Using the Power of Robots to Make STEAM more Accessible
Click above to watch our Q&A with accessible STEAM innovators, Danielle Boyer and Shawn Ray.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN DANIELLE BOYER IN THE NEWS A LOT LATELY. AFTER ALL, AT JUST 20 YEARS OLD SHE’S AN ACCOMPLISHED EDUCATOR, AUTHOR, AND INVENTOR WHO’S MAKING HUGE STRIDES TOWARDS INCLUSIVE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, AND MATH (STEAM) EDUCATION.
Ten years ago (when she was ten years old) she began to recognize the disparities that existed in education within her community. As a member of the Ojibwe Tribe, she was particularly driven to find ways to serve Indigenous communities. While still a pre-teen, she starting laying the groundwork for her organization, The STEAM Connection.
The STEAM Connection is a nonprofit dedicated to creating diverse, accessible, and affordable STEAM materials for students by students. They use the creation of robots to guide students through different STEAM principles. Danielle’s philosophy on engaging students during STEAM lessons is to “use robots, anything you can destroy, or anything made of cardboard.”
Shawn Ray is a board member on The STEAM Connection. He’s a member of the Navajo Tribe and currently studies electrical engineering with a specific interest in bio-robotics. He’s keen on using his love for robotics to directly help people in need. Shawn also recognized that in his community there was an apparent lack of educational resources. He found that widespread poverty only exacerbated the issue, as people often have to choose between basic necessities and an education. When he and Danielle met at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Conference, he was ready to combine forces.
In our recent conversation, these two young leaders exude thoughtfulness and a pioneering attitude when speaking about the links between their experiences, the needs of the next generation of students, and how robots can help to shape a more equitable future for STEAM. Here are some of the main takeaways:
ROBOTS CAN BE A POWERFUL ACCESS POINT TO STEAM — BUT ONLY IF THEY’RE AFFORDABLE.
Robots are a great way to bridge the “oh that is so cool” effect of STEAM with “here’s how it works.” A student can learn many principles in the process of building a robot: engineering, design, problem-solving, teamwork. They give students a sense of ownership and an opportunity to be both methodical and creative. They’re also just fun.
So why aren’t they used more often?
Several years ago, Danielle asked herself the same question, and after doing a thorough search, she had a difficult time finding low-cost robots for classroom use. The high cost of many engaging technologies contributes to the “accessibility gap”, which makes it more difficult for students in lower socioeconomic brackets to learn the technical skills necessary to enter the sector. Danielle decided to tackle this problem head-on by creating “EKGAR” or “Every Kid Gets a Robot”, an educational robot that costs under $20 to make and is donated to students nationwide for free.
This year, she’s launching her second robot, “Twenty”, specifically designed for educational purposes. Learn more.
“ALL YOU HAVE IS ALL YOU NEED”.
Many other resources exist online to create accessible and affordable STEAM projects. It can take a lot of Googling to find them, but it’s worth it.
While ideally, every classroom would have access to all of the resources it needs, in the meantime Shawn shared with us his inspiring take: “all you have is all you need.” In other words, look around at the items you already have. They may be brimming with untapped potential. Case in point: why not repurpose those old Expo markers for an experiment on floating inks?
Or, try going to local thrift shops and buying old electronics for your students to deconstruct and construct. It’s a great and often affordable way to give students hands-on experience with how component parts fit together (just make sure there’s no real power flowing!).
Additionally, if you don’t have many tools but you do have computers, Shawn and Danielle suggest using software like SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids.
“IF STEAM IS SHAPING SOCIETY, THEN WHY AREN’T THE PEOPLE SHAPING STEAM REFLECTIVE OF SOCIETY?”
When she isn’t running her nonprofit, Danielle mentors 35 youth robotics teams and other young women in technology. She feels strongly about the need to amplify women and underrepresented voices in the room.
Similarly, Shawn actively works to expand STEAM-based Indigenous groups on his college campus through organizations like AISES, where he and Danielle met. They both love what STEAM has brought to their lives and share a commitment to doing everything they can to ensure that every student has the same opportunity.
To that end, Danielle posed an interesting question: what are the unintended effects of commercialization and trendiness in STEAM? In other words, if STEAM is a “hot topic” and is constantly being monetized by the next big educational product or organization, might it actually drive up costs to access the best resources and leave more students out?
Not if organizations like STEAM Connection have anything to say about it.
At the end of our interview, we asked Danielle and Shawn for practical tips and suggestions for educators who want to dive deeper. Here’s what they recommend!
WHAT’S ONE MEDIA RESOURCE THAT YOU RECOMMEND EDUCATORS READ, WATCH, OR LISTEN TO?
Hands-on Techie Talks podcast
- Danielle
Documentaries or literature that highlights disparities of minorities.
- Shawn (Editor’s note: We recommend checking out the newly released Coded Bias documentary!)
WHAT’S ONE THING THAT EDUCATORS CAN START DOING IMMEDIATELY TO MAKE STE(A)M MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR THEIR STUDENTS?
Research the communities you work with and find ways to dismantle bias when you teach. You can take the Harvard Implicit Associations Test to discover some of your own biases.
- DanielleFind a STEAM project online that uses stuff you already have and get a group together to make it. Share your ideas of STEAM inclusion with others.
- Shawn
WHAT’S ONE IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU THINK EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON?
Your biases. Accessibility gaps with your students.
- DanielleWho you are and where you come from, and subsequently what your motivations are.
- Shawn
We were so inspired by our conversation with Danielle and Shawn and we hope these takeaways offer a few pieces of inspiration that you can take with you as well!
