"Shannonbot" Brings Classroom to Student
By Sandra Carr
![The 'Shannonbot' allows a student to be in class even when she can't attend in person](https://cdnsm5-ss15.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_54619/Image/Departments/Marketing%20and%20Events/Orange%20Peal/January%202023/Robotic%20Learning_Shannon%20Hayes%20VGo%20Robot_Jiae%20Dy_Image%204.jpg)
As the sixth-period bell rings, Lake Nona High ninth-grade student Shannon Hayes rolls to the front of her Biology Honors class - or, more accurately, Shannonbot does.
Shannon is not physically present in the class on certain days, but participates in her biology course from home with the assistance of the tall, white, motorized VGo robot she fondly calls the Shannonbot.
The robot is helping make learning and science come alive for 14-year-old Shannon, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy when she was an infant.
During a class in December, Biology Honors teacher Jiae Dy turned to Shannon via the VGo. “What is the domain of a cell that is multicellular and has a nucleus and cell wall made of chitin?”
Shannon could be heard through the VGo with the correct answer - “Eukarya.”
“The VGo robot provides me with hands-on learning experiences,” said Shannon, who logs into the robot from home. “I can participate in biology activities and talk with my teacher and students by using the robot, which has been a lot of fun and helps me feel included in class.”
![Shannon Hayes, front center, with friends at homecoming](https://cdnsm5-ss15.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_54619/Image/Departments/Marketing%20and%20Events/Orange%20Peal/January%202023/Robotic%20Learning_Shannon%20Hayes_Homecoming%20Nov%202022.jpg)
Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic neuromuscular disorder that affects motor neurons in the spinal cord and causes breathing problems and joint pain due to progressive muscle degeneration and weakness.
When Shannon
(in photo at left, front row, with friends at a homecoming dance) was in elementary school, her mom Lymari Bergollo researched online and found a way for her daughter to have an in-person, class experience virtually with a VGo, a mobile robot that is manufactured by Vecna Technologies.
Bergollo collaborated with her daughter’s school, and the robot made its debut when Shannon was in the fifth grade at Hidden Oaks K-8 School in Lake Worth, which is in Palm Beach County.
After moving to Lake Nona last year, Shannon’s mom registered her with Florida Virtual and Orange County Virtual School as well as at Lake Nona High, so she could be part of an inclusive learning environment as close to a typical high school experience as possible.
Shannon wanted to continue having an interactive, virtual experience with a VGo in high school, so her mom coordinated with Lake Nona High’s Staffing Specialist Stephanie Braun and Exceptional Student Education Clerk Isabel Rodriguez on having it in Shannon’s Biology Honors class during the 2022-23 school year.
The School District of Palm Beach County gifted the robot to Shannon while she is enrolled at OCPS. Lake Nona High then secured Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding through OCPS to upgrade the robot, so it could work properly in the classroom. Afterward, Braun and Rodriguez coordinated with OCPS’ Assistive Technology team to make the robot a reality on campus.
“Shannon is a brilliant student,” said Braun, the LNHS staffing specialist. “The robot allows her to access her community and peers. Due to medical needs, there may be times when she can’t attend class with her nurse on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so the robot allows her to still participate without being absent.”
![Shannon's teacher is able to speak to her directly through the robot](https://cdnsm5-ss15.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_54619/Image/Departments/Marketing%20and%20Events/Orange%20Peal/January%202023/Robotic%20Learning_Shannon%20Hayes%20VGo%20Robot_Jiae%20Dy_Image%209.jpg)
Shannon moves the VGo, which is housed in the classroom, with a remote mouse app on her iPad. The robot’s display screen allows her to be seen and heard in the class when she is interacting with Dy and fellow students.
Whenever the robot is not functioning properly, Shannon will contact Dy via Google Voice, texting, email or on the classroom phone.
“I call on Shannon like I would any of my other students in the class when teaching,” Dy said. “She is excellent at communicating with me via the VGo robot and is responsible for all of her studies.”
“Robotic learning is important because it allows the student to be immersed in the school culture while still supporting their individual needs,” said Lake Nona High Principal Nikki Campbell. “I believe robotic learning is leading Shannon to success because she now has the ability to be part of our school community in which we not only focus on academics, but OCPS’ core values.”