MINDSTORMS brewing in Andover's middle schools

     When 7th and 8th graders return to their engineering classes in a few weeks, they will quickly recognize some changes that are in store for them.  With generous financial support from the Andover Coalition for Education (ACE), students in engineering classes at all three middle schools will have the opportunity to design, build, and program devices using Legos Mindstorms EV3 Core and Expansion kits.  Four large pallets of Legos boxes arrived last week and middle school engineering teachers Dan Miley (West Middle), Steve Tisbert (Wood Hill Middle), and Tony Helinski (Doherty Middle) came in for the day to unpack the boxes, inventory the equipment, get acquainted with the Mindstorms software, and discuss the adventure that lies ahead during the implementation process this fall.

  

Engineering teachers Dan Miley, Steve Tisbert, and Tony Helsinger unpack and
inventory nearly 200 Legos Mindstorms kits 

     Once the revised engineering program is up and running as planned, 7th grade students will spend part of their 9 week engineering class working in small groups with a Mindstorms core set to construct a predesigned project and once built, begin learning to program the "brick" processor to make their device accomplish specific performance objectives.  During the 8th grade engineering cycle, pairs of students will select a design challenge or problem of their own choosing and utilize a Mindstorms core set and expansion kit as well as other construction materials of their choosing to design and present a solution to their problem.

     But that is the vision for the future - the upcoming school year will see the teachers and many students alike on the steep part of the learning curve in using the Mindstorms resources.  Undoubtably, students who are experienced Mindstorms users will play an important role in the implementation of the kits into the curriculum.  The engineering teachers recognize that there will be a lot of work ahead but look forward to engineering classrooms where everyone present is engaged in authentic discovery and in the engineering design process.  The word "adventure" is emerging as a common descriptor for what lies ahead in the weeks to come.

New Doherty Middle School engineering teacher Tony Helsinger contemplates the adventure that lies ahead.

     The introduction of the Mindstorms resources to the 8th grade engineering classes was funded by ACE with a grant of $34,000 while the 7th grade program cost of $18,000 was provided in the APS budget.  Mindstorms software needed to program the EV3 computer bricks will be installed on repurposed laptop computers (formally used by teachers) that will be dedicated to the engineering classrooms.  The acquisition of these resources will allow students at every middle school equal access to high quality learning resources that can be used to learn both engineering design and coding skills regardless of their individual learning differences and prior experience.  Andover Public Schools is deeply grateful to ACE for making it possible to implement the Mindstorms resources to an extent that provides an optimum opportunity for our students to learn.

     So stay tuned and we'll check in on our young engineers once the year is underway and the adventure has begun.