At some point in our life we have all had an experience with lego, building people, robots and animals, but what would happen if those creations could move?
Robotics
Robotics allows for a hands-on approach which steers away from a lecture style lesson. Students are invited into a world in which they are dealing with problems in a concrete way, not abstract. They have to use their own higher order thinking to solve complex problems (Chandra, 2011). Robotics is something which appeals to young students and provide them with challenging experiences as they learn to think creatively and work collaboratively (Chandra, 2011). Students not only need to understand the coding of their robots, but also the construction to create a successful experience. By bringing Lego into robotics, teachers can create an experience which is familiar and easy but also complex as students begin to add on robotic parts.
WeDo and Robotics
LEGO has introduced WeDo for educational use which allows students to explore robotics and coding with equipment that they already know (Hanson, 2016). The WeDo kit includes a motor, motion sensor and tilt sensors among other building parts. There are also apps available to assist students in a guided robotics experience or just assist as they create their own robot (Hanson, 2016).
Classroom Implementation
Robotics allows for a hands-on approach which stears away from a lecture style lesson. Students are encouraged to solve real-world problems by creating these simple machines. This can be easily linked to curriculum points as students learn of simple machines (Gura, 2012). We can use WeDo to link to many different curriculum units such as maths, science, technology as well as solving problems posed in other units. As students construct their robots they will automatically be faced with mathematical problems as they calculate distance needed to travel or different ways things can move (Gura, 2012).
WeDo and Creativity
WeDo Lego is a great way to encourage creativity within the classroom. Students may be asked to solve problems which requires them to think of creative ways to solve them. Students will solve problems and use their thinking skills to complete the task in their own way (Gura, 2012). Every students creation will look different and use different items which will demonstrate the creativity used within the classroom.
Bibliography
Chandra, V. (2011). Integrating robotics in primary school activities. Professional Magazine, 26(November 2011), 11-14.
Gura, M. (2012). Lego Robotics: STEM Sport of the Mind. Learning & Leading with Technology, 40(1), 12-16.
Hanson, J. (2016). SLJ Reviews LEGO WeDo 2.0. School Library Journal, 62(4), N/a.
Asha Beaton 