If you're considering buying robots for schools, this guide could help you find the perfect option based on what you actually need. Sure, you may want a robot, but do you know why it's good for your school specifically and in what ways you could get the most out of it?

The best robots for schools can help students to learn about engineering, design, building, and coding, to name a few STEM subjects. These robots can offer a great way to deliver some hands-on experience in building machinery, but also in coding for its software, too.

Before investing, it's worth thinking about who this is for in terms of age group but also subject area. Some bots have simple builds while others offer multiple complex coding options. Since price varies broadly it's worth narrowing down your uses before you start spending.

Read on to find out all you need to think about before buying robots for schools.

What's it for?

Deciding what your robot is for should be where you start. This will help you determine if you want something that's complex and needs to be built from scratch, or if you're more in the market for something that clips together, or comes pre-built.

Consequently, the age group you're going to be offering this to is a primary concern. Then, how they use that is next -- thinking about if there is an importance to be placed on construction, coding, or a mix of the two.

Also consider storage as you may want just one, or several, robots to cover the needs of a class or several age groups. In any case, these will need storage space and you may want to think about charging needs for continued use, too.

Build complexity is important as this could be something you leave kids alone to work on, or in groups. Or this might be something more complex that requires dedicated teaching time and hands-on assistance from the educator. So, essentially, think about how you're spending your time as well as money when investing here.

Programming

Since the build is just one part of using robots in education, it's important to think about the programming side of things as well. Once that bot is built, it'll be time to start coding actions that allow it to move and result in real-world results that can be very exciting and empowering for students.

That in mind, do you want a simple block-based coding system that any age could handle and offers immediate results for that instant reward? Or are you looking to use these robots as a way to teach more complex coding?

Some robots have multiple code languages that can be used with the system, allowing for a broad range of teaching options. These can also be helpful for teaching real code that students may use one day in a job.

Expansion

Some robots are made to be built once and then put to use with variations in the coding. However, there are some robots that form a part of a larger potential system, growing as you add more.

Block-based style of robots can feature add-on options, allowing you to grow what is available. Some offer new sensors or motor parts to make the robot more interactive or more agile, for example. These can represent a good way to expand as student's grow in skill, but also as the budget allows over longer periods of time.

That said, some of these systems offer deals through which you can buy many parts up front as a way to save money -- then you could add these as options as the students progress to reach a standard and are able to add more to the mix.

Features

The individual features of each robot option out there are pretty varied. Do you want a robot that can walk or are you looking for a rolling robo-friend that's more about steering controls for students?

Perhaps terrain variation is also key? You might want a drone that can fly, a boat that can go out on water, or a climbing robot that can traverse obstacles.

One big feature worth considering is controls. Check to see if the robot is iOS or Android compatible as that can mean easy controls via a smartphone or tablet, that you may already have available.

Sensors are a consideration as these represent the limits to your bot. If it's crammed with sensors to see, hear, feel, and more, then the number of options for coding new adventures and experiences increases. Robots that allow you to add more sensors as students progress is a good idea to help scaffold the learning.

Pricing

The price of robots varies widely which, as mentioned, is why it's important to know what you want it for before you start spending.

A robot that offers multiple coding languages will likely cost more up front, but that can represent a far more expansive learning experience for a wider range of student ages and abilities -- perhaps justifying that extra cost.

Going for a more basic bot, that's easy to construct and use, could also be helpful as a gateway experience that gets students into the learning without being too challenging. This will be limited to a certain age and ability range, but could be worth the money as it may spark a love of STEM learning in a child who didn't know they were passionate about it before.

Be sure to check warranty periods as well as the cost of replacement parts, to ensure you are prepared for ongoing costs.

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• Best Coding Kits for Schools

A longtime challenge of teaching STEM with robots is that when parts break or need to be replaced that often means purchasing more expensive components for an already expensive product.

Krzysztof Szyliński, a teacher at the Vocational Training Centre & School Complex No. 1 in Stargard, Poland, doesn’t worry about this happening with his students. That’s because the robots his students use come with a 3D printer with repairs in mind.

“Students can take measurements of damaged elements themselves, and then model them in CAD, and print them,” Szyliński says. “The measurements made force the student to perform mathematical calculations, the design develops spatial imagination, and the result is a printout of a finished element.”

Szyliński is one of several teachers I spoke with in Poland (via email with the help of a translator) who is using Astorino robots. Made by Kawasaki Robotics and development partner Astor, these recently debuted in the U.S. and lend themselves well to incorporating 3D printing into robotics education.

Szyliński and his colleagues recently shared tips for teaching robotics and 3D printing to support student success and job training in STEM.

Teaching With Robots: Letting Students Lead

Robotics, as with many STEM subjects, needs to be hands-on for the students. That’s why Paweł Derwich at the Electrical and Electronic School Complex in Toruń, Poland, advises not solving problems that come up for students.

“Help as much as it is needed but give them the opportunity to come up with different solutions on their own,” Derwich says. “The most important thing here [for student] is to create your own algorithms in programs and draw conclusions from any failures.” He adds that students should be reminded that making mistakes at this stage are to be expected and a key part of the learning process.

Sławomir Szymanowski agrees. “We must make sure that students do not passively accept technology and technical solutions,” says Szymanowski, a teacher at the Technical School Complex in Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland. “We want them to be creators, to be able to create not only programs for a robot or a PLC, but also machine parts or elements of robotic production lines.”

Benefits of 3D Printing

Incorporating 3D printing into robotics education in particular, and STEM education in general, offers many lessons for students, say the educators interviewed for this story.

“Spatial modeling develops many skills and competencies,” Szymanowski says. “In addition to teamwork and developing creativity, 3D printing teaches a technical approach to many areas of life, including those related to robotics or broadly understood industrial automation.”

He adds, “When we develop even the simplest element for printing, we first have to imagine it. 3D modeling develops spatial skills and spatial visualization. When we reconstruct machine components, we have to take them apart, analyze, measure, or at least determine their size and proportions.”

Real-World Jobs Training And Beyond

Utilizing robotics lessons alongside lessons in 3D printing helps students develop skills that can lead to jobs. But it’s important for these lessons to be designed with the current and ever-evolving needs of the industry in mind.

“Teachers should be open to cooperation with companies where students will find employment in the future,” Szyliński says. “It is important to educate staff who not only have general knowledge of the educational material but also take into account the needs of the local labor market.” He adds this isn’t always easy. “The challenge for me, as a robotics teacher, is to meet expectations regarding the educational process and to properly prepare students for the requirements of the labor market – industry 4.0.”

For his part, Szymanowski says that one way to accomplish your objectives as a robotics instructor is to embrace the STEM concept of learning through discovery. "Such classes activate students very much, and give them a lot of joy when they are allowed to create and discover on their own," he says. "They do not passively participate in the teaching and learning process, but even create it and to some extent even direct it."

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Kaibot is a small coding robot that was created by New Zealand's Kai's Education as a way to teach coding. Crucially, it was designed to work both screen-free and as an immersive app.

Designed for education specifically, this little robot is simple to use and easy with which to interact. Consequently, students as young as K-3 can start to get to grips with coding in a way that has real-world physical results.

The inclusion of an app, called Kainundrum, lets the coding be taken further and with more complexity in a virtual environment. All that means a smooth and easy-to-grasp transition that allows younger learners to grasp and enjoy coding.

This guide aims to explain all you need to know about Kaibot to see how it could work in your class.

What is Kaibot?

Kaibot is a coding educational robot that works with directional cards aimed at teaching kids how coding works.

If this reminds you of block-based coding, you're on the right track as that's exactly what this card-based track building does. Students can lay out cards and the robot will follow the instructions to move as intended. The idea being that kids can code and see real-world results from a robot that follows their commands.

Scale that up using the Kainundrum app and it makes for a seamless transition from the physical to the more complex virtual coding worlds. Students can stay connected to a physical understanding while adding layers to their coding abilities and opening their minds to the possibilities.

How does Kaibot work?

Kaibot works screen-free with a set of coding cards that are specifically designed by expert CS teachers. These use magnets to clip together in place, making a track for the robot to navigate. Usefully, these also come in braille versions for those who have difficulty reading the standard print versions. A companion app feature is available, designed to work with the visually impaired to give the full experience.

Involve the Kainundrum app and it extends the possibilities. The robot will still move accordingly in the real-world, except the coding is laid down virtually. This can be done using mirrors, lasers, gates, and other obstacles to create and navigate virtual mazes, solve puzzles, escape rooms, play hide-and-seek, and more.

Students can lay out the coding cards before tapping the Kaibot to get it started. Feedback is available in the app so if a card is missing, such as an End card for example, the app can flag an alert and make a suggestion of what it may have expected at that point. All that makes for a very accessible scenario in which students can work without teachers, even problem-solving along the way.

What are the best Kaibot features?

Kaibot is both easy to use, with the self-explanatory cards and screen-free workings, but also adds complexity with the Kainundrum app. That equates to a helpful coding tool that can work across a range of ages and, crucially, involves even those who might otherwise struggle to stay focused in a digital-only learning scenario.

The coding cards vary in their levels, which allows teachers to scaffold learning by making more complex cards available as students progress along each stage of the learning process. Useful cards such as loops, if/then, comparison operators, conditional statements, and more, all make for rich layers of learning to be navigated by students.

The app helpfully uses the Blocky coding system but can also be toggled to show Python coding, making it a fantastic way to transition into more complex levels of real-world coding skills. At the more advanced levels students can code directly using Python and Swift to learn real-world coding skills with direct robot physical responses as a STEAM learning reward.

For teachers, there are plenty of resources available, including lesson plans, community projects, videos, and manuals, all on the company's website.

How much does Kaibot cost?

Kaibot comes in several variants with different price points but in each case includes the robot itself and a deck of coding cards. The website does offer educator-specific savings, worth looking into when shopping but the listed prices are also there.

The Intro Pack offers one Kaibot and 10 KaiTiles for $190.

The Classroom Pack 5 offers five Kaibots, three charging docks, three advanced coding cards, 30 KaiTiles, and one eResource book for $1,070.84.

Lots of other options are available between and above those amounts, but that gives an idea of pricing between ranges.

Kaibot best tips and tricks

Group up
Both to spread the robots around the class, and to help with initial uptake, work in groups so students can help each other spot errors and progress comfortably.

Go virtual early
Show students the app and how it can offer more complex fun, so that they can work toward that as a goal when learning and working with the cards initially.

Code competition
Hold competitions to create games that the class can play, with the most original ideas getting attention for being creative as well as practical.

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Helping students understand how to adapt to a digital environment can set them up for success later on in life. Sandi Castro, Director of Information Systems & Applications at Del Valle Independent School District in Texas, leads us through her process of introducing digital design, coding, and robotics into the classroom.

Having an early education in how to use technology can be beneficial for young students being introduced to STEM. Castro’s early experiences with educational technology influenced her philosophy on teaching students about digital design, coding, and robotics.

“I started off as an early childhood education teacher, Pre-K, so I learned a lot about theories of human development and learning acquisition, which I’ve carried with me through my entire career as an educator,” Castro says. “In 2014 I was a first-grade teacher and I received an education grant from the school district. I purchased four iPads and two dash and dot robots. I took those into my first-grade classroom. I still have those robots. They’re very durable. I started with the basics to show the kids the exciting things the robot could do. Then I only allowed them to use Blockly, so they were using the drag-and-drop programming.”

How did the younger students adapt to using the programming platform?

“I had beginning readers and I noticed that they were using first letter inferencing to figure it out,” she says. “They were using the color code of the Blockly code to figure out what they could do.”

Even at younger ages, students can find a way to interact with the tools they are using to explore their creativity. Robotics and programming can provide a great pathway toward higher forms of learning.

“Just Part Of The Day”

As a result of her interest, Castro’s district became one of the first to formally implement core STEM subjects into the early grades.

“So we had a really cool director of instructional technology in our school district at the time. He asked me if I would be interested in applying for a job as an instructional technology specialist,” Castro recalls. “At the same time, I started doing after school LEGO robotics with fourth and fifth graders. So I was just connecting all the pieces and went into instructional technology. That was in 2016. At the time we went to an event and our school district was the only one there that was incorporating computer science, robotics, and digital design in the K-5 space, which was pretty exciting for us.”

Castro was able to use the post-pandemic shift of increased technology in the classroom and her own experiences to boost the district’s STEM and robotics offerings.

“I went to talk to our workforce development director at the time and I told him I had this experience and said I wanted to help – I had also been working with the high school robotics teacher and engineering teacher,” she says. “We got the high school robotics team to go to first robotics, the first year ever in the history of the school district. I talked to those kids and asked them what they were missing.”

Castro found that concepts such as coding and robotics didn’t have to be regulated to their secondary education classes. The subjects could be incorporated into other daily curriculums and become a regular routine for students and teachers.

“What I had observed was that we had this really great space in K-5 where they were getting all of these concepts, naturally incorporating them into regular lessons,” she says. “It’s not its own thing. It’s just part of the day.”

Engagement Still Wins The Day

Having a continued interest in computer science can help to keep students engaged throughout their educational careers, however, as Castro points out, not maintaining a high level of engagement can damage a students relationship with robotics, computer science, and engineering.

“Students would go to middle school, go to a tech apps class, and it would be a snooze fest,” she says. “When they went to high school they would have these really rad CTE classes where they have lost exposure to robotics, computer science, and engineering for three years unless they had self interest in it.”

