Jackson Madison County School System

Molly McCoy Plyler, Ed.D.

Future Skills Champion

From Digital Consumption to Meaningful Creation

It has been over 40 years since K-12 schools were first presented with nationwide initiatives to put computers in classrooms. These initiatives promised transformational learning as the Internet was going to bring endless knowledge to students’ fingertips. Yet, today, one can walk through the halls of most American schools and watch students mindlessly click through content on any number of learning platforms as they log time and complete digital assignments. Instead of achieving transformation, we have student zombification. The vast promises that computers would transform student learning never materialized, as one-to-one devices quickly became fancy digital worksheets.

This leads one to ask - What happened? The answer is connected to the concept of creation. As Mother Nature herself demonstrates, transformation must begin with creation and for a K-12 student, learning sticks when the creation process is a physical, hands-on experience. Tactile experiences, such as robotics, provide just what is lacking in mere tech consumption.

Robotics Creates a New Model for Student Engagement

It has been four years since the Jackson-Madison County School System in Jackson, TN introduced competitive robotics. A program that started with a mere nine competitive robotics teams has exploded to 62 teams. This monumental growth leads an educator to pause and wonder…Why are students so attracted to this?

You only have to speak with a robotics student to quickly understand the allure of working with a team where each member communicates and collaborates to improve the robot they are designing, building, driving and programming to score autonomously. Add in the expertise of industry partners who serve as technical mentors and sponsors for events and team travel and there is an instant formula for successful learning as a community of learners forms and works toward a common goal.

A Student Perspective Reveals the Power of Early Exposure

Perhaps one of the most insightful comments came from a high school female student enjoying her first year of competitive robotics. When asked her thoughts on adding robotics to elementary schools, she quickly responded with, “Wow! If I had this opportunity as a younger child, I would be the Michael Jordan of robotics.” While the comment makes one smile, it brings up a great analogy.

Innovation Requires Action and Creation

In the same way that holding a basketball won’t make someone an NBA player, simply consuming content on a computer won’t magically transform students into the next tech innovator. Innovation requires action, without action, an idea is purely a wish. So as school districts consider how to strengthen student workforce readiness, let us remember that creation requires action and action transforms student learning.