Hello Robo family! We proudly introduce Nathaniel Krueger (NK) from Fredericksburg, VA. Nathaniel is teaching at Holy Cross Academy and participated in our Wunderteacher pilot.

Hello Nathaniel! Thank you so much for your time! Let's start with a short intro:

NK: Hi! My name is Nathaniel Krueger, and I am the Technology Coordinator for Holy Cross Academy in Fredericksburg, VA. I am responsible for teaching our Technology Standards to Kindergarten through 8th grade. I utilized Robo Wunderkind with grades K, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7. 

Wow, that is a great range. Why do you think Robo Wunderkind works across different grades and scenarios?

NK: I love how Robo can be used with any curriculum standard and enhance student engagement and retention of concepts. I really enjoyed doing problem-solving strategies with the students and seeing them test and iterate their Robo until they found success!

What's the most surprising use for Robo Wunderkind you've seen or done yourself?

NK: I didn't personally venture down this road just yet, but I saw in our Wunderteacher community that other schools used Robo to retell stories. This would be a fun project! #

What has been the most helpful in building your confidence using Robo Wunderkind?

NK: Like our students, just trying and then tweaking processes until I found what works well for teaching, learning, and troubleshooting any technical issues.

How do you plan to use Robo Wunderkind in the future? What are you looking forward to the most?

NK: I'm looking forward to combining robotics and coding with storytelling and discovering ways to incorporate Robo into our religion curriculum! Our students would love this. 

Why do you love being a STEAM educator?

NK: STEAM is so much fun because it is hands-on and problem-based, and it truly brings out the joy of learning for all students!

We couldn't agree more! We're very passionate about shaping the school of the 21st century and helping today's students realize their potential. What is your vision for  21st century learning?

NK: I believe that hands-on, collaborative problem solving that relies on students being able to share and communicate ideas to learn is what 21st century learning is all about. Incorporating technology is essential, but you can't achieve success without those three elements!

If you could realize one STEAM project - regardless of funding, tools and time constraints - what would you do?‍

NK: I can't think of a specific idea off the top of my head. Still, I'd love to pinpoint a real issue facing our school community and put a lot of energy behind incorporating teaching and learning into solving that problem.

Without a doubt, the pandemic was a huge challenge for education. Can you share your key learnings from this time?

NK: I feel that virtual learning demonstrated how our students need each other and their learning community to become global learners. As I stated before, collaborating, problem-solving, and communicating effectively is huge. I think our kids lost a bit of that experience during the pandemic.

Indeed! We can only hope that Robo Wunderkind can do a good part in providing students with opportunities to engage with their classmates and train their 4 Cs: Communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Nathaniel, thank you for your time!

We look forward to seeing some storytelling projects; it will be fantastic! 

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