Having a supportive community has also helped when implementing all these STEM-focused changes to the curriculum. Even though parents may not be the most tech-savvy, they still want to give their children the best education possible, and be part of the process.

“Over the pandemic we spent a lot of money on internet access for our families because we’re on the outskirts of Austin and there aren’t as many cell towers around,” Castro says. “We would have lunch meetings with parents where they could join the meeting online and we would share a screen and show them how to do different things with Classlink. Anything we needed to share, we put into Classlink and kids could access it from home.”

Sandi Castro found a wonderfully engaging way to keep students interested in computer science, robotics, and digital design, even for the younger generation. Through her dedication to her students, her district is able to thrive and keep students using their creativity in natural ways during their educational careers.

Tools that Sandi Castro Uses

• Wonder Workshop
• Terrapin
• Dell
• Apple
• ClassLink
• Blockly

The best robots for schools help make education about coding, math, and engineering fun and engaging for students of all ages.

Robots for education are generally toy-like systems that require kids to build them before using coding to control the movements and perform other tasks. If it's coding that you're after specifically, with less importance on the robot building side of things, then the best coding kits for schools could be worth a look.

Not all robots are created equal, especially when it comes to education. A wide range of prices, complexity, coding types, abilities, sizes, and more need to be taken into account. So you may want the most simple bot that's ideal for teaching younger students. Or perhaps you're looking for a complex robot that works with multiple code types to help get students versed in real-world code they can use in a job one day.

Whatever the need, this guide aims to lay out the best robots for schools, with each one's special skill listed front and center, so you can easily find the best bot for you.

• 3 Tips for Teaching With Robots
• Best Coding Kits for Schools

1. Petoi Bittle Robot Dog: Best robots for schools overall pick

The Petoi Bittle Robot Dog is one of the best build quality robots you can buy for education right now. This DIY robot dog can either be ordered pre-built or as a kit that you build as part of the process. It comes in three forms: Bittle Stem, Bittle Robotics, and Bittle X. The main difference being that the X uses the OpenCat ESP32 open source quadruped robotics framework, while the other two use OpenCat. So for most schools the first two will be more than enough.

Build the dog, following helpful instructions, then students can adjust tensions and perform testing to make sure the robot is setup right. This can then be coded to carry out moves, and even responds to voice commands. Use pre-programmed moves, via the app, or build and even edit your own. 

The servo activated robot is perfect for STEM, robotics, coding, and even AI education. An optional camera module allows for more complex feedback where the robot can interact with its surroundings. The robots offer some really impressive agility and movements that have, until recently, been reserved for high-end premium robotics kits -- this brings it to more kids.

2. Makeblock mBot: Best for beginners

The Makeblock mBot is a superb robotic kit system for teaching children of around ages eight and upward about robotics, coding, engineering, and STEM. Helpfully, this is constructed using common components that you might find in the industrial robotics world -- making it a great way for students to learn about real-world robotics.

Building the bot is relatively simple, with 3D instructions to help students work with it so as to learn to work alone, or in groups, without much teacher guidance. Once constructed, it's possible to enjoy gamified lessons that teach more code-based content.

While the stock setup is fun, and offers some pre-programmed options to get going right away, there is the option to expand. It's likely that'll you want to budget spending more to get extra components if you want to get the most out of this in terms of the broadest learning setup for mechatronics.

3. Sphero Bolt: Best robot for coding

The Sphero Bolt is one of the best rolling robots from this company that has made its name over the years by offering just that. This generation of the Sphero robot is all about coding. That means it's not only fun to play with while learning, but also offers real-world coding to teach students for the future. Use Scratch-based or JavaScript coding to command the robot to perform real-world actions -- empowering, fun, and educational, all in one.

While this robot isn't so much about the build process, it does offer a translucent body so that students can see the mechanics inside and understand how it all works. The bot features programmable sensors as well as an LED matrix, which all adds up to lots of ways to interact with and program the machine. Control roll, flip, spin, colors, and more using the coding options, which include C-based OVAL as well.

4. JIMU AstroBot Series: Cosmos Kit: Best for younger students

The JIMU AstroBot Series: Cosmos Kit is a really fun way to not only teach robotics and coding but to also think about space at the same time. This robot can be constructed in three versions to make it an AstroBot, Rover, or Astron. Each has its own skills and abilities, allowing kids to get a lot out of this setup.

Usefully, this works with iOS and Android apps, which covers most but not all devices, so check that before you buy. This app provides 3D animated guidance on the build process so kids can construct the kit relatively independently.

Students can program the robots to move physically, walking or rolling about, but can also control the lights and sound effects that the robot is capable of offering. It's worth noting that while this does work with the Blocky app, you can also use other languages such as Scratch to code this bot's commands, making it useful for older children and coding-specific teaching alike.

5. Lego Boost: Best for building

LEGO Boost is famously fun to build and work with, and it's also built to be very educational when it comes to STEM. This setup will test students to build robots, with many variations possible to get different end results. This is done using clear app-based guidance that makes it accessible even to younger students.

Once built it is possible to get coding with the robot to carry out real-world actions. This uses block-based coding, which is color-based and is specific to Lego. So while this helps teach the basics of block-based coding, in a way that is helpful even to younger students, it won't go into much more depth. So for those seeking really complex coding lessons from their robot, this may come up a little simplistic. This can also work with other connected LEGO parts, making expansion and greater complexity possible.

6. Elegoo Smart Robot Car V4: Best for challenge range

The Elegoo Smart Robot Car V4 is a super fun robot car build that is challenging to construct but offers learning for beginners through to more advanced coders. Built on the Arduino system, this is highly accessible and crams in tons of features thanks to the 24 different module types included in this kit.

The robot is able to use lots of modules for various levels of control as these include obstacle avoidance, a line tracking module, infrared remote, app controls, and more. A helpful tutorial is available to get building without much more assistance needed, but it is probably better for students of about age 8 and above. The coding language is block-based, making learning simple even for younger users.

• 3 Tips for Teaching With Robots
• Best Coding Kits for Schools

The best coding kits for schools allow students to subtly learn coding, even from younger ages, while also having fun. From block-based basics to give younger kids an idea about how coding works, to more complex code writing that results in real-world actions such as robots walking -- the right kit is essential for the perfect interaction.

This guide aims to lay out a range of coding kits that cater to varying ages and abilities, so there should be something for everyone. This list covers robotics, STEM learning, electronics, science, and more. The range also spans costs, from very affordable options that work on current hardware, such as apps for tablets, to more expensive options that include robots and other hardware to provide a more tactile experience for students.

The point here is that coding can be simple, it can be fun, and if you get the right kit, it should also be effortlessly engaging. It's also worth keeping in mind who will be teaching with the kit, and how much experience they have. Some kits offer training for educators so that the most can be offered to students in the classroom.

These are the best coding kits for schools

1. Sphero Bolt: Best coding kits top pick

The Sphero Bolt is a superb choice, and our best pick, for the ultimate in the best coding kits out there right now. Primarily this is a robot ball that is able to roll around based on your coding commands. That means students have a very physical and fun end result to their efforts that engages them both on-screen as well as in the room.

The ball itself is translucent so students can see how it all works inside with programmable sensors and an LED matrix to interact with. When it comes to coding, this uses a Scratch-style but also allows more advanced users to program with JavaScript, one of the most popular web-based coding languages. Or dig right into the C-based OVAL programming language for more advanced ways to control the robot's roll, flip, spin, and color commands.

While this is good for more advanced coders, it's also simple to start with, making it accessible for students as young as eight, and perhaps younger depending on abilities. The drag-and-drop menu options can make the process very simple with commands such as move, speed, direction, and others all clearly laid out for use through changing their order.

Also available is a Sphero Mini option, which helps with STEM learning and multiple coding languages, only at a more affordable price.

2. Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot: Best beginner coding robot

Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot is a fantastic option for younger students, of ages five and up, as well as those new to coding. This is because Botely is very simple to use thanks to its intuitive layout and interaction system. Crucially, it does all this with physical interactions that don't require any screen time at all.

The robot itself is not the cheapest, however, for what you get, it is actually very affordable. This smart moving bot features object detection and even has night vision so it can navigate about most spaces without the worry of sustaining damage -- another reason this works well with younger users. 

Get coding and this can take a massive 150 steps of coding instructions that allow it to make 45-degree turns in up to six directions, light up the multicolored eyes, and more. The set includes 78 building blocks, which allows students to build obstacle courses and more as navigation programming challenges. You can even transform the bot itself into 16 different modes including train, police car, and ghost.

The selection of kit options allows you to vary the amount you want or need to spend as well as adding complexity to suit the age and ability of the students you plan to use this with.

3. Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit: Best for tablet use

The Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit is a great choice for anyone who already has tablets in school and wants to make the most of that hardware without spending too much on other physical kit. As such, this is app-based and works with laptops and tablets, although it does give some real-world physical kit in the form of a Harry Potter-style wand.

This kit is primarily aimed at fans of the Harry Potter universe and, as such, all the games and interactions are magic related. The wand itself needs to be built out of the box as part of the challenge, and this then acts as a way of interacting with the games. Students can use the wand's movement sensors to interact, moving it like a wizard would. It can also be coded to display a color of choice using the built-in LEDs.

More than 70 challenges are available that teach and test various coding skills, from loops and code blocks to JavaScript and logic. Students can make feathers fly, pumpkins grow, fire flow, goblets multiply, and plenty more as they effortlessly learn as they play with magic.

There is also a Kano community, from wider coding games, which allows students to remix art, games, music, and more.

This coding kit is aimed at ages six and above yet could work for younger when able, and is available for Mac, iOS, Android, and Fire devices.

4. Osmo Coding: Best for early years coding

Osmo Coding offers kits that are built for students of ages five and above to work with physical blocks as they code using an iPad. While students use the real-world blocks, placed on the iPad or iPhone, they can see the outcomes of their actions digitally. As such, this is a really lovely way to learn code in a Montessori way, so it can be perfect for solo play as well as guided learning.

So while you will need an Apple device to run this, if you have one the price is relatively low and the real-world movements help to lower screen time. The main character in this system is called Awbie and students guide it through an adventure using the blocks to control the gameplay.

Games use music to help teach students to recognize melody and rhythm, with more than 300 musical sounds in the Coding Jam section. As such, this is a great STEAM learning tool that also features advanced side-by-side puzzles, strategy games, and 60+ coding puzzles. This covers the likes of logic, coding fundamentals, coding puzzles, listening, teamwork, critical thinking, and more.

5. Petoi Bittle Robotic Dog: Best for older students

The Petoi Bittle Robotic Dog is a superb option for older students and adults who want to learn real-world coding languages in a fun way. The dog itself is a very sophisticated robot that uses high performance plastic servo motors to create lifelike movements. The building of the bot itself takes about an hour and is all part of the challenging fun.

Once up and running, it's possible to code movements into the dog employing lots of different languages. These are real-world languages, which makes this great for STEAM learning but is best suited to those with previous experience. Start with Scratch-style block-based coding and build up to Arduino IDE and C++/Python coding styles. All this is done while also developing engineering, mechanical, mathematical, and even physics skills. 

The dog can be programmed to interact with the world, not only to move but also to see, hear, sense, and interact with its environment with an optional camera module. It can also work with other Arduino or Raspberry Pi compatible sensors. Go beyond its basics using the open sources OpenCat OS, which allows for customization and growth to really challenge and free up more advanced students to get creative.

The Dobot Magician EG for education is being presented at BETT 2023 to show how robots can help in varying subjects at schools and higher education institutions.

As you may recognize, this little robot looks very much like the automation machines seen in manufacturing plants across the world. This has a lot of those impressive features only scaled down to a desktop size that makes it ideal for classroom use.

This six-axis robotic arm is able to move freely to pick up and transport objects as its larger siblings would on the production line. The company says that this bot is perfect for helping to educate students about robotics, coding, and production in an engaging way.

Dobot is working to create simple programming methods as well as guidance for educators to get the most out of teaching with this in the classroom. The algorithms that run this bot were created bespoke so it can be leveraged as needed by educators to help teach in STEAM and STEM learning.

The Dobot Magician E6 is a plug-and-play device, making it very simple to setup and use for both educators and students alike. And since this takes up little more than the space of an A4 sheet of paper, it fits easily into lots of classroom situations and spaces.

The bot also uses AI and works with drag-to-teach and graphical programming that should be simple for most students to use. The fact it looks exciting, dare we say it mesmerizing, is a great feature in helping keep students engaged while learning.

Check out the best of BETT 2023 here.

MakeKit AS has taken to BETT 2023 to show off its micro:bit-powered robots aimed at education use for STEM and STEAM learning subjects.

The Norway-based company has set out to make building robots and using programming skills a much easier process for educators, students, and schools. 

The hardware is based on the BBC micro:bit technology that is affordable and offers a system which, once learned, can be easily scaled. Unlike other micro:bit builds, there is a special MakeKit AS control board that helps to manage everything. Think of it like a translator that speaks to all the different languages so you only have to speak one.

The MakeKit Wonderboard, as it's called, uses MakeCode and works to control and power all the micro:bit robotic functions. So from the flying Air:bit to the Bubble:bit that blows bubbles, everything in this ecosystem is easily built and controlled -- making this a viable education option even for younger learners.

Everything is designed with sustainability in mind, using materials that are reusable, recyclable, repairable, and durable. This makes these robots environmentally friendly while at the same time helps to save money on the upfront costs of these affordable materials. 

