spaceTEAMS Blossoms
Saturday, December 31, 2011 at 11:15PM San Antonio, with support from Governor Perry and the Texas Workforce Commission Launch FIRST Robotics Texas and Cultivate Markets in Mexico, Central, & South America
SpaceTEAMS, TIER & FIRST Robotics in the Alamo City
Northwest Vistaís initiative, SpaceTEAMS, addresses STEM education, innovations in teaching, the use of constructivist (exploratory) learning, teacher training in innovative methods, and connection of these efforts to the workforce development pipeline. SpaceTEAMS teaches kids how to think critically, how to synthesize multiple sources of information, and ultimately, how to innovate and integrate science and the arts.
- TIER & SPACE TEAMS on Facebook
- TIER & SPACE TEAMS on YouTube Channel
SpaceTEAMS addresses San Antonio-specific issues of educational access for under-represented groups. It uses the national goal of a mission to Mars as impetus for learning and career planning. It creates a path to high-wage jobs. SpaceTEAMS takes established robotics programs, long used to attract kids to math and science, and applies them directly to pipeline building. Through all these techniques, SpaceTEAMS gets kids and educators thinking outside the box, gets them processing information sources critically, and it gets them working collaboratively (the kids and the adults) to build high- wage jobs and help make San Antonio a world-class competitor in the worldwide economy.
SpaceTEAMS is a comprehensive program for STEM education, educational transformation, educational access across our region, and building of a world-class global economy. SpaceTEAMS uses robotics as a tool, constructivist learning as an approach, teacher training to create systemic change, and existing workforce pipelines to pass forward the results to our citizens and to the local economy.
SpaceTEAMS Teacher Training
-
Experience technology-academic integration techniques for the classroom.
-
Learn from peers in a safe and supportive environment.
-
Participate in the emerging STEM community of practice in San Antonio.
Leading exploratory learning is a fundamentally different skill than delivering traditional lesson content. In the case of robotics, children are learning the 21st Century skills that connect hands on learning to academic rigor. Robots operate in a world governed by physical, electrical and chemical laws. Multiple sources of information are provided to the student, and those sources must be synthesized across disciplines in concert with teammates. Good results can be achieved with good thinking; excellent results are only achieved with out-of-the-box thinking.
San Antonio Robotics and Cyber-STEM Programs from SPACE TEAMS & TIER
Summer robot camp for students with 60 contact hours over 10 full days. At this camp, students learn how to program and build small robots and then either conduct an end of camp demonstration or robot tournament. The program stresses connections to the workforce with field experience and hands-on learning opportunities.
- Elementary camp for students currently in grades 1st & 2nd. We use the Lego WeDo robot system and curriculum developed by Lego Education group.
- Elementary camp for students currently in grades 3rd & 4th. We use the Lego NXT robot system and Robotics Engineering curriculum developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Academy.
- Middle school camp is for students currently in grades 5th – 7th. We use the VEX robot system and the RobotC programming environment developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Academy
- Download the 2012 SpaceTEAMS SUMMER CAMPS APPLICATION HERE
SpaceTEAMS Scholarships are offered annually for families that need help paying for Summer Camps when funds are available from sponsors. Unfortunately, all of our scholarships have been awarded this year but we encourage you to apply for one next year - scholarships usually become available in May.
TIER STEM Teacher Institute
Customizable options are available for groups of K12 teachers in all the areas will use age appropriate robotics and technology kits and focus on constructivist learning methodologies. of mathematics, science, or career & technology will learn about educational robotics systems and how to integrate their use into their existing curriculum. We use the VEX robot system and the RobotC programming environment developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Academy. Additional topics include how to develop and structure a competitive robot team. Which includes grant writing and project management lessons.
- Download the Summer 2011 TIER STEM APPLICATION or Contact TIER director, Andrew Schuetze to begin the conversation for your group of Teachers.
First Senior Mentor: Mike Henry
Mike Henry, retired teacher and founder of the South San High School FIRST robot team, is our liaison who will be making contacts with representatives of the local industry as well as other community organizations. His tasks include:
- Mentor & Volunteer Recruiting - sharing information about educational robotics programs and how individuals or their company can be involved as mentors and / or partners
- How to be a Mentor Workshop – we will host workshops for individuals who are interested in mentoring but want to learn more about what is typically required or expected of a mentor. This workshop will also develop skill sets on how to effectively mentor school age students who are on a robotics team.
