The first Mount Madonna School (MMS) junior robotics team recently began preparing for the Wonder League Robotics Competition. The MMS team is sponsored by parents and The Factory, a new lab program at MMS for ‘makers.’ The competition is open to students age 11 and under, and requires programming robots to complete seven missions.‘This is a competition that lays groundwork for the other robotics platforms we currently offer at MMS, Lego Mindstorms and Arduino,’ commented MMS Middle School Director Lisa Catterall. ‘While we are developing students’ use of Arduino as an educational tool, the issue we’ve encountered with students jumping into using it, is that there is no learning scaffolding for them in the areas of electronics and coding.’
‘The Wonder Workshop platform offers a way for kids to engage in coding at an entry-level,’ she added. ‘Results are immediate and satisfying; not only does it have the potential to get them interested in more advanced robotics work, but it lays scaffolding for participation in line-by-line coding. The platform uses Blockly, but has many open-ended commands. Unlike Scratch, where kids are controlling characters on a screen, kids control an actual physical robot.’
The challenges involve each team programming one robot to move around a grid in certain ways, adding light and sound for bonus points. In addition, the students must make two robots with infrared sensors interact with one another. More than 500 teams nationwide are competing in the Wonder League. The MMS junior robotics team members are: Wyatt Erbe, grade four; Cecily Kelly, grade five; and Addy Catterall-Pendleton, Ben Pearson, and Maddie Erbe, grade six. The MMS team is competing with more than 500 teams nationwide. Their entry is a video that will be posted on YouTube by November 30, and results will be shared online.
Catterall says she plans to offer a Wonder Workshop afterschool program at MMS starting in the spring that will be open to fourth through sixth graders.
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Nestled among the redwoods on 355 acres, Mount Madonna School (MMS) is a community of learners dedicated to creative, intellectual, and ethical growth. MMS supports its students in becoming caring, self-aware, discerning and articulate individuals; and believe a fulfilling life includes personal accomplishments, meaningful relationships and service to society. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville.