Programming at the prep
Thirty pupils at Bridge of Earn’s Kilgraston School have been introduced to the hi-tech world of robots.
Employees from computer giant IBM delivered a robotics masterclass to the girls, giving them an idea of what a future career in the world of computers might be like.
Head of Prep Kathryn Ebrahim explained: “The girls were shown how to design and build robots which led to them using a computer programme to instruct the robots to perform various tasks.
“The girls worked in small teams with a dedicated leader from IBM for the duration of the day. This allowed them to work with people with whom they would not normally be partnered and develop new working relationships.
“There were three main tasks to complete during the day. The first was to programme the robot to travel a short distance in a straight line. Once each team had successfully programmed and tested their robot, the teams came together to race them. The whole Prep School watched with great excitement as the robots battled their way to first place!
“The second task involved re-programming the robot to travel forwards to a certain point before reversing to the start and coming into contact with a balloon. The robots had been furnished with “javelins” in the form of cocktail sticks with which to burst the balloon.
“The final task was a real challenge. The teams had to write a computer programme to make the robot work within a circle and the robot’s task was to push plastic cups and balls out of the circle.
“Amidst all this, each team had to prepare and present a Powerpoint presentation explaining their experiences during the day. Prizes were awarded for the robot scoring the most points throughout the day and also for the team which had worked together the best.”
Kilgraston Principal Frank Thompson said: “The girls thoroughly enjoyed the day which was really inspirational. Not only did they learn about computing but they also developed excellent teamwork skills and gained confidence in an area that was new to them.”
Our picture shows Kilgraston pupils Minty Gow, Rania Macleod, Isla Leslie and Lucy Smith with IBM’s Kevin McRitchie.
Click on the picture to the right to see the photo gallery of that event.
