Elementary students learn to code, program robots

A new partnership between New Brighton SD and Carnegie Mellon University is giving elementary students the opportunity to animate robots. According to an article in Times Online The new program, available to about 330 students in grades 3 to 5, is the only one of its kind in western PA. The Montour SD also participates in the program with middle school students.

As part of the program, students spent 30 minutes learning to code using the Calypso software. The next day they spent another half-hour learning how to apply to code to manipulate a robot called Cozmo. The training was provided by elementary teacher Kate Na-Shatal, who spent last summer learning how to teach students to use Calypso and Cozmo. The robot can talk, play games and respond to voice commands.