After more than an hour of the trial-and-error involved with programming robots, more than 20 fourth-and fifth-graders at Cook Elementary School were still excited.
And they were even more determined to successfully complete their assigned robotics challenges as part of the school's CyberKids after-school program.
The students laughed and talked it through. From "That worked, that worked!" to "Aw, man, let's try …"
They worked to program a small robot to cross a line of tape, turn around and cross another line of tape. Another task required them to program a robot to push a small object.
The students hopped from the laptops set up on the ends of four wooden tables in the school's library and media center to carefully place robots behind testing marks yesterday afternoon.
"I like making it go and stop and push things," said Jamika Peake, a fifth-grader. "It's a lot of work, you've got to keep going back to the computer and putting in different stuff."
The CyberKids after-school program at Cook reinforces math and science lessons for students, said the school's principal, Ted Burcaw.
Parents of fourth- and fifth-grade students at the school chose to have their children participate in the program after school officials sent home letters about the program. Officials picked students on a first-come, first-served basis.
The students in the program are also required to go to afternoon tutoring on Mondays and Wednesdays. There's a waiting list for the program now.
The program, which started in February and will run through May, costs about $2,200, which has been paid for by law firm Kilpatrick Stockton's Winston-Salem office.
CyberKids is currently in Davidson, Wilkes, Watauga and Burke County schools. Cook is the only school in Forsyth that offers the program.
Students were grouped into four teams. They are learning programming techniques in hopes of competing in regional, state and national robotics competitions.
Myrick Dodd, 10, exploded into laughter when he realized that his team, the Cook Robots, had won the first of yesterday's challenges.
"It's cool, it made me feel like a champion when we won," Myrick said. "Building robots is a team effort; it's not a one-man job.
"I like when we get into a group and we have to build it, but mostly I like winning," he said. "Teamwork is mostly the key, but also putting effort into it."
He said that he thinks the math he's learning in the program will help him in school and later on in life when he wants to become a lawyer.
Jim Wuwert, the guidance counselor at Cook, said that the program is important for students because it helps keep them interested in school and learning about math and science.
Bill Kent, the vice president of CyberKids, guides the students through the robotics challenges.
"We thought these students need to learn how to use a computer to create something, not to just surf the Internet, go to MySpace and send e-mails, play solitaire," Kent said. "We came up with this program that teaches children to build and program robots and they also work as a team to solve problems.
"How many schools can get students to stay after school on a Friday afternoon and have this much fun? … They learn and don't know they're learning."
■ Lisa Boone-Wood can be reached at 727-7232 or at lboone-wood@wsjournal.com.
Cook Elementary School
• OPENED: 1999, re-opened as an elementary school.
• ENROLLMENT: 220.
• PRINCIPAL: Ted Burcaw.
• THEME: Provide every student with caring relationships; quality instruction; inquiry-based, hands-on learning, and to prepare all students for academic, social and professional success.
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