Melanie Buchanan Tillman, science teacher at Villa Rica Middle School, has been selected to present a concurrent session at the Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) Annual Conference on February 6-8, 2014 in Macon, Georgia. Her presentation topic, categorized under the STEM Conference Strand, is entitled, “Here Come the Hexbugs!” Hexbugs are designed to give children a positive experience with robotics at a young age. Hexbugs possess intelligent bug-like attributes and their eye-catching technology are so life-like and animated, they even fool cats, dogs and some humans into thinking they are alive!

Using the Hex Bugs, Ms. Buchanan Tillman will introduce teachers to a more cost-effective way to demonstrate acceleration, force and motion. Teachers will be able to use the Hexbugs to generate data and analyze using Vernier motion detectors and other methods, as well.