Robotics2016-2017

Instructor: Mr. Joslin E-mail: jjoslin@newhampton.org Phone: (603)677-3968 Web: log into onCampus

Honor Code

As a member of the New Hampton School community:• I will conduct myself with integrity and honesty

in all matters. • I will demonstrate respect and responsibility in

all of my actions. • I will uphold the values of active citizenship and

abide by the expectations set forth in the School Life Handbook

Course Competencies & Foundations of Learning Skills*

Competency #1: Design By the conclusion of this course students will be able to design simple to moderately complex mechanical systems by:

a. visualizing and planning solutions to problems prior to prototyping

b. leveraging simple machines such pulleys, ramps, screws, and levers

c. employing electric motors and gears systemsd. iterating through designs to refine solutionse. differentiating between form and functions

Competency #2: Programming By the conclusion of this course students will be able to program robots by:

a. analyzing the functionality of portions of code and understanding how they form a whole program

b. debugging their own code and that of their peersc. choosing, employing, and developing more

complicated algorithmsd. making decisions based on input with switchese. repeating commands to meet a condition with loopsf. simplifying code to the minimum number of lines

Competency #3: Process By the conclusion of this course students will present process, product, and reflection by:

a. organizing project steps and materialsb. assigning and managing group rolesc. documenting process, product, and reflections via a

design portfoliod. taking ownership of their learning, work, and product

Class MeetingsBlocks: B & D

Room #: Pilalas 103

Extra HelpWinter:

Mon 2:50 – 3:10 & Fri 9:55 – 10:25Spring:

Mon 2:50-3:10 & Thur 10:25 – 10:55 Other:

F & G Blocks or by appointment

Course DescriptionRobotics provides a physical application of the programming and problem solving skills acquired in the Coding course. Students apply previously learned topics in programming to the study of robotics and work in small groups to build and program robots to perform required tasks. Students make use of a visual programming language to control the behavior of these robots in dynamic environments. For each project in this course, students work iteratively to design and test their robots prior to a cumulative demonstration of the robot’s abilities.

This course is composed of three fundamental units with lessons that are designed to promote an inquiry-based approach to learning foundational concepts in robotics. These units are Mechanical Components, Programming, and Independent Design.

Course Expectations

Cell PhonesIt is the expectation that cell phones are turned off and stored out of sight for the entire class. Cell phone use of any kind is not permitted during class.

If a cell phone is used in class, it will be collected until the end of the period.

If a pattern of misuse develops, students may be asked to turn in their cell phones at the beginning of each class.

Course MaterialsThe following must be brought to class daily:

• Headphones (for viewing instructional videos)• Pen or Pencil• Charged iPad w/ Charger, Cord, & Case• iPad Apps: NHS provided apps, Socrative,

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Robot Commander, and Adobe Illustrator Draw

• A positive attitude• Willingness to work through challenges

The following materials are optional:• Personal Computer: charged with cord• Notebook: the paper kind• Calculator: any scientific calculator

There is no textbook for this class. All teaching material (videos, articles, websites, etc.) will be available in onCampus.

Technology PolicyIn general, students are free to determine if technology is needed for a specific task as students will be mostly be directing their own work. We will use the following system to determine when it is appropriate to use technology during class:

RED LIGHT: Technology is off and stored away.

YELLOW LIGHT:Technology is used for a specific purpose as designated by the teacher or student. (~80%)

GREEN LIGHT:Technology is used for designated tasks, design portfolios, homework, current events, or reading Wired or MAKE magazines.

Attendance/TardinessAttendance is required at all class meetings. If your absence is not excused, you will receive a cut. Please be on time. If you are not present when class begins (i.e. when the door is closed), you are tardy. If you are tardy three times you will receive a cut.

ParticipationA successful student in Robotics will participate fully each day, will come to class prepared with all required materials and work, and will organize all course materials in a clear and concise manner. Students are expected to meet the iPad 4 C’s daily.

Participation will not be assessed explicitly as the students will generally be allowed to move through the course content at their own pace. Effective use of time, meeting deadlines, and demonstrating skills mastery is dependent upon active and consistent participation.

iPad (Laptop)

4 C’sCharged

CaseChargerCable

Make-up/Late WorkLate assignments will be assessed a grade-related penalty based on how late the assignment is submitted. It is your responsibility to get coursework from onCampus when you miss class.

