Cliff Williams / TPI The Airport Road Intermediate School team guides their robot through the stacking process of the competition on Saturday.
Cliff Williams 334-740-1116Robotics and other STEM activities in elementary and middle schools makes adults question if they are smarter than a fifth grader.
With coding, operating and maneuvering robots remotely and figuring out how to best go about a complex engineering task appears on the surface to only apply to those seeking to go into artificial intelligence, computers, engineering or something involving technology. But Elmore County Schools are using VEX Robotics to help teach STEM and more.
kAm(6EF>A<2 w:89 $49@@= AC:?4:A2= zJ=6 uFEC2= A=2J65 E96 C@=6 @7 525 2?5 G@=F?E66C 2E 4@F?EJ\H:56 't) #@3@E:4D 4@>A6E:E:@? 2E #65=2?5 |:55=6 $49@@= $2EFC52J] w6 H2D <66A:?8 D4@C6 2E @?6 @7 E9C66 C:?8D] yFDE 2 4@FA=6 @7 9@FCD :?[ DEF56?ED 492==6?865 uFEC2= @? D@>6 @7 9:D D4@C:?8] k^Am
kAm“xVG6 925 2 4@FA=6 @7 8C@FAD E92E 925 E@ 4@CC64E D@>6 D4@C:?8 E9:?8D E92E x 5:5[” uFEC2= D2:5] “'t) 92D 2 DEC:4E 4@56 @7 4@?5F4E H:E9 A@=:4:6D 2?5 CF=6D H:E9 2 H2J E@ 5@ E92E] %96J =62C? E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 A6@A=6 2?5 25G@42E6 7@C E96>D6=G6D]”k^Am
kAm{62C?:?8 E@ 4@>>F?:42E6 :? 2 492==6?8:?8 6?G:C@?>6?E H:E9 2 DFA6C:@C :D 2 D<:== =62C?65 :? 't) #@3@E:4D 3J DEF56?ED 2== E96 H2J 5@H? E@ 7@FCE9 2?5 7:7E9 8C256] xE :D 2=D@ 2 A=246 H96C6 t=>@C6 r@F?EJ $49@@=D $%t| DA64:2=:DE %C24J (C:89E 2?5 @E96C DE277 42? 368:? E@ :56?E:7J J@F?8 DEF56?ED H9@ >:89E 6I46= :? @E96C $%t| 24E:G:E:6D DF49 2D qt$% #@3@E:4D[ vC66? !@H6C #24:?8 2?5 >@C6]k^Am
kAm“x’> 9:89=J :?E6C6DE65 :? E96 2FE@?@>@FD 4@>A6E:E:@?[” (C:89E D2:5] “%92E 86ED >@C6 :?E@ 9:89 =6G6= A=2??:?8 2?5 4@5:?8] %96J 9:E DE2CE 2?5 E96 C@3@E 8@6D] $EF56?ED 42? 2=D@ :>AC6DD @? E96 :?E6CG:6H A@CE:@? @7 E96 4@>A6E:E:@?] %96 @E96C A2CE @7 E96 4@>A6E:E:@? 32D:42==J 92D DEF56?ED FD:?8 2 !=2JDE2E:@? c 4@?EC@==6C] %96J 92G6 5@?6 E92E 7@C 2 H9:=6 2E E9:D A@:?E]” k^Am
kAm$2EFC52J’D 4@>A6E:E:@? E92E >2?J 7@F?5 :?E6C6DE:?8 H2D E96 E:>65 DE24<:?8 @7 A:646D @? E96 3@2C5 E@ D4@C6 A@:?ED] xE C6BF:C65 EH@ E62>D[ 6249 H:E9 EH@ 5C:G6CD[ E@ H@C< E@86E96C]k^Am
kAm“%96J 5@?’E ?646DD2C:=J <?@H E96 E62> E96J 2C6 H@C<:?8 H:E9 F?E:= E96J 86E @FE 96C6[” (C:89E D2:5] “%96J 92G6 2 76H >:?FE6D 367@C6 E96J DE2CE 2?5 E96J 42? H@C< 2 DEC2E68J E@86E96C]” k^Am
