DOST training HS teachers in robotics

The Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute would train teachers in robotics in preparation for the introduction of robotics applications in high school.

The program would be integrated in physics.

DepEd Regional Director Carolino Mordeno said the program would give teachers hands-on application of physics in designing, building, and testing of robots for instructional purposes.

There are about 90 Robolab kits that will be distributed nationwide for the training of teachers in physics.

"We'll be working with the DOST to select the schools that will participate in the program," he said.

Participating schools will be provided with Robolab kits to facilitate physics teaching.

The kits are from the toymaker Lego, but did not specify whether Lego was a partner in the project.

Mordeno said the Lego Robolab kits are used in the US as educational tools for high school students. However, the DOST and DepEd would be providing the training to former DOST scholars who are working as teachers in public and private schools.

"The scholars are expected to pass on what they learn during the training to their students. In other countries, robotics are already being taught in high school so we have to get our physics teachers to be familiar with robotics and students, especially those that want to go into electronics, can use these when they go to college," he said.

The training will be conducted the whole month of March. He noted that the training would be a pilot test and will be evaluated for larger deployment in the future. - Jasmin R. Uy