Bee Bots
Once children understand the theory behind coding (by learning ‘unplugged’, as mentioned in my previous blog), they can then move on to working with physical props. Bee Bots are an excellent way of learning the early basics behind coding. They are essentially bee shaped robots, black and yellow, with directional buttons on the top and wheels on the bottom. They can be programmed to follow a particular pattern, and then the bee bot zooms off, following its prescribed program. It is another example of a machine doing EXACTLY what it has been told, and teaches children about specificity. Here is a Youtube video I used to self-teach myself how to use them. www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ZuenJlFyE In terms of practical application beyond learning to code, the bee bots are also a wonderful tool for teaching space/co-ordinates in maths, electronics (further up the school) in science, and is a great stimulus for writing, DT (make a home for the bee bot) and even orienteering in PE. It is worth noting, even if there are not many bee bots in school, that this learning can also be completed ‘unplugged’. Simply teach it as normal, but use a template image of a bee bot for groups to predict where the bot will end up. This allows children to still be active while they await for the technology to become available.
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