Robots!

In K-2 Morning STEAM Club, we explored robots! Our lab has one Wonder Workshop Dash Robot and we just got 6 Ozobots! We used these and two students had Dash and Dot Robots at home, so brought them in to share. I didn't give much instruction today, as I really wanted students to dive right in, explore, and I wanted to see for my own information, how intuitive the robots were. With Dash and Dot, students who had them at home paired with others. With the Ozobots, I set up the app and showed students how they could draw paths and add in commands. The kids had so much fun. This was a very unstructured time for them. It was great to see how their independence, confidence, and problem solving skills come into play. I was also impressed with their ingenuity. They created obstacles and houses for the robots, made music, and raced.

I highly recommend either robots. Dash and Dot really appeal to younger students because of its size and "cute factor." There are multiple apps for them to challenge a wide array of levels. I still need to explore Ozobots a bit more, but so far the kids love them. I like that the Ozobots don't require the advanced Bluetooth that Dash/Dot robots require, allowing us to use them on older iPads.