Summer SAVY Session 2, Day 5 – Intro to Coding and Robotics (Wheelock)
Day 5: We were in full programming mode on our last day! These programmers know how to use their new vocabulary, so not only can they walk the walk, but they can also talk the talk. They put together all of the skills they acquired this week and developed a fun program in the Sprite lab. It was so fun for them to present their programs to the class. We saw everything from Flappy Bird games and dance parties to new Minecraft missions. They can log into code.org on a computer at home and continue this lesson if they did not finish.
The students worked hard towards their goal of completing their robot today. We ended with an official group meeting to present their Lego robots. Each group had to answer the following questions:
- What physical features does your robot have that make it move?
- What sensors does it have? Why does it need the sensor?
- How did you program it to move?
- What else do you want to share about your robot?
Programmers independently adjusted their programs after failures and made design improvements after each try. The teamwork was the most impressive, especially when things were frustrating. I was amazed by the intuition, work ethic, motivation, and depth of thought that these programmers exhibited throughout the week. I hope they continue to enjoy programming and it inspires them to take the initiative to learn more on their own.
Tonight ask your programmers:
- What did you program your Lego Boost to do that made it move successfully, such as a start block?
- What did not work well for your robot during programming that you had to change?
- What was your favorite thing about the week at programming and robotics?