MakeKit AS runs a YouTube channel that is filled with helpful information to allow educators to pick this up fast and to teach it to students. It offers lots of ways to work, with helpful and creative options to bring the coding to life.

Check out the best of BETT 2023 here.

To some, crumpled plastic water bottles, milk cartons, or popsicle sticks might seem like garbage, but to brothers and entrepreneurs Rohit and Sidharth Srinivasan, these common everyday items represent an opportunity for equitable STEM education. These and other common items provide the backbone for Trasshbots, the Srinivasan brothers’ affordable robotics platform for schools. 

“The name came up from the idea that we wanted our products to be as accessible as trash,” Rohit says. “There's some negative connotations along with that, but what we really mean is things like a water bottle or milk carton or things that you find around you in the world. That's what real engineering is — real engineering is being able to find items and repurpose them to be able to build in the real world.”

Trashbots: The Inspiration for an Equitable Robotics Company  

Rohit and Sidharth founded Trashbots while they were attending Westlake High School in Texas. They were inspired to create a more accessible robotics platform by their experiences volunteering to teach in India. “We’d been spending every winter break going and traveling to these Indian orphanages,” Sidharth says. “We'd be going and teaching them robotics, teaching them science activities, math activities.” 

During those trips, they learned what some of the barriers to STEM education for many of those children were, and it often came down to price. Many robotics kits cost several hundred dollars per kit or more.

Rohit and Sidharth decided to solve this problem. They ultimately developed an affordable basic robotics kit that could be expanded using everyday items as common as trash. They also built accompanying programming software and developed a curriculum that teachers can use to guide their students. 

“When we first started working on it, we simply were just kids who wanted to learn more about robotics and computer science,” Rohit says. 

As the product took shape one of Trashbots’ first customers was the Eanes Independent School District where both brothers attended school. Rohit graduated by 2019, but Sidharth was still in school when his class utilized Trashbots. “Sidharth was in the class having to use Trashbots, despite being the creator of Trashbots himself, which is something we always look back on and think is really funny,” Rohit says. 

Affordable Hardware and Accessible Curriculum  

The Trashbot robot kits are small, roughly book-size devices equipped with multiple LEDs, six sensors, two motors, and a speaker. However, what makes Trashbot kits special is not what they come out of the box with, but how students can customize each one using everyday objects. 

The hardware is only the first part of the platform Rohit and Sidharth have designed for Trashbots. The second component is the software Trashbots utilize. “We have developed this block-based software [that] helps kids learn about programming concepts at a young age,” Sidharth says. “The third part is the curriculum. Our curriculum is all web-based and posted in the learning management system. We have more than 100 hours of curriculum that spans kindergarten all the way through 12th grade.” 

Students and teachers benefit from easy-to-use, age-appropriate lesson plans that are geared at helping students learn STEM concepts as they get the most out of their Trashbot. The work repurposing everyday items to build their robots also more closely mirrors real-world engineering and supports hands-on problem-solving skills, the brothers say. 

“In life, you are not always given a kit of parts to build everything perfectly,” Rohit says. “Instead, you’re often handed incomplete parts that you need to adjust in order to work. That’s where Trashbots came from.” 

• How Robots Connect Students, Families, and Educators
• Using Telepresence Robots in Schools
• Trashbots: How Some Students Are Helping Educate the World in Robotics

The use of telepresence robots in education might seem new or science fiction-like to some but Dr. Lori Aden has been helping to facilitate students and their telepresence robots for almost a decade. 

Aden is the program coordinator for Region 10 Education Service Center, one of 20 regional service centers that support school districts in Texas. She oversees a small fleet of 23 telepresence robots that are deployed as needed to assist students in the region. 

These telepresence robots act as avatars for students who cannot attend school long-term for various health or other reasons, providing a more immersive experience than video conferencing via a laptop. 

“It puts the control of learning back in the student’s hands,” Aden says. “If there is group work, the child can drive the robot over to the little group. If the teacher moved over to the other side of the classroom, the laptop was gonna stay one direction unless another person moves it. [With the robot] the child can actually just twist and turn and drive the robot.” 

Telepresence Robot Technology  

Telepresence robots are produced by several companies. Region 10 in Texas works with VGo robots produced by VGo Robotic Telepresence, a division within Massachusetts-based Vecna Technologies. 

Steve Normandin, product manager at Vecna, says they have about 1,500 VGo robots currently deployed. In addition to being used in education, these robots are also utilized by the healthcare industry and other industries, and can be purchased for under $5,000 or rented for a few hundred dollars per month. 

The robot moves at a slow pace that is designed to be harmless. “You're not going to hurt anybody,” Normandin says. During a demo for this story, a Vecna employee logged into the VGo at the company’s office and intentionally crashed the device into the company’s printer – neither device was harmed. 

Students can press a button that causes the robot’s lights to flash indicating they have their hand raised, like an in-class student might do. However, Normandin believes the best part about VGos in school settings is they allow students to interact with classmates in the hallways between classes and one-on-one or in small groups. “Nothing's better than being there personally yourself, but this is a far cry from just the laptop or the iPad with FaceTime,” he says. 

Aden agrees. “The social aspect is huge,” she says. “It just lets them be a kid. We even dress the robots up. We'll put a t-shirt on or we've had little girls put tutus and bows on theirs. It's just a way to help them feel as normal as possible being around other kids in the classroom.” 

Other children also learn by interacting with the remote student. “They're learning empathy, they're learning that not everybody is as lucky as they are not as healthy as they are. It's a two-way street there,” Aden says. 

Telepresence Robot Tips for Educators  

Region 10 students who have utilized the robots have included those with severe physical or cognitive impairments, ranging from car accident victims to cancer patients and immunocompromised students. Telepresence robots have also been used as avatars by students who have had behavioral problems and are not yet ready to be reintegrated fully with other students. 

Setting up a student with a robot does take some time, however, so they’re not deployed for students with short-term absences such as a vacation or temporary illness. “If it's only a couple of weeks, it's not worth it,” Aden says. 

Aden and colleagues at Region 10 regularly talk with educators in Texas and beyond about effectively using the technology and they have put together a resource page for educators. 

Ashley Menefee, an instructional designer for Region 10 who helps oversee the robot telepresence program, says that educators looking to deploy robots should check the wifi at the school beforehand. Sometimes wifi may work great in one area but the student’s route will take them to a place where the signal is weaker. In these instances, the school will need a wifi booster or the student will need a “bot buddy” who can put the robot on a dolly and take it between classes.

For teachers, Menefee says the secret to effectively integrating a remote student into the class via  robot is to ignore the technology as much as possible. “We really suggest that they treat the robot as if it was a student in the classroom,” she says. “Make sure that the students feel like they're included in the lesson, ask them questions.” 

Aden adds that these devices don’t put the same type of strain on teachers that hybrid classes conducted via video conferencing did in the early stages of the pandemic. In those situations, the teacher had to adjust their audio and camera and master in-class and remote management simultaneously. With the VGo, “The child has full control of that robot. The teacher doesn't have to do a darn thing.” 

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Kibo, from KinderLab Robotics, is a STEAM learning platform that's based on more than 20 years of early child development research. The end result is a set of block-based robots that help teach coding and more.

Aimed at younger students (aged 4 to 7), this is a simple robotic system that can be used in STEM education as well as at home. Curriculum-aligned learning is also available, making it an ideal tool for in-class use.

The idea is to offer a creative coding and robotics system that engages younger children for physical manipulation of objects while also learning the basics of how coding works, all in an open-ended play way.

So is Kibo for you?

What is Kibo?

Kibo is a robotics block-based tool that can be used to help teach STEM, coding, and robotics building to children aged 4 to 7, both at home as well as in school.

Unlike many other robotics kits, the Kibo setup doesn't require a tablet or any other device, so children can learn without any additional screen time. The idea is to teach adding and subtracting blocks, and commands, to create actions.

The blocks are large and simple to manipulate, making it an easy-to-use setup even for younger children. Yet the education guidance that comes with this all is curriculum-aligned so it can be used to teach across multiple subjects to enhance learning for the longer term.

Multiple kits are available so you can start simple and build from there, allowing for accessibility for more people and ages. It can also mean smaller kits for being more storage efficient, if that's a factor. Plenty of extensions, sensors, and the like are also available, which can be added over time as your budget allows it.

How does Kibo work?

Kibo comes in several sizes: 10, 15, 18, and 21 – each one adding wheels, motors, sensors, parameters, and controls to get more complex results. Everything comes in a large plastic container box, making tidying up and classroom storage simple and effective.

The robot itself is part wood and part plastic, allowing for a tactile feel while also showing the electronics inside for another layer to the learning. Everything is visually effective with the audio sensor looking like an ear so children can intuitively construct the robot logically. 

LEGO-compatible attachment points add even more depth to the use cases – building a castle, or dragon, on the robot's back, for example.

Coding is done via blocks with commands that you line up in the order you want actions carried out. You then use the robot to scan the code blocks in order before setting it loose to perform the command sequence. This keeps things screen-free however, needing to scan the blocks in a slightly awkward way, which takes a little getting used to, can be frustrating to start.

What are the best Kibo features?

Kibo is very intuitive to use making it ideal for younger students, but it also offers enough variation in options to remain challenging for older children too – all while being screen-free.

Educators benefit from more than160 hours of standards-aligned STEAM curriculum and teaching materials that are freely available to be used with the kits. This is backed by plenty of materials to aid in cross-curricular teaching, from literacy and science to dance and community.

KinderLab Robotics also offers an educator-focused training development and support system to help make sure you're getting the most out of the offerings as a teacher.

The nature of these robust blocks allows for less careful play so this system fits well with younger children as well as those with physical learning challenges in which education tools need to be a bit more rugged.

The robot itself isn't rechargeable, which is good for not needing a charger and allowing you to top up with batteries. It is also bad as it requires having four spare AA batteries and a screwdriver handy ready for when the batteries run out.

How much does Kibo cost?

Kibo does fit the bill for certain grants so educators and institutions could save money on the initial outlay of getting this kit. There are also classroom-specific packages available designed to work with larger groups of students. 

The Kibo 10 kit is $230, Kibo 15 is $350, Kibo 18 is $490 and Kibo 21 is $610. The Kibo 18 to 21 upgrade package is $150.

For a full list of everything these kits include head over to the Kibo purchase page.

Kibo best tips and tricks

Traverse a tale
Have the class draw out the path of a story on paper to lay on a table or floor. Then build and program the robot to travel that story as the children tell the tale.

Add character
Have students build a character such as a car or pet, which can be mounted on the Kibo robot, then get them to create a route of code that carries out a routine to tell a story about that character.

Play word bowling
Using the sight pins, assign a word to each. As the student reads the word card have them program the robot to knock down the pin. Do them all at once for a strike.

• What is Padlet and How Does it Work?
• Best Digital Tools for Teachers

As a long-time early childhood educator, I've learned to view children as “born ready.” Yes, neuroscience reveals they are learning at birth! But they do it alongside responsive, caring adults. Parents are the first and most significant teachers of their children's lives. When educators rise to partner with parents from the earliest stages to augment learning opportunities, students receive the best educational foundation to succeed throughout their school journey.

In my current role as the early STEM education consultant for the Idaho STEM Action Center, I collaborate with early childhood programs and libraries to make access to STEM tools free to teachers and librarians as well as parents and guardians who invite young children to enter the world of STEM through the daily routines of life. 

Here’s how we create a partnership around the fact that children are born whole people who are curious, capable, and competent—and why it matters.

Connecting with Caregivers 

I believe learning is a story of connections. In my work, we prioritize children's connection with caregivers as the most significant driver of all learning. When children are supported by safe, responsive relationships with these caregivers, their inborn curiosity compels them to interact with and make sense of the world in meaningful ways. The digital age in which we live offers an absolute plethora of learning opportunities in the world of STEM. When we honor play as the children's work and offer open-ended materials and opportunities to express themselves through that, children can create connections to make meaning within their own lives. 

Young children approach learning with a growth mindset, unhindered by thoughts about what they can and can’t do, according to one study. They have no preconceived notions that STEM subjects are too hard for them. While they are born into an era in which amazing opportunities abound, children are sometimes held back by a lack of access to such opportunities because they may be under the care of adults who may feel intimidated or even unqualified to support children’s exploration of science, technology, engineering, and math.

Overcoming STEM Hesitancy 

One of the major causes of STEM hesitancy is a lack of foundational knowledge. The good news is that adults don’t have to be experts to support children’s STEM learning. The Idaho STEM Action Center has partnered with the Idaho Commission for Libraries to host book clubs across the state for librarians and educators interested in overcoming their own STEM hesitancy to explore how young children can engage in computational thinking. 

The book clubs focus on Dr. Marina Umaschi Bers’ Coding as a Playground, which discusses the idea of coding offered as an open-ended “playground” experience versus a limited “playpen” experience. When they approach coding as a playful exploration, young students can engage as producers—and not merely consumers—of technology. Coding becomes another language of expression through which they are free to explore and interact with one another. Dr. Bers has made developmentally appropriate coding opportunities available to young children by co-creating the ScratchJr coding program and the KIBO Robot kit.

The book club collaboration allows both organizations to disseminate KIBO robots to select libraries and early childhood programs statewide. Having screen-free, developmentally appropriate STEM robots available allows teachers and parents to learn alongside children in a hands-on and playful way.

