004: Robotics, Design Thinking, & Engineering in Education | with Andy Bruening & Tyler Hertenstein

Dr. Andy Bruening, Director of Bridge Programs at PAST Foundation, and Tyler Hertenstein, Design Pathway Instructor and Technology Teacher at Metro Early College High School, join us to unbox the role of robotics, design thinking, and engineering in education today.Both Andy and Tyler have seen first-hand the success of integrating robotics into the classroom and after-school clubs, and what happens when you get really creative with these hands-on opportunities to learn.We unbox:Starting and overseeing the Metrobots, Metro's First Robotics Competition TeamWhy schools should invest in robotics teamsThe difference between being mentor-led and mentor-guided (and why the Metrobots is student-led)Why Andy and Tyler view their primary role as coaching soft skills, rather than engineeringThe PAST Foundation’s Center of Robotics Innovation (CORI)The time and effort that goes into a robotics team, and why it’s not “just for the nerds”Robotics competition is “the sport of the minds”Tyler’s college robotics football team would get “smoked” by anything his kids are currently coming up withChanging the dynamic of who’s participating in roboticsHow teachers and students who have an interest in robotics can spearhead programs like these in their own schoolsWhy these programs needs good mentors that stick around, and those mentors don’t need to be engineersResources:Check out the Metrobots in action: https://www.3324metrobots.org/Learn more about PAST’s Bridge Programs: https://www.pastfoundation.org/bridge-programsStart A FIRST Robotics Team: https://www.pastfoundation.org/start-a-first-robotics-teamLearn more about Metro: https://www.themetroschool.org/Connect with Andy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-bruening-6925049b/Connect with Tyler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-hertenstein/Learning Unboxed is produced in part by Crate MediaRecorded by Eric French at WOSU Studios in Columbus, Ohio