Coding and Robotics

Coding and robotics have become increasingly popular in the elementary classroom in recent years. Students are developing coding skills earlier than ever, even as early as preschool! Teachers are having to stay on top of these new developments and find new and exciting ways to adapt the everchanging needs of students into their classrooms.  

              Robotics and coding can be used in any subject in the classroom in a variety of ways. They have been thought to be more math and science related, but it has been proven that they can be incorporated into subjects such as literature or art. Robotics can be used to retell a story using a floor grid. The grid can be set up with different story elements and students can code the robot to go to different places or events from the story as they sequence it. Students have also been able to incorporate coding and robotics into art lessons by having small robots perform different movements to create a drawing or painting. While students are using coding and robotics in various subjects, they are, of course, breaking the subject boundaries and participating in multidisciplinary activities.

              There are many different items or programs that can be purchased for educators that are just beginning to incorporate robotics into their classrooms. For students aged 5-7, an app called Scratch Jr. can be used to introduce the concepts into the classroom. This app allows students to program choices throughout an interactive story. Bee-Bots are another introductory level robot that can be used in the elementary classroom. They can be purchases for $90 each. While this may seem pricy, there are many ways to get funding for such advanced technology in the classroom. The same company also offers a grid mat for $70 and an alphabet (great for spelling activities) for $50. When thinking about purchasing your first robot for your classroom, this should be a good contender. As for me, in my own future classroom, if I am able to acquire the funds, the Bee-Bot will be high on my list of first purchases. There are so many incredible ways to use this tool in a classroom, and I am excited to show my future students how amazingly fun coding and robotics can be. 

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