Another key step in helping educators, parents, and children overcome STEM hesitancy is reframing failure. When I was running a STEM preschool years ago, a boy named Finnegan would purposely put together a marble run in ways that the marble had no chance of getting to the end of the track. My first inclination was to help correct what looked like a mistake. However, when I took a step back to observe his play, I noticed he wanted to see how many ways his marble run wouldn’t work. 

He would say out loud, “I know this is not going to work.” He took a researcher’s approach to finding how something works. As adults, we tend not to take the time to see all the ways something does not work because it can be discouraging and time-consuming. In their play, children approach hands-on STEM activities as paths of discovery rather than “failure.”

Connecting STEM to Personal Development and Literacy 

While the goal of early coding activities in Idaho is to help young students grasp powerful computer science concepts such as sequencing and algorithms, we’re looking at STEM as more than a means to build skills for the workforce. Students who collaborate on programming robots are cultivating character traits such as generosity, patience, and perseverance while practicing managing their own behavior.

KIBO, which is programmed using a series of wooden blocks that children put together on the floor, is one of my go-to STEM tools to encourage computational thinking through a whole-body sensory activity. So many positive connections take place in both mind and body that might not happen if a child were seated passively in front of a device. 

When it comes to offering young students the best STEM tools, materials that are open-ended and neutral in color allow them to stay immersed in discovery and exploration for longer. Children themselves create if/then conditionals as they invent worlds in their coding playground.

Dr. Bers also describes coding as another language, a literacy. I recently read research highlighting that when children use tools when learning a new task, their ability to use more sophisticated syntax and grammar increases. In fact, the area of the brain that's being engaged when they're using tools is the same area where complex language takes place. It’s an exciting possibility that using a tool such as robots could connect children to deeper engagement in literacy in multiple ways.

By providing our libraries, enrichment centers, and after-school programs access to KIBO and other hands-on tools, we're allowing educators and parents to check out STEM resources, to have them in their homes, and learn alongside the children. When we give families hands-on materials—even something as simple as blocks—we equip them to augment the lessons educators are teaching and empower an iterative learning folded into the daily routines of life. This sequential process connects engineering, coding, and language. It's a multi-sensory learning experience that’s self-sustaining, collaborative, and fun.

• How to Create a Robot Library
• Meet Buddy, The AI Robot Helping Teach

The age of robots has dawned in schools, or at least it’s starting to. 

A growing number of automated cleaners are being deployed in school buildings, in some cases to help ease staffing shortages. Robots are also allowing existing staff to work smarter not harder. 

The School District of New Berlin in Wisconsin recently brought in two robot cleaners, one for each high school, from Tennant Company and partner Brain Corp. 

“They have not replaced anyone,” says Andy Stefancin, the district’s director of building and grounds. Instead, these robot cleaners are improving efficiency. “They now have the feeling that they have an extra employee working for them,” Stefancin says. “They can deploy the robot and then go do other things, whether that's setting up for a basketball game or another event.” 

“These Are The Robots You’re Looking For . . . .” 

Robot cleaners are becoming more common everywhere, from schools to grocery stores. Brain Corp has more than 20,000 devices deployed in public spaces and several hundred deployed in schools. 

The School District of New Berlin began looking into robots because administrators were struggling to find employees in the current market. Stefancin believes these devices will help ease hiring and staffing concerns in building and grounds departments at schools. “Robots are the future of our school industry,” he says. “Because no matter what anybody tells you, we're not going to be able to get the people to do the jobs because they're just not out there.” 

Robot Limitations  

Stefancin stresses existing robots do have limitations. The devices his district employs can only put down a cleaning solution and scrub the floor, and can’t vacuum or sweep. The robots also have to stay 12 inches away from the wall. Consequently, Stefancin says that school leaders considering bringing such devices to their schools should try to see one in action and remember it may not work well for every school or space. 

“If it can work in your building, it will enhance your cleaning ability, and it'll take the pressure off of your current staff to get things done in a timely manner,” he says. “You're not going to replace anybody. But you're going to eliminate some of the hardship, especially if somebody calls in sick.” 

Robot Uses Beyond Cleaning  

As technology improves, Stefancin is looking forward to commercial robot sweepers and vacuums joining the robot scrubbers currently deployed and would like to find a good robot lawnmower. His district recently purchased a robotic paint striper that uses GPS technology  to paint the lines on football fields and can create accurate markers for sports fields. 

“It is amazing and it’s going to save a ton of time,” Stefancin says of this new robot. “You never have to put another string down. You don't need four guys to lay out a field and stripe it for the first time.” 

As to how students are interacting with the robots, Stefancin said that at first, they’d prank the device by hitting a stop button located on them, but that novelty has started to diminish. “The first couple of days, the students and the teachers were a little surprised to see it, and now they don't even think about it,” he says. “It has become commonplace.” 

• Meet Buddy, The AI Robot Helping Teach
• How to Create a Robot Library

The esports industry provides myriad opportunities for career and technical education due to its wide range of available career pathways. One obvious program choice is computer science; after all, without developers to create the games, there would be no esports to play. However, there are other ways programmers are needed in esports, including the development of custom Discord bots.

Bots are not unique to Discord. They have business functions in any industry that benefits from automation of simple, repetitive tasks. For example, a banking application might need to listen for a user to add a document that sets off a chain of events requiring input and approval from many departments. A medical chatbot might be used to triage the symptoms of a patient before directing them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. Learning the basics of bot development will provide students with a job skill they can take into any future role.

Bot development also covers several bases for computer science standards such as the CSTA K-12 CS Standards. A bot is a perfect way to learn and implement the steps of the software development life cycle; employing Discord as the vehicle is an easy way to get a student’s peers using and reviewing their bot’s functionality for ongoing development. Additionally, many bots will require some form of data management and will also provide opportunity for conversations on security from the very first time the student copies their bot token to paste into their code. As with any socially-minded project, students will be presented with the ethical and cultural impacts of their work.

Getting Started

Despite all of the reasons to use Discord bot development as a real-world implementation in a CTE classroom, resources toward this goal are scarce. There are many tutorials of varying quality available in a quick Google search, but they are all geared toward users with some experience in programming, IDEs, and other background skills. It can be a lot to process!

The first thing to consider is which language to use. While there are official Discord implementations available for around a dozen languages, JavaScript is a great choice for beginning programmers. Resources such as codecademy provide accessible ways for students to get started writing quickly. It is also a good language for CS programs that include video game design, as it transitions easily to learning C# for Unity or C++ for Unreal Engine.

Once a language is chosen, the next step is to select the best tools for development. Visual Studio has a Node.js extension that will let many established CS programs add another development tool without adding another environment. Node.js allows for simple installation of the Eris library to a project (unlike its namesake, Eris interacts with Discord to make things run more smoothly for the developer). Discord.js is another powerful library choice.

How to Create Discord Bots

Creating a bot to run code and a server to run it in is fortunately quite simple. Most students won’t even need any assistance in setting up their own server. However, it is important to confirm they have permissions to Discord before starting the lesson; some districts block it by default, so it may take time to make a case to IT for opening it up and to allow them to do so in a way that fits with their policies and workload.

Armed with basic JavaScript skills, an IDE, and a testing environment, it becomes easier to narrow down the options for online tutorials to adapt or be inspired by for creating lessons on Discord bots in the classroom. Looking at the examples can still be a little daunting: simply getting a bot to respond with a traditional “Hello World” can take ten to fifteen lines of code. However, even this provides an excellent lesson in coding etiquette through reading and writing commented tutorials.

From this point, it becomes a matter of determining how many weeks of class time can be devoted to bot-writing, because the possibilities are endless! Students might work on a wide range of projects. An interest in building a community might lead to a bot that allows a user to automatically choose roles in a way that is unique to their server’s needs. Casual game players might build a simple game such as tic-tac-toe to entertain users while they wait for a match to start. Budding tournament organizers might create a bot to streamline stage bans in a competitive match.

Once students have the hang of creating Discord bots, their new skills can be put to use outside of the classroom. The school’s esports team is a great place to start; undoubtedly there are many fun ideas they can come up with through polling the other members. On a broader scale, servers developed around state or national scholastic esports organizations could also make use of custom bots to help run seasons or tournaments or to enhance their communities. Some, such as the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation, are already incorporating Discord bots into competitions for students interested in esports as a career in a role outside of playing the game.

Regardless of which direction they choose to take their new skill, a Discord bot will be a valuable experience to add to a student’s portfolio when presenting themselves to future employers.

Want to learn more about how esports can benefit students? Visit eduesportsexpo.com for more information and to register.

Amy Harris is a mom in her tenth year of teaching CTE Computer Science, and has been the adult in the room for Hart Career Center’s esports program since its inception in 2016. She is also a director and the treasurer for the Missouri Scholastic Esports Federation.  

There is something about a robot that draws students to it. 

“As soon as you bring a robot into a classroom, kids are already curious and wondering and excited,” says Shawn Abele, instructional technology coordinator for Gilbert Public Schools in Arizona. “It's something different, but it also gives them that hands-on experience to connect what they're learning to something in the real world.” 

However, Abele and Jon Castelhano, the district’s executive director of technology, also know that sometimes robotics in the classroom is used merely as a fun way to pass the time and keep kids entertained rather than an educational tool. So when their district purchased a number of robotics kits in 2020 to loan out to various schools and classrooms in the district, they were determined to avoid using the devices as a gimmick.

“It's not a toy, per se. We can really help integrate it into your curriculum,” Castelhano says. 

Integrating Robots  

When Gilbert Public Schools first purchased sets of robots, the full learning potential wasn’t being realized. 

“They felt more of a show-and-tell kind of thing that was one and done. And none of us really wanted that,” Abele says. “So then we turned our focus more to how we could actually connect this to what the kids are learning in their classes, the standards that they're actually addressing.” 

Twelve technology integration educators (TIEs) work alongside educators at the district’s 40 schools and have created the Library of Robots, or TIE-brary, a library of robotics kits that can be checked out and used in classrooms. The district also offers standards-aligned resources for these kits in different subjects and for different grade levels. 

“If they're working on angles and trajectory and subjects like that, then they can look through that document and see if there are connections there,” Castelhano says. 

So far, robots have been used to teach programming and other computer science as well as math, social science, and less expected topics such ELL and writing. Demand is growing so the district is expanding its TIE-brary with more kits. 

Castelhano says that though generally popular with elementary school students, the TIE-brary program is demonstrating that robots can also be an important education tool for secondary students. 

Tips for Purchasing Robots for Your District  

Castelhano says that it helps to have someone from the technology department who has some familiarity with robots guide the purchasing, as different robots are better suited to different age groups. Gilbert Public Schools uses Code-e-Pillars with pre-K and kindergarten students to teach coding, math, social science, and other topics. They use Ozobots with K-12 students and Dash with grade 3-12 students. 

While price can be a deterrent to purchasing these kits, there are grants that can help with funding, Castelhano says. 

Even more important than the robots themselves, however, is making sure you connect their use to curriculum goals from the beginning. “Let people know that this isn't just for happy, fun time on a half-day that you want to fill time,” Abele says.

Castelhano says this curriculum component is necessary in order to get buy-in from your educators. “Teachers don't want something extra to do if it's just a play activity, or if it's a special replacement, or if it is a toy,” he says. “There's relevance in the teaching part of it.” 

• How to Use Robotics Training to Build Manufacturing Skills
• How Teaching Robotics Fosters Tech and Soft Skills

Industry 4.0 is embracing robotics. However, manufacturers cannot find enough trained robotics technicians to hire to work in their plants. There are just not enough available graduates, which is why federal funding for Career Technical Education (CTE) is part of the three COVID-relief stimulus bills. Also, the Biden Administration’s proposed infrastructure bill designates $1.8 billion for training and reskilling.

School leaders at Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) are very aware of the manufacturer needs in their local area. “When we developed our program, we spoke with manufacturers in five surrounding counties to find out what they needed,” says Kyle Carpenter, workforce trainer/workforce E-learning administrator. 

NEMCC combined grants with government funding to buy their first robotics cells and training curriculum from Intelitek, which were intended to train unemployed people for specific industries. “Students need to know not only how to operate robots, but how to program and maintain them as well,” says Carpenter. 

Upskilling and Reskilling for New Work Opportunities 

One in three working Americans, including 33 million low-income workers, has the potential to access higher-income occupations with some training and new technical skills, according to the World Economic Forum. Economists believe that learning new skills is key to participating more fully in the post-pandemic economy. It is also the fuel behind one of NEMCC’s success stories.

James Duke is exactly the kind of person the school had in mind when the program was launched. “I was an ironworker for 27 years; then I ran my own trucking firm for seven years,” he says. “I thought the Intelitek program [NEMCC] was using was good and easy to understand.” 

After Duke finished the program, he was hired by Ashley Furniture, who gave him additional system-specific training. Once he was hired, it wasn’t just robotics he worked on, but also whole systems that require maintenance. 

“Entry level training programs teach a basic set of skills to apply across industries wherever robots are used,” said Erik Nieves, an industry expert, who adds that many companies have their own specialized systems that workers need to be able to adapt to. “For example, distribution and fulfillment centers use robotics and have the same sorts of fundamental problems to solve.” In general, employee shortages will lead to automation and additional robotics. 

To complete a fundamentals course, students must also learn about other machines in addition to acquiring interpersonal skills for collaborative work environments. 

“Robotics training needs to be broader than just how to make the robot work or how to maintain the robot,” said Graham Celine, from Intelitek. “When we create a training program for schools like NEMCC, we take into account students coming in at different levels of experience. We also look at the other competencies a graduate needs when they get into real jobs and build programs that include theory, practical hands-on, assessments and certifications.”

