot Contest held in Nairobi between
18th and 20th May 2011.
The
contest which has been held in Kenya every year since 2009 was sponsored
by private companies in Kenya, the Ministry of Higher Education,
Science and Technology and JICA. It attracted participants from three
Kenyan universities and 40 technical institutions. Participants from
Rwanda and observers from Uganda also attended.
In
Japan for instance, robotics has a lot of applications in daily lives
of people and it is greatly emphasized as it has resulted to a high
level of automation in the industries. Since Kenya has taken a keen
interest in science and technology as a tool towards achieving economic
development (Vision 2030), there is a considerable potential for
robotics.
This is an area of
technology which is still largely unexploited in Kenya. In our endeavor
to attaining and actualize Vision 2030 of knowledge based economy
(Although Kenya has reached that status after the World Bank rebased is
economy on 2014).To have a profound effect on its citizenry we need to
adopt a rigorous and robust 24 hour economy largely boosted by
industrial robots..
Robotics Education and Research
Robotics Education
As
technology evolves ever more quickly in all aspects of modern living,
it is important that the next generation know as much as possible about
design, electronics, programming and integration in order to stay
competitive. This is why robotics is becoming increasingly important at
all levels of education.
Preschools
Introducing
robots at the preschool level can peak a child's curiosity and get them
interested in learning more about robotics and technology.
Elementary Schools
Robots
at the elementary level can involve design and construction, basic
circuitry and even basic programming. Investing in a good robotic kit
means exposing your child to mechanical design, electronics and more and
is a great investment in their learning and creative process.
High Schools
Robots
at the high school level are both fun and highly educational. Robots
and products at this level can cover many disciplines or specific ones
(mechanical design / assembly, electronics or programming).
Colleges & Universities
Robots
used in colleges and universities tend to involve more complex designs,
motion and/or programming. These kits are great for someone in an
Engineering or related discipline, or someone with a bit of experience
looking for a challenge.
Graduates & Research
Robots
used at the graduate and post-graduate level as well as in research
institutions are often the most cutting-edge robots available on the
market. These robots tend to be pre-assembled and focus on the robot's
intelligence.
Robots for the House & Recreation
Robots
for the house will fill your robotic needs in your everyday life. You
can find personal and domestic robots, domestic robot accessories,
replacement parts for your robots and even robot toys here.
Professional & Service Robots
Professional
and Service Robots are used in a variety of applications at work, in
public, in hazardous environments and are more capable, rugged and often
more expensive than domestic robots.
Robot App Store
Robot
Apps are used to control your robot and give your robots their
intelligence. Some Apps allow you to generate pre-programmed movement
sequences; others are used for remote control, and software development
platforms are used to make more sophisticated autonomous control
systems.
Roomba –Based Robot Platform for STEM Ed (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education
A
pre assembled robot platforms, dubbed Create 2, designed to give
students, teachers and developers experience programming robots.
-“Robots
have a cool factor unlike any other learning tool. Create 2, with it’s
online resources, reliable hardware born of the award winning Roomba,
and ease of customization simply delivers more robot than anything
available to students and educators at or near its price.
-It is being released alongside new online resources, such as files for 3D printing replacements parts, templates for drilling face plates and instructions for educational projects.
Irobot launches roomba based robot platform for STEM Ed
Robots Help Moore County Students Learn Math, Science and Engineering
.............
Conclusion:
As
technology evolves ever more quickly in all aspects of modern living,
it is important that the next generation know as much as possible about
design, electronics, programming and integration in order to stay
competitive. This is why robotics is becoming increasingly important at
all levels of education.
Students need to know not only how to find information, but how to evaluate, curate, present, and create it. We really need a rethinking of education and a redesigning of our system, so it prepares our children for the future with the skills that are needed for today and tomorrow.
If Kenya wants to achieve an "insurgency" around innovation and technology, it would have to be led by an attitudinal change.
We
have to recognize the world in which we live is changing rapidly. The
velocity of change has probably never been greater, and so you have to
have an attitude, whether you're running a business or a government
department or a newspaper or a website, which is agile.
You
can't be like King Canute trying to turn the tide back; you've got to
be like the great surfer who says, 'Yep, there's a very turbulent sea
out there, I can ride that,' so in other words, make volatility your friend.
Read More..
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kISeilKAvXXK2o7PI8qdnF7x3g9E9B5734QckLfEAi8/pub
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kISeilKAvXXK2o7PI8qdnF7x3g9E9B5734QckLfEAi8/pub
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