Week 7

This week's question:

What benefits can you see in primary school students engaging with programming LEGO robots? Describe an activity using robotics that could help students learn a concept (e.g. variables). Discuss how you could implement and assess this activity in your future classroom.

Post on April 22 2010 (permalink) -edithistorydelete
Created on Thursday, 04/22/2010 7:22 PM by CATHY-ANNE SCOTT

Programming with LEGO robotics in the classroom can help students develop creative problem solving skills in a collaborative environment. Projects centred on robotics can be designed to link authentic, real world learning experiences that integrate science, maths, literach and technology. LEGO robotics in the primary setting can also inspire girls and boys to consider maths and science related subjects in secondary school.

Students could incoporate a LEGO robotics activity into a school road safety campaign. By changing the power of the robot students could investigate and graph the relationship between power (deceleration/braking) and distance travelled. An integrated (Maths/Multiliteracy) assessment task could be to create a short video on road safety incoroporating a video clip of the LEGO robotics in action.

Week 6

This weeks question:

In this week's lecture, Steve highlighted excellent educational possibilities with the Teachers Chronicle web 2.0 mindmap. Choose one of the links from this map and suggest how it can be used in the classroom. Clearly state the branch of the mindmap where link was found.

Cathy-Anne Scott - Week 6 (permalink)

last edited by CATHY-ANNE SCOTT on Sunday, 04/11/2010 9:57 AM

The Teachers Chronicle Web 2.0 mind map lists many innovative tools and applications that could be used in the classroom. The ability to gain access to the website through Education Queensland's internet filters would need to be investigated before planning a unit or lesson. As a pre-service teacher I have already bookmarked some of these tools in my Delicious account including Voicethread, Glogster and Toondoo. On the animation branch of the mind map the author has listed Xtranormal as an application of interest to teachers.

The Xtranormal software can be used to create short animated movies. A favourite blogger of mine ( a Yr. 2 teacher, Leopold Primary School, Victoria ) has posted a review of this software. The teacher suggests downloading the free beta version program State, available on the website. This is due to internet speed issues with the online version in the school setting. State animation software allows students to choose from a variety of scenes and actors, import audio, change camera angles and even customise their actors voices with their own ( super cool! ). As suggested by the reviewer the software could be used to make movies about any topic " including a book report, re-enactment of a historical event, a debate, an explanation and a narrative the possibilities are endless". I agree.

Here is a link to a short animation created by the teachers Year 2 students....MOVIE

This weeks portfolio task: