Why not?! This past year, I dove into the robotics world by recruiting and coaching a team of 30 third, fourth, and fifth grade students. As a newbie, I was overwhelmed. I did not have a background in programming and I knew next to nothing about Lego Robotics. All I knew was that students could and would benefit from it.
When the time came for our competition, we were not fully prepared. Our robot was only prepared for two missions. Though we had done our research, our knowledge of programming was limited. At the end of the day, we did not take home any physical awards. However, one hundred percent of the students were ready and excited to do more. They wanted to do better and they knew they could. And, it is for that reason that I think robotics should be a staple in elementary schools.
Starting in 3rd grade is younger than many schools start. However, I think we can start even sooner. What if we started these concepts in Pre-K, teaching students the fundamentals of math, science, and art. What effect would that have on their other areas of school?
After attending a session on robotics today at #tcea14, led by Jennifer Flood and her mother, Kathy Holberg, I am determined to start building a PK-5 robotics program that is integrated into the daily classroom.
For starters, I want to check out these tools:
Lego Structures - beginning kit
Lego WeDo -
Lego NXT -
The extras:
Make-do
Goldie Blox
Bee-Bot
Lego Duplo (Structures and creative builder)
Stay tuned for more updates as I begin this new endeavor!
When the time came for our competition, we were not fully prepared. Our robot was only prepared for two missions. Though we had done our research, our knowledge of programming was limited. At the end of the day, we did not take home any physical awards. However, one hundred percent of the students were ready and excited to do more. They wanted to do better and they knew they could. And, it is for that reason that I think robotics should be a staple in elementary schools.
Starting in 3rd grade is younger than many schools start. However, I think we can start even sooner. What if we started these concepts in Pre-K, teaching students the fundamentals of math, science, and art. What effect would that have on their other areas of school?
After attending a session on robotics today at #tcea14, led by Jennifer Flood and her mother, Kathy Holberg, I am determined to start building a PK-5 robotics program that is integrated into the daily classroom.
For starters, I want to check out these tools:
Lego Structures - beginning kit
Lego WeDo -
Lego NXT -
The extras:
Make-do
Goldie Blox
Bee-Bot
Lego Duplo (Structures and creative builder)
Stay tuned for more updates as I begin this new endeavor!
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