Robotics Training Certifications 

Industry 4.0 deals with a new world of integration and collaboration, and the training courses can be tough for some students, according to Carpenter. “We’ve designed our program to weed out students who are not ready to commit,” he says. For example, the Intelitek curriculum is designed to engage students in hands-on labs, and Carpenter’s role as an instructor is to help students navigate the program. “But they’re on their own to do the work,” he says. 

From an industry perspective, Nieves believes that certification programs need to transition from the current vendor-specific certifications to more vendor-agnostic, portable, national certifications. Since robotics is growing as an industrial practice, it is inevitable that certifications will move to some sort of national model. “We need to know we’ve got the right people trained in the right way, no matter where they go,” he says. 

The certification programs the college uses for production technician and robotics are nationally known certification programs. “We have certifications because of the demand,” says Carpenter. “These certifications are available throughout the U.S., and industry needs to recognize them.”

The Future of Robotics and Industry 4.0 

When educators and industry folks talk about Industry 4.0, they are really discussing a variety of skills. For instance, robotics are tied to upper level controls that direct the pace of work, and at the same time, computer programming schools are teaching Python and other coding languages. “We need more programming in Industry 4.0,” says Nieves. “Everyone should come out of school with Python scripting. It helps you formulate the right way to think through a problem.”

Being successful requires the learner to take responsibility for their own learning. “Whether or not you become a robotics technician, you have to motivate yourself and own your experience,” says Nieves.

Summing up his experience, Duke says that Carpenter and the NEMCC program made the reskilling process easy for him, and he is enthusiastic in his encouragement for others to consider the program. “You can learn this for yourself,” he says. “Get out there and get with it.”

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Fausto Flores has spent too many hours to count coding with his robotics coach Omar Cortez. 

But the sixth grader at the School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Texas, isn’t complaining. 

“When I get the code right what I feel is pure enjoyment and happiness,” Fausto says. 

Beginning on May 17, Fausto and his teammate’s on the Owlbots 3028x will compete at the first-ever Live Remote VEX Robotics World Championship. The event runs through May 29 and is hosted by The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and VEX Robotics. 

Because of ongoing COVID-19 travel and crowd-size restrictions, the robotics competition will be held remotely. Instead of head-to-head battles in the same physical locations, the teams will have their robots perform various agility and speed tasks against one another in real-time over the internet. 

The annual VEX Robotics World Championship is the world’s largest robot competition, and typically attracts more than 30,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 70 nations. 

Participating in a robotics team and in this type of event is about more than the thrill of competing, say enthusiasts. 

Tech and Soft Skills 

Students who participate in robotics learn more than just technical skills, says Dan Mantz, CEO and Chairman of the Board for the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (REC). “You learn mechanical build. You learn how to put things together. You learn electronics, and of course, you learn programming, which are all vital skills for STEM careers,” he says. “But if you talk to any organization that runs STEM type competitions, we’ll all agree it’s the soft skills that are by far the most important thing. You learn communication skills. You learn collaboration. You learn problem-solving, and those are really, really important, whether you pursue a college degree or you go into a STEM field or you go to a non-STEM field.” 

When Mantz became CEO of REC four years ago, the focus was “STEM, STEM, STEM,” but he’s been working to broaden that. “We realized that there's a bigger issue out there and that's the workforce. In the U.S. and across the world, we need a workforce that can adapt to the emerging technologies. So what programs like ours do is they give the students the foundation of the tech skills. They understand computers, programming, the Internet of Things, and connectivity, so they understand all the tech skills, but they also have this intuition now on how to problem solve, and how to collaborate in the future tech world.”

Cortez has seen similar soft skill development with his students. “It's been so beneficial in their speech, their public speaking,” he says. “When they first came to me, they were very shy, and now they're extremely outgoing. And so I think that's probably been the most exciting part is watching these kids grow and develop into the people who they are right now.” 

Wendy Fernandez, a sixth grader on the team, says participating in robotics this way has helped her collaborate with other students. “I enjoy working with my teammates to solve problems that we have,” she says. 

How To Get Started

Esteban Monreal, also a sixth grader on the Owlbots, says that educators or students interested in starting a robotics team should visit the VEX IQ website and explore the resources there. 

“That really helps you understand a lot of different key aspects about your robot, and just robots in general, like torque, speed, mechanical advantages, energy transfer, subsystems -- really everything you need to know about a robot,” he says. 

You can get started with a high school starter kit for $600 or an elementary school kit for $400, Mantz says, and the online resources are substantial enough that you don’t have to be a robotics expert to launch a team. “Our program does not require engineering mentors or programming mentors; it requires an adult, and typically a teacher or sometimes a parent who works as a facilitator,” he says. 

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For a child, being isolated can be a tremendous challenge to maintaining positive mental health, even in the best of times. Being away from classmates and outside the classroom can have a big impact on building social-emotional skills, and be a damper on development.

“Right now, with Covid, people are getting a taste of it, but this kind of isolation has been the reality for many students with immunodeficiency around the world, where it is just straight up dangerous for them to be in school,” says Harry Nelson of Special Effect, a UK-based charity that uses video games and technology to enhance the quality of life of people with disabilities. “Dealing with these kids requires a lot of specialized tech and specialized rules.”

Enter Special Effect’s BubbleBusters Pilot Project, in which the organization works with schools and the families of children with immunodeficiency to provide robots to help those students overcome isolation, rekindle friendships, and restore access to education. Each child receives their own AV1 desktop robot, which is placed in their classroom and allows them to safely interact with their teachers, classmates, and others. 

“It’s very different from just having a camera or FaceTime in a classroom,” says Nelson. “Having the ability to independently just turn and talk to your friend . . . it seems very small, but it matters. I think of when I was back in school, and the number of times I’d turn to my friend and just share a quick joke or something. Having that physical presence in the room, being able to change the face on the robot to express yourself, with that anonymity, can be very powerful and poignant for a student and their family, and help build confidence.”

Each robot, which can move its head, flash light, and change its facial expression, are little personalities in themselves, says Nelson. Kids are encouraged to personalize their robots, and have used everything from stickers to Star Wars T-shirts. 

“Every child we’ve had has named their robot,” says Nelson. “It’s the first thing they do! They all have such wonderful names--there’s one called Enid. Why Enid? There’s just no reason for it, and that’s great.”

Sam

The BubbleBuster project was initiated after Special Effect was contacted by Sam, a young man who was unable to go to school for more than three years due to his ongoing treatments for leukemia. He had seen the work the organization was doing and wanted to help. “We were very moved,” says Nelson. “We thought, ‘That’s fantastic.’”

Special Effect founder, Mick Donegan, had seen the AV1 robot and was inspired, realizing that it was an opportunity to have Sam test the technology and to reconnect him with his classmates. 

The BubbleBusters project is named in honor of Sam. During his time in the hospital he created Bubble Boy, a comic book superhero version of himself who by day is stuck in isolation but by night, goes out to save the day. 

Very sadly, Sam lost his battle against leukemia in November. But his namesake superhero program has gone on to help students across the U.K.

“In the past few months, we’ve done double all of what we’ve done last year,” says Nelson. “We have gone from 10 to about 36 robots, which may not sound like a lot, but at £4,000 a pop, can be quite a lot. And we don’t just give people the robot and say, ‘There you go,’ it’s also full service and support we provide, all at no cost to the students, families, or schools.”

A team effort

With only 34 on staff, it can be daunting for Special Effect to provide the robots and support. Challenges range from getting proper connections through school firewalls to finding access in very rural areas that don’t have any broadband or 5G connectivity. In the past, team members used to drive out to the schools and homes to get everyone set up, answer questions, and make sure the connections were all good. Now, all of that has to be done remotely, which has added extra steps. For example, even the box that the technology is sent in to the homes has to be cleaned and quarantined to ensure safety. 

Anything with a camera in a classroom involves questions around student privacy, so those issues need to be addressed. The robot is specifically designed to go directly into schools, so each one can only connect with one tablet, and the video is ever only a live stream that is unable to be recorded.

In addition to class, students are encouraged to use the robot at break times to build social skills. “The social concern is often the biggest concern of the parents,” says Nelson. “They can buy a few textbooks and muddle through at home, but you can’t buy a childhood chatting to friends. The robot allows you to be there for your childhood and have those moments with your friends where you are cracking jokes during breaktime, and you’re talking and learning, and annoying on another and having a laugh and doing all the things that kids do.”

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Remote learning has provided millions of students worldwide the chance to continue their studies during the widespread pandemic-related school closings. But not every classroom subject can easily transfer to an elearning platform. A deep dive into robotics, for example, may normally require physical technology that kids don't have at home. 

To address this need, VEX Robotics has launched VEXcode VR (Virtual Robot), a web-based tool providing computer science lessons for those who don’t have access to a physical VEX Robot at home. The program will be entirely free. No software installations are required, and the program functions on all major desktops and tablets.

Through VEXcode VR, teachers will have the opportunity to continue their students’ STEM education while keeping them engaged and excited about the power of robotics. This resource leverages VEX Robotics’ universal coding system, VEXcode, so that students can code their virtual robot and see it respond in real time on their desktop or tablet screens.

The team at VEX Robotics has created activities for VEXcode VR which will allow educators to get their lessons to get their lessons up and running quickly. Lessons can be found at education.vex.com/vr.

VEXcode VR Features:

• Web-based: No software installations required. VEXcode VR works in all major desktop and tablet browsers.
• Virtual Robots: Using a pre-build robot, users can program drivetrains to navigate, sensors to help solve mazes, pen features with an art canvas to code a creative drawing, and use the new electromagnet to interact with game objects in challenges.
• Virtual Playgrounds: Users can select from different virtual 3D playgrounds to take advantage of the virtual robot’s features. Additional features include: point of view control as the robot runs code, visual data on the playgrounds' dashboard, playgrounds that include grid worlds, art canvases, and walled mazes. 
• Challenges and activities:  Activities are in Google Docs so teachers can add to or edit them.

Visit vexrobotics.com/vexcode-vr to get started.

PBS KIDS has released the newest app in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! family called The Cat in the Hat Invents, which helps young children to learn more about STEM concepts through activities such as designing their own robots and exploring different worlds. The game is now available both for mobile and tablet download for iOS and Android via the App Store and Google Play, and for desktop play at PBSKIDS.org. 

A new study released today from the University of Rhode Island (URI) reveals that using free resources from the PBS KIDS series, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! had a positive effect on children’s perceptions of science and engineering. The new app applies the findings from the URI study to engage kids in engineering, inquiry, problem solving, and using science tools. 

The Cat in the Hat Invents App

Developed with The Next Generation Science Standards in mind, The Cat in the Hat Invents app allows players to select specific tools to help characters Nick, Sally, and the Cat in the Hat improve their robot. Different worlds in the game—complete with ten levels each—introduce players to new skill development opportunities in engineering, inquiry, problem solving, and using science tools.

 Features of the new app include:

• Voice command: Players can use on-screen buttons or voice commands to control their robot. The Cat in the Hat will let players know about other voice commands, like up, down, or test. Players can also motivate their robots with encouraging words and phrases such as: ‘Good job!’ 
• The Cat in the Hat help button: The Cat in the Hat help button can be found in the upper right corner of the screen and used whenever a player needs a hint or reminder.
• Robot customization: Players can customize their robot with stickers and patterns they find in each level. They can also choose how their robot is feeling that day: cheerful, silly, grumpy, or sad.

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation is taking its annual VEX Robotics World Championship virtual this year. Although the COVID-19 outbreak forced the organization to cancel this year’s in-person event, the REC Foundation will be hosting the VEX Robotics Virtual World Celebration and the first Fantasy Robotics Tournament on Saturday, April 25 to honor its community of students, coaches and volunteers. The virtual experience will take place on the VEX Robotics YouTube Channel at 10 am CT (VEX Robotics Competition Group) and 11:30 am CT (VEX IQ Challenge Group).

All teams that qualified for the 2020 VEX Robotics World Championship are included in the simulated Fantasy Robotics Tournament with the winners of the tournament recognized during the VEX Virtual Worlds Celebration. Qualifying match schedules will be listed here today.

This event replaces the REC Foundation’s annual VEX Robotics World Championship, which attracts more than 25,000 attendees from all 50 states and 50 nations. During the live event, students in grade three through college with their custom-built robots compete in timed, robotic matches.

CoderZ and the Amazon Future Engineer program are working together to offer free access to the CoderZ Virtual Robotics Learning Environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon Future Engineer is sponsoring this content. 

CoderZ is an online educational environment where independent students or full classes program their own virtual robots while working on collaborative virtual missions linked to real world concepts and computer science learning standards. The cloud-based platform features a graphical simulation of LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robot and a CoderZ virtual robot named Ruby. Users activate the virtual robot, in game-like “missions” and watch the results in a real-time simulation.  Novices in grades as early as second grade can use the program’s Blockly visual code editor while it allows more experienced users and those in high school to use text-based coding. 

Users also have access to CoderZ’s Virtual Robotics curriculums. The program’s newly-released standards-aligned Cyber Robotics 102 curriculum was just chosen as a 2020 SIIA CODiE Award finalist in the Best Game-Based Curriculum Solution category. Designed to teach computer science and robotics to students in grades 5-8, the curriculum utilizes mechanics, physics, navigation and sensors to introduce students to programming concepts such as commands, variables, conditional logic, loops and more.

