Do you want to be the coolest teacher in the school? If so, I have a way to make it happen!!
LEGO Mindstorm
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These awesome customizable robots made by Lego are all the rage these days! Lego Mindstorm is a software and hardware robotic structure that are built with lego bricks. These robots are programmable and offer loads of educational fun to the classroom. This takes cool to the next level. Each set includes a computer lego brick that controls the robot, sensors, and motors, as well as lego parts.
Check out this Youtube video to see just how cool these are!
https://youtu.be/ntBkg2x3EJ0
I bet you are wondering how an educator can weave lego robots into their classroom curriculum.
Well... if we look at the R.A.T. model learning model, we can gain a clear understanding of how Lego Mindstorm can fit into the classroom curriculum. 
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Teachers are always looking for ways to "Replace" a stale lesson approach with a new technology that makes teaching more effective and efficient. Teachers want to "Amplify" the effectivness of their lessons, and "Transform" a lesson into a meaningful learning experience that leads to independant student inquiry.
Lego Mindstorm sets fit into the "A" of the R.A.T. learning model. By providing students a fun new technology to learn a skill that has been taught without technology in the past, the teacher is "amplifying" the effectivness of the skill being taught.
Let's think about this for a minute...
You are teaching a lesson on how to follow step by step instructions. You look around your classroom and you see 25 students looking at you like this....
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You are super frustrated with the class because they are not engaged. They want magic and glitz in your lessons or they are simply not interested.
And then you remember the new Lego Mindstorm sets in the library and you say,
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You race to the library workroom and grab the kits. You instruct the students to follow the step by step instructions to build their own moveable lego creations. You glance up and you see this...
Crystal,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really like the aesthetics of your blog! I also discussed the R.A.T. Model in my blog, and I don’t know why I didn’t use the image of the rat to display the categories! I wish I had, because it obviously draws blog readers in more when there are interesting visuals. I also like how you label your images by number, and then cite them at the bottom. I have had trouble deciding how to best do that on my own blog.
Back to Lego Mindstorm—I had never head of this software, and wow, it really does sound cool! I can’t help but think back to my own childhood and how cool I would have found that to be in elementary school. I think this is a great example of a technology that the school librarian could learn a lot about so they could help the teachers feel more comfortable trying it out.
I enjoyed your post!
-Kristen DeAnne Anderson
Thank you so much!!! I have the attention span of a gnat! It something is long and boring, I struggle to get through it. I feel like if I want stressed out teachers to read the stuff I send out, I better make it attractive and fun!!
DeleteCrystal,
ReplyDeleteHow cool is LEGO Mindstorm? I have never heard of this before, but it looks awesome. This is definitely a tech innovation that I will want to explore more, especially if I am a librarian in middle school or elementary school. Thanks so much for introducing it to me.
I agree, LEGO Mindstorm could be classified under the "A" in R.A.T, but I can also see a case made that it could fall under the "T". I think the perspective on that would shift based on the teacher. For some teachers, this is likely an extension of instruction that they already do. But, for other teachers this is a tool that will completely revolutionize the instruction happening in their class. Either way, this tool seems like it would be a great addition to any classroom!
Ellen, our local elementary school just got a class set of these. They posted some pictures of the kids using them a couple of days ago. I was so excited that I picked this tool and then realized that our district was already using it!!
DeleteAs a Mom of two boys and a self admitted Lego nerd, I really love Lego learning in the classroom. There are just so many different ways to use them in every subject area. I know many schools have teams and clubs to use them in addition to classroom and library usage which can also really build connections and friendships for students. I know there are many schools that might not have the funds for them. I posted a link in my blog about the South Carolina Library programming kits that can provide rental equipment to schools. There were multiple style Lego kits that could be borrowed if a school did not have their own.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/circulating-kits
Fantastic share and blog Crystal.
Susanne Clark
I was half way through this blog post when I remembered that our middle school used to have a Lego club. I had no idea what they did until I started researching this!! These might make it under our Christmas tree this year!
DeleteThis is great Crystal! As an AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO) and parent of a 9 year old -- our house is bursting at the seams with Lego bricks. We’ve had fun with the similar app-based LEGO Boost Coding Robot and I love the suite of LEGO Education products. If there’s a downside it might be the price point; a single set is expensive and enough for a classroom might put it out of reach. (I also prefer physical instruction booklets over digital instructions.) I’ve had plain ol’ LEGO in the library and there is always someone building something. (I have a few fans of LEGO Masters as well) They have such broad appeal and application and are a natural vehicle for all types of (high/low/play-based) learning. I love the application you imagine here and it really captures the simple, fun, and rewarding way that LEGO builds all kinds of skills and ways of seeing (creates “new cognitive forms” a la Transformation of R.A.T.). Thinking about your scenario -- you have a built in assessment in a working robot. It would be neat to see what kind of results you would get having students try to complete the build without using/following the instructions.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this!!! I turned our classroom water table into a lego table. When I left my job, I was sure to take my Legos because I want them in my future library!!
ReplyDeleteCrystal,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how clearly you explained LEGO Mindstorm and how the tool can be used to amplify a lesson. I have seen many Pinterest boards about LEGOs in the classroom and library but had not considered the extent of LEGO use beyond a center. After reading your blog, I am definitly going to investigate school funds to incorporate LEGOs into resources to amplify lessons and encourage inquiry.
Thanks for sharing!
A. O'Donnell