I spent quite a few hours trying to learn enough so I could teach it. After several hours going through online tutorials and PowerPoints, I wrote my first code. I tried to compile the program, (transferring it from the computer to the robot) but was unsuccessful repeatedly! WHAT was I doing wrong?!?! I worked with my coworker, my cousins, and anyone else who would attempt (even if they just looked to appease me) to help me figure out what was wrong, but couldn't get the robot to move! As my momentum dwindled, the students' excitement and enthusiasm was ramping up with unplugged activities! Angela and I sat down to troubleshoot once more. We found I had simply started in the wrong level of the program and with a quick switch, the new program made the robot move! I cannot explain to you the sense of satisfaction I felt the day it worked!!!
If I got that excited about making the robot move, I knew the kids would be ecstatic when they did. Within 30 minutes of starting on the computer, some of my kids successfully made the robot move! (Of course they learn faster than we do!)
As the students progressed through the different challenges, I could tell who really was enthusiastic about coding. We worked one day a week and the kids could roughly work out a challenge in about 45 minutes. After a rough draft of numbers, the students then had to use math and figure precise changes to complete the challenges. The precision of completing the tasks and the upper tasks became increasingly difficult for the students, but they kept working. The perseverance among my students amazed me even when the challenges became difficult.
One group of boys could not figure out the line/light censoring challenge. Neither myself nor the other coach could help them. After calling in the Botball expert, the students completed the task. They were so eager to learn and try more. Achievement after trials was turning out to be inspiring for both the students and myself!!
The competition was set up for students to practice until they were ready to complete the challenge for a judge. I took twelve kids, two teams, and two groups of 3 within each team, to compete. Early Saturday morning we arrived in Norman and began a long day of just playing with the robot. One of my teams completed two challenges first thing and spent the rest of the day trying to figure out the rest. The other team struggled to get any one challenge precise enough to compete. I could see the frustration and boredom in some of their eyes...we were failing and they were getting discouraged. Some were even ready to quit. After lunch, I brought the six girls (1 team, 2 groups) together and went to an open area where we could really focus. With the support/encouragement of parents and Ms. Rudd, the girls successfully worked their way to complete Challenge 1, soon followed by challenge 2! It was successful. Accomplishing these two challenges were exhilarating and gave the girls a new energy!
This got me thinking. As teachers, so many times we feel defeated or discouraged. In fact, so many times I see, hear, and feel the feelings of failure among teachers. These feelings come from having to call the office too many times, low test scores, getting frustrated when we should have kept our cool, being short with our students, students continually misbehaving and not following directions, missing paperwork deadlines, extra paperwork piling up, etc. None of us like these feelings or want them, but they come anyway. The awesome lesson I've learned through this, is that the moments of success will be even grander and worth celebrating because of the challenges we face. Our job is full of challenges and roadblocks, but let's be like these kids and persevere. If it calls for us to join together and work as a close team then work as a team, if it calls for us to encourage one another then encourage one another, if it calls for us to recruit help from parents then call on volunteers. We can push forward and make it through the next few exhausting weeks!!!
