#HummingbirdBit Sphero

[mrsmacbot]

Hello! About Me

Hi.  I’m Elizabeth.  I’m a gifted teacher. I teach “enrichment” classes in two middle schools -- one in a rural small town and one in a very rural very small town. I mostly teach robotics, plus whatever comes along that interests my kids.

Last year I was trained to teach PLTW Vex robotics, which uses big metal parts with big plastic gears.  I also tried to get the students familiar with Raspberry PI, which meant learning a lot about the Pi myself.  I requested the set of 4 Hummingbird kits, which arrived this past fall, and then asked for 2 more in a small grant.

So I’ve been learning to teach with them, to some extent by trial and error.  I started off by having my 6th graders make automata (see https://www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering/projects/cardboard-automata), then carry the “how to build” concepts forward into a new project using the Hummingbird kit elements.

I have an embarrasment of riches - I was able to start them off in coding earlier in the year with Sphero Bolt robots.  Last year we played some with a set of Ozobots, but I think those are better for younger students.

Right now I have a group of four 8th graders plus one 6th grader starting off new robot projects. This time, before I just turned them loose, I made them hook up EVERYTHING in the kit and practice coding each element, including using a sensor to trigger actions. Then I had them build one simple mechanism from the Build page (a different mechanism for each student). After building, they had to explain how the mechanism worked to other students. Now they are working on projects: a corgi DJ, a wrecking ball, and a “teacup ride” (like Disneyland). (I can’t remember the fourth one!)