Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/609675
will be ubiquitous. Kay Scarlett, Junior School principal, explains that, "we don't know what is going to be required by the time they go to university, so we're essentially preparing them for the unknown, but these are skills that they can transfer to whatever they're doing. They are truly skills for life." The skills needed to program the robots effectively, or to use Scratch to program a computer game, are diverse, yet all curriculum-related. Mr. Rotenberg explains that with computer programming, the students at both campuses have learned to create a game where a ball on a computer screen bounces off a paddle. This simple game of table tennis involves integers, inputs and outputs, Cartesian coordinates and angles – all of which are part of the Grade 2 curriculum. What's incredible is that none of that is explicitly taught. "What the students are learning about, officially, is motion, but all of these other concepts come into play," says Mr. Rotenberg. And on top of it all, it's a creative endeavour. "They create the pieces of the game, name their guiding character, and determine the colours and sizes of the different parts. Yet, they're not burdened by rote memory." This is applied mathematics at its best, with skills such as designing and storyboarding bringing it all together. Because of the nature of the programming, where students are given a task but have myriad ways to complete it, they can try something, analyze their choices, make corrections and changes. Mr. Rotenberg says many students are so excited by their new skillset that they go home and try it out for themselves on the Scratch website, which is password-protected and vigorously monitored. "There is no parent who isn't going to like seeing their child come home and want to work for two hours on coding their own game!" he adds. TFS' West Campus was the first to bring in a third dimension to learning. Ulrik Bédos, math and science teacher, introduced 3D printing in 2014 to the Grade 7 class. "The 3D printers are incredibly adaptable and are just fascinating for the students to use," he says. "The students at this age are expected to learn prototyping as part of the Middle Years Program (MYP) design cycle. 3D printing an object based on a student's own designs is the perfect exercise in theory to practice," says Mr. Bédos. The printer also has tie-ins with the math units of inquiry, which explore modelling. Past projects have included students creating a model of the entire West Campus, with classrooms accurately miniaturized and students able to visualize their school in a completely new way. What Happens Next? At the Senior School, the incoming techies are a good problem to have: the students are passionate and experienced, and ready to learn even more about robotics. Janvier Zagabe, science and technology teacher, teaches the Level I technology course, which previously focused on word processing and business programs. Because students' familiarity with those programs can now be assumed, the course is now largely focused on learning through robotics. "Everything our students are doing has connections to technology," he says. "Technology supports a broad range of development, not just in terms of tools, but for team-building, organization, planning and problem-solving." A quick example would be teaching students how a gear works. M. Zagabe explains that the students can all grasp the mechanics of a gear, but after they write the test, much of the knowledge gets lost. "When students are learning on robots, you give them a task and, as they're completing the task, they discover that they need to use the gears. When they start talking about mechanical efficiency, they master it because it's not based on teaching; it's all about their imagination. For me, it was unbelievable what they were able to do in such a short time." 19 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2015