By Jane St. Anthony
At Friendship Academy of the Arts in south Minneapolis (2600 E. 38th St.), teacher Matt Warner introduces his sixth through eighth graders to the myriad possibilities of technology. He aspires to encourage and accompany 10 students to the National Lego League Challenge in the Twin Cities, a program held throughout the U.S.
“I teach physics, science and biology,” he said. “And I try to sprinkle as much technology into those classes as possible. Most of all, the challenge is about fun, team building and skills.”
To those who haven’t been updated for a few decades: The upcoming Lego challenge goes beyond building the Fire Fighting Breathing Fortress Dragon Knights Castle Set of yore on the living room floor.
In the annual competition, each team collaborates to design and build a Lego robot online and create programs to complete a series of missions. Each student has a role. This is about more than speed; every team is evaluated for “Gracious Professionalism” at each match.
“We hope that sponsors will respond to our situation,” said Warner. “It costs to participate in the tournament.”
In addition to teaching science, Warner has worked in team building and leadership training. In Minneapolis, he worked as a surveillance investigator (“health care fraud, nothing too wild”). After serving as an Army Human Resources Non-Commissioned Officer, he moved to France, where he taught English and attempted to explain baseball. He earned a master’s degree in international relations at Baker University in Kansas.
As a middle school teacher who looks beyond the classroom walls, Warner has provided outdated desktop computers from Free Geek, a nonprofit on Lake Street, for students to dismantle.
“I ask for the ones that can’t be recycled,” said Warner. “Kids love to tear them apart. They identify CPUs – generally composed of the main memory, control unit and arithmetic-logic unit, motherboards and more. They really enjoy getting inside the computers and understanding how they work.
“In addition to traditional science classes, we work with Code.org which explains coding structure and how to code. A perk: Students can develop their own music and more. Project Beats – as in music beats – allows them to remix and even perform music, using code.
“Techs are very important in the job market: A student is certified, studies, pays for a test, passes it. Salaries begin at $50,000. This applies to computer science and other careers. I tell students to learn a special skill. Get a foot in the door.
“Now one of my jobs is to help them prepare for the Lego League Challenge. It gives me another chance to motivate them. Get their grades up. Understand different programs for different tasks. It’s a state competition. Most of all, it’s about fun. Team building, skills, breaking down roles. Each person has a purpose.”
In mid-December, teacher and students sat down to talk about the challenge. Many of the sixth graders are proficient at coding and they show their interest. Seventh graders have been curious, too, but just nod their heads when asked about joining the challenge. Eighth-graders? They’ll be on board eventually, Warner predicts. One eighth-grader did share this: “My mom and I used to watch Lego Masters on Fox, and I always wished I could compete in a competition like that. I have always loved Legos and now I have an opportunity to combine my love of Legos with my competitive spirit.
“Any opportunity to use my skills and creativity will always help me be prepared for any opportunity These are tools you need to achieve any goal.”
“Interested parties meet once a week after school,” Warner said. “We have parents who are excited and want to be involved as we move ahead.
“I’ll continue reaching out to different tech firms in the area. It takes money to participate in the tournament.”
Warner is optimistic about preparing 10 students who must have a “B” average or above and a referral. He’s optimistic about raising funds for the entrance fees and expenses.
“Who doesn’t like Legos?” Warner said. “Everyone loves robotics. This is a chance for students to build skills and look ahead. It’s an opportunity for the community to support students who will someday be in charge of the jobs that we depend on.”
DanSmith17
Sounds great, is there a link I can donate?
Friday, January 12 Report this
mwarner86
The page to donate for the fundraiser is: www.friendshipacademy.org/donate. Thank you to anyone who helps in any way to achieve our goal.
Thursday, January 18 Report this