It used to be STEM and now it is STEAM! So what does the A stand for? – It stands for Art! At Togher N.S. we have always liked to incorporate Art into out STEM learning. Scratch is a wonderful example of STEAM – combine artwork with coding to create an animation or game. The children in 3rd and 4th have been busy developing their STEAM skills with Scratch. Scratch is free to download here.
The children in 1st and 2nd were delighted to get their hands on the WeDo 2.0 robotics and coding kits. The WeDo 2.0 kits provides an excellent platform for science learning, offering an innovative way for students to model reality, conduct investigations, and use design skills. This week the children were busy building Milo the science rover.
The children in 5th and 6th opened the boxes of our new EV3 Robotics and Coding equipment. As a School Excellence – Digital School our children have a wonderful opportunity to develop their STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) ability and as a “Hands on Minds on” school these kits perfectly enable our children to explore robotics and coding.
The children in First and Second class really enjoyed their new Bee Bot accessories.
As part of Togher N.S. – School Excellence Digital funding we have been able to purchase some new equipment for our BeeBots. The children in Miss Daly’s room really enjoy these friendly little robots which are a perfect tool for teaching sequencing, estimation and problem-solving. As a “Hands On – Minds On” school these robots allow our children to experience hand’s on maths in the most enjoyable way.
We really enjoyed International Dot Day here at Togher N.S. As part of our celebrations we have made a short film incorporating an animation made using Scratch programming. Please check it out below.
We have received our School Excellence – Digital funding for the second year of the initiative. The children are really looking forward to getting their hands on the new robotics and coding kits.
The children in the middle room have been busy exploring their LEGO WeDO 2.0 robotics and coding kits.
Combining colorful LEGO building elements, easy-to-use hardware, and an intuitive drag-and-drop coding language LEGO WeDo 2.0 continuously engages children through playful learning activities to think critically and solve complex problems, regardless of their learning level. WeDo 2.0 helps children learn the essential STEM and 21st century skills needed to become the innovative minds of tomorrow… while having fun!
There’s a lot of learning theory that says that experiential learning is very beneficial to children as it gives them concrete experiences to connect with the more abstract, theoretical STEM concepts. Making attempts that don’t work—and figuring out why they didn’t—is a crucial part of the learning process.When children are learning through testing and troubleshooting, they’re developing a sense of confidence that it’s OK if it doesn’t work the first time.
The children in the 5th and 6th classes were busy building and coding EV3 Mindstorms robots this week. As part of our School Excellence – Digital project we have the opportunity to explore the benefits of robotics and coding. As the world grows more technologically complex, computer science and computational thinking are becoming even more crucial fundamentals for students to learn. Since you can physically see the results of your coding exercises, robots offer a uniquely engaging format for learning these concepts. By its nature, the study of robotics inherently incorporates all four pillars of STEM while also encouraging teamwork, problem solving, and leadership for our students.
The children in 3rd and 4th classes were busy today building and coding different robots using Lego WeDo 2.0. There’s no better way to learn than to learn through play! Robotics lessons with Lego WeDo 2.0 are a great opportunity for children to build their own robots and to create the code to control them. The children work in small groups to build mechanisms and make them operate in the way they want them to. With Lego WeDo 2.0 projects the children develop an understanding of correct troubleshooting procedures to solve various engineering problems while having a lot of fun.
