4th Grader Wins @methodistmans Surgical Robot Naming Contest

A Mansfield ISD 4th grader gave the winning name for a surgical robot. “Ross” the robot has officially joined Methodist Mansfield Medical Center’s minimally invasive robotic surgery team.  R.O.S.S. stands for "Robotically Operated Surgical Specialist" and was named by Alice Ponder Elementary 4th grader, Emily Holland.

This ended up being a fun campaign and we hope it inspired the imaginations of the elementary students that submitted the entries. Over 1,000 name entries were submitted.

4th grader wins @methodistmans da Vinci surgical robot naming contest (tours hospital and uses robot) bit.ly/16mMYTd​​​​​
— Mansfield ISD (@mansfieldisd) June 1, 2013

For providing the winning name, Emily and a few friends and family members took at tour of Methodist Mansfield including time using the surgical robot.

 

The ad below also appeared in the Mansfield News-Mirror on Wednesday, June 5, 2013:

Related Links:

• Elementary students to name surgical robot
• Alice Ponder 4th grade student wins da Vinci Robot naming contest
• Alice Ponder 4th Grade Student Wins da Vinci Robot Naming Contest (MMMC)
• 4th Grader Wins Robot Naming Contest (Photos)

Elementary Robotics Teams Compete at State

Congratulations to the Mary Jo Sheppard Elementary Colts Robotics and Willie Brown Elementary Eagles Robotics teams that qualified for and competed at the Annual State Robotics Competition hosted by the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA).

The goal of the TCEA Robotics Competition is to inspire young people to become science and technology leaders. Robotics is an invaluable resource for teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills. It also develops critical thinking, collaboration, and problem solving, along with other 21st century skills such as creativity, imagination, curiosity, innovation, and self-confidence. The contest was held April 13, 2013, at Deer Park High School South in Deer Park, Texas. View a photo slideshow from the state contest.

Colt Robots (pictured above front row L-R in black): Michelle Gery, Katelynn Veale, Morgan Bruton, Miles Shamburger, Mark Smith, and Rick McCase

Eagles Robotics (pictured above back row L-R in pink): Monica Abrams, William Osmus, Kyndal Waldo, Brynn Spicher, Sydney Webb

MISD Robotics 
Quick facts about the district-wide robotics initiative:

• Aligned with Part One of MISD Strategic Plan: Innovative and Inspiring Teaching Methods
• Established in 2011-12 with a pilot program at Willie Brown Elementary
• $50,000 in grant funds (LEGO Smart Schools and MISD Education Foundation) were secured to launch this initiative; MISD Technology Development committed another $40,000 in required matching funds
• 264 WeDo kits and resource packs and 96 Mindstorms NXT kits and resource packs were purchased with the funds.
• All 22 elementary campuses are implementing WeDo robotics into Technology Applications classes
• 18 campuses (elementary through high school) have launched after-school robotics programs using Mindstorms NXT robots this year

Related Information
Elementary students to name surgical robot

Elementary students to name surgical robot

Want to name a robot? @mansfieldisd students have a chance to name our da Vinci robotic surgical system! methodisthealthsystem.org/body.cfm?id=93…
— Methodist Mansfield (@methodistmans) April 12, 2013

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center and Mansfield ISD Announce da Vinci Naming Contest

What would it be like to test drive a robot in a surgical operating room? Methodist Mansfield Medical Center and Mansfield ISD are partnering to give elementary students with an interest in robotics a chance to find out.

MISD elementary students will have an opportunity to name the da Vinci® robotic surgical system at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center as well as learn about its unique ability to assist surgeons to help patients recover more quickly. On Thursday, April 11 OR Director Shelley Cook discussed the da Vinci robotic surgical system used at the hospital with robotic team students at Willie Brown Elementary School:

“We are pleased to give kids an opportunity to experience real-world engineering through the da Vinci robot and work side by side with board certified surgeons to mentor children and help them learn about health and science in our community,” John Phillips, president of Methodist Mansfield Medical Center says. “We hope this fun contest inspires these ‘little surgeons’ to pursue careers in health, engineering, and business.”

da Vinci® naming contest

Methodist Mansfield invites all MISD elementary school students to submit one name that describes the da Vinci robotic surgical system. The deadline is 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, 2013. The winning name will be announced during an upcoming school board meeting at the MISD Center for the Performing Arts.

The student who submits the winning name will receive a commemorative award certificate and an opportunity for the student and up to five friends to have an opportunity to operate with the da Vinci Surgical System and take a behind the scenes tour of the hospital. The winning class will also receive a healthy pizza party along with a special video of the da Vinci in action.

Download the Robot Naming Contest coloring page (PDF).

Mansfield ISD Robotics Teams Win Big at Qualifier

Mansfield ISD Robotics, home of The Fighting Pickles, Crusading Cucumbers, and Vinegar Vikings, along with UT Arlington hosted a FIRST FTC Robotics Qualifier tournament last Saturday, February 11, 2012. The event was a great success! Everything went close to plan and we had a great crowd, including the Mansfield Mayor Pro Tem, Larry Broseh, his wife and grand-daughter. Every one of all ages thought it was very exciting and fun.

Our three robotics teams all performed beautifully and conducted themselves in a way that all of MISD can be proud of! Unlike many robotics organizations, our group is a completely extra-curricular activity. We have a great student leadership team in place and our teams are student run from designing the robot to planning community event.

Each of our teams won a judged award (and got the trophy to go with it) and they all qualified for the next level of competition, The SouthWest Regional Contest, which will be hosted at UT Arlington on Saturday, March 3, 2012.

Here are the specific judged awards the teams won:

#127 Fighting Pickles - PTC Design Award
Basic Criteria: Robot incorporates industrial design elements in their robot solution which is aesthetic and functional and reflected in the submitted engineering notebook

#3768 Crusading Cucumbers - Connect Award
Basic Criteria: The team is the most connected to the local and engineering community through outreach and giving back

#5393 Vinegar Vikings - Motivate Award
Basic Criteria: The team shows great team spirit and enthusiasm throughout the competition and functions well as a team

The Vinegar Vikings, our newest team, was in 3rd place after the qualifying matches and captained an alliance in the semifinals. The Crusading Cucumbers was chosen as an alliance partner and went on to win the competition (and get the even bigger trophy associated with that).

The three sponsors, Susan Sevier, Robert Goodson, and Kashieka Popkin, all Ben Barber CTA teachers, are very proud to be part of this with these great kids!

The teams are working hard to prepare for the next level of competition. Come check us out Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3:15 – 5:15 PM at the Ben Barber campus.

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Guest post from Susan Sevier, CS teacher at Ben Barber Career Tech Academy in Mansfield ISD