A minute in the room: Skyline’s new Robotics Engineering class

Also offered at Pioneer High, this new class is believed to be the first time it’s been offered at any high school in the country

Editor’s note: Have you ever wished you could quietly peek into a classroom—not for a special event, but simply to see what an ordinary day looks like? That’s the idea behind our new feature, “A minute in the room,”  in which we open the classroom door just a little wider and celebrate the little things that make our schools such special places.

A new Robotics Engineering class at Skyline and Pioneer High Schools is giving students hands-on experience with the kind of technology used in high-tech workplaces.

Students begin by learning to code VEX six-axis robotic arms and control their movements. The arms are known as collaborative robots, or “cobots,” because they are designed to work alongside people.

By the end of the first part of the class, which is part of the PLTW curriculum, students will build a working system with conveyor belts and sensors that can sort materials and load them onto pallets, said Skyline Math and DTEP Magnet Engineering teacher Laura Schaffer, who believes this is the first time this class has been held in a high school anywhere in the United States.