Robocation Testimonials
"This informative and interactive program was very well received by students, teachers and parents. The Robocation team kept everyone engaged with their expertise, energy and enthusiasm. It was an amazing learning experience and I highly recommend Robocation!"
Parent/teacher
"Karol was very engaging and entertaining....a great ambassador for technology. We really appreciated the Robocation crew on their ability to manage multiple ages.....perfect for a home school group!"
London, ON
"The show was amazing! I loved watching the robots do so many cool things. It was very interesting how they were programmed and how they work. Great job!"
Richmond Hill Home School
"Thank you Karol for a wonderful show! It was very informative and entertaining. I admired how well you kept the children engaged. This is an event that we will remember!"
Richmond Hill Home School
"Exciting and engaging show! The students were on edge the whole time! - Highly recommended."
Macleod’s Landing Public School
"The Robocation presentation was out of this world! Our JK/SK's were mesmerized by all the robots. The presenters were engaging, informative and inspired a whole new generation of engineers!"
Winona Elementary School
"What a great show, it really got the kids excited. My son was amazed at what robots are capable of and has been asking many questions since. Now he wants to design and build robots when he gets old like us!"
George R. Allan Public School
"The show was well presented and interesting. The robots connected with the kids and kept their attention. There was a lot of interaction and excitement!"
, Parent
BirchCliff Public School
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"You came to my school at Kettleby Public School and it was so cool when Ben came over and shook my hand it was also cool because when the lollypop drummer came out and I played a song and he repeated the song. If you were wondering what grade I am in I am in grade 4 and in Mrs. Penny’s class. Thanks a lot For Coming."
, Grade 4 student
Kettleby Public School
"The presentation was great, interactive and a lot of fun. The children learned where robots play in our lives today, and where they may play a role in our future."
, EA
Kettleby Public School
"Thank you for visiting Ardtrea Cumberland Beach School today and sharing Robocation with us. The staff and students really enjoyed learning about robots and their place in our society. The interactive demonstrations captivated the kids and made the whole experience fun and educational."
, principal
Ardtrea Cumberland Beach
"Excitement was infectious! Many students wrote stories and drew pictures of the various robots after the performance including R2D2 and Ben."
, vice principal
Brooklin Villiage
"Robocation was a fun, interactive learning experience for kids of all ages... parents too!"
Byng Public School
"Very inspiring and educational for all students!"
Tosorontio Central Public School
"The show sparked the imagination and interest in all of our students including the intermediates!"
Timothy Christian School
"Great performance! The student's were really captivated with all of the robots!"
, Special Education
Holly Meadows Elementary
"Thank you again for a great presentation! So great! The kids and staff loved it!"
Guthrie Public School
"Our Willow kids were enthralled with the robots and with the program. It was informative, creative and engaging. I highly recommend Robocation!"
, Director
Willow Academy
Very thought-provoking and exciting!
, Principal
W.C. Little Elementary School
"Wow! The students were completely involved and intrigued. Great session!"
, Teacher
Mnjikaning Kendaaswin Elementary School
"Very engaging for our primary students"
, Principal
Moonstone Elementary
"The best educational interactive show!"
, Vice-Principal
Angus Morrison Elementary School
"The robotic program covered many of the Science and Technology curriculum."
, teacher
Couchiching Heights Public School
"The show was very motivating for the students. Student's were mesmerized by all the robots and loved the show!"
, Principal
Pine River Elementary School
"Interactive, fun and student engaging"
, Superintendent
Simcoe County District School Board
"Very informative as to where robots are in our society. Really makes you think."
, Area Assistant
Simcoe County District School Board
Certification of Appreciation
Professional Engineers of Ontario/Simcoe Chapter
Local Media
Robots Touch Down at George R. Allan Monday, June 22, 2009
Students at George R. Allan elementary on Friday were able to interact with robots that balanced, spoke, shook hands and more thanks to robotics troup Robocation.By ROB FAULKNER, HWDSB Staff
Wall-E's garbage bots, the Jetsons' maid Rosie, the Roomba vacuum cleaner: Karol Keaney has countless pop culture references about robots to share with the wide-eyed students gathered inside the packed gym of George R. Allan elementary.
But mention R2-D2 of Star Wars fame and loud, boisterous screams erupt - a sign that the travelling robotics seminar, Robocation, was no ordinary lesson for the keen students at the Westdale school last week.
"Robots will be a huge part of your future. And you may not know it, but they are already a huge part of your present," the program co-ordinator tells students, who get to play with a balancing robot, a drum-playing mimic robot and, yes, even an R2-D2 droid.
Based in Barrie, Robocation calls itself as a "field trip that comes to you." It visits elementary schools, bringing videos about the jobs robots do in today's world, as well as a handful of commercially-made robots that speak, see and feel depending on the activity.
Keaney wants students to see science and technology at work (and play), gain insight into future career paths and trends, as well as see a positive female role model in what has historically been a male-dominated field.
GR Allan Principal Michelle Rodney-Bartalos said it's the first time Robocation has visited her school, and thanks her Home and School Association for supporting it.
"It's affordable and has teacher connections that can be done in class," she says. The visit was also, in part, a favour to Keaney's niece Niamh (JK) and nephew Tadg (Grade 1) who attend GR Allan but have never seen their aunt's presentation.
With her helpers, Keaney brought GR Allan three separate presentations: for kindergarten, for Grades 3 to 5, and for junior kindergarten and Grades 1 and 2. The Grade 3 to 5 show was highly interactive: students who eagerly put up their hands to volunteer got a chance to shake hands, dance or speak with the robots.
"Wow, these kids are going to be future engineers for sure," Keaney said after the show.
It certainly left Grade 4 student Dania Igdoura - whose eyes were as bright and wide as any droid's - with lots to think about.
"I think the coolest thing was Ben, the robot with the tie, and how he was hugging everybody at the end. They say robots don't have feelings, but I think they do. It's just a little creepy for me," she says, noting how robots try to take over the world in the film Wall-E.
"I think it was so amazing to learn that robots can do plastic surgery, that they can actually be programmed to do that," Dania says. "We have to be careful that they don't take over all of our work, or we will get really lazy."
ADJALA CENTRAL STUDENTS MEET R2D2 -
Last Wednesday, May 2, students attending the Adjala Central School were treated to a hands-on learning session involving robots. The presentation was put on by Robocation, a company out of Barrie, and discussed the advancements in industrial and service robot technology, and how it has impacted humans. Students watched informative videos, and performed tasks with some of the robots Robocation had on-hand. (Above) Karol Keaney of Robocation stands with Adjala Central students and her robots.
Roboteachers’ a hit By Chris SimonThe scene was W.C. Little Elementary Schools’s gymnasium. The opponents were "Sam" and "Roboscout". As they raced across the gym of the Barrie school, like sprinters darting for Olympic gold, children from grades 4 – 8 crowded around, chanting, hollering and pumping their fists in the air.
It was an emotionally-charged afternoon, agreed Emily Quesnelle, a Grade 6 student.
"It was so cool," she said. "They showed us a whole bunch of robots."
Quesnelle and her classmates had just witnessed a robot race, as part of Robocation, an interactive show that was traveling around Simcoe County. The show has visited over 20 schools since it was put together several months ago, said owner Karol Keaney. It’s been very successful, mostly because students are encouraged to participate, and get to see how some robots are used throughout the world, she said.
