Summer school introduces teachers to innovative tools including RoboLab and the Lego Mindstorms robotics invention system, for teaching science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) concepts
National Instruments continues its commitment to enhancing science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) education by collaborating with the University of Texas College of Engineering to present the eighth annual DTeach RoboLab Summer Institute.
Since 1998, more than 250 K-12 teachers have visited the UT Austin campus to participate in this programme and learn innovative ways to integrate technology into their curricula.
The Design Technology and Engineering for America's Children (DTeach) RoboLab Summer Institute introduces teachers to innovative hands-on tools, including RoboLab and the Lego Mindstorms robotics invention system, for teaching Stem concepts.
The RoboLab software is based on the National Instruments Labview graphical development environment used by professional engineers and scientists worldwide in a variety of industries.
NI and UT kick off the second 2005 DTeach session, after which they will have trained 50 new teachers on how to develop their students' critical problem-solving skills through building and programming robots with RoboLab.
"Through the RoboLab programme, thousands of Central Texas students use creativity and teamwork skills to build solutions to real-world problems," said Richard Crawford, UT professor of mechanical engineering.
"The United States faces a critical shortage of students in engineering programmes.
"However, with innovative, hands-on tools such as RoboLab and Lego Mindstorms in K-12 classrooms, more students are equipped to meet success with important Stem concepts early on while experiencing the fun and excitement in engineering".
Each summer, DTeach offers central Texas teachers scholarships to attend the workshops and learn everything from robot design and mechanical engineering to actual software programming skills.
National Instruments then matches these teachers with NI classroom mentors who spend more than a collective 12,000 hours annually participating in classroom activities or after-school programs.
NI also invites these teachers to participate in student events, such as RoboLab Mania and First Lego League.
As part of the NI K-12 educational programme, these events encourage students to put their RoboLab concepts to the test, whether they are displaying their classroom projects or competing against other RoboLab programmers to solve challenging problems.
"More than 250 NI employees volunteer in central Texas classrooms because they want to share the excitement of engineering and invention with young students," said Ray Almgren, NI vice president of product marketing and academic relations.
"These engineering professionals are doing their part to market their profession to students and help teachers get more comfortable integrating technology in the classroom.
"With the help of other local institutions, such as the University of Texas College of Engineering, we can make a significant impact on raising the bar for Central Texas K-12 math and science education."
