Elementary students build robotic Legos

Ten-year-old Emily spends her afternoon building robotic Legos.

“I’m always very excited to see what we are going to do. To see if we are going to build something or program some more, or start on a project,” Emily said.

The 'First Lego League' at Oak Meadow Elementary is run by NEISD’s former Director of Technology Jim Baldoni, who even in retirement, continues to volunteer his time for kids in the District.

“It’s a passion project of mine,” Baldoni said.

Students like Emily said they appreciate his dedication.

“Even though he retired, he still helps us and he gives us good advice on what to do. Like, to program at least three times to make sure it’s reliable,” Emily said.

Baldoni introduced Robotics into the District. Over his term of more than twelve years as Director of Technology, helped grow the program from five schools to forty-seven.

“They love the idea of robots. But it teaches them so much more; working in groups, how to work together hand-in-hand. Also, respecting each other in terms of their ideas and what they bring to the table. These are life skills,” he said.

His passion for helping students learn is what keeps kids like Emily enrolling in the program year after year.

“First of all, you are doing something productive instead of like watching TV,” she said.

Baldoni said there was one moment that stuck with him over the years.

“I remember specifically the very first year we did it; it was a young lady at Olmos Elementary. Her and her mom came up and her mom told me, ‘the only day she really looks forward to school is the day she has robotics. She wakes up early and she is ready to go on that day.’

The mom told Baldoni she was planning on enrolling her in STEM because of it.

"That, to me, was a great story," he said.

Discover the NEISD way, where our educators help children create their own path.