Every educator knows that learning rarely looks the same twice. Some students come alive in the front row, voicing their curiosity out loud. Others find their rhythm at lab stations, quietly absorbed in the work unfolding in front of them. Regardless of age, ability, or learning style, one truth holds steady – engagement isn’t optional, it’s essential.
With Seeker, STEM concepts meet career applications – all while giving students the freedom of voice, choice, and hands-on exploration.
Shifting the Gears of Robotics
When it comes to STEM that stimulates, robotics has it all – applied mathematics, practical physics, and engineering so imaginative it’s reminiscent of play. That’s why hundreds of robotics competitions draw in thousands of K-12 competitors from across the nation every year. With innovation, critical thinking, and problem-solving on full display, these competitions also attract donors who offer scholarships to help K-12 students pursue robotics at the college level and beyond.
For educators, introducing robotics into the classroom is a powerful way to spark student enthusiasm towards STEM – and doing it through computer science creates a rich, multidisciplinary learning experience.
Meet Seeker. This standards-aligned robot goes a step further than typical robotics by using both a physical model and a digital world to bring computer science, engineering, and careers to life. And with a getting-started guide, teacher support for each Unit, and solution code, the resource ensures easy classroom integration – even without prior experience.
The 40-hour curriculum offers a seamless blend of hands-on and digital learning through a digital twin experience. After assembling Seeker using step-by-step instructions, students begin programming in the web-based Pitsco Learning Portal. Here, they watch engaging video lessons featuring career-centered storylines, write block code, and use a simulator to test, debug, and refine their instructions before sending them to the physical robot. This digital-first workflow allows students to build confidence as they experiment with computer science. Teachers can support personalized instruction by assigning differentiated tasks, monitoring progress, or creating their own custom lessons through the portal’s classroom management tools.
Engineering Durable Skill Excellence
In many middle school classrooms, curiosity is high while practical experience is low. With Seeker, it’s the component of curiosity that leads to success – regardless of expertise.
“At first, there was a little hesitation when students tried to build their robots,” one sixth-grade teacher admits. “But it served as an opportunity to show the benefit of teamwork.”
By pairing students off to complete tasks, the teacher was able to encourage problem-solving through communication, enabling students to build off each other’s strengths and support each other when needed. As they collaborated, the sixth graders began recognizing patterns in cause and effect and grew more resilient through each iteration. Eventually, hesitation turned into motivation and motivation to determination.
For some students, this sparked a lesson in creative thinking: “In one assignment, we had to make a code for Seeker based on the given route,” sixth-grader Philip says. “I went step-by-step and thought about each part. I learned that, in coding, sometimes you must think differently.”
For others, like sixth-grader Megan, Seeker promoted slowing down and taking a systematic approach to problem solving: “[Seeker] has helped me understand [robotics] by teaching me to troubleshoot the designs. I overcame challenges that I may not have noticed if I hadn’t tested and taken notes on the results.”
When students lead their own learning, they piece together the cross-curricular elements themselves and make important observations – about subject concepts and their own capabilities – as they reflect.
Helping Students Find Where They Fit In
For middle-grade students especially, memorable career exploration ignites passions that boost motivation and yields higher academic achievement. Middle school represents a time in development where youth transition from a growth period into an exploratory one – a time where curiosity leads to experiences that mold personal identity. Using Seeker, students can explore practical STEM applications, discover connections to high-demand careers, and imagine their future through the lens of computer science and robotics.
“I’m now considering a career designing animal prosthetics,” says Megan. “The skills I learned will definitely help along the way.”
Megan is just one student whose time with Seeker expanded her concept of technology for good. Through immersion in a storyline where students act as innovation specialists for a start-up robotics company, they envision themselves – and computer science – as key solutions to practical challenges in our modern world.
In this storyline, students work alongside a variety of career professionals to learn about the issues they face and then program and adapt their robot to assist the experts in challenges that range – from delivering groceries to older adults to helping farms in Zambia produce more food for its citizens. As they explore missions that connect them with global environments, students learn how their wide-ranging interests can make a difference on big and small scales. It’s something Philip and Megan’s teacher has taken notice of:
“Not only are they learning valuable technical skills and building on their problem-solving abilities, but they are also being introduced to practical applications for robotics. [Seeker] has ignited their imaginations and sparked an interest in engineering careers for several of the students.”
Experiences like these that prioritize experimentation and imagination as much as they do subject-based skills mold more than strong students – they shape ambitious minds.
Programming Possibilities
When Seeker becomes a classroom staple, so does critical thinking, collaboration, and innovation – lifelong skills that power both great ideas and confidence. Whether students envision themselves wearing hard hats or scrubs, Seeker’s program gives them the knowledge they need to step into those roles with a smile.
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