Kids learn technology, teamwork at robotics tournament - Sharonherald

SHARON â€" Isis Chapman couldn’t wait to compete in her first-ever robotics tournament.
The sixth-grader and the members of the C.M. Musser Elementary Tiger Techs team were among more than 100 students who participated in the FIRST LEGO Robotics Tournament held at Case Avenue Elementary School on Saturday.
This is also Isis’s first year as a member of Musser’s team.
“What made me want to be on the team is because it’s about coding and math, and I really like math,” she said. “After Mr. (Rick) Samoros (Musser’s advisor) gave me the signup sheet, I was really happy.”
Having fun while learning is what Dave Tomko strives for as the coordinator of the Robotics Program for the Sharon City School District.
“This incorporates STEM education and promotes robotics to the students,” Tomko said. “Hopefully will promote it to the surrounding community to spark an interest in students who might not have had this experience before.”
Twelve teams from as far away as Erie and Pittsburgh and from around the Shenango Valley came to Case for the inaugural competition, which was hosted by Sharon schools.
Tomko also invited neighboring schools from Lawrence and Mercer counties. A few schools took him up on his invitation, including St. John Paul II Elementary and New Castle schools.
“This wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the support of parents, the community and the school district,” he said.
Tomko started the program seven years ago with eight Case Avenue students and a Time Warner Cable “Connect a Million Minds” grant.
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DAVID E. DALE | Herald
The Sharon West Hill School robotics team listens to the judge discuss their entry for the school’s first robotics tournament. The West Hill team scored 20 points. Pictured, from left, are Emily Foflygen, Vanessa Sherwood, Declan Croyle, Stella Blair, James Lewis, Marin McLaughlin and, in the background, Lewis Kellar, 5-6 grade West Hill teacher and robotics advisor.
Now in its eighth year, the program has earned second place in international/national competition, which was won by the Case Avenue Tiger Techs, as well as several regional awards. There are five teams throughout the district.
The robotics program is now funded by the school district, individuals in the community and local sponsorships.
One of those supporters, the Joy Cone Co., arranged for all the students competing Saturday to tour its Hermitage plant.
The purpose was to showcase the technology and robots that are being used at Joy Cone, Tomko said.
”And then they enjoyed some ice cream afterwards, too,” Tomko said.
This is the first year for the Sharon High Robotics team, which is part of the FIRST Tech Challenge, a separate league from the other teams.
Jennifer and Rick Barborak volunteered to coach the team because their daughter, Emma, has been competing with Tiger Techs for about five years.
”Up until this year, these kids had nowhere to go,” Jennifer said. “The difference between the high school team and the younger teams is the sky is the limit.”
Meaning, the members of the high school team can use whatever materials they want â€" not just LEGOs.
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DAVID E. DALE | Herald
James Lewis, left, and Declan Croyle, members of the Sharon West Hill Elementary School’s robotics team, watch their robotic machine in action during the FIRST LEGO Robotics Tournament hosted by Case Avenue Elementary on Saturday.
Eleventh-graders Ben Baron and Brandon Morris, who competed on the Tiger Techs teams when they were younger, were set up outside of Case’s gymnasium demonstrating what the high school team has come up with this year.
”All the programming is done from the ground up,” Jennifer said. “They even make the remote controls from scratch.”
The C.M. Musser Tiger Techs and the West Hill Tiger Techs began with summer workshops hosted at both schools. The workshops were conducted by Tomko and his assistant coaches, with help from the more experienced students on Case Avenue Tiger Tech 1 team.
Team West Hill Tiger Techs is the newest elementary group. This is its first year in the program. They have six members, in fourth through seventh grades.
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DAVID E. DALE | Herald
C.M. Musser Elementary school sixth-graders Isis Chapman, left, and Kurtasia Chester, put their Lego robot to work during the competition at Case Avenue Elementary School, Sharon.
Fifth-grader Marin McLaughlin said “teamwork” is the most important thing she has learned from robotics.
”To work together, to take the right measurements and so we all get a turn to do something so one person isn’t left out,” Marin said.
Sixth-grader James Lewis said he most enjoys the challenge. Seventh-grader Declan Croyle agreed. “If one small thing goes wrong, you have to change everything,” Declan said.
Coach Lewis Kellar teaches fourth- and fifth-graders at West Hill. This is his first year as a coach, and his team’s first competition.
”They’re just all working so so hard. I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids,” Kellar said.
Every aspect of robotics requires teamwork, he said. In the building process, teams work in small groups to find a solution, and then merge their ideas to find the one that works.
At the Robotics competition, the Tiger Techs had a few snags with their robot, because it was dumping a load off to the side of a basket where it was supposed to land.
All six team members gathered around the table, moving the robot in different positions. Hands sometimes touched the robot at the same time, but only in a helpful way. No one pushed. No one argued.
Kellar stood off to the side, occasionally peering over the students’ heads and offering bits of advice. But for the most part, he let them solve the problem through trial and error.
”The kids are learning so much, and they don’t even realize it,” he said. “There is so much problem solving and math that goes into robotics.”
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