STEM Robotics
FaceLab: Engaging & Training Parents in STEAM, is a pilot program that immerses parents of K-8 students in hands-on learning through science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art and design activities in the classroom.
FaceLab is aligned to the three key focus areas of Equity & Excellence for All Students.
1. Academic Excellence: FaceLab focuses on evidence-based strategies for effective family engagement - it is relational, builds capacity of families and is linked to learning.
2. Student and Community Support: FaceLab creates skilled parent facilitators. Parents will receive the training and support needed to be real assets to schools/teachers. It also counts on industry partners such as Makeosity Inc. and Robofun.
3. Innovation: FaceLab will test the concept of leveraging parents’ existing skills and interest in learning in order to create more making and innovation opportunities for our students.
At P.S. 506, students and parents were involved in FaceLab by using Legos to build robots. They have also created cranes, dams, giants, claws and platforms for cranes. Throughout the process the students were very engaged and vocal. The students work collaboratively and build teamwork skills. They were also able to learn and retain many new vocabulary words because of the hands on experience. The class was engaged in the process, in the discussions, and in sharing materials and ideas. The students not only learned how to build robots/machines, but also how to create programs to make the robots work. As a culminating activity, each student was given a Ziploc bag with scissors, tape and other materials that they could use and keep to create a paper robot.
FaceLab is aligned to the three key focus areas of Equity & Excellence for All Students.
1. Academic Excellence: FaceLab focuses on evidence-based strategies for effective family engagement - it is relational, builds capacity of families and is linked to learning.
2. Student and Community Support: FaceLab creates skilled parent facilitators. Parents will receive the training and support needed to be real assets to schools/teachers. It also counts on industry partners such as Makeosity Inc. and Robofun.
3. Innovation: FaceLab will test the concept of leveraging parents’ existing skills and interest in learning in order to create more making and innovation opportunities for our students.
At P.S. 506, students and parents were involved in FaceLab by using Legos to build robots. They have also created cranes, dams, giants, claws and platforms for cranes. Throughout the process the students were very engaged and vocal. The students work collaboratively and build teamwork skills. They were also able to learn and retain many new vocabulary words because of the hands on experience. The class was engaged in the process, in the discussions, and in sharing materials and ideas. The students not only learned how to build robots/machines, but also how to create programs to make the robots work. As a culminating activity, each student was given a Ziploc bag with scissors, tape and other materials that they could use and keep to create a paper robot.