robotics PD

PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. -- Robotics coaches from across the Pulaski County Special School District came together for some additional professional development on Monday, September 20. 

The middle and high school robotics team coaches teamed up with the Managing Director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Cyber Arena, Sandra Leiterman. Leiterman is a former robotics coach at Mills Middle who coached the first all-girls robotics team in Arkansas.

“Our future is automation,” said Leiterman. “We need to know how to code. If you look at the industries that use robotics, from medical to factories, we are watching automation take over what manual labor used to do. Having an understanding of how a robot works is huge and that’s why we build from the ground up - we need the gear ratios, movement, weights, then we need to know how to code it.”

Joe T. Robinson High teacher Larry Smith said he is looking forward to starting a robotics team at his school after this training.

“We are learning how to program the robot using the block program method. I am looking forward to using this knowledge in robotics class and competition in the future.”

PCSSD hopes to have a robotics presence in all secondary schools within the coming year. Over the next few years, the district would also like to see competitive robotics teams strengthened and new robotics courses added to best meet the needs of the students and communities we serve.