Joe P. Eblen Intermediate School students are engaging in hands-on, future-focused learning through STEM activities designed to build real-world skills and confidence.
Staff from Betabox Learning recently visited students in STEM Lab teacher Dean Gibbs’s class for a hands-on lesson about autonomous vehicles, coding, and teamwork. Students programmed routes for small drones and wheeled vehicles, then watched them perform acrobatic loops and other precise movements.
“It’s fun,” said Johan, a sixth grader. “I like controlling the drone, landing it in a specific place, and seeing what it can do.”
The students took to the drone challenges quickly because of what they’ve already learned in Gibbs’ class. In the nine-week STEM Lab class, students navigate a drone obstacle course by triangulating positions with teammates. Working in pairs as pilots and copilots, students build communication and problem-solving skills while gaining confidence in a new and sometimes intimidating technology. These exciting lessons align with emerging career fields in technology and aviation.
“Many students are hesitant at first,” Gibbs said. “But once they try it, they realize they can do it. And some of them become really skilled.”
The STEM Lab class covers a broad range of interesting topics. Students learn to code, build towers out of paper that can hold a surprising amount of weight, hatch eggs, and more.
“If they don’t try it, they don’t know what they’re capable of,” Gibbs said. “But once they do, they realize they can succeed.”
