My Beebot Journey

After some trial and error, I figured out how to control the Beebot.

The left and right arrows turn the Beebot around.

The pause button can make the Beebot pause in the middle of the code.

The front arrow causes the Beebot to move forward.

Stage 1 is action-based and involves real experiences and thinking by doing.

In the classroom

Children should be allowed to play with the Beebots and figure out themselves how it works to complete this stage

Teacher's may provide a 'story mat' and allow the children to create their own stories using Beebot. This links with literacy.

The others in their group will then lay out the instructions for Beebot's journey using the visual command cards. By craeting a storyline, this activity links with literacy.

Lastly, the children will enter the code and watch Beebot's journey.

Jerome Bruner's constructivist theory provides a broad framework for instruction based on cognitive research.

His work suggest that learners, at any age, can learn new material as long as organized instruction is provided.

Three distinct kinds of representation can be used to organize this. 

The stages are:

I could lay the Beebot on a number line and pose some math sums to the children. They could then code the Beebot to land on the correct answer.

I could also use Beebot to introduce the children to mapping and co-ordinates.

After the instructions have been written out using the mathematic symbols (link to maths), the code may be entered.

Beebot can be used in many different ways !

This is a clip of my partner and I familiarizing ourselves with how the Beebot works.

This is a clip of our Beebot's journey to the vegetable garden!

After I took my Beebot all around the farm, I wondered what else I could do with Beebot.

I could use Beebot to teach children about coding.

I could use Beebot in English by placing pictures that represent different parts of a story on the ground and have the children retell the story by correctly coding the Beebot to the pictures in the correct order.

I could then have them make their own stories !

Firstly, I decided I wanted to take my Beebot to the vegetable garden. Then I had to figure out the correct code to use to get my Beebot to this destination (Beebot did end up in the lake a few times!). Next, I pressed the specific buttons required to complete my code.

Stage 2 is image-based, with signs, diagrams, and pictures used to represent thinking without the need for action. There emphasis is on using visual command cards.

In the classroom

Children may be split up into groups or pairs for this activity. One student may chose a co-ordinate on the map for where they want the Beebot to go.

The use of co-ordinates links maths with this activity.

Next, I coded Beebot to go on some journeys around the farm !

The symbolic/abstract stage is language based and involves knowledge being stored primarily as words and mathematical symbols.

In the classroom:

Children may again be split up into groups or pairs for this activity. One child will be given the task of selecting a co-ordinate for Beebot to visit. Then another child will write out the instructions using symbols. For example, if the child wants the Beebot to go forward three squares, turn right and go forward two squares, the code could be (F3,R1,F2).

Code : F - Forward B - Back R - Right L - Left P - Pause G - Go C - Clear