2nd Grade LAUNCH Students Team Up with DHS Mentors for Hands-On Robotics Adventures!

Learning, laughter, and excitement echoed in Kristen Linn and Mel Joling’s LAUNCH class last Friday, when Dexter High School students led 2nd graders in a fun, interactive programming lesson. Five students from Drake Reinert's Advanced Computer Science class joined the Dexter Early Elementary Complex LAUNCH class to teach them how to program Dash robots. Not only did the kids learn how to program Dash to successfully navigate a maze, they were inspired by their high school mentors to explore the world of robotics. 

Dexter Community Schools has a number of Dash robots that are used in classrooms at both the DEEC and Wylie Elementary. Students use developmentally appropriate coding apps to learn simple block programming skills to make Dash do all sorts of things like move, sing, dance, flash its lights, respond to voices, make sounds, or even tell a story! 

Block programming apps are designed to introduce young students to coding concepts such as sequencing, events, operations, and loops. Even if students don't know the technical terminology, learning that Dash has to turn left, spin left, turn right, and move forward to finish the maze helps them understand the basic building blocks of programming.

LAUNCH teachers Linn and Joling teamed up with Reinert, thanks to DCS Instructional Coach Beau Kimmey, to help older students support 2nd graders with their coding lessons. Mr. Reinert’s high school students used code.org and tested the Dash robot to learn how it works. After exploring its features, they came up with teaching ideas and worked with Mr. Reinert to create a lesson plan for 2nd graders. “They had great ideas for what to do,” says Reinert.

LAUNCH students meet with their high school mentors several times throughout the quarter for fun coding exercises. With the guidance of the older students, second graders set up mazes using small wooden blocks for Dash to move through. Then, using the app, they programmed Dash to make the necessary twists and turns to complete the maze. 

“My students enjoyed interacting with the younger kids,” says Reinert. “The second graders are not shy, and will immediately start talking with the high schoolers. One time we went down [to the DEEC], and a second grader asked one of my students for his autograph!” 

“My high school students are impressed with how well the elementary kids pick up on the coding and how great they're doing in Mrs. Joling & Mrs. Linn’s LAUNCH class,” says Reinert. 

The LAUNCH students also had positive things to say about the collaboration:

"If it wasn't for one of them, I would've been in a pickle."  - Liam

"I like how they taught us how to fix mistakes." -Maddie

"I like how they showed us how the robot works." - Alistair

"I like that they were happy to come here." -Zasha