Robotics Box
Audience
The audience for this Robotics "Box" is my colleagues, both teachers and librarians. I think other professionals would benefit from seeing these examples and the power of collaborative STEAM projects in their classroom. I would also share this Box with our PTO to keep them informed. Of course, I will regularly refer to it, myself!
Purpose of the Presentation
The purpose of this digital format is to make all of the information easy to access for teachers to share with their students. After sharing it with staff at a faculty meeting and sharing the link through an email, teachers can use and, more importantly, build on these lessons.
Intended Grades
This box is designed for students at the primary level. It is most suited for a 3rd grade classroom, but could work with younger students, as well, especially in smaller groups. All of the projects could be modified to further challenge or scaffold the learning process.
Teaching Philosophies
These projects incorporate all of the 21st Century Skills, including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity that help students succeed both in school and in life. Students use critical thinking as they solve problems and troubleshoot. Students communicate as they share their work with their peers through digital or in-person presentations. Students collaborate as they work in teams to develop their skills and complete each challenge. Finally, students grow their creativity by engaging in the design process to modify their projects. In addition to these important skills, students will struggle and develop persistence, a trait highly correlated with future success.
Resources:
Bashant, J. (2014). Developing Grit in Our Students: Why Grit Is Such a Desirable Trait, and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Schools. Journal For Leadership And Instruction, 13(2), 14-17.
Partnership for 21st Century, S. (2011). P21 Common Core Toolkit: A Guide to Aligning the Common Core State Standards with the Framework for 21st Century Skills. Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Resources:
Bashant, J. (2014). Developing Grit in Our Students: Why Grit Is Such a Desirable Trait, and Practical Strategies for Teachers and Schools. Journal For Leadership And Instruction, 13(2), 14-17.
Partnership for 21st Century, S. (2011). P21 Common Core Toolkit: A Guide to Aligning the Common Core State Standards with the Framework for 21st Century Skills. Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Peer Reflections - Added 8/31 after assignment missunderstanding
After reviewing all of the feedback I've received on the projects featured below, it is clear that exploration and perseverance are at the core of robotics education. The projects could continue for months and perhaps even bud into something of real significance to society with all of the opportunities for creative modifications. I tried to include some authentic problems into some of my lessons, but, in the future, I might try to give my students a chance to share their work with a wider audience and build on the efforts of students who may not even go to our school - just as I was able to do with colleagues in this class. This would mirror the kind of collaboration that occurs in an actual computer science job.
Click on the images below to explore computer science activities you can do with your students!