Teach Students Teamwork with Programmable Robots
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
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| robot kits for kids |
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
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