Incomplete WorkLate minor assignments will lose 25% credit per calendar day. Late major assignments will lose 10% credit per calendar day. It is your responsibility to ensure that late work is received by the teacher.

Unexcused AbsenceAny missed assignment or assessment due to an unexcused absence will receive zero credit.

Unplanned Excused AbsencesYou will have the same amount of time to make up homework as the time you missed (i.e. 2 excused absences = 2 classes upon your return to make up work). You will have 1 week to make up a test or project.

Planned Excused AbsencesIf you have a planned excused absence, you must complete your work while away and submit it upon your return. You must get homework assignments from the group page. Tests & projects must be completed immediately upon your return.

Course Work

Competency-Based GradingOn one assignment you may see multiple grades. That is because different skills are being assessed. For instance, you may have done an excellent job in a web post on creating digital content but may have made some errors with content knowledge. By assessing you in this way I can better target feedback and instruction.

Out of Class WorkYou should expect to spend a minimum of 30 minutes per

class on coursework assignments. Many times, this work will be a continuation of what you started in class and may not be graded. Because portions of this class are self-paced, you should always have the unit deadline in mind. You will not meet the deadline if you try to do all

your work in class.

Grading ProceduresSemester grades are calculated using the following categories and percentages:

Competency Category % Grade

Competency 1 Design 30%

Competency 2 Programming 30%

Competency 3 Process 40%

CourseworkThere will be a variety of graded assignments in this course, including (but not limited to):

• reading, writing, and problem solving assignments• programming and design exercises• projects• design portfolios reflections and documentation

For each assignment, the grading criteria will be discussed or distributed when the assignment is given. Many assignments will be graded with the use of a rubric, which will be distributed prior to the assignment. All rubrics will be available in onCampus.

Course Work (cont.)

Extra CreditThe best way to earn credit is to do the work assigned by the teacher. Extra-credit projects will not be provided at the request of the student.

Self-Paced LearningEach unit may consist of all or some of the following:

• set of instructional videos• assignments• exercises• quizzes• projects

Students will be allowed to progress through the sequence of work at their own pace within a given timeframe (generally 1-2 weeks). There will be one deadline for each unit when most of the unit coursework is due.

If a student finishes all coursework in a unit prior to the deadline, they may be asked to:•assist with instructing other students•proceed to the next unit•work on their independent programming project due at the end of the term

Skills MasteryIn an effort to encourage students to take academic risks and to do their best to reach proficiency with the skills and content being taught, students will be required to improve or “re-do” all coursework (except the final project) until a grade of “Proficient” (85%) is earned. A student may not progress past a unit until they have demonstrated proficiency on all assignments, exercises, and projects in that unit.

I encourage all students to utilize Office Hours to ensure that expectations are met and that they are mastering the skills taught in the course.

A student may need more time than is provided during Office Hours. I am happy to meet with individual students during free blocks, after classes, or in Study Hall, although the student must initiate and schedule these times.

Independent Programming Project (Final Project)The last few weeks of the semester will be dedicated to an independent project. Students will form teams based on their personal interests. They will develop a challenge statement for which they will need to design, build, and test a functioning robot.

Students will employ the fundamental concepts that they have developed throughout the course. They will work with me to develop the desired outcomes of their project and an outline of the necessary steps to achieve these outcomes.

Each student will be responsible for documenting his or her own progress through the project, even though they will be working as part of a team.

In this project, students will be responsible for • organizing their time• mastering the requisite skills• using an iterative process to refine their project.

Selected Topics and Assignments for 2015-2016

Week Topics Competencies Emphasized

Videos/Resources & Coursework

Introduction

1-2 Course IntroductionNXT Kit IntroductionWeebly Introduction

#1, #3

Mechanical Design

3 Electronic MotorsSimple MachinesDesign Challenges

#1, #3

4 Gear SystemsDesign Challenges

#1, #3

5-6 Obstacle Course Challenge #1, #3

Programming

7-8 Fundamental Programming Concepts

#1, #2, #3

8-9 Sensors #1, #2, #3

10-11 Retrieval Challenge #1, #2, #3

Independent Programming Project

12-16 Challenge StatementProject OutlineIndependent Project Design

#1, #2, #3

17 Final Project #1, #2, #3 Independent Project Showcase