One classroom at Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level spent an afternoon on Wednesday, Nov. 2 shooting hoops instead of taking notes as part of a basketball shootout.
However, this game of basketball did not take place in a school gymnasium. Seventh grade students in Mr. Howard Ludlow’s classroom used self-programmed robots to shoot miniature basketballs into tiny basketball nets.
The robotics classes at IWA allows students to do hands-on programming using custom-built robots while teaching them about the use of robotics for industrial purposes.
Throughout the school year, students learn how to maneuver these robots through increasingly complex environments. They also learn how to manipulate objects within a robot’s path such the basketball shootout.
“The class teaches not only programming, but provides insight into the digital world that they’re going to live in forever,” Ludlow said.
Hands-on activities in these robotics classes are exciting examples of how IWA strives for the pursuit of high standards of performance among teachers, students, and the school community.