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The Lego Robolab. Claire Lines Greenlawn Junior School New Inn Torfaen. The Lego Robolab. This presentation is intended to supply some ideas for use in cross-curricular activities, acquiring basic skills, the setting of challenges and the interpretation of ready made programmes.
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The Lego Robolab Claire Lines Greenlawn Junior School New Inn Torfaen
The Lego Robolab This presentation is intended to supply some ideas for use in cross-curricular activities, acquiring basic skills, the setting of challenges and the interpretation of ready made programmes.
Creativity with Control Technology
Control activities encourage children to develop sequencing skills through the use of a control language. They will learn to appreciate the importance of accuracy in entering sequences of commands. Children should be provided with the opportunity to experiment with sensors (inputs) and outputs such as lights, buzzers and motors. Children should question, observe, predict, measure and reach conclusions through a variety of activities, giving them an insight into how I.T is being used increasingly in the outside world to control our environment. WHY CHOOSE LEGO? It’s easy to use – icon based programming – no typing! It’s motivating It’s challenging It’s cross-curricular!
Pressure sensor Program Pressure sensor Forwards Backwards Light Light sensor Light sensor Time Once Loop
If teachers are to develop creativity, in the cross-curricular use of the Lego Robolab, then it is necessary for them to combine implementation of skills and stimulation of the imagination. Skill and imagination provides children with the ability to create. When children are being creative they will be seen to demonstrate the qualities outlined below. Imaginative Inventive Productive Creative Artistic Original Inspired Innovative Resourceful
On studying the Common Requirements section of the National Curriculum, creativeness featured twice, once in key skills and once with regard to further progression of gifted and talented pupils. KEY SKILLS. Key skills are to be integrated into all areas of the curriculum and the Lego Robolab is a versatile tool, which has the potential of linking creative skills with all subjects.
GIFTED AND TALENTED. Creative thinking is considered a skill to be encouraged in gifted and talented pupils, however, I feel that if ALL children are allocated sufficient time and resources they may ALL develop to be creative thinkers, at a level appropriate to them individually.
The road is set up in the classroom with a set of accompanying rules. These rules, along with the layout of the road, can be adapted at any time to increase difficulty level. The vehicle must stop when it reaches road works (traffic cones). The vehicle must stop when it reaches traffic lights. The vehicle must play music when it stops near to a single yellow line. The vehicle must have its’ light on when it stops near to double yellow lines. The vehicle must stop at a zebra crossing before proceeding over it. The vehicle must not crash into any of the buildings at the side of the road. Road Rules.
Masking tape can be used to mark a maze or a route on the floor, which the children have to program the Lego car around. The maze/route can be adapted to suit level of ability. Pupils can be provided with pre-printed sequences of commands to predict the layout of a maze. Pupils may also create their own mazes/routes for fellow pupils to travel through. A Simple route. Pupils can be asked: Can you change this route to make it harder? Can you change this route to make it easier? Can you change this route to make it more interesting?
The most effective method of children acquiring the skills they need to operate the car is practical experience. As a regular activity (perhaps daily) pupils should be provided with the opportunity to use the Lego Robolab. Basic task cards, as seen below, can be ‘created’ by either teacher or children. The aim of the task card is to introduce a new skill for every task attempted. Cards could be colour coded to differentiate, by which pilot level the task is for and by which pilot level the children ‘create’ a task for. Tasks can only be created within the limitations of the pilot level (Some may seem ridiculously simple, but will be harder than you expected!) Some examples of the basic skills children will acquire are as follows: Programming the car to travel forwards and stop in a specified place. Programming the car to travel with the music on. Programming the car to travel with the light on. Programming the car to travel around a round-a-bout. Programming the car to turn a corner. Programming the car to travel forwards, stop, and reverse backwards to a specified location. Programming the car to travel forwards and crash into a specified target using the pressure sensor to stop the vehicle.
After children have acquired the basic skills necessary to operate the equipment, at a variety of pilot levels, they may then begin to combine the skills with imagination to be creative thinkers/learners in the use of the Lego Robolab. Children can: Create a program to present to classmates in order for them to predict the outcome. Create task cards for varying pilot levels. Create challenges for classmates to complete. Create a program to accompany a pre-printed maze. Create competitions for classmates and other classes to compete in. Create their own way of using the Lego Robolab to present/explore a topic.
When using the Lego Robolab, as a tool for introducing creativity into areas of the curriculum, it is important to remember that: The basic skills are best taught in isolation first. The Lego Robolab should not be used for the sake of it, there should be a clear reason for using the car. Try to remember that control is not the focus of the lesson and children should operate the car effectively to acquire, investigate or present information linked directly to the subject. You should encourage children to experiment with the different ways that the Lego Robolab can be used and ask them, when using the car, to be: * IMAGINATIVE* * INVENTIVE* * ORIGINAL* * ARTISTIC* * PRODUCTIVE* * RESOURCEFUL* * INNOVATIVE*
Using Lego Robolab creatively, in other areas of the curriculum Science – W.I.L asks, ‘Can I describe the journey of a chip through the digestive system?’ Why not disguise the Lego Robolab as a chip and have a digestive system marked out on the classroom floor? Pupils can then programme the car to travel as a chip through the digestive system in the correct sequence. Pupils can be presented with three/four questions in the form of a N.I.K.I answers to allow teachers to assess their understanding of the topic. Great fun for pupils and teachers alike (Little writing = Little marking) English – W.I.L asks, ‘Can I write a set of instructions?’ Allow pupils to build a basic car with the Lego – the catch is they have to write a set of instructions to inform others of how to construct the car! The year 5 boys are desperate to build a Lego car – Why not use this to your advantage and link it with the instructional writing?