RIAB & BPL Training
How can we train educators to empower youth remotely?
Roles: Program Manager, Curriculum Designer, Instructors
I was part of a team of five engineers, artists, and educators, who worked on the Robot in a Box project. In collaboration with Talya Stein, I designed and facilitated two virtual training sessions for more than 30 staff members at the Brooklyn Public Library, focusing on the RIAB curriculum.
About Robot in a Box
NYC FIRST developed Robot in a Box (RIAB) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by their passion for innovation. The goal of RIAB was to provide children with a hands-on robotics kit that mimics the experience of a maker space. With RIAB, kids can experiment, play around, and ultimately create an endless array of robots.
BPL Partnership & Training
In July 2021 NYC FIRST and Brooklyn Public Library launched a pilot program, providing kits and workshops to over 40 children. These young roboticists were given the chance to "playtest" the kits with the support of their families, STEM Educators, and Librarians who work at the branches. As the kids finish their assigned tasks, they can return to the library for more challenges and supplies, and also take advantage of the incredible resources that BPL provides.
To support RIAB programming launching with the Brooklyn Public Library, our team had to undertake the following:
Conduct virtual training sessions on the RIAB Curriculum for 30 staff members at the Brooklyn Public Library.
Empower these adult learners to acquire new skills and programming knowledge as the libraries were reopening after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cater to the diverse skill levels and familiarity with the material among the adult learners.
Ensure that the training is aligned with the library's programming objectives and goals.
Communication
Throughout the training program, we ensured ongoing communication with BPL staff, striving to establish clear expectations and ensure easy accessibility of all relevant information.
Virtual Trainings
Over the course of two virtual training sessions, we provided hands-on experience to the staff members of PBL (Project-Based Learning) by guiding them through the curriculum activities. During the sessions, the staff members role-played as young learners who were encountering the materials and lessons for the first time. This approach allowed the staff members to experience firsthand the challenges and opportunities that learners might encounter, enabling them to better understand how to support and guide their students.
Through this immersive experience, the staff members were able to interact with the kits and lessons, giving them a chance to ask questions and deepen their understanding of the curriculum. The interactive nature of the training sessions helped to enhance their learning experience, as they were able to receive immediate feedback and guidance from the trainers.
Content & Lesson Plans
As a part of our training program for PBL staff members, we took into consideration the varying styles of learning and skill levels. To ensure that everyone received the same level of instruction, we provided numerous examples of content and lesson plans. These included videos, models of circuits, and written explanations of all concepts.
We also included examples of similar lessons to demonstrate how they could be adapted to fit different skill levels. This allowed staff members to tailor their teaching methods to their students' individual needs. By providing a wide range of resources, we aimed to create an inclusive training program that would benefit all participants.
AR Demo
By including an augmented reality (AR) demo in our PBL staff training, we aimed to provide yet another way for staff members to engage with and understand complex concepts, providing a hands-on way to explore and manipulate digital content in real-world environments. We saw this as another valuable resource to the training toolkit, accommodating even more learning styles and skill levels.
Outcome
The successful July launch of Robot in a Box (RIAB) is a testament to the ongoing development and improvement efforts by BPL and NYC First. For more information about the RIAB launch, check out these clips: