See the bottom of the article for more pictures from the January 10 Van Antwerp robotics presentation.

Board of Education members got a glimpse of what middle school students are learning in technology class at their January 10 meeting, as students programmed robots they designed to cruise across a table in the meeting room, turn around, and stop in their tracks.

The presentation by Van Antwerp students and staff members part of the Board's Students First series, which gives Board members an opportunity to see a demonstration of student learning from all of the district's schools at the start of its meetings over the course of a year.

The robotics program is part of the 6th and 8th grade technology curriculum at both district middle schools, Van Antwerp Middle School Principal Luke Rakoczy told the Board. It gives students experience with designing the robots themselves and gives them an understanding of the basic elements of robotics, including sensors and circuits, by working with Lego Mindstorms NXT equipment.

Students work in teams and spend several weeks completing and designing various tasks as part of the curriculum.

"This really is a cornerstone of our middle school technology program," Rakoczy said. "It is a nice way to get into the fundamentals of robotics before they move up to the high school."

As part of their demonstration, Van Antwerp students Carter Garfinkle, Emma Griffith, Jon Burstyn, and Bryan Colby showed the Board the robots as well as the computer program they use to program them. The students were joined at the meeting by Rakoczy, and Van Antwerp technology teacher Tom Blechinger and Iroquois technology teacher Mike Sogoian.

Board members said they were impressed by the students' work. "It looks like a fun project," Board President Jeanne Sosnow said.

"It was a very fun project," student Jon Burstyn said.

The middle school robotics program serves as an engaging introduction to some of the possibilities of modern robotics, automation and engineering, which they can pursue further through course offerings of study options they have at Niskayuna High School such as Project Lead the Way.

Board member Bob Winchester suggested that students look up Colin Angle, a member of the Niskayuna High School Class of 1985 who went on to graduate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contribute to NASA's exploration of Mars, and co-found iRobot - the company that produces the Roomba vacuum machine.

"He had much less programming experience when he left Niskayuna than you have," Winchester told students. "I look foward to the great things you can do in the future."