After what seemed like many days of waiting, it was finally time to make our robots. The learning was messy (as it often is), but so much fun! The students had great ideas about what their robots could do and worked hard to make their visions work. Check their individual blogs on the right to see their final products and to hear them describe what their robot can do.
This week we we’ve been learning about programming and robots. We tried writing programming instructions for each other and then played a programming game called Kodable.
Today, we got to try programming a real robot.
This past week we participated in four Lego Challenges.
The first challenge was for students to make their name with Lego. There were lots of ways the students chose to do this. You can see all of their tweeted names here.
The second challenge was to create the largest Lego boat possible that would float and not tip over. Testing the boats was the BEST part of this challenge. Again, there are pictures and tweets from all of the students about their creation here.
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The next day, Lego Challenge 3 was to design part of the ideal playground. Look closely and you’ll see a urinal. What would a playground be without it?
Lego Challenge 4 was to design something using only one colour of blocks. The variety was impressive.
Lots of fun, cooperation and hands on learning.
Our classroom was a hive of activity today as we started making robots. Here are a couple that are already completed.
We are currently doing a robot unit which includes robots in all curricular areas. Along with it, we are figuring out all the interesting things our KIBO robot can do. There’s lots of enthusiasm using this great learning tool!
Thanks to Constable Kent Westrom, we all know a lot more about how to be safe on our bikes. The students each chose their own way to show what they had learned. The following student creations are examples of the most popular iPad app choices. Check each student’s blog for the way he or she chose to express him/herself.
Pic Collage for Kids
Popplet
Book Creator
Now that the baby pheasants are safely on the farm where they will be raised, we have some tiny caterpillars in our classroom. So far, they are just doing a lot of eating, but we are hoping for butterflies some day.
We had one of the Tornado Hunters at our school! Chris Chittick, who lives in Regina, came to talk to us the day before he left with his team to go film tornados for the new season. He showed us lots of great video of tornados and told us about how they form and how to be safe if a tornado ever came here.
We often create on our iPads, but this week the students are using technology for research to help them create on paper.
It was pretty exciting to get to school and to see that two of the pheasant eggs we have been carefully tending since March finally had tiny peck holes in them.
We watched the eggs carefully all day but despite lots of rocking and squeals of delight from the children, nothing else happened. Finally, in a break near the end of the day, I went to pick up a couple of chicks that had hatched in another classroom who had had better luck. As you can see from the pictures below, this was what the children had been hoping for.
Several years ago, when the pheasants were more cooperative about hatching, I made this video of the process. It captures the students’ excitement and how the babies “get out of there”.