Why Robotics Should be Taught in Schools
Technology is a progressive field that is changing the way people do things in every part of the world especially in Lebanon. The focus in the following discussion is to highlight the importance of technology in all the educational sectors within Lebanese society. To begin with, the article points out how students in schools within Lebanon have the abilities and perseverance to succeed in the world of Robotics, Technology, Programming, and Innovation. In this article, we discuss the benefits of introducing robotics as a necessary subject in all schools. So the main question is why to wait until the government legislates robotics into the official Lebanese curriculum when Lebanese schools can work now in introducing the material to their students, enabling them to follow up on the important topics that the world is focusing towards.
Technology is a progressive field that is changing the way people do things in every part of the world especially in Lebanon. The focus in the following discussion is to highlight the importance of technology in all the educational sectors within Lebanese society. To begin with, the article points out how students in schools within Lebanon have the abilities and perseverance to succeed in the world of Robotics, Technology, Programming, and Innovation. In this article, we discuss the benefits of introducing robotics as a necessary subject in all schools. So the main question is why to wait until the government legislates robotics into the official Lebanese curriculum when Lebanese schools can work now in introducing the material to their students, enabling them to follow up on the important topics that the world is focusing towards.
What are Lebanese schools doing to prepare the next generation for the future?
Educators at all levels within Lebanon (teachers, administrators, superintendents…) know the importance of introducing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education within a classroom, this includes the emphasis on Education Innovation. Robotics brings the engineering of learning to a new level, producing the next teaching evolution. That’s because introducing robotics to schools means making STEM skills and knowledge hands-on and fun, preparing students for the future in a way that feels more like creativity and less like homework. Robots have always been a fascinating piece of technology that can be programmed to move, make noise, light up, and follow directions. Nothing is as fun and educational as building your own robot and setting it through the paces of a project, activities, or a challenge.
In many schools in Lebanon, robotics is gaining momentum. There are several areas where students can benefit from learning about robotics at school, some of which are discussed in Beverly Lerch’s (2018) article “7 Reasons Why Robotics Should Be Taught In Schools”, who’s an expert consultant in education, these include:
Creative thinking: Not many areas of knowledge simultaneously incorporate creativity and fun. Studies have demonstrated that both are accomplished by robotics. In reality, students enjoy taking part in activities in which they have full control, something that robotics can do. And when learners can do cool things, they want more features to be created.
Engagement: Hands-on training exercises improve levels of concentration and attention, as more students learn physical skills, the more they want to continue to be in the class.
Teamwork: Robotics combines a variety of skills, creating a learning environment for people with different skills. It also encourages a tradition of teamwork if properly harnessed. This can even be used to help students who may find it difficult to learn in traditional classroom environments.
Programming skills: A little programming knowledge will help everyone understand how these robots work as artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in homes, schools, and offices.
Fun: Robotics is a fun way to bring STEM to life, and that’s important because STEM has proven by many educators to be the key to a successful future for students with the interest and motivation to pursue careers in this field. It's fun to learn about robotics and as User Experience keep developing how they feel when engaging with robots, it will only become more so!
Perseverance: It's challenging to create and program bots. Working through frustration, though, helps students develop an attitude of never giving up. It imparts determination that is essential to any technological or scientific undertaking.
Looking at some of these points, we can notice how robotics can be an essential subject to introduce to Lebanese schools rather than it being a complimentary activity. Emphasizing teamwork is an important element which is missing these days, and nurturing a Tech environment has become the leading path towards progressing a nation. Thus the question is why wait for it to be obliged by the goverment when you can slowly mold it towards your school life.