What are your thoughts on the student presentations? Be sure to add your name! by Marie Williams

2024-07-26 21:52:55 UTC

The student presentations at the SOD center were impressive. It was nice to see them learning how to code using a variety of different sensors with the Sphero Bolts they were working with throughout the week. I like that they had a choice in the types of sensors they could code, as well as the level of complexity within their projects overall. The putt putt golf game project stands out in my mind because this student was able to code LED sensors to produce the look of a golf ball rolling on the green in real time when the robot was tilted in any direction. This young man was also able to program the LED sensors to animate fireworks if the user sinks the ball in the hole. This golfing project was an excellent example of how students can program a robot to engage others in a simple and fully interactive game that offers feedback to the user.

-Ashlee Sherwood

2024-07-27 13:47:45 UTC

The SOD center was a place that I definitely would have signed my children up to take the class when they were younger. I was impressed with the teacher, his love and knowledge for teaching and helping the children become more knowledgeable in coding. I know that standing in front of many adults can be quite daunting especially if one is not used to it day in and day out. I really give the kids credit for being able to stand in front of so many people and present their information. It is important for kids to learn that public speaking is important a and they aced it!

I was impressed to see how the adults went all out for these kids from having food, parents and family there, speakers, beautiful awards.

The time, effort, patience that it took of the children to complete their projects was impressive. The putt putt golf was especially fun!

I would recommend this class to anyone interested in learning coding. Salem is a short distance from anywhere in Columbiana County, parents just need to look for educational opportunities because our county has a lot to offer and as parents we should take advantage of these programs.

Margaret Myers

East Liverpool City Schools

2024-07-29 22:35:33 UTC

Burnell

I really enjoyed the student presentations. I was impressed by the abilities of the students to code, but I was even more impressed by their ability to present. They were in front of a lot of people that they didn't know. They seemed calm and cool under pressure. When things went wrong, they simply problem solved their way through it and didn't get rattled. I would have been nervous with a shaky voice, and I speak in front of people for a living.

They coding was super cool. I really enjoyed the gentleman who coded two programs at once. The others were impressive as well. I thought that the compass function was very interesting. I would love to play with those little roboys.

2024-07-30 09:22:32 UTC

I loved watching the students present their hard work at the SOD center. I was nervous for them as they were put on the spot but they all presented well. Mr. Gill made sure to set them up for success by reminding them to turn up their volume or to get their screen up and ready and the students listened. Even when the one boy began to struggle he didn't give up or become emotional. I was engaged to the end and impressed with their creativity. It seemed like the week-long camp was set up well with two hours a day to prepare them for their presentation. One student at the end said "That was really hard" with a smile on his face at the end of the presentations and I could tell he was proud of himself. It was fun to see their families watch in support. As a teacher, I enjoy going to sporting events and musical concerts to cheer on my students. Being able to show robotic students support is important too. Since this is our future as a workforce we should value camps and opportunities to showcase this hard work more. I'm thankful I was able to attend their presentations, it was a great opportunity.

-Suzanne Harding

2024-07-31 15:11:27 UTC

Dave Pancurak

The students did a great job presenting their coding creations. The fact that they layered everything and had two results for the one robot was pretty incredible. Mr. Gilll was awesome in explaining the robot and all the abilities the robot is capable of before programming. I enjoyed how they had no fear or showed no fear when it was time to present.

My favorite part was eating lunch with the kids and hearing about the experiences they had all week. After hearing about how much they enjoyed the food… It was great to hear about the experiences they also had through the week.

2024-08-01 00:13:11 UTC

I found this a very cool experience! The student presentations were stupendous. I loved that when some struggled to get their robot to work, they didn't get frustrated. They just troubleshoot the problem right in front of us. Many students would have gotten frustrated and given up on the presentation. To be honest, I probably would have freaked out. As an ELA teacher, I really loved the fact that public speaking was involved. It is a highly important skill for students to learn. You never know when you are going to present something outside the school realm.

I also love the creativity the students had with their projects. My favorite one was the mini-golf sphero. I enjoy playing small games like that and would probably be engrossed for quite some time. The compass features the students added on were also impressive because anyone could use that feature at any time.

The SOD Center was interesting to me. I have never heard of it. If my daughter shows interest in these topics, I would send her to one of these programs. I loved how the passion of these students was fostered and they were able to increase their skill level.

-- Leanna Meeks