Some of the most popular paths and effective approaches to preparing students for their future involve using robotics tools. A significant subsection of STEM education, coding robots and other types of programmable devices enable a large percentage of the STEAM learning that occurs in our schools. Using educational robotics tools, students from Pre-K to college can develop key coding skills. This is largely because, among these various robot kits, many are compatible with various programming languages. So, beginning in Pre-K, a child might use the Cubetto Robot in screen-free coding activities. Then, they might move on to the Bee-Bot or Blue-Bot for CS experiences that are slightly more complex. And, by the time they're in kindergarten or first grade, they have a legitimate foundation and they're ready to continue developing fluencies in coding, problem solving, and even computational thinking.
One reason robotics in education is so effective is due to various advances in robotics equipment for schools. Beyond introducing the absolute basics of coding early on (and without a screen), students can then progress to one of the most basic forms of coding, which you might know as Blockly. So many robotics tools incorporate the Blockly coding language along with their corresponding programming environment. In fact, the Ozobot Evo, Root Robot, Edison Robot, and Dash Robot are among the most popular elementary robotics tools. These help children build on coding and technology knowledge as they prepare for the next step—text programming. In text coding, they can use tools like the databot 2.0, NAO Robot, and most of the others we've mentioned. And, through these experiences, they can develop STEM skills in a tangible way while using robotics tools to do so.
While it is true that we often do consider some STEM tools to be complete game changers, we truly stand by every item and brand on our store. We’ll often hear from educators who are looking for some of those bigger names and, while we know they will do well with them, we can sometimes tell that a different tech
We’re excited to now be able to offer K-12 teachers more of Sphero’s most exciting options. A powerhouse throughout this world of coding and STEM education, Sphero is always at the forefront of innovative education thanks to their SPRK, SPRK+, BOLT, and Mini solutions but those are not the only products they provide to enhance STEAM learning.
The Ozobot Evo is an easy-to-use, versatile, and powerful coding robot for teaching coding and computational thinking along with showing kids how their block code translates to JavaScript text code. Now, it’s even easier for educators to maximize its potential thanks to the introduction of the Evo Educator Entry Kit since it’s designed exclusively for teachers
The GoPiGo is a very versatile option for integrating both engineering and programming into STEM instruction. As is common in K-12 education, robotics is a popular way of furthering STEM experiences and the GoPiGo is a great example of how that is done. Once they get it built and set up, students can also program it in Python or the
It’s designed exclusively for use with the Cue and allows students to try something new while coding. Now, they can create typed code that gets the Cue to launch the foam projectiles and unlock many new elements to learning with robotics! Keep reading to learn more about the accessories students can use with the Cue and where you might be
The Root Robot is a dynamic teaching tool in education. Not only can it help students learn multiple coding concepts with graphical, computational, and full text coding options, it can be programmed to draw and climb whiteboards! Right now, we’re offering qualified educators the chance to try a Root Robot in their classroom.
We’re very excited to share their stories and their work with you and hope it will give more educators encouragement to try something new in the classroom. This month, we spoke to Michael Wilson, a robotics teacher from Ghana, who is on a mission to inspire students to think critically, create, and design solutions.
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 National Robotics Week, highlighting the importance of building vital 21st century skills, like engineering, coding, and more.
We’ve added six new tools from Makeblock to our store and they are ready to help educators enhance their STEM teaching. Among these new options are a couple of add-on packs for students to invent and code with the tried and true mBot-S and mBot Ranger in different ways, a remote control for a new way of controlling the robots,
Our online store is always growing and we like to think of it as a one-stop shop for all educational technology needs. Whether it’s early education or high school technology, we regularly add the latest releases or versions of existing EdTech from a lot of the world’s top vendors. We also offer an Educator Discount of up to 20 percent
