1. Elementary Robots – What’s Not to Love?
Terry Smith
Havens School – Piedmont USD
@steamterry
Entire presentation can
be found here

2. Google Expeditions – Happy to Share My Experience
Video Link

3. Goal:
Overview and Introduction to some low cost Robots for use in elementary classrooms and how to use them.
Plan for Today
Brief Introduction
Why Robots?
Meet the Robots
They’re Cute but How are they Educational?
Activities and Opportunities
Final Questions

4. Some Quick Background Programmer, Systems Engineer, Project Manager
20+ years teaching coding to kids
Classroom teacher – 5th Grade
Technology, Science, Math specialist
District adopted CSTA standards 2 years ago
Implemented 1st-5th grade coding curriculum last year with 400+ students
Coming February – STEAM-In.org
Disclaimer

5. Havens Rocks the Bots

6. Why Robots?

11. Robots We Considered Dash & Dot Ozobot Sphero Parrot Mini-drone Thymio
Probot – Robotic Car

12. Instructions to 5th Graders
Record what you think about using robot on the padlet
Team - research your robot and record your results on the form
Create a Team slideshow to share your ideas with the class

13. When I asked the students pro’s and con’s…
Word cloud of student padlet responses to ‘”Educational Pros and Cons of Robots?”

14. What I was thinking….
Developing skills and strategies students will need in the future and which are part of the Computer Science standards
Develop Algorithmic and Computational Thinking
Experience choosing technology wisely
Problem solving best uses of technology
Prototyping, testing, debugging
Troubleshooting – identifying exact problems
Finding workarounds
Fluency in different types of coding languages and devices
Communicating directions to other users
Demonstrating new technology to other users

15. 5th Grade Classroom Presentation

16. The Vote
Totally Inconclusive

18. Meet Our Robots Dash & Dot Ozobot Sphero Parrot Mini-drone
Probot – Robotic Car
BeeBot
Replaced Thymio because we had them and Thymio was expensive and least popular choice

19. Robotics
A Running Target

20. What we’ve learned so far
In order of my personal preference

21. Dash & Dot Pro Sturdy Con Education focused On the expensive side
Cost: Dash $150 Dot $ device to program
Pro
Sturdy
Education focused
Fun accessories
(catapult, tow, lego, xylophone)
Android & iOS Apps
Lots of sensors and functions
Lesson plans are building
Blockly language + new Wonder App
Wonder League - competition
Con
On the expensive side
Intro Video 3:20
Source: Wonder Workshop

22. OzoBot Pro Inexpensive – no added device needed
Cost: Ozobot 1.0 $50 Ozobot 2.0 $60 + device to program
Pro
Inexpensive – no added device needed
Uses a completely different form of programming – color code
2.0 version uses Blockly
Can experiment easily
Con
Limited use
Challenging to get to do what you want
Some markers don’t work – come out with their own
Source: Amazon
Demo Video 1:30

23. Sphero Pro Sturdy – water and pet proof Fun accessories
Cost: $ device to program
Pro
Sturdy – water and pet proof
Fun accessories
(ramps, bridges, terrain park)
Android & IOS Apps
Tickle + Sprk languages
Con
‘toy’ focus – lots of games
Functions a bit limited
Demo Video 2:30
Source: Sphero Spark for Education

24. Beebot & Blue Bot Pro Con Sturdy & kid friendly
Cost: Beebot $ Blue Bot $ device to program
Pro
Sturdy & kid friendly
Easy accessibility - buttons
Android & IOS Apps + Terrapin Logo for Blue Bot
Education focus – but mostly outside US
Con
Expensive for what it does
Functions limited
Source: Terrapin
Demo Video 4:22

25. Thymio Pro Con Versatile set of sensors and functions Expensive
Cost: $199 plus laptop to program
Pro
Versatile set of sensors and functions
Unique visual programming language – ASEBA
Lego connections
Education focus – but mostly outside US
Con
Expensive
Limited US distribution
Source: TechKids
Demo Video 3:27

26. Probot Pro Con Sturdy Expensive for what it does Drawing capability
Cost: $ $160 with Logo language + device to program
Pro
Sturdy
Drawing capability
Direct button programming
Terrapin Logo can be used
Education focus – but mostly outside US
Con
Expensive for what it does
Functions limited
Button/code interface feels outdated
Source: Terrapin
Demo Video 8:00

27. Parrot Mini-drone Pro Cool factor It flies Android & IOS Apps
Cost: $75-$ device to program + extra batteries and charger
Pro
Cool factor
It flies
Android & IOS Apps
Tickle language
Con
8 minute battery life
Hassles with the software
Source: Amazon
Demo Video :48
Demo video 1:38

28. Got the Robots – Now What?

29. Let the kids figure it out…
Follow your Algorithm
Create A ‘Quick Start Guide’ for your robot
Create a demo to teach others how your robot works

30. Insert video of 5th robotics projects
Click on image for video

31. Ozobot Challenge – No code at first…

32. 1st - 3rd Grade Beebot Sequence
Free exploration – Can you figure out how these buttons work?

33. How big is a Beebot step?

34. Get the Bee to the Flower and Back
Freeform using measuring stick
With grids
Add obstacles
Video Link

35. Beebot Story Challenges
Math Games

36. Mazes & Obstacle Courses
A great way to practice measurement and angles
Both building and running

37. Robot Olympics – Girls Science Club put it on for the primary kids.
Joaquin Miller School - Oakland

38. Dash & Dot Competition Activities
Problem solving challenges…

39. Jackson Pollock Paintings done with Sphero

40. Solar System Model – Using Sphero – done by 3rd Graders

41. Adds timing to angles, speed, direction…
Make them Dance
Adds timing to angles, speed, direction…
100 Dancing Robots Come to Life
Making of 100 Dancing Robots Video

43. Elementary Robots – What’s Not to Love?
Terry Smith
Havens School – Piedmont USD
@steamterry
Entire presentation can
be found here