TIER is working to become an operational partner for the FIRST Lego League. TIER will host local qualifier tournaments for teams in the San Antonio and South Texas area. TIER greatly appreciates the many volunteers and members of the local planning committee who helped make this program a reality.
Download the FIRST LEGO LEAGUE FLYER or Contact TIER director, Andrew Schuetze
In November of 2009 we hosted our inaugural tournament at the Witte Museum with 14 registered teams competing, the current season has nearly 80 teams.
FIRST Tech Challenge Affiliate Partner
TIER is an affiliate partner for the FIRST Tech Challenge. TIER will host an annual Championship tournament for teams in the southern half of the state of Texas. TIER greatly appreciates the many volunteers and members of the local planning committee to help make this program a reality. On March 15th, 2009 we hosted our inaugural tournament at the AT&T center with 35 registered teams competing in two divisions. TIER now has partners in Austin, Brownsville, and Laredo who run qualifiers in addition to the qualifiers here in San Antonio with nearly 150 teams in our region. (Click on link to download the program and to view a gallery of pictures taken at this event.)
Download the FLYER 2009-2010 FIRST TECH CHALLENGE Contact TIER director, Andrew Schuetze
High school teachers of Algebra I will learn about educational robotics systems and how to integrate their use into their existing algebra I curriculum. We use the Lego NXTrobot system and the RobotC programming environment developed by Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Academy. The 2009 cohort of teachers will evaluate the appropriateness of including curriculum modules developed by the Robotics Academy to teach current topics in Algebra I which are part of existing scope and sequences for area schools.
Contact TIER director, Andrew Schuetze
Now accepting applications for this new workshop!
This is a 2-day workshop for teachers and coaches who want to learn about the MATE ROV underwater robot competitions. It consists of two days of 100% hands-on activities and a visit to a pool to water-test ROVs built by participants. The workshop is lead by local veteran coach Texas Regional tournament coordinator.
TEXAS INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL ROBOTICS (TIER)
Essential to long-term success is establishing collaboration among robotics programs in San Antonio. It is important that these programs work in concert to connect STEM education to workforce needs, economic development needs, and strategies for the San Antonio region. A sustained collaborative effort is what can seed a STEM-based workforce and increase the number of students in high school and college STEM programs. Such an effort will increase the quality of graduates, build up the workforce, and demonstrate commitment to incumbent companies and other companies considering the San Antonio region.
TIER gathers robotics leaders in San Antonio to form a Robotics Support Center, and we believe such an effort would meet multiple objectives:
-
Provide support for multiple robotics programs.
-
Coordinate among programs in the region.
-
Make SpaceTEAMS Teacher Training available for all robotics programs.
-
Sponsor a yearly regional robotics tournament in San Antonio.
- Lead efforts to intentionally connect robotics programs with related workforce and economic development efforts. For example, this effort could build a bridge for sending students into Alamo Area Academies, meeting needs for the local Aerospace, IT, IT Security and Advanced Manufacturing industries.
TIER integrates workforce development pipelines that operate in the San Antonio region. There are many reasons to make this a priority effort of SpaceTEAMS. Industry participation makes events real. It emphasizes to students and parents the potential associated with STEM education and specific workforce pipelines. It helps align educational content with actual industry need. It demonstrates to industry the value of their investment in STEM education. Last but not least, it is the step that yields regional payoff for the programís partners, guiding students into the local high-wage careers that build up our community.
A national conversation has begun about how to best prepare our children for the 21st Century workforce and maintain Americaís position as the worldís leading economy. SpaceTEAMS will use our nationís goal of a mission to Mars as a theme to explore robotics, and in turn will use robotics and build a four- pronged program to create 21st Century students. SpaceTEAMS will connect those students into the workforce development pipeline.
The SpaceTEAMS Summer Camps serve as a flagship event to engage kids in STEM education. It will create students that know more about the world, think outside the box, are smart about information, and work constructively with people of all types.
SpaceTEAMS Teacher Training will prepare teachers for the SpaceTEAMS summer camp and provide long-term benefits that extend backward and forward from the summer camp and into core classroom activities. It directly addresses the issues raised by the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce by addressing education reform in the classroom. Teachers who attend this training will find themselves on the leading edge of educational reform.
TIER builds the support system and achieve the economy of scale needed to run robotics programs successfully in the San Antonio region. Robotics is only a tool, but it is a high-profile and successful tool for exploratory learning and for engaging kids in STEM education and careers. It is also important to integration of these educational efforts with the workforce pipelines that will yield the payoff of our efforts for the San Antonio region.
