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Hands-on activities engage Dobbins students
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The STEAM Museum provided different materials for students to use to create their own robots and designs at Dobbins Elementary on May 18.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students at Dobbins Elementary drew lines on iPads with their fingers and a small robot followed the colored lines at the STEAM Museum on May 18.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students were picked to mimic the movements of the humanoid robot, NAO, that was at the STEAM Museum at Dobbins Elementary on May 18.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.A friction raceway was available for students to roll different textured rollers down different textured paths to see what textures would reach the bottom the fastest.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Dobbins students built a parabolic arch out of large foam blocks at the STEAM Museum on May 18 at Dobbins Elementary.
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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.The STEAM Museum brought in a Plasma Sphere for the students to touch and watch the lights follow their hands on May 18 at Dobbins Elementary.
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
Dobbins Elementary students got to explore the science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) world on May 18 when Mobile Ed Productions, Inc. came to the school.
Mobile Ed Productions is a nationwide company and started in 1979. There are more than 30 educational programs Mobile Ed offers that are suited for children in kindergarten through eighth-grade. The programs are often aligned with the common core curriculum that the students are learning in the classroom. The sessions are 45 minutes and can occur up to eight times during the day.
Dave Mitchell, an independent contractor with Mobile Ed Productions, Inc. covers areas from Minnesota to Texas putting on programs for schools, libraries, organizations and several other community events. Mitchell has been with the company for 10 years and travels all around setting up different programs for children to enjoy. Although the constant traveling can get tedious, Mitchell says working with the children and seeing how much fun they have makes up for it.
“My favorite part is really working with the kids,” said Mitchell.
A couple classes at a time came to the gymnasium to participate in the different activities Mitchell had prepared. Each group had 35 minutes to explore before the next group came in. There was a friction raceway, a build-a-bridge, a humanoid robot, a 3D printer and more.
Several of the students agreed their favorite part of STEAM was the humanoid robot, whose name was NAO, and the 3D printer. The bike generator was a big hit among many of the students. They stood in line to ride the bike as fast as they could to generate kinetic energy into electricity. The more power the students generated, the more the connecting tower would light up.
“Being with the kids and doing the performances, I really enjoy that,” said Mitchell.