Fostering Creativity

How Robotics and Programming Help Creativity

by: Victoria Quintanilla

A lot of the time, when parents think about developing creativity for their child they first think of the liberal arts. As a teacher at Rex Programming, I know that there is creativity intertwined in STEM as well. In my Junior FLL class, a program that is focused on real world problems, my students have come up with several creative ideas on how to solve issues in waste management. Through these ideas, they express their creativity and work with the other students to create tangible robots and scenarios. Sometimes, the youngest minds think outside of the box and with the Lego WeDo sets they are able to explore in a very fun way. In the Jr FLL class, my favourite parts of the learning process is watching the students create builds and telling their own story.

Programming is a language. Just as storytellers use their language to create literature, so do the students when they program. In MIT App Inventor, students use code blocks to build applications they can download to their phones. The students produce apps and customize them- from the smallest details of layout and colours, to creating multi-screen programs. The possibilities, and their creativity, are endless- robotics and programming classes are a great way to foster the drive.

This year, three Rex Programming classes are participating in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) program. The FIRST LEGO League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students, aimed at promoting excitement about STEM through real world application. This year's topic was titled "Trash Trek - Waste Wise." The goal is for the students to understand the ecological burden of waste and acknowledge solutions already in place, and then come up with an innovative solution.

The FLL program consists of three parts- The Core Values, Robot Games, and Problem Solving Research. So far, our teams have set their roles and followed through with the Core Values- working together as a team and helping each other. The programmers and builders are testing their robots in the Robot Game arena.

The next step for our teams was to reach out to the community to research the "real life" trash problem. For maximum points, the teams must demonstrate completion of all three (3) steps of the FLL Project which are: research and identify a problem, develop an innovative solution to that problem, and share with others. This project is what Trash Trek FLL is all about.

Rex Programming was able to schedule a very good opportunity to gather some research information directly from Quest Resource Management Group, as well as Earth911.com.

The Quest company outsources trash from large and small businesses, as well as reviews the trash output of many companies and recommends ways to reuse and recycle. Quest is a full service environmental consulting and management group supporting the efforts of Fortune® 500 companies seeking to maximize profits and mitigate risks and minimize their ecological footprints.

While there at Quest, our students made note of several interesting ways to reuse items. 

(Quest Visit- Repurposed Tires)

(Jr FLL "Repurposed Tires")

 

(Robotics "Build a working Vehicle")

Internet Safety

Internet Safety

By: Pranavi Jonnalagadda

Remember those days when all you had to worry about as a parent was making sure your kids got home safe and sound. Nowadays, even at home, the dangers don’t go away. In fact, one of the top challenges that parents have to deal with today is guarding their children against the dangerous influences of technology.

If you believe everything you hear about kids online, you might think pedophiles and cyberbullies are around every cyber-corner. Yes, there is bad stuff out there. But the truth is, there's a lot of good, and some experts are arguing against a "techno-panic mindset" that worries parents unnecessarily. The bottom line is that we can't keep our kids safe if we don't know the facts.

According to stopbullying.gov: Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.

Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake profiles.

Cell phones and computers themselves are not to blame for cyberbullying. Social media sites can be used for positive activities, like connecting kids with friends and family, helping students with school, and for entertainment. But these tools can also be used to hurt other people. Whether done in person or through technology, the effects of bullying are similar.

Children use a variety of online services, and each of these services can have different safety concerns. However, there are some basic tips which you can employ no matter how your children use the Internet.  

• Keep the computer in a high-traffic area of your home.
• Establish limits for which online sites children may visit and for how long.
• Remember that Internet technology can be mobile, so make sure to monitor cell phones, gaming devices, and laptops.
• Surf the Internet with your children and let them show you what they like to do online.
• Know who is connecting with your children online and set rules for social networking, instant messaging, e-mailing, online gaming, and using webcams.
• Continually dialogue with your children about online safety.

Why I love to Teach at Rex!

The Reason I Love Teaching at Rex

By: Caitlin Webb

One thing you will find as you get to know Rex more, there isn’t a lack of enthusiasm and passion in any area of our business. Whether we are planning our next party, lesson, or goal, we are constantly excited for the next day at Rex Programming.

The passion that we have for teaching truly comes from the positive experiences and relationships we build with our students. In every class I have taught at Rex, I have gotten to see bright minds create and explore games, animations, and programs. The pride and joy brought on by the success of a student made project is worth every hour we spend outside the classroom preparing, planning, and prepping for our next class.

My favorite part of each week is the time I get to spend at the front of a class teaching it. Even with the experience of teaching in front of a public school classroom, it isn’t the same as working at Rex. These students and parents are just as passionate about learning programming as we are in teaching it. Even students who once didn’t show interest in programming come out of our classes more interested and knowledgeable in technology.