technology with intention
STEM: Lego Mindstorm Movement
STEM students returned from break and jumped back into the Mindstorm NXT programming that we began back in March. Today’s class was presented with 3 challenges:
- Make your robot climb an inclined plane and then traverse a table top, stopping within 1.5 cm of the far edge. Students were encouraged to succeed in this challenge using 3 different variables: wheel rotations, time and distance.
- Send your robot at least 10 feet away from its point of origin and then return to within a 6cm radius of the starting location.
- Program your robot to travel in a figure 8.
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Another Great idea that I plan to borrow from. I have been struggling with trying to spread out two NXT kits to over 20 students. I think I can now safely break them into groups trying to solve your 3 programming challenges. Grade 7/8/9 students in Edmonton, Alberta will attempt to solve those programming challenges. I may encourage them to post questions and comments here if they run into any barriers that cannot be solved on their own. Rather than asking me they will find out from other contacts (your brilliant students) online. Can I ask you how many kits you work with and how many students work on each kit at any given time?
Thanks again for all of the great ideas.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the questions.
Kits: As of last week, we have 10 for 30 students. We did this with a grant, and have been working and muddling to try and spread fewer kits among students. 3 students per team seems idea as everyone stays involved and learns to work as a team with teacher oversight.
Challenges: Prior to having so many kits, we would have students sketch out possible solutions (either on paper or in the Mindstorms NXT software) and then share them in small groups, offering each other feedback. This would happen before we uploaded programs to the bricks and saw the results.
Jac
[...] their study of programming and creative problem solving with Lego Mindstorms. Building on our study of robot movement last week, we were presented with 3 new challenges this week, all requiring [...]