STEM education is sweeping the country and, over the next couple of weeks, we’ll see more of what makes this line of thinking so important and so exciting. From April 6-14, much of the STEM community is going to be celebrating the annual National Robotics Week, highlighting the importance of building vital 21st century skills, like engineering, coding, problem solving, collaboration, and more. Robotics is one of the top ways today’s students learn these important skills and robot tools can be used in just about all grades to help engage kids and empower them to explore in-depth learning. So, needless to say that, for this week, we’re going to be focusing on the impact, excitement, and encouragement surrounding robotics and the use of them in K-12 education!
About National Robotics Week
National Robotics Week is similar to Computer Science Education Week, which takes place every year in December. We say this because, for a short period of time, there is a renewed sense of focus on and excitement surrounding the use of robotics in STEM education. This year, it’s taking place from April 6-14 and we’re going to be spending plenty of time until then hyping it up and trying to inspire more educators to integrate robotics kits in their classrooms. As well as the benefits robotics can have on STEM education, the purpose of Robotics Week is to also increase public awareness surrounding some of the topics related to robotics, like its social and cultural impact. Throughout Robotics Week, participants will be organizing and taking part in various activities that are large, small, formal, and informal and we hope that students will get that chance, too!
The mission of Robotics Week is to inspire students to learn more about STEM-related fields and ultimately pursue a degree in one of these areas. Among its other purposes are to celebrate the US as a leader in robotics technology development, educate the public on how robotics impacts society, and to advocate for increased funding to be used in robotics research. As has been the case in recent years, there are Robotics Week events taking place in all 50 states throughout the week and anybody interested can visit the Robotics Week website to learn more about how to participate. The events are designed for children of all ages and include some that are big and others that are small. Even companies and colleges get in on National Robotics Week by hosting events and workshops in their space, which allow kids to come in and see some of the equipment they work with.
This will be the 10th year for National Robotics Week, which got started back in 2010. Since then, interest around robotics has skyrocketed and robots have become one of the most intriguing parts of both the economy and of STEM education in general. To register an event on the official Robotics Week site, participants can click here to either submit an event or to see all of the events taking place. National Robotics Week is made possible by some incredible sponsors, including big names like iRobot, Georgia Tech, Misty Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University, and more. As it has grown to reach an incredible number of participants, we are hopeful that educators can make time to include some robotics lessons in their teaching in the next couple of weeks and we’d recommend checking out our store for robotics packages for all levels of students! We hope it’s a great week for everybody!
Robotics in Early Education
There are many purposes for integrating robotics tools in classroom settings. Along with the fact that they are engaging, fun, and get students using their computational thinking, lessons that center on robotics are good for one other important thing—teaching kids about coding. Coding is one of today’s most sought after job skills and the computer science industry is, shall we say, booming. Once thought of as something that only the smartest students should be participating in, coding is now something for everyone—both out of necessity and thanks to EdTech tools that are able to meet kids exactly where they’re at. Even in early education (Pre-K and kindergarten), students can play with various technologies that actually help them start to think like computer scientists. Of course, the coding they take part in is much less complex than learning to program in JavaScript, for example, but it still leaves them with an actionable foundation and set of skills they can use to serve as a base for continuing to learn programming in the future.
The go-to robotics tool that we recommend for children between four and six years old is the Cubetto robot. This wooden robot on wheels is highly simplistic but illustrates the basic tenets of coding to children through active play and learning. In the box, kids get the Cubetto robot, a control board, coding blocks, and a blanket, which is presented in a grid style and features different squares the robot can travel to. Using the control board and the coding blocks, which are separated by color, children can dictate the movements of the robot in a very simplified form of coding. The blocks they use are also different shapes, including ones that point to the left, point to the right, point up, and point down. Kids can include up to 12 blocks in basic programs, but there is also another twist that takes this introductory coding lesson a bit further for them!
The board also includes an additional section that is used to teach kids about variables. The blue coding blocks are square in shape and represent the creation of a function in the program. When kids place a blue block on the board, the robot will move based on the set of blocks in the additional section and then continue with the rest of the program! With Cubetto, kids can learn about concepts like logic, cause and effect, and basic coding all while they think they’re playing. The Cubetto is available in individual units and also in bundles for use in preschool, Pre-K, and kindergarten classrooms, all of which can be found on our store! Some other robotics tools on our store that are good for the early grades include the meeperBOT, Edison Robot, Sphero Mini, Root, and more! We hope you’ll explore them further and keep in mind that learning with robotics is not reserved for students in the older grades!
Robotics for Elementary Education
Moving on up the ladder, robotics can also be amazing at teaching coding at the elementary school level. Especially if students get a taste of robotics in Pre-K or kindergarten, they’ll probably want to explore the other elements that robotics can add to their education. To us, the most important thing that means is more opportunities to participate in coding. The elementary years are generally thought of as a time to introduce kids to specific programming languages and one of the most effective ways to do that is using robots that can be programmed in the Blockly language. Blockly is an introductory language in which kids can use a robot that’s paired with a mobile app (and tablet) and construct programs using blocks that each have a specific value. It’s perfect for helping them see the direct relationship between inputs and outputs as they use coding to control robots’ actions, displays, and movements.