To learn more about Amazon Future Engineer’s free computer science course offerings, read more: https://blog.aboutamazon.com/company-news/amazon-future-engineer-offers-free-and-creative-coding-coursework. 

To access CoderZ through Amazon Future Engineer, visit https://gocoderz.com/amazon-future-engineer.

SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA) announced the launch of Tethys, an educational integrated development environment, or IDE, created to teach students how to code. The standalone visual learning software can connect to their humanoid robot, Pepper, to program full functionality of the robot in real time. SBRA’s first commercially available software product is the latest milestone in their longstanding education initiative spanning NAO, Pepper, and their partnership with the SoftBank Group.

Tethys is designed to simplify the coding experience, bridging the gap between visual programming and full script development. Regardless of computer science background, students program Pepper using high-level boxes and wires that correlate to robot and programming actions. Programs run on either a virtual robot directly in the browser or on the physical robot, providing immediate feedback on how the program ran. In this process, students learn the principles of computer science, including problem solving, logic, and translating ideas into working programs, and have the opportunity to learn Python. Tethys is currently being used by over 1,000 students in the Boston Public Schools (BPS), Canada’s Coquitlam Schools (D43), and San Francisco Unified School (SFUSD) districts. 

Tethys is named for the Titan goddess of streams. SBRA’s STREAM Education program, representing Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, celebrates the breadth of careers and perspectives that today’s technology requires. From designers and linguists to engineers and developers, Tethys helps inspire these career paths, and make technical fields less daunting to all. With the STREAM program, Pepper, and Tethys, SBRA aims to empower future generations to pursue careers needed in an automated future.

“SoftBank Robotics works to augment the workforce through automation, and with Tethys, we’re continuing our work to make STREAM careers accessible and inviting to all students,” said SBRA’s Kass Dawson, Head of STREAM Education. “With financial support through SoftBank Group’s Pepper donations and our STREAM social responsibility program partners, that accessibility is exponentially amplified for underserved students.”

In December 2018, SoftBank Group Corp. announced the donation of over 100 Pepper robots to the SFUSD and BPS curriculums as part of the Pepper Social Contribution Program. Now, Tethys has been installed on all deployed robots. With the debut of Tethys, the SoftBank Group is donating Peppers to match donations of software licenses through SBRA’s STREAM social responsibility program, which opens to new partners today. At launch, the combined value of donated Pepper robots and Tethys software licenses at Boston, San Francisco, and Vancouver-area schools totaled over $2.1 million.

At BPS, D43, and SFUSD, SBRA’s Tethys pilot partners, Pepper and Tethys are already integrated into twenty-one schools and numerous classes, clubs, and events.

SBRA partnered with Finger Food Advanced Technology Group (Finger Food ATG), a Vancouver-based software company, to develop Tethys. Education is a cornerstone of Finger Food’s commitment to their local community and technology development professions at large, as are Sport, Environment, and Equality.

“Partnering with SoftBank Robotics to create a program that empowers students, many of whom have no history of coding, to explore and expand upon their technological skill set is incredibly fulfilling, especially as a company full of designers and developers,” said Ryan Peterson, Chief Executive Officer of Finger Food ATG. “While STREAM tools are becoming increasingly available to educators, Tethys stands alone by leveraging the power of a robotics ambassador like Pepper.  Whether in a virtual or live setting, Pepper and Tethys create greater engagement in STREAM activities and inspire more students to explore technical careers.”

A cross-disciplinary collaboration at the University of Delaware has developed a teaching tool to deliver cybersecurity training in classrooms—Zenbo, the social robot. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project joins researchers from the College of Education and Human Development and the College of Engineering.

Recently, fifth graders from The College School learned lessons about safeguarding information online from Zenbo. The two-foot tall robot is programmed to tell children stories and solicit responses that test their knowledge on topics like phishing and password safety.

Based on prior research, the team believes using a social robot is an advantage over other methods, such as having children watch a video or animation. The children’s responses will provide data that the researchers can use to measure student knowledge about cybersecurity. Interacting with the robot may improve student engagement and bring about better outcomes for students with autism or emotional learning difficulties.

The research team plans to pilot Zenbo and the UD-developed cyber safety curriculum in classrooms in spring 2020.

CoderZ introduces a new cyber-robotics curriculum for students in grades five through eight. The Cyber Robotics 102 curriculum is a sequel to CoderZ’s Cyber Robotics 101 and uses advanced gaming simulations to teach STEM through robotics and computer science. The comprehensive course offers 15-20 hours of curriculum and practice. 

Cyber Robotics 102 has students work in an online virtual environment that features a new robot called Ruby and that accurately mimics real-life physics and a physical setting. Students advance through game levels as they learn engineering, mechanics, physics, navigation, control and sensors. At the same time, those students are introduced to programming components like commands, variables, conditional logic, loops, functions and more. 

The online, gamified, turn-key curriculum comes with teacher support materials such as class presentations, teacher guides, optional mission solutions, webinars and rich-content blogs. Additionally, teachers can have students work on the course from any computer, even from home. 

For more information on the Cyber Robotics 102 curriculum, visit https://gocoderz.com/cyber-robotics-102/.

LEGO® Education is celebrating its 40th birthday with the worldwide launch of its newest educational solution, LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime. SPIKE Prime brings together LEGO bricks, a programmable, multi-port Hub, sensors and motors all powered by the SPIKE App based on the Scratch coding language, along with 32 lesson plans. SPIKE Prime will continue LEGO Education’s legacy since 1980 as a pioneer in hands-on learning, transforming the way students learn STEAM subjects.

LEGO Education SPIKE Prime is available for purchase today for $329.95, and will be featured at the Bett Show in London on January 22-25.

With teacher training, getting-started guides, and free lesson plans, SPIKE Prime is designed to be easy for teachers to integrate into curriculum. Three in-person training courses delivered by LEGO Education Academy-certified teacher trainers are also available to ensure teachers have everything they need to integrate SPIKE Prime into existing curriculum and lesson plans.

LEGO Education Master Educator Program

Applications for the 2020 Master Educator cohort are now being accepted. Interested educators in Australia, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States are invited to apply through April 30, 2020. Details about the program, application process and program eligibility can be found at: LEGOeducation.com/MasterEducators.

To learn more about LEGO Education’s new solution, visit: www.legoeducation.com/meetSPIKEprime.

Features:

• Designed for ages 10+, grades 6-8
• Costs $329.95 per set, which can be shared by two students at a time
• Based on the drag-and-drop Scratch coding platform and available for iOS, Chrome, Windows 10, Mac and Android
• 32 lessons help get teachers started and make integrating SPIKE Prime into a variety of classes from science and math to social studies and language arts incredibly easy
• Ensures that multiple classrooms can share sets within a school with streamlined 45-minute build + lesson time
• Includes 11 new innovative elements developed by LEGO Education and the LEGO Group, first seen in SPIKE Prime
• Available for purchase on the LEGO Education website or through authorize resellers
• Brings STEAM creativity and engagement into afterschool programs, robotics clubs, coding programs and maker spaces with the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime Expansion Set by LEGO Education (sold separately)
• The Expansion Set and Competition Ready unit can now be used in competition by robotics competition teams, including FIRST® LEGO® League and World Robot Olympiad

Who: Jorge Valenzuela, ‘Getting Computer Science Ready’ teacher

Where: MathScience Innovation Center of Richmond, VA

What: Teach Game Design and Programming with Sphero Bolt and littleBits Code Kit

In my class, all Computer Science experiences are first modeled through mini-lessons connected to student’s previous experiences. I then support that effort through guided activities such as learning stations, pair programming, programming with the teacher, the use of tutorials, and play (even dance parties). Students learned about computational artifacts and algorithmic design. During a Computational Thinker challenge to “create a children’s game to teach coding foundations” one small group built and programmed a working “Rockstar Guitar” another a hot potato’esque toy. Students brainstormed using flowcharts and discussion, used their own art to personalize the code kits, built their game and rehearsed a presentation explaining their project for an event with friends and family. In keeping the work real-world and giving it purpose (i.e., having to explain and teach their work to younger peers, professionals, school administrators, and parents) — the students were compelled to put their best foot forward.

Positive Results

All of the students became more aware of how programs are created in tandem with building a model or creating a game. They also learned the associated careers involving software development and how to apply computational thinking with and without the edtech. Not only did this create an engaging hands-on lesson for our current learning purposes, but it served as inspiration for the future.

[The Best New Hour of Code Resources for 2019]

The Biggest Challenge

We avoided most of the usual pitfalls by planning lessons very well while keeping in mind the experience and comfort levels of students. Students could form small groups or take on the challenge solo. Because of advance individualization, the lessons went fairly smooth and we were able to adjust as needed. 

Finding Funding

We were very fortunate to receive grant funding through an esteemed business partner of the MathScience Innovation Center, DuPont. 

Pro Tip

Don’t worry about being an expert, but do practice enough to be able to facilitate the intended learning of students. Also, do not be afraid to learn alongside your students. One great way to do this naturally is to bring in experts as needed to both help with the coursework and provide an in-person example of someone working in the field.

Tech Tools

The Code Kit by littleBits

The Code Kit App 

The Sphero Bolt

Links to Connect With Jorge

Website: www.lifelonglearningdefined.com

Blog: medium.com/@jorgedoespbl

Twitter: @JorgeDoesPBL

Facebook Page: LifelongLearningDefined

Instagram: @JorgeDoesPBL

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpFCeG0NRHLcReqg9cdZEjg

Book: “Rev Up Robotics — Real World Computational Thinking in the K-8 Classroom” Coming in December 2019 through ISTE.

Root Coding

First-rate versatile robot for all ages

Pros: Dive right into the fun with accessible intro tutorials, no experience needed.

Cons: Most free content focuses on Level 1 activities for younger students; more advanced instruction requires a paid subscription.

Bottom Line: By encouraging artistic design and creative problem-solving, Root Coding fits right into your STEAM curriculum.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Celebrating its 6th year, the Hour of Code is an annual international event aimed to get more students interested in computer science. According to Code.org more than 835,198,455 students in more than 180 countries have participated over the last 6 years. More than 53,000 events are registered for the 2019 event, which takes place during Computer Science Education Week December 9-15.

Hourofcode.org has compiled activities for learners of all ages, including pre-readers, and participants will see familiar names like Barbie, Minecraft and Star Wars. Many of the activities provide tie-ins to subject areas like ELA, Math, Art and Music, Science, and Social Studies, so every educator can find ways for students to participate. In addition to the web based activities, there are extensive unplugged activities that can be use with students if technology access is a problem. Students can learn the foundational computational thinking skills by being introduced to concepts like logic, sequencing, problem solving and more.

In addition to the more than 100 activities listed on the Hour of Code website, there are also a variety of products that can introduce students to the fundamentals of computational thinking and computer science. From unplugged activities (no computer or tablet required), to robots, programmable boards, and extensive kits - there are a variety of products to excite students about coding.

Coding Unplugged

CoderBunnyz (ages 4+, $34.85) is a board game invented by an 8 year old girl to teach computer programming to people of all ages. Making computer programming accessible to all ages wasn’t enough for young inventor Samaira, who worked with her brother to invent a game to teach students basic Artificial Intelligence (AI) concepts such as training, adaptive learning, recognition, autonomy, along with basic coding concepts. CoderMindz (ages 6+, $39.85) is a 2-4 player game that offers 6 levels of play to match age and skills that asks students to train a robot in image recognition.

ThinkFun’s impressive line of award-winning games include both single and multi-player, and build computational thinking skills for players of all ages. ThinkFun offers games specifically targeting coding and programming like the //CODE programming series - including One the Brink, focusing on logic, Rover Control, to teach sequencing, and Robot Repair, which introduces debugging (all for ages 8+, $14.99 each), as well as Robot Turtles for beginner logic (ages 4+, $24.99), Code Master, also introducing logic (ages 8+, $9.99), Potato Pirates to learn loops and conditionals (ages 7+ $14.99) and Hacker (ages 10+, $24.99) to introduce concurrency and security mindset. ThinkFun also offers games that build computational thinking skills such as Clue Master, a logic game (ages 8+, $9,99), as well as two new games: Invasion of the Cow Snatchers (ages 6+, $29.99) which asks players to collect cows using a magnetic UFO while avoiding various obstacles - building logic, problem solving, sequencing, visual perception and reasoning skills-  and Thinking Putty Puzzle (ages 8+, $29.99) which challenges players to “connect the dots” without crossing paths building logic, problem solving, visual perception and reasoning, critical thinking. Both of these games are single player, but students can be paired up to problem solve together and harness the power of social learning.

Coding Robots

Terrapin Logo offers a line of robots that allow for both plugged and unplugged experiences. The Terrapin lineup includes Bee-Bot (ages 3+, $89.95), Blue-Bot (ages 3+, $119.95) and Pro-Bot (ages 3+, $149.95), which introduce students to basic programming and logic. Bee-Bot is the most basic robot, which is programmed using buttons on its back. Blu-Bot also uses buttons, but adds Bluetooth capability which allows for block coding, and coding via Terrapin Logo, as well as coding using the Tac-Tile-Reader accessory. Pro-Bot increases functionality with the button programming by adding the ability to program sequences and conditionals, as well as sound and touch sensors. Added to the lineup is InO-Bot ($199.95), which is programmed using the Terrapin Logo environment, with features that allow it to draw on paper or a whiteboard and raise and lower the pen with commands. It also includes LED headlights, RGB running lights, and sensors for light, sound and proximity, as well as a line follower.

