We''ve Gone Bee Bot Crazy!

Isn't this little guy so cute?? He's very smart too! He's the whole package! Six Bee Bots and their charging station arrived in January. It took me a little while to prepare training strips for all 7 grades. I did a great deal of research online and learned that although the Bee Bots go in different directions, the best way to train kids to use them is to go in one direction. So, I created a training strip for each grade, using information that each grade would know but would not be too simple. In my research I found that the bots travel 15 cm at a time, will turn left and right but then have to be "told" to go straight/backwards, and move best on a smooth surface. Below are pics of the training strips I created for the different grades and the bots in their charging station.

I made a really big deal of introducing the Bee Bots to each class and took a significant amount of time making sure the kids understood the functions and capabilities of the bots. Their faces when I would open the box and pull out the cute little Bee Bot were priceless. After the thorough introduction, each student had the chance to program the bot and watch it move to its specified section on the training strip. 

I used some of my tech budget money to purchase a plastic mat that has pockets which are 15 cm. square. It was kind of expensive, but when I thought of ways I might make my own, the time involved was enormous, and I just splurged. Here's where I got it PITSCO. I am printing Bee Bot Mat Cards to go into the mat for different coding activities. I have a pirate map to use for an upcoming Family Night (second/third grade); I have a transportation set to use with Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now during Read Across America (first grade); I will be creating a solar system set for another family night (fourth/fifth grade). These will give different grades the opportunity to use the Bee Bots and practice coding for more than just one direction. I am excited about the card sets and the mat. I have also created a set of task cards to go with each set of mat cards and a sheet for the kids to use to write their algorithm on. (Yes, they have learned the word "algorithm" even in kindergarten and first grade!)  I have a template already made in Canva, and it's easy to just copy and fill in with new pictures, then I print and cut into 15 cm squares. I am storing the sets in sheet protectors in a binder for now.

The kids are having such a good time and are learning so much. I still have to introduce to second, fourth and fifth, but that will happen next week. 

Visit again soon to read about our Pirate STEM Family Night and also see pictures of the bots traveling across the pirate map!