Kendrick Elementary Using Legos for S.T.E.M. and Social Skills
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) — With the Lego Brick Convention coming to Waco this weekend, teachers and librarians at Kendrick Elementary are using Lego Education to improve students' S.T.E.M. and social skills.
'So what the Legos are doing, when they're learning their basic STEM skills, like coding and engineering, but they're also learning about just basic life skills, how to communicate with each other, how to work together as a team,' says school librarian Emily Derosier.
Second grade students were broken up into teams of three and went through five stations – all with different tasks falling under science, technology, engineering, and math.
Naila Gonzales, a student in the class, mentioned her favorite station was the Legos controlled by a computer. At this station, students were being taught how to input codes on their computer that would instruct the Legos to move in whatever pattern they programmed.
'It felt kind of interesting, because I never saw like a Lego controlled by a computer,' Gonzales explained.
As the students worked together to solve their Lego worksheets, Ms. Derosier expressed her excitement for the learning experience. 'Their enjoyment, their excitement about using Legos, something that they're used to, but using it in a more educational setting,' she explained.
The Lego Education activity is not only secluded to second-grade students, but is used within all grade levels at Kendrick Elementary School. As the school year continues, Derosier plans to keep developing lessons through the Lego Education with the help of the teachers.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
New method provides key to accessing proteins in ancient human remains
A new method developed by researchers at the University of Oxford could provide the key to accessing proteins in ancient human remains. The technique, created by scientists at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, offers a breakthrough in extracting and identifying proteins from preserved soft tissues such as brain, muscle, and skin - sources of biological information that have long remained out of reach. Alexandra Morton-Hayward, a postgraduate researcher who led the study, said: "Until now, studies on ancient proteins have been confined largely to mineralised tissues such as bones and teeth. "But the internal organs - which are a far richer source of biological information - have remained a 'black box' because no established protocol existed for their analysis. Our method changes that." The team tested 10 different extraction techniques on 200-year-old human brain tissue collected from a Victorian workhouse cemetery. Authors of the study (L-R), Dr Sarah Flannery, Alexandra Morton-Hayward, Professor Roman Fischer, and Dr Iolanda Vendrell (Image: Roman Fischer) They found urea, a major component of urine, was able to break down cells and release proteins. The extracted proteins were then separated and identified using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. By also using high-field asymmetric waveform ion mobility spectrometry - which separates ions by their movement in an electric field - the researchers increased the number of proteins identified by up to 40 per cent. Ms Morton-Hayward said: "It all comes down to separation: by adding additional steps, you are more likely to confidently identify molecules of interest. "It is a bit like dumping out a bucket of Lego: if you can start to discriminate between pieces by colour, then shape, then size, etc the better chance you have of making something meaningful with it all." Using the full process, the team identified more than 1,200 ancient proteins from just 2.5mg of brain tissue. This is the most diverse set of proteins ever recovered from archaeological material. The researchers believe the method could transform scientists' understanding of health and disease in past populations. Professor Roman Fischer, senior author and researcher at the Centre for Medicines Discovery, said: "By enabling the retrieval of protein biomarkers from ancient soft tissues, this workflow allows us to investigate pathology beyond the skeleton, transforming our ability to understand the health of past populations." Proteins outlast DNA in archaeological remains and reveal more about a person's life and health than genetic material alone. Dr Christiana Scheib, from the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study, said: "It is key to first develop the best way to obtain relevant information from these materials, which is what this study does. "This type of fundamental experimental work is crucial for the field to move forward."
