1. Using Beebots and Roamers
Developing spatial awareness
Using Beebots and Roamers
Using Beebots and Roamers

2. Using Beebots and Roamers
What are they?
A floor robots Command it to move and it will do what you want
Using Beebots and Roamers

3. Introducing Floor Robots
Human robots
The blind leading the blind!
Language development
Directional language
Forward, backward
In front, behind
Right turn, left turn
Links to counting and estimation
How many forward/ back?
How many turns?
Using Beebots and Roamers

4. Using Beebots and Roamers
Beebot basic commands
Using Beebots and Roamers

5. Playing with the Beebot!
Make your Beebot
Move
Turn
Try a sequence of commands
Challenge each other to direct your Beebot from one place to another
Successful arrival – 1 point
Fewest commands – 2 points
Whole sequence entered in one go and successful arrival – 5 points
Using Beebots and Roamers

6. Using Beebots and Roamers
Maths identification
What mathematical understanding is being developed? What mathematical skills are being developed? What mathematical thinking is being developed?
Using Beebots and Roamers

7. Using Beebots and Roamers
Roamer basic commands
Press “CM” twice BEFORE you start
If you don’t Clear Memory, Roamer will do what you ask as well as everything the previous commands said too!
Press direction key
Press numerical key
Press “go”
Using Beebots and Roamers

8. Using Beebots and Roamers
Try different things
Try to move the Roamer around the room
Try putting more than one command in at a time
Possible activities
Roamer mats
Mazes with Rt angles
Mazes with 45deg angles
Slaloms
10 pin bowling
Using Beebots and Roamers

9. More complicated Roamer
Drawing specific shapes
Square, rectangle
Triangles (what thought processes required)
Other polygons
Using the pen holders
(This leads into using Logo)
Using Beebots and Roamers

10. FUN!!! Strictly Roam Dancing!
Dress it up
Strictly come dancing! To music (limited by Jon’s collection and what ipods you have!)
Routine must demonstrate turning through 800 degrees and inc forward and backward sections
Routine must include a square, triangle and another polygon
Using Beebots and Roamers

11. Using Beebots and Roamers
What maths? Advantages?
What mathematical understanding could these robots develop? Are there advantages? Disadvantages? Where next?
Using Beebots and Roamers

12. Using Beebots and Roamers
What now?
Over Christmas???!!!!!!
Play with a roamer
Design an activity for students to become aware of the potential of using floor robots
This material was used in one of the series of CPD workshops that formed the four day course ‘Leading and supporting the development of digital technologies in mathematics’. This course, delivered in two sets of two-day sessions, was funded by the NCETM and written and tutored by members of the Association of Mathematics Education Teachers (AMET) and National Association of Mathematics Advisors (NAMA). Over 50 people followed the course with representatives from the ITE sector, Local Authorities and teachers from schools (primary, secondary and further education).
Using Beebots and Roamers