Pulaski County Middle School expands robotics program for students
A Pulaski County Middle School program is expanding robotics and computer science opportunities with new equipment and hands-on learning.
HAWKINSVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Pulaski County Middle School is expanding robotics opportunities for students in Pulaski County.
Pulaski County Middle School fifth-eighth grade teacher Dr. Marie Collins says Equitable Robotics opportunities focus on students having the benefits, development and career paths within the robotics field, regardless of race, gender or abilities. Over the past two years, Collins has worked to expand computer science opportunities at the school to include hands-on robotics learning.
Through that effort, the program has received support from the Department of Defense, the Georgia FIRST Tech Challenge Google Team Grant, STARBASE, Dixie Crow STEM Donations, the Computer Science Teacher and Community Equipment Grant and Fort Valley State University’s FAB Lab.
The classroom is now equipped with LEGO Spike Prime kits, 30 Sphero Bolt Plus bots and curriculum, as well as a FIRST Tech Challenge REV robot, with plans to expand into drone and AI-based learning tools.
The class is a perfect mix of computer science and robotics, giving students hands-on experience with technology. Dr. Collins says the class already existed in the school, but there was one minor setback.
“What we found is the students were more engaged when they had hands-on experiences, and that’s what led me to look into robotics,” she said. “Not only is it a growing career field, and something students need to be exposed to, it also provided that hands on learning opportunity part.”
Dr. Collins says this class brings excitement to her students.
“It makes me as a teacher more excited because I’m excited for them, but they love to build and program and code, and they love it so much. They will ask me to show it to other teachers; they love to show what they learned.”
She explains what she hopes her students take away from this class.
“The understanding that they can do anything, as long as they stick with it,” she said. “That they can problem solve, that they know in the future if they want it, robotics and engineering is a choice for them.”
