Week 5: Digital Media and Computer Control Across the Curriculum

In our workshop today, we looked at the looked at the definition of computer control. It was defined as a set of instructions programmed into a machine, which causes it to operate in a predetermined manner. Examples of computer control inside and outside the home include: washing machines; central heating; t.v; traffic lights and barcode scanners. They are widely used for there many advantages: they never lose concentration; are cheaper to employ than humans and can repeat the same instructions over and over again.

Example of Programmable Toys and Robots.

• Pixie
• Pippin
• Beebot

The Beebot

What is it?

Bee-bot is a colourful programmable floor robot suitable for children in Early Key Stage 1. It allows young children to learn through play about control, directional language and programming, providing a perfect hands on introduction to robotics. Its easy to use with big arrow buttons and and is suitable for children of all abilities. It has a memory of upto 40 steps.

What Skills and Knowledge can it develop?

According to Iram and john Siraj-Blatchford (2006), significant advantage of programable toys like the Beebot includes the simplicity of the interface which provides support for young children,  allowing them to be able to simply and easily programme.  Bee-Bot can be used to support the development of skills throughout a wide range of areas. It allows learners to give a range of instructions from easy to more complex. They can be very useful for pupils with SEN to develop stage sequences using a variety of activity mats. In addition, it can be used for the development of fine motor skills through using the directional buttons. It can support imaginative play through the use of commercial or school designed covers. It allows learners to demonstrate skills in more ways than traditional sources. Its support for the development of key skills makes it a very positive ICT resource for early years in schools. Requiring the entry of logical statements in a set order to execute a sequence of commands to a floor robot or an on-screen simulation, with the end result being to follow a pre-determined path, building on the learning which has gone on before.  And while each of these programs share the same programming logical language (forward, back, and up etc), each age group of pupils will find one which suits them better.

  

  

Extended and Differentiated Activities  

The Beebot can be used in the primary classroom to promote practical learning in mathematics. For example developing pupils awareness of shape, position and movement, angle, measurement & problem solving . The Beebot can be used with shape mats to develop pupils programming skills their visual awareness of different kinds of shapes. Other popular mats include the alphabet mat, the Treasure Island mat, the Busy Street mat and the transparent mat. To differentiate this activities the teacher may give simple programming instructions to less able children and guess whats at that location. For more able children the teacher may give pupils more complex patterns and sequences, them to come up with their own sequences to get to different locations and

"The trick, of course, in a primary classroom is to make the mathematics age and stage appropriate, and to set the required problem-solving in a context which will help engage all learners.  Thus the robot becomes whatever the creative teacher and pupils want it to be, and the journey or route for that robot then becomes a part of a story".

(Malcolm Wilson, ICT Curriculum Development Officer for Falkirk Council Education Services)

Further Websites

https://blogs.glowscotland.org.uk/fa/ICTFalkirkPrimaries/2011/04/20/beebot-to-logo/

www.bee-bot.co.uk 
 http://elresources.skola.edu.mt/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/doc_669_2468_beebotguideA4v2.pdf

Until next time, Goodbye!