Robolink

While building and coding a robot may sound like a big ask of students, it’s easy to find a programmable robot kit meant for school-age children. These kits are excellent tools for teaching students teamwork and collaboration, as well as practical STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills.

Designing the Robot

First comes designing and building the robot as a team. Try to find a kit with multiple builds and configurations, as a modular robot kit requires the students to agree on what type of robot they will create. They will have to decide as a team what their goal is, and design around that goal. Does the robot need to complete tasks? Navigate a maze? Go toe-to-toe in a sumo ring with another robot?

They will have to build off a blueprint or develop their own to complete their goals. If the robot has a pre-determined build, assign team members specific jobs, such as sorting pieces, reading the build instructions, and building parts. It will take the whole team to build the robot, and they’ll have to communicate instructions clearly.

Coding Together

Next comes coding. The students will need to work as a team to figure out how to code the robot to do what they want. While this may sound daunting, robot kits for kids are aimed at teaching students how to program, with some focusing on programming AI. Students can tackle different aspects of the code, such as discrete actions or aspects of machine learning, before combining all of the code into a single program.

Students can look over each other’s code for any mistakes, collaborating to complete the project. Allowing teams to share their code means learning how others approached certain problems in the coding. This leads to asking questions and working together to find the best solution to a problem. In a competition, this can lead to innovations on how to perfect their own code, even if robots are built differently.

Solving Problems

Solving problems as a whole team builds teamwork and works especially well if individuals are responsible for different tasks and must communicate with one another to create a successful project. Giving each person in the group one of the two roles, either builder or coder, allows this sort of collaboration. The builders are responsible for not just creating the robot but tweaking the physical build to perform more efficiently. The coders take responsibility for creating and troubleshooting the programs that control the robot’s actions. Each team must communicate clearly and work together to ensure that the robot, as a whole, performs its intended functions. Communication is a large part of building and programming a robot, especially if the builders are not the coders.

About Robolink

San Diego-based Robolink has been encouraging students to engage with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) since 2012, with a mission to make STEM education accessible, engaging, and fun. They do so with fun robotics kits that are packed with real tech, aimed at students and hobbyists alike. Their team believes in nurturing future innovators and inventors, and they are passionate about robotics, engineering, and education. Robolink operates two hands-on learning centers in their hometown and also runs after-school programs in 15 San Diego County elementary and middle schools.

See for yourself how Robolink’s educational robot and drone kits can help your classroom learn teamwork through coding at Robolink.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2DIeSgD

As the seasons change, the weather limits outside activities, forcing kids indoors. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in a fun and engaging way. Here are a few ideas for your kids or students to have fun and learn indoors while the weather gets colder.
Learn to Code

Technology is all around us, and computer literacy and the ability to code are becoming as important as reading, writing, and math. There are plenty of methods to teach your child programming languages, and lots of options for different ages ranges that vary the challenge.

Some are visual languages, with drag-and-drop blocks of code, while others require typing in the code manually. Your child’s age will likely play a factor in choosing which language they learn and how it is taught.

They could learn Blocky, for example, which allows dragging and dropping. Arduino, on the other hand, requires manual coding but is a real-world programming language used in devices. Once they know the basics, introducing them to Arduino could be the first step in a prosperous career path.

Learning to code can have a real-world impact, increasing engagement as kids discover how devices work, and more importantly, that they can use code to make things happen. It’s a fantastic transferable skill, learning how to code early can help them in college and in the job market.

Build a Robot

Using a robot kit, your future engineer can build their own robot. The best robot kits are modular, giving your child options or the ability to design their own robot. They can start by following the instructions, and then let their imaginations run wild once they’ve grasped the core concepts. It allows them to get creative while also learning engineering skills.

After using blueprints or their own creativity to build the robot, they can program it to do what they want. This could be simple mechanical motions or navigating an obstacle course. Multiple kits can be pit against each other in competitions.

Whether it’s a race through obstacles, sorting items, or pushing the opponent out of a sumo ring, there’s plenty of ways for your children to learn while building and coding a robot kit.

Fly a Drone with Code

Putting the previous two skills together for a more advanced option, your child can build and program a drone kit.

The drone kit combines creativity in programming with critical thinking. If the drone doesn’t fly as expected, they have to examine the code for potential errors, then tweak it to fix the error. This also teaches patience and persistence, as they may have to keep trying, over and over, slightly altering the code until the drone performs as expected.

Interacting with drones can also give them a better perception of our technology-driven world and how we interact with technology. They become active creators and participants, rather than passive consumers of technology. It will give your child an appreciation for the world around them, all while having fun flying a drone.

About Robolink

Robolink started encouraging students to engage with STEM in 2012 using fun, educational, and cute programmable robot kits packed with real tech. Passionate about robotics, engineering, and education, the Robolink team believes in nurturing future inventors and innovators. They operate two learning centers in San Diego, CA, and 15 after-school programs in elementary and middle schools throughout San Diego County. Their goal is to make STEM education accessible, engaging, and fun for both students and hobbyists.

Get your own robot and drone kits at Robolink.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2NzxpAn

Students who learn to code obviously gain coding skills, but there are other soft skills they will learn as well. For example, by using a robot kit, students can learn both to build the bot and to code its behavior. As part of a group or team, they learn to work together, divide labor, and set priorities. These and other skills are often transferrable to future jobs or classes, making coding a valuable activity for students.