kAm%96 6?E:C6 4@>A6E:E:@? E@@< FA E96 8J> 7=@@C 2E #65=2?5 |:55=6 $49@@=] !2C6?ED 7:==65 E96 3=62496CD]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 8C62E E@ D66 2== E96 A2C6?E :?G@=G6>6?E[” #65=2?5 |:55=6 $49@@= 3@@<<66A6C 2?5 't) #@3@E:4D DA@?D@C r2D6J wF5D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm(C:89E D2:5 E96 A2C6?E2= :?G@=G6>6?E D9@HD E96 4@>>F?:EJ :D 3FJ:?8 :?E@ $%t| 2?5 E96 24E:G:E:6D 2C@F?5 $%t|] wF5D@? D2:5 :? >:55=6 D49@@= :E D9@HD A2C6?ED 2C6 ECF=J :?E6C6DE65 :? E96 AC@8C2>]k^Am
kAm“%96J 92G6 E@ A:4< E96> FA 27E6C AC24E:46[” wF5D@? D2:5] “%96J 92G6 E@ 86E E96> E@ 4@>A6E:E:@?D @? E96 H66<6?5D] xE E2<6D 2 =@E @7 E96:C E:>6] xE D9@HD A2C6?ED 2C6 ECF=J :?E6C6DE65 :? DFAA@CE:?8 E96:C 49:=5C6? :? C@3@E:4D 2?5 $%t|]”k^Am
kAmu@C E96 =2DE D6G6C2= J62CD[ >2?J @7 E96 9:896C =6G6= $%t| 24E:G:E:6D 92G6 366? 46?E6C65 2C@F?5 (6EF>A<2 D49@@=D] xE :D ?@H 36:?8 AFD965 @FE E@ E96 @E96C D49@@=D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ :56?E:7J DE277 E92E 42? 96=A[ 6DA64:2==J 2E E96 >:55=6 2?5 6=6>6?E2CJ D49@@=D[” (C:89E D2:5] “%96 DE2E6 5@6D?’E 96=A H:E9 7F?5:?8 >F49 7@C $%t| 6DA64:2==J 2E E96 >:55=6 D49@@= =6G6=]”k^Am
kAmwF5D@? :D ?@E 2 46CE:7:65 E62496C[ 3FE 92D 2? @=56C D@? @? E96 (6EF>A<2 w:89 $49@@= C@3@E:4D E62>]k^Am
kAm“w6 H2D 5@:?8 :E 96C6 :? #65=2?5 :? 6=6>6?E2CJ 2?5 >:55=6 D49@@=[” wF5D@? D2:5] “x H2?E65 E@ 96=A <66A :E 8@:?8 96C6 7@C E96D6 DEF56?ED]”k^Am
kAm%96 't) #@3@E:4D AC@8C2> 5@6D?’E ?646DD2C:=J C6BF:C6 >F49 DFA6CG:D:@?] x? 724E :E :D E96 H2J E96 AC@8C2> :D D6E FA]k^Am
kAm“xE :D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 DEF56?E\=65[” (C:89E D2:5] “$E277 :D DFAA@D65 E@ 96=A 4@G6C E96 32D:4D 2?5 E96? >2:?=J DFA6CG:D6] $E277 42? >2<6 DF886DE:@?D 2?5 96=A E96 DEF56?ED DE2J @? EC24< 3FE 2== @7 E96 564:D:@?D 23@FE E96:C C@3@E 4@>6 7C@> E96 DEF56?ED]”k^Am
kAm(C:89E D2:5 H9:=6 D49@@= DJDE6>D H2:E 7@C 7F?5:?8 7@C >@C6 $%t| E62496CD[ 6DA64:2==J :? >:55=6 D49@@=[ 96 :D =@@<:?8 7@C H2JD E@ 8C@H $%t| 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 't) :? >2?J @7 @FC D49@@=D[” (C:89E D2:5] “r@F?EJ DE277 DF49 2D >JD6=7 92G6 366? 9@DE:?8 E96 4@F?EJ 4@>A6E:E:@?D]”k^Am
kAmpD D@>6 @7 E96 AC@8C2>D 8C@H :? t=>@C6 r@F?EJ $49@@=D[ DE277 92G6 366? =62C?:?8 9@H 4@>A6E:E:@?D H@C<]k^Am
kAm“p7E6C E96J 86E 2 76H F?56C E96:C 36=E[ H6 96=A E96> 9@DE 2? 6G6?E[” (C:89E D2:5] “xE H:== 2==@H E96> E@ 5@ :E H:E9@FE >F49 96=A 7C@> E96 4@F?EJ] pD :E 8C@HD[ :E H:== 2=D@ 2==@H 9:89 D49@@= DEF56?ED E@ 4@>6 324< 2?5 G@=F?E66C >F49 =:<6 E96 (6EF>A<2 w:89 $49@@= <:5D 5:5 W$2EFC52JX]”k^Am