Programmable Boards

Let’s Start Coding is a line of hands-on electronics products that introduces students to text based coding using C++. The company has updated their original kits Let’s Start Coding Base Kit 2 (ages 13+, $69.99) and Ultimate Kit 2 (ages 13+, $124.99) which offer complex opportunities. Code Car (ages 8+, $45) allows students to code a car shaped microcomputer, and Let’s Start Coding has introduced three additional beginners kits. Code Speaker ($19.99) is a small programmable speaker that can play notes and sound effects and comes with 12 online projects such as a random tone creator and Morse Code messages. Code Rocket ($44.99) is a programmable rocket ship with onboard speaker, lights and buttons and includes 20 projects. Finally, Code Piano ($34.99) is a programmable board that includes 8 programmable buttons and a mini speaker, and projects such as classic 8 note piano and more. All products require a computer and an internet connection to code.

Build and Code

If your students are ready for more advanced coding projects, you may consider products that combine programming and physical objects. Thames and Kosmos brings coding to life, allowing students to build their own robots before they are programmed. Building on the popular Kids First Coding and Robotics Kit (ages 4+, $129.95) which introduces coding concepts by asking students to build friendly robots in the shape of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, penguins and others and program them using code cards and an optical scanner, Thames and Kosmos has released a Challenge Pack (ages 4-8, $24.95), with the pieces required to build new models such as a bulldozer, plow, scissor lift and more to add to the engineering and programming challenges. Thames and Kosmos also offers more complex building and coding kits with Robotics Smart Machines (ages 8+, $134.95) which combine physics, engineering and programming. This year Thames and Kosmos released the new Track and Treads edition (ages 8+, $134.95) of this popular kit, which includes 8 new robots that move using tank treads. Both editions include illustrated manuals that introduce students to the concepts behind the builds and programs.

Microduino, the creator of Itty Bitty City (ages 8+, $139.00), which runs using mCookie (ages 7+, various prices) and mPie (ages 7+, $109.99) all designed to make engineering and coding accessible to younger audiences, has released Itty Bitty Buggy ($69.99). Itty Bitty Buggy allows students to build their own robot which can be programmed in a variety of ways including with mDesigner (based on Scratch), Python, and Arduino (C++). The kit includes five projects for students to complete and an expansion kit ($19.99) with additional parts for 3 more builds.

Add on to the littleBits Code Kit (ages 8+, $299.95), which uses a drag and drop environment paired with littleBits to teach students basic computer programming by building their own games, with two new expansion packs. The Computer Science expansion pack (ages 8+, $149.95) includes 9 bits and 15 accessories along with six lesson plans to build interactive art displays and digital pets. The Technology Expansion Pack (ages 11+, $149.95) includes 13 bits and 10 accessories and includes lessons that ask students to build projects like a self-driving car. 

The HyperDuino shield (ages 7+, $49.95) can be added to an Arduino or other Arduino compatible board, and helps students create interactive posters and displays by combining physical products with coding and multimedia. The creators of HyperDuino, 1010 Technologies, continue to improve the product, which now supports mBlock 3.0 and is working toward mBlock5.0 support as well. The HyperDuino+R board ($49.95, ages 7+)  adds additional support for robotics projects involving motors, sensors and actuators.

The BBC micro:bit (ages 7+, $16.50) is an open development board that allows students to explore multiple programming languages and interfaces as they design their own creations.

No matter your students’ comfort level with coding and technology, there are a myriad of ways to introduce coding and computational thinking in the classroom during the Hour of Code. From online activities to offline board games, developing the skills necessary for complex problem solving are more important than ever. Coding does not have to be scary, and the Hour of Code is the perfect time to show that to students.

KinderLab Robotics today announced a new three-month KIBO Home Robotics Course that enables home educators and caregivers to introduce coding and robotics to their young learners without computers or screen time. The course provides a step-by-step curriculum to teach coding, robotics, and STEAM concepts, and includes use of a KIBO 18 Robot Kit to support the curriculum. 

With the three-month KIBO Home Robotics Course, home educators have full support from KinderLab Robotics as they integrate coding and robotics into their homeschool curriculum. The course integrates arts and crafts into STEAM learning. Coding becomes a new literacy that children can use to explore their other subjects more deeply. 

The KIBO Home Robotics Course is available now at KinderLabRobotics.com/at-home.

Robots could be taught to recognize human emotions from our movements, according to a new study from the Behavioural Science Group at Warwick Business School in the UK. The WBS Behavioural Science Group is one of the world’s leading research centers in the field, with the goal of linking theoretical and policy challenges in the social sciences with experimental methods and results drawn from the natural sciences. 

Researchers found that humans could recognize excitement, sadness, aggression, and boredom from the way people moved, even if they could not see their facial expressions or hear their voices. These findings suggest that robots could learn to use the same movements, alongside facial expressions and tone of voice, to recognize human internal states.

This research raises the prospect that robots, which are already used to teach second languages, could recognize when students are bored, and customer service robots could identify when people feel angry or stressed. “One of the main goals in the field of human-robot interaction is to create machines that can recognize human emotions and respond accordingly,” says Dr. Charlotte Edmunds of Warwick Business School.

“Our results suggest it is reasonable to expect a machine learning algorithm, and consequently a robot, to recognize a range of emotions and social interactions using movements, poses, and facial expressions. The potential applications are huge.”

The study was conducted by researchers from Warwick Business School, University of Plymouth, Donders Centre for Cognition at Radboud University in the Netherlands, and the Bristol Robotics Lab at the University of the West of England. It is published in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI.

The team of psychologists and computer scientists filmed pairs of children playing with a robot and a computer built into a table with a touchscreen top. The videos were shown to 284 study participants, who were asked to decide whether the children were excited, bored, or sad. They were also asked if the children were cooperating, competing, or if one of the children had assumed a dominant role in the relationship.

Some participants watched the original videos. A second group saw the footage reduced to stick figures that showed exactly the same movements. Members of both groups agreed on the same emotional labels for the children, more often than would be expected if they were guessing.

The researchers then trained a machine-learning algorithm to label the clips, identifying the type of social interaction, the emotions on display, and the strength of each child’s internal state, allowing it to compare which child felt more sad or excited.

“Robot delivery services are already being trialed, but people tend to attack or vandalize them, often because they feel threatened,” says Dr. Edmunds.

“The aim is to create a robot that can react to human emotions in difficult situations and get itself out of trouble without having to be monitored or told what to do.”

Discovery Education today announced a new agreement with the India-based education technology company STEMROBO Technologies supporting STEM education across South Asia.  Through this new agreement, the STEMROBO team is now empowered to sell Discovery Education’s STEM Connect and Coding services to public and private schools throughout India.

Discovery Education’s STEM Connect features flexible, modular learning units and  resources that can be used in a wide variety of classrooms and across all subjects.

Discovery Education Coding, which is currently available in the United Kingdom, features step-by-step lessons that guide teachers and pupils through lessons that teach students the basics of block coding, HTML, and Python.

STEMROBO’s products and services enable students to learn and experiment in STEM and robotics.

To learn more about STEMROBO Technologies, visit www.STEMROBO.com.  For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com. 

Robotics and educational STEAM company Sphero and electronic building block littleBits have announced that they are joining forces to provide STEAM and coding solutions for classrooms and homes worldwide. 

With the addition of the littleBits line, Sphero will now feature a portfolio of over 140 patents in robotics, electronics, software, and the Internet of Things. Teachers will have access to hundreds of thousands of community-generated inventions and activities, and over a thousand lessons tied to NGSS, CSTA and Common Core standards. 

KOOV

Robotics kit makes design possibilities virtually limitless

Pros: Bright blocks and a variety of sensors promote design-thinking skills and innovation.

Cons: The kits may be cost prohibitive, especially for multiple kits, and the coding blocks can be difficult to manipulate.

Bottom Line: For schools with healthy budgets, KOOV helps kids design and code interactive robots with blocks, sensors, and imagination.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Anyone who is familiar with my work knows that my focus is not on products or materials or supplies for a makerspace and that I have written extensively instead about the research, pedagogy, and best-practices surrounding maker education.  Stocking our makerspaces is a reality though, so for the past several years, I have released my Top Ten Makerspace lists. In this post, I have chosen to focus on an item that we have had in our makerspace since the very beginning- Spheros.  For those who are not familiar with Sphero robots, they are a company that makes undeniably cool programmable robots and educational tools that aim to transform the way kids learn and create through coding, science, music, and the arts.

Seven years ago, when we got our very first Sphero robot, we were enamored by the fact that we could even just control the robots with our phones, and admittedly, it at first, often did not go deeper than that.  Both my students and I quickly discovered, however, that Sphero robots offer limitless opportunities, and can oftentimes lead to deep investigation and discovery, through inquiry.  Along the way, I also read two blog posts written by Ross Cooper, The Problem With Prepackaged STEM Products‘ and ‘How to Transform Step-By-Step Directions Into Inquiry‘, that transformed my thinking about how we can use products like Sphero robots in a makerspace.

One of our favorite Sphero robot activities were when we created Sphero robot art as a part of a photography unit in which students were experimenting with various photography techniques.

As we head into another school year, I have chosen to highlight some other stories about how educators are using Sphero robots in unique and interesting ways.

The students of high school science teacher, Mike Mohammad, designed Sphero Robot Chariots.

Details of this engaging, meaningful, student-centered activity are here.  Another perspective from that project, comes from Andelee Espinosa,  a special education teacher who co-teaches with Mr. Mohammad.  In her blog post, she focuses on the inclusion aspects.

Educator Sean Russell created Project SASsafras, which helps students apply computer coding skills to real-world, hands-on activities, using a Sphero robot, an iPad, and CodeSnaps from Curriculum Pathways.

Educator Jen Kaelin challenged her students by creating various geometric shapes on the floor using tape, and her students created code for the Sphero robot to trace the shape, without losing touch with the tape, in one try.

Fellow New Jersey educator @LionsHistorian has a club called Students Teaching About Technology (STAT), where they embarked on a poaching coding project that a student expert created the criteria for, based on goals she presented.

Educator and #SpheroHero Julie Willcott combines the digital with the analog, and believes that the hands-on with the minds-on deepens the learning. In Physics, her students have used Sphero robots – with differently coverings – to evaluate the impact of friction on motion. They have also dropped the Sphero robot in coverings designed to provide collision protection; the live sensors provide measurements of motion for the falling robot.

English teacher Mr. Richard Perry uses various Sphero robots in his 9th and 11th grade English classes to foster text analysis. The Sphero robots are tied to the analysis of literature such as The Grapes of Wrath, The Martian, and also makerspace research projects.  He began by using Sphero robots as a tool to teach empathy and created a model of the Sierra Nevada mountains and assigned a robot to a group of four students. This group was their family, and they needed to get the robot across the country to California, just like the migrants had to travel to California in the Grapes of Wrath. The vast majority of the groups failed. So they learned that, yes, it was possible to have that much bad luck. The big stand out in the class was that a visually impaired in the class, had the most success!  He examined the model with his hands and was able to determine how to correct program the robot to overcome the challenge. The lesson the empathy that year was magnified because the students were able to empathize with the characters, but also see the value of a member of society that they might have otherwise written off as a liability.

Educator Leah LaCrosse has been using Sphero robots with her students since 2005, tells us on her blog that Sphero robots are not about the coding, and offers a extensive list of resources and activities, including her top ten Sphero robot moments, that are worth taking a look at!

Maker extraordinaire and educator Nathan Stevens has students make wooden mazes for Sphero robots, with 2 successful paths and a few dead ends.  The lengths of pieces of wood are in multiple of 3s and students have to code their way through the maze, but they have to make 3″, 6″, 9″ and 12″ pieces work.  The main part of the experience is the math to make the maze work. He points out that this is a great activity to involve parents.  Students draw out maze on paper and then scale up on the wood.; parents do the cutting.

Computer Science educator Greg Murray and his students used Sphero robots to calculate angles, manipulate mazes, and explore planetary rotations. For an end of the year activity, they built battle bots. Sphero robots were placed under red cups that were designed to knock over an opponent’s bot. Those bots were then placed in an arena. After each round, students could learn from what was observed and adjust their bots as needed. Throughout the lesson, he witnessed students discussing strategy and enjoying themselves immensely.

Every Sphero robot product is a blank canvas for kids to build and create. They are innovative and functional, yet simple and intuitive in design, which is why we have had them in our makerspace since the beginning.

If you purchase the Sphero robot BOLT 15 Pack now, you’ll get access to Sphero Robot Fundamentals, a self-guided 90-day course on all things Sphero!

If you purchase the BOLT Power Pack, you’ll receive their Code Mat and 20 activity cards.

Cross posted at worlds-of-learning.com

Laura Fleming has been a classroom teacher and media specialist in grades K-8 and currently is a Library Media Specialist for grades 9-12. She is a well known writer, speaker and consultant on next-generation teaching methods and tools, and the author of the best-selling Worlds of Learning: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School

FIRST® and LEGO® Education announced that the 2019-2020 FIRST® LEGO® League and FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. seasons will task students to explore topics related to architecture, infrastructure, and sustainability of future cities, as well as a new offering in the suite of FIRST programs: FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. Discovery Edition. 

Developed in consultation with early childhood education experts, FIRST LEGO League Jr. Discovery Edition is a playful introductory STEM experience for children in grades K-1 that ignites their natural curiosity and builds their habits of learning. Working in teams of four, children emerge more confident, better equipped to face future challenges, and discover the joy of learning.  