Like in early education, there are also plenty of robots that can be used exclusively in elementary learning. One that can be applied in both settings, however, is Root since it features so many different levels of programming and a progression that’s effective at covering all of the necessary components related to coding education. It starts by introducing kids to coding using simple sequences and patterns and eventually they’re able to explore more advanced programming languages, like Swift. Another great option for elementary robotics is the Ozobot line—both the Bit and Evo. Students can program both of these robots in two different ways, including using color codes that they can draw themselves. The other way is using Ozobot’s web-based programming environment, OzoBlockly, which is a specialized version of the Blockly language. Learning with Ozobot covers a whole bunch of coding basics and gets kids prepared for what comes next.
Another robotics tool that’s perfect for elementary school is the Dash Robot or Dash and Dot. This duo from Wonder Workshop also uses blockly programming to engage kids with exciting ways of coding and gives them the chance to create custom programs right in the classroom. There are many different apps that can be used with the Dash and Dot kits available on our store in a bunch of different sizes! One other robotics tool that’s good for elementary learners is the Edison robot. Using this compact, orange bot, students can get comfortable with barcode programming simply by pressing a button and letting Edison drive over one of its barcodes. Depending on the barcode it drives over, it gets programmed in that mode, which includes line following, obstacle avoidance, and more. As they get older, students can then use Edison for Python programming and use the Dash and Dot’s cousin, the Cue, for typed coding!
Robotics in Middle School
We promised you more on Wonder Workshop in this post and middle school is the perfect time to introduce their other impressive robot, the Cue, to students. When kids use the engaging Dash and Dot Robots in elementary learning, they’re typically interacting with the robots using block coding. While this provides them with a great coding foundation and a fun way to learn key concepts, it is really just the beginning when it comes to using Wonder Workshop in education. With the Cue, students are able to take that next step and try typed coding instead of simply programming with blocks. They’re also able to heavily customize the Cue and create various avatars that each have unique personalities. And, the more students use the Cue, the more new abilities it develops, making this robot a very interesting addition to National Robotics Week!
For additional robotics learning in middle school, the Finch Robot from Birdbrain Technologies is also a good option. This robot works with a number of programming languages, including Snap!, Java, C++, JavaScript, and Scratch. It also features a number of sensors, including light and temperature, which students can program and customize as they go. The Edison can also be used in middle school classrooms as it gives students the opportunity to build on the programming skills they’ve learned previously. Edison has a couple of online environments that are suitable for use by middle school students. One of them is EdWare and the other is EdPy. EdWare is still block-based but offers a slightly more complex programming experience for students, while EdPy allows them to really get into programming by introducing them to the Python programming language!
To wrap up the middle school section, another brand that’s good for students at this age level is Makeblock. The Makeblock robots, which include the mBot-S, mBot Ranger, and the Dragon Knight Kit among others are a great way to combine coding and engineering. In robotics education, much of the focus is on programming and rightfully so, but this group of robots need to be constructed first, allowing students a valuable opportunity to also practice engineering and problem solving. And, depending on how well students have progressed, they can always find new elements of other robots to explore in middle school. To name a few, the Ozobot Evo, BOLT, and Sphero can be used in middle school environments as well. Educators would just need to make sure they are using them as part of challenging projects and help students find new wrinkles to explore!
Robotics for High School
To close out this Robotics Week post, we’ll take a look some of the robotics tools that can be used in high schools. When we think of robots that are geared towards the skill sets of high schoolers, the first one we typically mention is the NAO Robot. The NAO is a highly sophisticated and programmable robot that students can use to learn about the nuances of robotic behavior and to learn programming. We offer the latest version of the NAO Robot (the V6) on our store. This model can help educators accomplish things like teaching coding, bringing literature to life, and connecting with special education students—particularly those who have Autism. In high school, NAO provides students and teachers with the chance to take part in training simulations, boasts a very intuitive interface, allows for remote learning opportunities, and features a number of applications for accessibility.
The V6 is fitted with a number of improvements from previous NAO versions and those enhancements center on six key areas. Those areas are its power, vision, audio, motion, robustness, and connectivity. NAO’s CPU was upgraded, it’s been fitted with a more powerful camera, and its on-board microphones have been improved to offer better two-way communication between the robot and its users. Also, despite the fact that NAO was already able to move very fluidly, improvements to its motion were also installed as well as improvements to its Wi-Fi system. All of these factors go into making the NAO Robot a top-of-the-line option for robotics education and, despite its hefty price tag ($9,000.00), this robot offers educational experiences that nothing else can. Plus, with our NAO Trade-In Program, anybody with a V4 or V5 NAO can trade that in and receive a significant discount on the purchase of a V6.
Again, depending on how familiar high school students are with robotics and coding, some of the other robots we’ve already mentioned could fit in high school classrooms as well. The mBot could be a good option as well as the Ozobot and even BOLT in the right settings. ROBOTIS also provides some more complex robot options for those in high school, too. And, if you want to try everything and work with us to create a custom robotics solution for your school or classroom, we’d be more than happy to work with you to design a custom robotics bundle with items for any grade level. If that’s something you are interested in, we encourage you to get in touch! In the meantime, we hope everybody enjoys National Robotics Week and uses it as an opportunity to introduce kids to robotics and coding or go a bit deeper with the robotics lessons they’ve already had. Enjoy!
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