Not every school offers the same curricula, and with the increase in use of modern technology in the world, some schools are adapting to allow young people access to incredible facilities and learning experiences to encourage their digital literacy and improve their future prospects.
So what is educational robotics and why should it be a part of a modern school’s curriculum? Let’s take a look.
What is Educational Robotics?
Educational robotics refers to the use of robotics technology to enhance learning and educational experiences. It involves designing and programming robots to perform tasks that are aligned with educational goals, such as teaching programming concepts, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) principles.
Educational robotics can take various forms, from simple robotics kits designed for children to more advanced platforms used in higher education, so it can be a part of most school curricula for children of any age as platforms often come with software tools and curricula specifically tailored to different age groups and learning objectives. Students can learn various skills and concepts through hands-on experimentation, building, programming, and testing robots.
The goal of educational robotics is to engage students in active learning experiences that promote critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and technological literacy. It can be used in formal educational settings like classrooms and after-school programs, as well as in informal settings such as robotics clubs and competitions. However, when brought into a school curriculum, students can see the importance of the subject and engage with the classes with the support of knowledgeable educators.
Why Should Robotics be Part of a School Curriculum?
Integrating robotics into school curricula offers numerous benefits for students, educators, and the education system as a whole, some of the main benefits include:
- Student engagement
- Access to STEM education
- Improving critical thinking skills
- Enabling creativity and innovation
- Preparing children for the future
- Providing early access to modern technology to improve digital literacy
- Increasing chances of professional success
Each of these points is useful for children’s personal, academic and professional growth and can be provided by including educational robotics in their school curriculum.
Robotics provides hands-on, interactive learning experiences that captivate students’ interest and motivation, while allowing them to learn under the supervision of their educators and complete projects that will encourage their learning of key STEM concepts.
While traditional schooling may focus on what students learn academically, at the Dubai School of Modern Skills, we believe that there should be a focus on how children learn so they can build on key skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving. Robotics enables children to troubleshoot issues, refine designs, and iterate on solutions, promoting resilience and adaptability that will improve their self-confidence, collaborative skills and improve career prospects in the future.
Building and programming robots also encourages creativity and innovation. Students can experiment with different designs, functionalities, and programming techniques, fostering a mindset of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
Educational robotics also equips children with an invaluable skill set for their future, improving their digital literacy in a quickly advancing technological world. This not only improves their chances of entering the growing job market of technology and AI, but provides them with a multitude of useful skills across a variety of professions as they each adopt technology in their processes.
Overall, educational robotics plays a significant role in preparing students for the challenges of the 21st century by equipping them with essential skills for personal development and future careers.
Preparing Children for the Future
Having a career can enrich one’s life in numerous ways, not only providing financial stability but also personal fulfillment, professional growth, social connections, and opportunities to make a meaningful impact on the world. Although nowadays people can have more than one career over their lifetime, preparing young people for the world of work is a key aspect of education, and incorporating technology into this is crucial in today’s world.
Educational robotics plays a crucial role in preparing children for the future for several reasons:
- Meeting demands of the job market
- Providing digital literacy to meet technological advancements
- Enhancing problem-solving skills
- Fostering a holistic understanding of the world
- Creating future leaders
Many of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs require STEM skills and those taught in educational robotics. As technology continues to advance, proficiency in STEM fields will become increasingly essential for a wide range of careers, from engineering and computer science to healthcare and finance. Our world faces numerous grand challenges, such as climate change, healthcare disparities, and sustainable energy, all of which can be relieved by the use of modern technology.
STEM education empowers students to tackle these challenges by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to drive positive change, key features of our future world leaders in industry and, of course, politics. But whether students choose to delve specifically into the world of science or politics, technological literacy will stand them in good stead in many future careers as both the personal and technological skills developed will enhance their career prospects in a number of fields.
By learning educational robotics, students will gain a holistic understanding of the world due to the interdisciplinary nature of the subject which integrates concepts from many different disciplines and mirrors real-world challenges, where solutions often require knowledge and skills from diverse fields, improving their problem-solving skills to boot.
About Dubai School of Modern Skills
Dubai has several American schools, including the Dubai School of Modern Skills. As our name suggests, we believe in supporting children to develop a number of skills that will help them achieve success in their futures. You can read our vision and mission statement here.
To enable academic success, we have a number of modern academic facilities across our campuses to support students with their everyday needs and their learning. Read more about our school here, or about how we aim to shape the future of our students here.
Continue reading for more information about the general information regarding student life at Dubai SMS and what facilities we have available.
General Information
At Dubai SMS, we follow an American curriculum, which is different from a British curriculum, although they are both taught in the English language. American curricula are popular the world over due to the comprehensive nature of the studies and the grading system which is internationally renowned, making further study and job applications abroad more attainable. The curriculum has been adapted slightly to allow students to engage with aspects of life in Dubai, including the language of Arabic, and cultural understanding such as religious studies.
The school calendar follows mostly the same pattern as other American schools, with spring, summer and winter breaks. School starts at 7.45 am and finishes at a different time according to the age group, each with an early finish on Friday.
We like students to adhere to a uniform at Dubai SMS as it fosters a feeling of community and enhances safety on campus as students can easily be identified.
Facilities
Dubai School of Modern Skills has a number of excellent academic facilities as well as those available for extracurricular activities including sports clubs and further study.
Medical care is also available on both girls’ and boys’ campuses with onsite medical teams, and a number of health and safety procedures are in place to prevent accidents and emergencies as far as possible.
School transportation is also in place to enable students to safely get to and from school.
Where parents wish to have more information regarding schooling and their children’s academic performance, they can make inquiries on the parent inquiry form.
School of Modern Skills
The Dubai School of Modern Skills stands as a beacon of innovation and excellence in education, offering a dynamic learning environment where students can thrive. With its cutting-edge facilities, dedicated faculty, and forward-thinking approach to education with the use of modern technology, the school prepares students to excel in the rapidly evolving world of the 21st century.
If you’d like to learn more, you can schedule your visit or learn more about our programs, by contacting us.
