6 Benefits of Teaching Robotics to Elementary School Students

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The idea of using robotics with children is gaining popularity, especially in education.

Robotics encourages innovative ideas and creativity. It also allows kids to prepare for the future while simultaneously having fun.

Robotics open children up to a whole new technological world.

Leaders have recognized the importance of robotics and have begun creating programs to incorporate the concept into the education system. 

6 Benefits of Teaching Robotics to Elementary School Students

1. Robotics prepares children for future career development.

As the modern workforce increasingly turns to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, the need for technology experts, computer programmers, and software engineers is increasing. 

There’s also a high potential for individuals in these fields to enjoy higher salaries. 

Modern companies, in various industries, have technology-based systems. These companies often have complicated and unique technological needs, therefore, they look for graduates with STEM skills.

Introducing kids to programming through robotics helps to prepare them to face the competitive workforce in the future.

Even if they never end up in the robotics field, they can develop numerous other skills such as website design, drone design, video game programming, and mobile app creation.

Additionally, they will have acquired other valuable skills like analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and computational thinking.

2. Robotics awakens creativity.

Besides developing valuable problem-solving skills, robotics stimulates curiosity and creativity.

Like coding games, robotics provides kids with a toolkit and challenges them to design new things.

A basic understanding of robotics gives children numerous avenues to test and explore.

It also gives them an excellent space to stretch their creativity, especially if they are already into building things or appear curious about how things work around them.

Robotics is a learning tool that leads to a real product. Children can create tangible things and control them to perform tasks they are programmed for. 

When kids are given such opportunities to build something and program it to perform actions, their engagement levels improve, and they retain the information more effectively. 

Research also supports the notion that engagement and retention improve with hands-on and multi-sensory activities such as robotics.

3. Robotics is a tangible introduction to more abstract programming concepts.

Education should focus on providing children with the knowledge and skills they’ll need for the future, and technology skills, like computer programming, are now in demand.

As children learn to program and control robots, they will also learn what robots can do. This is engaging and fun for many students, and it also teaches them the basics of how programming technology works.

If robotics is not an option in your classroom (or homeschool program), there are coding apps and online courses that use kids’ programming language to teach the basics of coding in a way that is manageable for students and teachers.

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4. Robotics promotes inclusivity for students on the autism spectrum.

Studies show that robots help to engage children on the autism spectrum. This may be because of the clean, calm, and consistent interactions that robots provide.

Some robots have been shown to provide assistance for students on the autism spectrum. Examples include Milo and ASK NAO shown in the two videos below.

5. Robotics encourages female students to participate in STEM.

In addition, robotics help empower young girls and challenge the traditional belief that STEM-based fields are male-dominated. 

6. Robotics will help kids develop problem-solving skills.

When students work to build and/or program robots, they develop the courage to continue through mistakes. Kids learn to address errors and solve problems as they arise. 

They also develop the ability to handle complex challenges that require logic and reasoning.

What are your thoughts on including robotics in education to keep kids engaged, learning, and prepared for the future? We love it!

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