For the FIRST LEGO League Jr. BOOMTOWN BUILDS and FIRST LEGO League CITY SHAPERS Challenges, FIRST collaborated with experts in the fields of architecture, civil engineering, infrastructure, sustainability, and urban planning. These experts, who made up the Challenge Advisory Team, helped to create a theme and challenge missions that reflect what it takes to design and construct practical, sustainable, and beautiful buildings and spaces catering to the diverse needs of their users.  

Team registration for both programs is now open. 

FIRST LEGO League Jr. BOOMTOWN BUILD Challenge

The 2019-2020 BOOMTOWN BUILD Challenge aims to inspire kids to create buildings and spaces to improve quality of life in the fictional city of Boomtown. Through 12 guided sessions in their Engineering Notebooks, teams of up to six children will learn about principles of design and basic STEM concepts from Boomtown residents, May and Marco.  

FIRST LEGO League CITY SHAPER

The 2019-2020 CITY SHAPER Challenge will task more than 310,400 children, ages 9-16* (*ages vary by country), from nearly 100 countries to explore a range of scientific challenges and opportunities within the fields of architecture and urban engineering.

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is an international not-for-profit organization founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders and innovators. 

From our friends at Tom's Guide:

After first stealing our hearts in 2017 with its fun approach to coding, the Lego Boost robot kits have finally come to the galaxy far, far away. Launching on Sept. 1 for $199, the Lego Boost Droid Commander set lets you build iconic Star Wars droids such as R2-D2 and use them in a variety of fun and educational missions. 

For the uninitiated, Lego Boost is a techy take on the iconic building toys that allows kids to build robots and program them to do all kinds of neat stuff while learning some basic coding skills in the process.

Why this matters:

Combining educational technology, games, and play-based activities and are a great way to engage kids in authentic STEM learning. Students can learn basic coding coding skills while building the beloved iconic droids using the latest Lego materials. Lego Boost won the Toy Award in the Schoolkids category at the International Toy Fair 2017. To read the full report on the Lego Boost Droid Commander set, visit https://www.tomsguide.com

Since the Apollo 11 Moon landing 50 years ago, generations of school children have seen how the real-world application of science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) can lead to awe-inspiring achievements. Boxlight Corporation (BOXL), the Aldrin Family Foundation (AFF) and ShareSpace Education (SSE) today announced that they are partnering to provide K-12 schools with new educational tools for STEAM learning. 

As part of this partnership, Boxlight will integrate SSE’s Giant Moon Map™ and Giant Mars Map™ programs into the Mimio MyBot educational robotics system. Boxlight and SSE will join forces during the 2019-20 school year to offer the solution to K-12 districts and schools across the United States, with a focus on reaching under-served urban communities.

The Mimio MyBot system helps students develop core skills in programming, engineering and robotics. It includes the Wi-Fi enabled Fusion™ robotic controller, an interface, educational content, and building components. In addition, the system will include SSE’s Giant Mars Map and Giant Moon Map. The interactive space map programs feature lessons and activities to help children develop an understanding of real-world, STEAM-based concepts while promoting communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking skills.

For more information, visit:

• boxlight.com/sharespace
• https://aldrinfoundation.org/
• https://sharespace.org/

Blue-Bot

Simple robot ideal for introducing programming to young learners

Pros: Blue-Bot is colorful, engaging, and simple to use.

Cons: The free app is functional but not entirely intuitive, particular for youngsters.

Bottom Line: Students will develop logical and sequential thinking with Blue-Bot, creating a foundation for future coding activities.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Evo by Ozobot

Versatile mini robot tailor-made for teaching coding

Pros: Students earn experience points for every action, providing encouragement to students apprehensive about coding.

Cons: Programming Evo requires the app and a web browser, adding a data transfer step that could be frustrating for students.

Bottom Line: Evo encourages students to be creative, emphasizing that coding is a tool in your pocket, not the end game.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

As part of UBTECH Education’s commitment to equity in robotics and engineering instruction, the organization today launched a competitive grant to provide two years of free robotics kits, curriculum, and professional development to K–12 schools systems interested in integrating robotics instruction into STEM programs.

The Early Innovator grant program will award a cohort of geographically and demographically diverse school systems that can make a two-year commitment to implementing the company’s award-winning UKIT solution in their classrooms. Founded on UBTECH’s industry-leading robotics experience and research base, the UKIT was developed by experts who helped write the NGSS. It merges modular robotics construction with engineering, math, and language arts, as well as physical and life sciences. Information on Early Innovator grants, as well as a link to apply for the program, can be found here.

Grant applications will be accepted through July 31, and UBTECH Education plans to announce the cohort of awardees in mid-August. Learn more here.

KinderLab Robotics today announced that KIBO‘s newest product, the Advanced Coding Extension Set, and an accompanying curriculum guide, Ask and Imagine, are now shipping. The Advanced Coding Extension Set supports children who are experienced with KIBO's core concepts and offers them the next step along their computer science pathways. The Advanced Coding Extension Set creates a bridge between KIBO's core pre-K to 2nd-grade curriculum and the computer science and engineering work students will do in upper elementary and beyond. Children can explore advanced computer science concepts such as subroutines, randomness, and conditionals, while staying rooted in KIBO’s familiar screen-free, hands-on coding environment.

KIBO™ is a robot kit designed for children ages 4–7 years old. KIBO is entirely screen-free, as children program their robots with “tangible code” made of wooden programming blocks. Through these physical materials, children engage with a range of powerful ideas found in STEAM, computer science, and design thinking, all while integrating directly with literacy and art curricula.

The new Advanced Coding Extension Set unlocks three new programming options:

Subroutines: A subroutine is like a miniature program within a program. With KIBO’s subroutines, children create their own programming block by defining a sequence of commands then assigning that sequence to a subroutine block. To personalize their creation, children can even use an included erasable marker to draw their own icon right onto the programming block sticker. The set includes multiple blocks to call the subroutines, allowing students to dive into the powerful ideas of modularity and reusability.

Random Parameter: This new card makes KIBO’s repeat loop run a random number of times. Kids can teach KIBO to play “Duck, Duck, Goose”—spin KIBO a random number of times, and who knows who will be “it”?

If Not: Children can already design programs that respond to light, sound, and distance using KIBO’s conditional programming. The new “If Not” block lets children tell KIBO to do one thing if a sensor is triggered, and something else if it’s not. This foundational concept in computer science expands the expressive possibilities for KIBO while deepening students’ understanding of conditional programming.

Boxlight Corporation (Nasdaq: BOXL) will unveil its new Mimio MyBot educational robotic system bundle at the 2019 ISTE Conference & Expo in Philadelphia. Consisting of packs of 10 or 20 MyBot robotic kits and the Mimio MicroCloud server, the system bundle establishes a local wireless classroom community that facilitates the development of core skills in programming, engineering and robotics. Visitors to the company’s booth (#2622) will be able to see live demos of the bundle, which is scheduled to start shipping in July. 

The Mimio MyBot system kits contain the components needed to build a robot -- a Wi-Fi-enabled Fusion™ robotic controller with a Raspberry Pi 3 processing core, rechargeable battery, battery charger, motors, sensors, metal building components, tools, and fasteners. This set of building components can be used to create mobile and stationary mechanical systems that explore engineering principles from simple machines to advanced mechanisms. Educators can also expand the kits’ capacities for advanced students and so create more sophisticated robotic structures by adding building components, sensors, servos, joysticks and cameras. 

There is no software to install and no cable connections to the robot. All the software, programming languages and documentation are built into the Fusion controller, so students just need is a browser in order to start learning. 

DFRobot, robotics and open source hardware provider, brings its STEM education resources to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference and Expo from 24 – 26 June in Philadelphia.

DFRobot will showcase its hands-on learning resources including the full suite of Boson Kits, micro:Maqueen, Max:bot, LattePanda, Mind+, Gravity and Internet of Things Kits.

DFRobot and its team, including CEO, Ricky Ye, can be found at Stand 956.

From our friends at Gizmodo/UK

Whether you're teaching future engineers, mathematicians, or scientists, these are the educational toys that'll get your students' cogs turning. 

Kano Harry Potter coding kit, $124.99

Tech is basically magic, and this kit really brings that to life. You build your own wand, and use it to learn to code in simple steps with over 70 different tasks. The wand reacts to your movements, and once you've mastered the coding steps for different spells, you can start creating your own. [Accio / buy it here] 

Why this matters:

Learning stalls if teachers can't engage kids' attention fully.  From coding to robotics to music-making, these top edtech toys not only grab kids' attention, but also guide them in creating the tools they need to master tricky concepts in the classroom. Use these toys in a makerspace environment or as part of any STEM-focused lesson. To learn more about the top education tech toys and where to buy them, read the full article on Gizmodo/UK.

During  ISTE 2019 in Philadelphia, Boxlight Corporation (BOXL) will unveil new educational robotics and digital classroom systems, host a STEM Playground, and present daily sessions on best practices for digital classrooms.

At booth #2622 in the Expo Hall, educators can preview Boxlight’s new ProColor Interactive Flat Panel Display technology, Mimio MyBot educational robotics system, MimioClarity audio system, and MimioInteract activities for the ProColor touch table. In the STEM Playground, they can get hands-on experience with the Mimio MyBot and Labdisc portable STEM lab and enter a drawing to win the robotics system. In addition, members of Boxlight’s professional services division, EOS Education, will be available to discuss classroom training and educator certification services plus edtech tech experts will conduct hourly presentations in the booth’s theatre and mock classroom.

During the live edtech presentations, educators can gain best practices and insights on how to improve student learning and engagement in the classroom. 

Boxlight’s complete schedule of edtech presentations can be found here. Information about all of the company’s ISTE 2019 activities can be found on the Boxlight at ISTE page.

Tickle

Robots, Arduinos, and drones -- the block coding app to rule them all 

Pros: Provides hands-on programming experience controlling robotics and drones.
Cons: Teachers will need to allow time for recharging and reconnecting devices.
Bottom Line: Impressive tool for introducing block coding and robotics on a ton of devices.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

In honor of National Robotics Week (April 6-140), Pitsco Education will be giving away seven robotics sets ranging in value from $200 to $1,350.

It's free to enter Pitsco's Robot-a-Day Giveaway. Visit Pitsco.com/RobotADayand complete the entry form. Entries will be accepted through Friday, April 12, and the seven winners will be announced via social media.

The seven sets included in the Robot-a-Day Giveaway:

• KUBO Coding Single Set
• Microduino STEM MIX Kit 1
• Arduino Starter Kit Classroom Pack
• UKIT Beginner
• TETRIX® PRIME Dual-Control Robotics Set
• TETRIX MAX Programmable Robotics Set
• Fable Hello Set with 3-D Printed Extras 

Today, LEGO® Education announced LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime, the newest product in the LEGO Education hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) learning portfolio. SPIKE Prime brings together LEGO bricks, a programmable, multi-port Hub, sensors and motors, powered by the SPIKE app based on the Scratch coding language. The SPIKE app includes lessons aligned to certain standards and many being able to be completed within a 45-minute class.

Each SPIKE Prime set has 523 pieces which can be used to build many different creations including corresponding STEAM lesson plans that were created by and for educators.

LEGO Education is providing a Confidence in Learning toolkit and workshops to schools around the world with its continuum of hands-on learning products, including SPIKE Prime. LEGO Education learning experts will help teachers incorporate hands-on STEAM learning into the classroom to engage all students and promote building their confidence in learning.

LEGO Education and the LEGO Group have also created 11 new elements for the LEGO System in Play, which will be first seen with SPIKE Prime. These new elements include an integrator brick, which allows for building together with both the LEGO Technic and the LEGO system platforms.

The new product will be ready for purchase in all markets in August 2019. Learn more at https://education.lego.com/en-us.

Exploring hands-on challenges in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is increasing girls’ interest in engineering robots for competitions, according to initial data from Girl Powered, a global movement launched by The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and VEX Robotics, and supported by Google.

Google is expanding its partnership with the REC Foundation by supporting a new series of Girl Powered Workshops, with the first workshop being held March 16-17 from 9 am-5 pm (GST) at its headquarters in Seattle.

The two-day workshop in Seattle will feature Google employees helping students build VEX EDR robots and put them to the test with the VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point game challenge.

Since Girl Powered launched in 2016, female participation in VEX Robotics has increased steadily from 23 percent in 2016 to 37 percent in 2018. Girl Powered aims to change the face of STEM, as females only represent 24 percent of the STEM workforce in the U.S.

Future Girl Powered workshops are being planned for this summer in Boston, MA; Austin, TX; and Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

Google also supports The REC Foundation by sponsoring an online challenge for Girl Powered VEX Robotics participants in elementary, middle school and high school. This year’s online challenge asked students to share how they have created a more inclusive environment on their team.

The top prize, a $750 vexrobotics.com gift certificate and automatic team qualification for the 2019 VEX Robotics World Championship, was awarded on March 10, 2019, for the VEX IQ Challenge category to Team 10142A, Green Tiger from Honolulu, HI and for the VEX Robotics Competition category to Team 7983W, Centennial Cyberhawks from Bakersfield, CA.

For National Women’s History Month, Girl Powered is honoring female accomplishments in STEM history with a new line of Girl Powered T-shirts. The T-shirts feature the Girl Powered logo and inspirational quotes from female STEM heroes, with 20 percent of sales supporting Girl Powered programs. For more information, visit: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/VEX-Robotics/girl+powered?q=T292261.