by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
Students from the high school visited Pleasantview Elementary on Dec. 11 to perform demonstrations on robotics and coding.
It was all part of the “Computer Science Education Week” and the “Hour of Code.” Deb Scherber, gifted specialist at Sauk Rapids schools says the activities encourage students to not just use technology but to create with it.
“Coding and computer science experiences allow students to explore and nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity,” Scherber said. “We live in an increasingly interconnected world and people everywhere are being exposed to and learning these skills.”
High-school students, including McKinley Lain, a senior, were at the elementary school for a little more than two hours last Friday morning. See photos for more about Lain, who is the captain of the robotics team.
On Dec. 11 students at Pleasantview Elementary celebrated their “Hour of Code” with a visit from McKinley Lain, a Sauk Rapids senior, who is also the captain of the robotics team. Hour of Code is a global movement that started through a grassroots campaign aimed at teaching students of all ages the basics of computer coding.
Lain demonstrates a robotic hand he built. When he moves his fingers inside the glove, the hand attached to the board held by media specialist Deanna Euteneuer also moves. Some of the materials used in Lain’s creations include fishing line, rubber bands and pieces from clothes hangers. Lain asked the students to consider the many ways robotics can be beneficial and shared his intent to build an arm, at which one student suggested, “So you can arm-wrestle yourself!”
A robotic writer that Lain built is shown in the process of writing Lain’s first name. It does so by translating letters that are typed into a computer. The code for the writer is 300-400 lines long. The equipment took 40-50 hours to build with an additional 25-30 hours of programming.
