Welcome to week number 2 of my Digital technologies blog. I do hope that you enjoyed last week’s blog and have come back for more.

This week we were learning about how programmable toys can be used in the classroom and how they can be used across multiple curricular areas. The specific programmable toy we were using was the Beebot. (see picture below).

So, what exactly is a programmable toy? What does it do? How can it be used to aid in the learning of children? And what is a Beebot? Well, all shall be answered in the very near future, so I’d keep reading if I were you.

A programmable toy is exactly what it sounds like, it is a toy which can be easily programmed to follow a set of instructions. For example, the Beebot programmable toy is a robot that looks like a bee which can be programmed to follow directions. The beebot has arrow buttons on the top (forwards, backwards, left and right) which can be pressed in a sequence to give the robot its instructions. Once the user presses the go button the robot follows the sequence as programmed into it. The Beebot can hold up to 40 commands at a single time.

Today’s task was to create a Map for the Beebot to run on. This map had to contain squares 15cm x 15cm, since that is how far the Beebot travels for each instruction. Furthermore, the map had to have a theme linking into at least two or more curricular areas, as to show a degree of learning from using the Beebot and to highlight that it is more than a toy.

The map I created had a very simple design in the form that it was a simple blank 5×4 grid. With this grid I made up some instruction cards with different co-ordinates on them and printed out some pictures which were all bee-related. My map was centred around using co-ordinates and developing problem solving skills therefore my map weas centred around mathematics, as well as fitting with technologies and early programming. For the use of my Beebot map to be successful then some prior learning is required. Pupils must have a basic understanding of co-ordinates and how to reference/identify them on a grid.

My Beebot map fits into the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) experiences and outcomes (E’s & O’s) for mathematics and technologies. I discovered that there are no E’s & O’s for problem solving in CfE. This surprised me until I was informed that problem solving is no longer a separate curricular area and is integrated across the curriculum hence why there are no specific E’s & O’s for problem-solving.

The E’s & O’s I found which relate to my Beebot map are from first level and are as follows:

Position and movement: (MTH 1-17a)

“I can describe, follow and record routes and journeys using signs, words and angles associated with direction and turning.”

Programming: (TCH 1-15a)

“I can demonstrate a range of basic problem-solving skills by building simple programs to carry out a given task, using an appropriate language.”

The way in which my map is used is, the “player” selects a card from the pile. They place the Beebot on the starting square and place the objects on the squares as indicated on the card, there could be between 1 and 6 objects on the map at any one time depending on the difficulty of the card. Beebot is then programmed to pass over every square on the map which does not have an object on it, each square can only be passed over once. This is the problem-solving challenge in my map, however, I accidentally discovered that the path the Beebot must follow to cover all free squares is much more obvious when there are more objects on the map. This seems obvious when it is thought about however it was a revelation when I first noticed it as I was concentrating more on the co-ordinates.

My map didn’t take particularly long to create as it was just a simple grid, the objects were created easily as they were pictures printed from the computer the difficulty came when trying to come up with different bee-related objects. The instruction cards took the longest time to create as I had to figure out different paths for the Beebot to follow which fitted the brief of how my map is used. After much trial and error mixes with plenty of scribbling I developed a decent number of instruction cards.

The Beebot can be used to introduce the concept direction and directional language or to support the learning of directions. However, the Beebot can be used for so much more based on the map that is used. My map supports the learning of directions and the learning of co-ordinates as well as developing the child’s problem-solving skills. Each programmable toy has a different function and can support learning in different ways and developing different skills. Programmable toys provide a simple platform for introducing learners into programming which can lead on to more advanced programming such as coding and potentially a future in software development.

Signing off.

References:

Education Scotland. (2019) Curriculum for excellence Experiences and Outcomes [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-(building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5)/Experiences%20and%20outcomes [Accessed: 6th April 2019].