Engaging Parents in Robotics Education: Tips and Strategies

As educators, we know parental involvement is key to boosting student learning, especially in robotics and coding. When parents engage, it sparks curiosity and deepens understanding.

In recent years, robotics has made incredible strides—just look at Boston Dynamics! We’ve gone from robots simply walking to ones that can do flips and tackle complex tasks, all thanks to AI advancements. It’s exciting to see how fast this field is evolving!

To start conversations at home, try asking, “What surprised you about how robots work today?” This can foster a supportive learning environment.

Let’s also help kids turn their gaming passion into valuable skills. Instead of just buying Robux, what if they learned to code their own games? Look at Alex Balfanz, who created Jailbreak in middle school and funded his education at Duke!

What strategies do you use to involve parents in robotics education? Share your tips in the comments.

Here are ten things I started last year, and the results have been amazing!

  1. Keep Parents Updated
    Regularly communicate with parents through newsletters, emails, or social media. Share what their kids are learning and highlight exciting robotics advancements. This helps parents feel connected and informed.

  2. Get Parents Involved
    Invite parents to join in on robotics activities! Organize family workshops or open houses where they can work alongside their children on hands-on projects. It’s a fun way to bond and experience robotics together.

  3. Spark Home Discussions
    Give parents conversation starters like, “What surprised you about how robots work today?” Sharing articles or videos about robotics can also make for great discussions at home.

  4. Celebrate Student Success
    Share student achievements, whether it’s a project win or a cool innovation. Highlighting these stories in newsletters or social media can inspire parents and show them the results of their kids’ hard work.

  5. Build a Supportive Community
    Create a parent-teacher robotics committee where parents can share ideas and experiences. Regular meetings can help foster support and celebrate successes together.

  6. Provide Resources
    Offer parents access to helpful resources, like online tutorials and coding guides. Consider hosting training sessions so they can better support their children’s learning.

  7. Use Technology
    Leverage platforms like Google Classroom to keep parents engaged. These tools can facilitate communication and allow parents to track their kids’ progress easily.

  8. Celebrate Achievements Together
    Host events to showcase student projects and competitions. Inviting parents to these events fosters community and lets them see their children’s skills in action.

  9. Show Real-World Connections
    Help parents understand how robotics skills apply to real-world careers. Share stories of professionals in the field to inspire both students and parents.

  10. Seek Feedback
    Encourage parents to share their thoughts on how to improve engagement. Their input is valuable and can help tailor your approach to better meet their needs.

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Agree! I’ll just pop a couple other great examples of PLC members engaging parents and community:

@Tina_Dietrich and @Desiree_White-Price have implemented a Mother/Daughter VEX Club as Tina writes it: “They are building robots and competing in the Ocean Science Exploration Competition together. We have also had a variety of local Women Engineers come in to speak to the girls/moms about their experiences in their careers. We have had an alumni who works in the engineering field, as well as representatives and current students from the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineer (Women in Engineering Program) speak about their experiences in school. @Desiree_White-Price and I are doing a poster presentation at the VEX Educators Conference with more information about this program! This is one of our greatest passions at the moment!”
-Check in with these two ladies if you want to discuss this more! Here are a few links to all the incredible press they received:

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I agree with all of this. Building relationships with parents is sooo important. It makes having difficult discussions so much easier when needed and this is for every subject, not just robotics.

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