SDN Covers 4-H Robotics Kickoff

Mississippi State University’s Bost Extension Center hosted the Mississippi 4-H 2013 Robotics Club kickoff event Saturday, bringing together 100 4-H members and their adult volunteer leaders from 30 counties across the state.

Mariah Smith, Mississippi 4-H robotics project organizer, said the kickoff is more than an orientation for newcomers to the clubs and those graduating from the junior level to the senior level. The kickoff is also where club leaders from each county retrieve five months’ worth of club curriculum materials, including robot components and programming.

Commercial Dispatch Sept 23, 2010

Mariah Smith, an instructor with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, says parents are in a better position than school officials to deal with cyberbullying. She says 75 percent of online bullying of teenagers takes place at home and only 35 percent report the incidents to their parents. An article by Smith titled "Preventing Cyber-bullying" is available at msucares.com/pubs. The article describes methods for gathering evidence in the event of cyberbullying and explains Mississippi laws on cyberstalking. To see the online article, click here.

4-H Robotics Kickoff On WCBI

The Mississippi State campus was the site of the 2013 4-H Robotics Kickoff at the Bost Extension Center.

Over 100 parents and kids came from all over Mississippi to receive hands-on experience building robots while using engineering skills, mathematics and programming. "We bring in science activities that also correspond with the robotic build," said Mariah Smith, an instructor with the MSU Extension Service.

To see the video interview, click here.

Greenwood Commonwealth: Learning at Any Age

John Giesemann of the Mississippi State University Extension Service hopes to help other older adults learn how technology can enhance their lives, whether it is staying in touch with family or giving them skills to return to work.

He has been traveling across the state for 25 years teaching people how to do everything from opening a program and saving a file to sending e-mails and uploading pictures.

“I teach a lot of senior citizens because for a lot of them, they have just been given their first computer by the children or grandchildren,” Giesemann said. “Unlike kids, they need someone to go step by step with them while they learn or they will get frustrated.”

Monroe County 4-H Robotics Club

Monroe County 4-H'ers are at the building block stage with their newly implemented robotics meetings. according to Randal Nevins, Monroe county 4-H Agent. "As fast as technology is advancing, anything like our robotics meetings will give students an advantage". Mariah Smith, Extension Instructor with Computer Applications and Services, said "By preparing Mississippi students for different educational avenues, we're setting the stage for possible scientists and engineers."