My name is Manuela Gilbride and I taught 3rd grade at Sahuarita Intermediate School and now I teach 3rd Grade at Wrightson Ridge School. This is my 12th year of teaching in Elementary Education.

Thanks to the SEEF Grant I was able to have 15 more robots in my classroom.  When I  attended a STEAM class and I was able to receive 10 robots and apply it to the Third Grade Curriculum.  Every year I have been extending the Robot program with my third graders.   Unfortunately, since the numbers of students in the classroom were increasing and some robots were showing signs of wear. I was fortunate to have the SEEF Grant and purchase 15 more Edison Robots in my classroom.

When I received the robots, I was able to use it as a reward for the STEAM Reading Challenge.  I volunteered to use the Robots with all 25 students being able to participate.  The challenge was Robot Wars, where they had to build a robot that will push out the other opponent from the ring.  The students had to collaborate and work in teams of two to build a robot that will also not fall apart.  They needed to strategize on how to engineer a robot that will guide their opponents out of the arena (this one program is called Sumo Wrestle).  The students learned how to balance, build, and engineer around the robot’s sensors.   The Third Graders had so much fun and it was a great way to introduce the robots to the students.  I usually extend the robot project during the fourth quarter by using the Scientific Method and questioning the robots’ program, there were some glitches that the students were able to find.  This is a hands-on project and the students learn so much about technology and how it is used in our new technology world. Even though this is my third year using this program, every year I learn something new, but the biggest reward is that the students learn to question and be patient.