Concentrated, they tinker together all the parts in groups. Soon they will present their ‘living’ robot to all the students at the school. ’’This is the way to bring technology to the attention of elementary school children.''
The joint high-tech companies of Innovatiecluster Drachten, together with Beta Point North, are trying to recruit their future employees as early as elementary school. This is of no use to them now to fill their growing number of vacancies. ’’But if you want young people to choose technology, they have to be introduced to it at a young age,’’ explains Theun Prins of high-tech company YP- Your Partner. On behalf of the business cluster, he visits elementary school in the north of the Netherlands with a special program, in which students assemble a robot in a half-day session. ''If you want young people to choose technology after secondary school, you have to sow the seeds for it already in elementary school.''
Technology Academy
At De Vuurvlinder elementary school, they have known this for a long time. There, enthusiastic technology master Henk Perdon teaches in the school's own technology academy. The technique afternoon is the best afternoon of the week. Especially children who are less able to learn with their head, but are handy, can still develop their talents this way.’’ Perdon reacted enthusiastically when he heard that the school could win a Meccanoid robot. ’’For our children, the robot is a great addition to the technical education we already offer. So I wrote a motivation why precisely our school should win the robot. And now it is here in parts on the table. Great!’
Teaching Assistant
At the end of the morning, the robot will be presented to the whole school, but it is not yet finished. That has been taken into account. Prins presents a ‘lifelike’ Meccanoid with which the children can give their show. ’’After building the robot, it actually just begins,’’ Prins explains. ’’You can program him to do a dance, for example, or help clean up the classroom.'' Laughs: ,,He is also an excellent teaching assistant, because he can teach you English and you can have him answer all kinds of questions. In this way, children experience that engineering is challenging and, above all, great fun''.
Beta Point North
Beta Point North is there for all elementary school in the provinces of Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe and supports school boards, principals, S&T coordinators and teachers with information, advice and guidance on introducing science and technology in the classroom.
look at the short video how the students assemble their robot.