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Coding requires critical thinking. It takes time and energy to understand the problem and figure out the best way to tackle it. Is the drone kit they just coded not flying as expected? Why not? Exploring the cause and effect relationship, which can be seen immediately in bots after loading a program, can help students identify the problem in the code, and give them clues about how to fix it. They might have to analyze lines of code until an error is found or come up with an entirely new code to deal with a problem that arises. They might have to get creative in their problem-solving or look to their peers’ code for ideas, building upon each other’s work.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Building and coding a programmable robot is a natural outlet for teamwork and collaboration. First comes designing the bot as a team, and after building it, multiple people can work on the code. Learning how others created their code, asking questions, and working together to find a solution to a problem are all valuable skills learned through coding as a team. Communication is a large part of building and programming a bot, especially if the builders are not the coders. In the professional world, it’s essential that coders communicate clearly with their team or clients, so these are great skills for students to practice. They will need to be able to interpret task requirements and what’s possible in a given time frame.

Persistence

Code doesn’t always do exactly what the coder intended. Something might go wrong or there might be errors that are difficult to troubleshoot. It takes persistence to figure out how to get the drone to fly exactly how the student intended. Whether it’s the drone using its sensors and flying using a pre-determined program, or using a remote, it’s possible something is off, and the drone unexpectedly crashes to the ground. Finding and fixing problem after problem until the programming works correctly requires persistence. When confronted with an obstacle, they won’t give up—they will code around it. If something doesn’t work, they’ll have to go back and try again, tweaking the code until the bot completes its task.

Patience

Coding requires patience. It is often not a fast process and can be frustrating. It involves reading, researching, and practice, and coding languages are constantly evolving. Coders never stop learning. Taking the time to pay attention to small details is the key to a successful program, requiring a resilience that only comes through patience. They will make mistakes, and it will be frustrating, but patience and persistence will see them grow as a coder and find a solution.

About Robolink

Since 2012, Robolink has encouraged students to engage with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) using cute, fun, educational robotics kits that are packed with real tech. The Robolink team is passionate about robotics, engineering, and education.They believe in nurturing future inventors and innovators, operating two learning centers in San Diego, CA. They also run after-school programs in 15 elementary and middle schools throughout San Diego County. Making STEM education accessible, engaging, and fun for both students and hobbyists is their ultimate goal.

Gain new skills and learn to code with bots at Robolink.com

Original Source: https://bit.ly/2n5dfoz

Getting students to learn an entirely new language is hard. Learning multiple coding languages can be even more daunting, but tackling those challenges has become an important aspect of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. With technology taking over the world, there are plenty of reasons it’s important for students to learn how to code.

It’s a Digital World

Technology is everywhere. Coding and computer literacy are becoming as important as reading, writing, and math. Learning how to code on a programmable robot can help students understand the world around them better. Most people don’t understand how technology works, and often take it for granted. Sufficiently advanced technology can appear to be magic unless the systems and coding that make it work are understood. This gives students a greater appreciation for the technology working all around them. Coding can have a real-world impact, which increases engagement as students see how they can effect the world around them.

Coding Builds Career Skills

Coding is a skill that can quickly turn into a career. Oracle noted in 2015 that there were 6.8 million job openings in the U.S. that required coding skills. They predicted that there would be a 7.2% growth across all jobs requiring coding skills in the next 10 years. The ability to build a robot kit and program it will teach skills that can transfer to any number of jobs across a variety of job sectors. Plus, coding experience can give students a competitive advantage when applying for colleges and scholarships.

Coding Teaches Creative Problem-Solving and Collaboration

When coding, there can be multiple viable answers to a problem. Students learn creativity and critical thinking while solving these problems. They can express themselves in this language, creating their own code and breaking complex problems down into smaller, solvable parts. They learn persistence and to keep working at a complex problem until it is solved.

Students can use teamwork, tackling different parts of the problem, and in turn, learn collaboration and communication. Figuring out how to make a drone kit fly around obstacles by following the code that a team created teaches all of these skills. A team can use the kit to learn how to code a flying drone, enter it in competition, and work to win through persistence and creative problem-solving. These skills directly translate to experience that’s useful in careers and life.

Coding Activates the Brain

A 2014 study found that five different parts of the brain were activated while students analyzed code for comprehension. The sections were related to memory, attention, and language processing. Language processing, in particular, was deemed essential to understanding the program and how it worked.

Encourage Diversity and Inclusivity

Anyone can learn to code. Any race, gender, or religion can sit down at a computer and write code. Encouraging this diversity and inclusivity early on in a student’s life can lead to more diversity and inclusivity in STEM fields later in life.

About Robolink

Established in 2012, Robolink encourages students to engage with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) using robotics kits that are fun, cute, and packed with real tech. They are passionate about robotics, engineering, and education, and believe in nurturing future inventors and innovators. They currently operate in two learning centers in San Diego, CA, and run after-school programs in 15 elementary and middle schools throughout San Diego County. Their mission is to make STEM education accessible, engaging, and fun for both students and hobbyists.

See for yourself how Robolink’s educational robot and drone kits can help you or your classroom learn to code at Robolink.com

Original Source: http://bit.ly/2LsiIhA