LEGO, the LEGO logo, DUPLO, and MINDSTORMS are trademarks of the LEGO
Group. ©2011 The LEGO Group.
5. Demonstrate. Do the following:
a. Demonstrate for your counselor the robot you built in requirement
4.
b. Share your robot engineering notebook with your counselor. Talk
about how well your robot accomplished the task, the improvements
you would make in your next design, and what you learned about the
design process.
6. Competitions. Do ONE of the following:
a. Attend a robotics competition and report to your counselor what
you saw and learned about the competition and how teams are
organized and managed.
b. Learn about three youth robotics competitions. Tell your counselor
about these, including the type of competition, time commitment,
age of the participants, and how many teams are involved.
7. Careers
Name three career opportunities in robotics. Pick one and find out
the
education, training, and experience required for this profession. Discuss
this
with your counselor, and explain why this profession might interest
you.
Prepared. For Life.™
On how to order your LEGO MINDSTORMS Education NXT,
please call 1-800-362-4308.
On merit badge requirements, please contact:
Scouts: http://boyslife.org/robotics
Merit Badge Counselors: http://www.scouting.
org/boyscouts/GuideforMeritBadgeCounselors
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http://www.legoeducation.us/about/item.aspx?art=4675
The Boy Scouts and Robotics: A Good Match As the Boy Scouts announce
their new Robotics Merit Badge this week, the obvious question is: “What
does robotics have to do with the Boy Scouts?” Well, as both an Eagle Scout
and a Mechanical Engineer turned educational roboticist, I feel I’m uniquely
qualified to provide some insight into this question.
First, let me start by providing some context. The current generation of kids today is facing a significantly different and changing world than previous generations have faced. For example, research shows that the top 10 most highly regarded jobs in 2010 did not exist a decade ago, and the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s students will have more than 10 jobs during their careers. On top of this, new technologies are being introduced into society at an exponential rate. This means that in order for the students of today to be effectively prepared for the challenges of tomorrow, they need a different set of skills – a set that can’t be measured on any standardized test. Students must be prepared to use technologies that don’t yet exist to solve problems that have not yet occurred. In short, we need to prepare today’s generation to be fluent in technology, lifelong learners (and not memorizers), strong communicators, creative problem solvers, and effective leaders. A recent survey of companies revealed the following top 10 qualities and skills sought by today’s employers:
Communication skills
Loyalty
Honesty
Problem-solving skills
Technical competency
Flexibility
Work ethic
Determination and persistence
Ability to work in harmony with coworkers
Eager and willing to learn new skills and add to their knowledge base
I have seen firsthand how both the Boy Scouts and LEGO Education are
providing these skills to our future leaders through robotics training.
Scouting, one of the most impactful experiences I had growing up, taught
me many of the fundamental skills that have helped me succeed. I learned
the importance of setting goals and following through with commitments.
I learned how to work as part of a team and what it meant to be a leader.
I learned how to deal with tough challenges and how to work with others
to come up with unique solutions.
I used these skills, garnered from my informal education from the Boy Scouts, throughout my life as I progressed through engineering school and into industry. I have seen the importance that these 21st-century skills have in all facets of life, but especially in the workplace. During my academic development, however, I also saw firsthand some of the challenges that currently exist in the present curriculum, especially in the areas of math and science. Math and science classrooms often focus on rote memorization with no context to the importance or application of what is being taught. Key principles and concepts are presented but not wrapped in the richer context of soft skills such as problem solving and teamwork that are equally critical for students to learn. This, in fact, is where I see the naturally strong connection between the Boy Scouts and educational robotics.
In my current position as Director of Innovation for LEGO Education, I have the honor to be part of a team helping lead the transformation of how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are taught in schools. By using robotics to provide students with rich, hands-on, team-based projects, students are able to learn core math and science concepts in a meaningful context while also developing these critical 21st-century skills of problem solving, teamwork, and communication.
Therefore, when the Boy Scouts decided to expand their technical leadership
opportunities, it was only natural for them to work with LEGO Education
to create a Robotics Merit Badge. Scouts can use LEGO Education robotics
kits to complete the new merit badge, helping to ensure the scouts are
furthering their critical preparation for the challenges ahead.