Hypebeast
31-05-2025
- Hypebeast
You Can Now Turn Text Prompts Into Lego Designs With LegoGPT AI
Summary Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have unveiled a groundbreaking newAImodel called LegoGPT, designed to bridge the gap between natural language and physical creation. This innovative system can transform text prompts into fully buildable LEGO models, specifically focusing on vehicles. Imagine simply typing 'a red sports car with big wheels' or 'a blue spaceship with pointy wings,' and having the AI instantly generate instructions for assembling it with LEGO bricks. That's the promise of LegoGPT. The system operates by understanding natural language and processing and interpret the descriptive elements of a text prompt. It then translates the words into LEGO geometry, turning concepts into a 3D LEGO model, taking into account the unique constraints and connectivity of LEGO bricks. It provides step-by-step instructions that a human builder can follow to construct the physical model. According todezeen, the team, which is led by Ava Pun, a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and one of the study's coauthors, hope to expand the AI model beyond LEGOs to give it real-world applications to help 'architects design structurally sound buildings or designers create custom furniture.' Pun shared with the publication, 'We wanted to bring user imagination into the physical world. Imagine if you could type in a prompt or show us a picture of a chair, and boom – we could actually make that product and ship it to you in a week or two.' This development is a significant leap in AI's ability to translate abstract ideas into tangible forms. It showcases advancements in generative AI, computational design, and robotics, demonstrating how AI can aid in creative design and engineering processes. While currently focused on vehicles, the potential applications for LEGO-GPT are vast, from educational tools to rapid prototyping and even assisting LEGO designers themselves. It's a playful yet powerful example of AI moving beyond virtual spaces into the realm of physical construction.
Chicago Tribune
30-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Shepard High School senior earns $40K Amazon engineering scholarship
Playing computer games wasn't enough for Carlos Castillo. He wanted to be the one creating them — so that's just what he did, and that was when he was in middle school. Around that time, his mother was struck with cancer, making him even more determined to excel at computer design, so he could make her proud of him. His determination to succeed in the years since, along with emotional support from his sister Samantha Castillo and staff at Shepard High School in Palos Heights, helped him win the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, which comes with up to $40,000, as well as a paid internship at Amazon. He was one of 22 Illinois students to win out of the total 400 winners. 'Around middle school, I really wasn't good at a lot of things,' said Carlos, now a senior at Shepard. 'So I took an interest in trying to make things and the computer was a perfect recipient for all that.' But Carlos said he was surprised when he got the message that he had won the scholarship. Of course he had done the groundwork to be competitive in the competition. He took a semester of web site design and coding, as well as both AP computer and science classes. He's also been a member of the school's Gaming Club and Business Professionals of America. He participated in a 50-person Flowlab competition, where he developed a video game in two weeks and won honorable mention. 'My mother was very proud of that one,' recalled Carlos. When his mother got sick and subsequently died, he made that extra effort. 'I found myself hammering away trying to do something big,' said Carlos. 'I really wanted to have my name out there before she passed away.' He said the computer field required a strong foundation in math and he 'hit that one out of the park.' He mainly works with a computer language called C++, an 'object-oriented programming language.' He received national recognition for his C++ programming skills in a Business Professionals of America competition. But he also loves reading and writing. He plans to attend Illinois State University in the fall and major in engineering. Carlos has also found time to work part-time stocking shelves and bagging groceries at an area grocery store. And he's gotten more than book learning from his high school. 'One of the best things Shepard has provided me is just mainly resources of support,' he said. 'The counselors and teachers were great at helping me through the loss.' Samantha Castillo, Carlos' sister, a physical education teacher at Shepard, said she remembered her brother being creative since he was a child. 'Growing up, he was very creative in a natural sense, he loved to create things whether building with Legos or drawing,' she said. 'But once he was able to learn and hone in on computer development and game development skills, that is when my mother and I knew we had found a knack for him.' Castillo said she was proud of his resilience and dedication. 'We have been through a lot as a small family,' she said. 'It was always just me, him and my mom, so her loss was pretty profound in our lives. To us, it really is a demonstration of his character and ability to overcome these things.' She also said she knew their mom would be 'incredibly proud of him.' 'I know I am definitely very proud of him,' she said. That sense of pride is shared by Jane Turner, his counselor. 'I think he is a very kind, patient young man and he sets very high expectations of himself,' Turner said. 'I'm very excited for his future and very proud of him for overcoming very difficult circumstances during his high school years and still shining through some difficult times 'He's a real class act.'
