Children are eager for lessons from the first grade. How a rural school near Vitebsk is raising future engineers
The engineering and technical center at Novkinskaya Secondary School named after twice Hero of the Soviet Union P. I. Klimuk in the Vitebsk region has become a center of attraction for kids not only from this educational institution but also from the entire district. What future engineers, programmers, and designers are learning was shared with the BELTA correspondent by students and teachers.
This year, the engineering and technical center, which had been operating in the school for several years as a club, has been significantly upgraded. Now, in addition to computers, the kids have sets with robot laboratories, robot platforms, and kits for creating robots, including various sensors - for light, sound, touch, and controlling them. Also, thanks to a sponsoring agricultural organization, the school has acquired a modern 3D printer that can not only print according to a given program but also scan a finished model and independently create an exact copy.
Students of almost all ages are engaged in the engineering and technical center. "The youngest students of the center are second-graders. Both boys and girls are eager to participate in the classes. One student even brought her little brother from the first grade, and he really liked what they study here. He watched everything with interest, asked questions, and tried to do something himself," shared Irina Kovalevskaya, a primary school teacher who also teaches the basics of robotics to younger students.
She explained that the little ones start with the basics of computer animation - using the visual programming language Scratch, they learn to write simple programs, understand algorithms, and create moving images on the computer. They often approach older students, asking what they are doing, react lively to moving robots, and try to control them. They also want to quickly get into more advanced programming.
Older students tackle more complex tasks - programming robots and mastering 3D modeling. The skills they acquire in the engineering and technical center help them in general education classes. For example, in computer science, it is much easier for them to understand the programs they study, and they find it easier to work with codes.
"The kids work very actively in the center's classes, propose their ideas, and strive to develop. For example, we have robot laboratories that allow controlling the movements of the robot platform, and the children made them without any hints from me. The younger ones look up to the older ones, and high school students help those who are just taking their first steps in programming. If there is interest, the kids cannot be stopped," said Nikita Khlebovsky, the head of the engineering and technical center and a mathematics teacher.
Among his students are young talents who have participated in international robotics competitions. For instance, Yegor Klimanov, who has been interested in programming for about four years. He participated in the Union State scientific and technical creativity contest "Talents of the 21st Century" and although he did not win a prize, he saw the level of preparation of students from Belarus and Russia.
"Our students will be stronger," he said, noting that now he has something to strive for and where to grow. In classes, the ninth-grader enjoys working with programming. He hasn't thought about his future profession yet, as he still has two years in high school to choose a specific specialty.
For ninth-grader Karolina Spiridonova, who specializes in artistic and 3D modeling at the engineering and technical center, her path in life is already more or less clear. "I have long mastered artistic modeling on my phone, but 3D modeling is still more challenging due to the codes. However, I believe that if there is interest and a desire to understand, everything can be learned and done well," she shared and admitted that she is already considering studying design at a university, but she is also attracted to internet marketing. She still has time to decide. Karolina is confident that all the knowledge and skills she acquires at school will be useful in her future profession.
Nikita Khlebovsky emphasized that lessons at the center help students develop logical and critical thinking, the ability to find and correct mistakes from an early age. When kids work with parts to assemble robots, their fine motor skills develop. Moreover, children learn to communicate, are not afraid to ask for help from older students, and thus an atmosphere of trust and mutual support is created. Very often, high school students who have already mastered the basics and are engaged in more advanced programming explain to the younger ones how and what to do, becoming mentors.
The school's administration plans to conduct classes in the engineering and technical center for kids from the Vitebsk region as well. "There are similar centers and IT schools for kids in Vitebsk, but not everyone can get there. The Department of Education of the Vitebsk District Executive Committee came up with the idea of opening, so to speak, a weekend school based on our center, where boys and girls from rural schools will come on Saturdays to learn the basics of robotics. All classes are conducted free of charge. Our school has an engineering group, where students from the 10th and 11th grades study. Under an agreement with Polotsk State University (PSU) named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk, our students visit the university and enterprises where technical specialties are in demand and there is a need for new personnel. Almost all graduates from the engineering group will enroll in PSU to obtain an engineering education," emphasized Tatiana Didorenko, the director of Novkinskaya Secondary School.