Sphero Map *Photo taken by me* What I gained from this experienceįrom this experience I gained more knowledge about technology in general, and also more knowledge about how technology can be incorporated into the classroom to foster student development in computational thinking. Pattern recognition allowed us to code at a quicker pace as we progressed through the maze. We could gauge the distance on the physical maze and the certain degrees, speed, and time that we needed to code for Sphero on the iPad, so that Sphero could achieve the maze. As we were going through the individual codes such as “Roll 0 degrees at 50 Speed for 2 Seconds”, “Delay 2 Seconds”, and “Roll 90 degrees at 50 Speed for 2 Seconds” to get Sphero to move forward and then turn a corner, we started to recognize patterns in the code. This task required algorithm design because it was a step-by-step process of inserting blocks of codes to make up the entire code that caused Sphero to complete the maze. One of our tasks was to partner up and make Sphero roll through a pre-designed maze by coding it on the iPads. Sphero Coding screen with Sphero EDU app *Photo taken by me* This also required abstraction because when coding Sphero to move in a square-like pattern, we could eliminate the other functions like “lights and sounds” because we only needed “movements” and “controls” to make Sphero move. This involved some experimentation at first, because we had to learn what each part of the code did, how to adjust speed, how to adjust distance, and which angle to use to make Sphero roll a certain direction. It could get overwhelming having so many options, but we were able to narrow down the options into the ones we needed to complete a task. This process involved decomposition because we had to choose between a large variety of code options (movements, lights and sounds, controls, etc.) based on what we wanted to accomplish. When creating a new code, we chose to do a “Block Program”, which gave us a blank screen where we could drag and drop different actions for Sphero to complete. The app allows you to create multiple programs of saved code. To code our Spheros, we used the Sphero EDU app on iPads from METRC library at NC State University. To learn more about Sphero Sprk+ click here! Sphero Sprk+ is connected! *Photo taken by me* The first step was to activate Sphero, and we had to use Bluetooth to connect an iPad to a Sphero Sprk+ which “lit up” in response to its connection. The Sphero is a sphere-shaped robot that moves by “rolling”, can light up different colors, and can activate different sounds based on the codes you choose. I would have loved to have Sphero integrated into the Elementary Curriculum because I think it would have helped students get more acclimated to technology at a younger age, and it would’ve been brought about in a fun way to keep students engaged. Like with the Piper Kit, I was thinking “I’m not a Computer Science major! I’m an Elementary Education major!” However, after working with Sphero, I’ve realized that there are applications out there that can allow younger students to learn how to code, and in a fun way! At my elementary school, the only technology we ever really used was in the computer lab, and we only worked with computer games. Like most people, my mindset was that coding was only really used in Computer Science and was too complicated to try and introduce to younger students. The goal of this assignment was to see how coding can be used in areas of Education that aren’t just Computer Science and how it can be used to foster the 4 components of computational thinking: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithm design.Īt first, I was hesitant to work with Sphero because I thought it would be really complicated. We learned how to work with coding on a basic level as we connected the Spheros to an iPad app and coded them to move through different maze patterns. Hi again! I’m back, with more information about how I’ve been using technology in the classroom! Last month, in ECI 201, we worked with Sphero Robots to connect computational thinking to a new concept: Coding.
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