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Lessons from Robotsby Judy Seicho Fleischman
In 2004, I taught a remarkable class under the auspices of a remarkable organization, Vision Education. The class in LEGO Robotics was offered at West Side H.S., an alternative public school for students for whom the traditional school experience has not served. This school has an unusual approach to educating, one strategy being to teach students about math and science using LEGO (yes, the stuff some of us played with as kids), and computers, in an after-school setting. Attendance in this class varied dramatically from class to class, so students worked in ever-changing teams of two, three, and four individuals, respectively. Our class project, celebrated on the final day among friends, was a robot dance. Here is the story of that day. May it inspire you to envision endless possibilities in relationship. The Story: It's June now and the sixteenth and final day of class. Amazingly, all 13 students who are receiving passing grades showed up. One student left early because she wasn't feeling well, and two drifted in and out. Although these few students did not stay, I took it as a clear sign that they felt connected somehow to the group and experience. In the first hour, after pizza, we began videotaping the final sharing of the process, with me recounting the journey and thanking each student for his/her contribution to the group effort, pointing out how they persevered, how in the process of dealing with frustration, each student tapped individual creativity and learned to share this with one another, first individually and then in ever-changing teams. I also mentioned how, by each person discovering some new aspect of the project, we came to the goal of building strong and sensitive robots that can dance! Also, each team came up with a unique design based on the foundational blueprint. Then, I asked each one of them what they take away from the class, particularly anything surprising. To my utter delight, each student commented with confidence something that I could tell was their true experience of discovery and satisfaction. Each student's comment built on another's, creating what seemed like a verbal tapestry of what it means to celebrate the thrill of meeting a challenge wholeheartedly. Then, we began the robot dance. Playing the school theme song, called appropriately, "West Side High," a lovely R&B number, two robots began, with their human counterparts orienting the bots [nickname for 'robot'] to face one another, and to engage their power at the same time. I looked around the room and saw nothing but smiles! We clapped, teachers began to come in, and some other friends of the students. We added another robot. The teachers were particularly enthralled, and one approached me, wanting more info on how to contact Vision Ed, saying they're wanting to do more of this. This time I said, "it's lady's choice," and two young women chose one of their classmates' bots to join them in dance. One of the women is an expectant mom, nearly eight months pregnant, one of two in the class. Weeks earlier she came to me, stating adamantly that she was tired of working with partners (on ever changing teams) who did not want to work with her. I suggested a student who seemed willing to share equally with her, and they both were content to work together and made wonderful progress from that moment on. Seeing her choose a partner to dance with became a moment of deep satisfaction for me, realizing that the lessons unfolding in this class contain many layers of understanding, not only math and science. There have been many magical moments like this, when as teacher, I could take in the mystery of how engaging challenge pays off, and that as Visioneers, working with the school staff and the students, we manifest the meaning of "educate," namely to "bring out" what is always present, a uniquely interconnected person who can celebrate him or her self. I handed certificates out individually, like a graduation, and I could tell it meant a lot for them to be honored in this way. The certificate design was much appreciated, especially by the student whose bot was featured on it! One student asked me to sign her yearbook. My goodness! For a class that began in mid-April, I'm blown away by how much I've come to cherish these students and the school, and found a few tears coming to me later that evening, both in gratitude and stemming from the inevitable sadness that accompanies goodbyes. Today, the joy is alive, having integrated the bittersweet nature of this true and meaningful experience. We also took lots of digital photos, with different students behind the camera much of the time, wanting to record the celebration. The student's math teacher is planning to make copies of all the media for us. Thanks to all the Visioneers for teaching me so much about teaching and for supporting me throughout this time. I carry with me the spirit of this organization, people who care and take that energy of joyful determination and apply it daily to make a difference in this world. To me, you are heroes, and I am deeply grateful and enriched in knowing you.
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