BCPS Lighthouse Schools
  • Home
  • Schools
  • Reflections
  • Journeys
  • Learning
    • Learner-Centered Environments
    • Nights of Innovation
    • Summer Institutes
  • Press
  • #BCPSLH

Increasing Student Engagement with Ozobots

5/25/2018

0 Comments

 
Submitted by Emma Santucci
3rd Grade Teacher, Church Lane Elementary School
The Classroom Bots program is a STEM program that introduced students to coding in an engaging students centered learning environment.  Through the Education Foundation grant students were introduced to the power of coding.  They became programmers as they wrote they commanded their robots to succeed in various tasks.  Working in groups wrote line code to program Ozobots, making them jump, dance, zigzag, change speeds and change color. 

The program achieved two main goals.  First being that it introduced students to coding.  Additionally, it introduced teachers to coding in order increase their comfort integrating this kind of technology into their classrooms.  As a result of the model/co-teaching practices, teachers have been given the tools to integrate 21st century skills into their lessons.  For example, the day after our lesson, one teacher integrated the Ozobots into a math multiplication lesson. 
Picture
Picture
This project aligned with key actions from the BCPS Blueprint 2.0: Our Way Forward plan by immersing students in a blended learning environment.  Teachers used Classflow to help deliver instruction and resources to the students for them to reference as they worked through the lesson.  One of the key actions in the Blueprint 2.0 is “Identify and embed in curriculum and staff development the characteristics of high-quality teaching and learning including 21st century learning skills and innovative technologies.”  Teachers in grades 1 through 5 had the opportunity to either co-teach or observe model teaching of coding using Ozobots.
 
The program also addressed the Church Lane Elementary School 2017-2018 school progress plan.  Key action 1 is to “implement strategies to teach the importance and acceptance of interpersonal boundaries and respect”.  With twelve robots, students had to complete their coding challenges in groups of two or three.  They had to share materials, space and ideas.  Using this kind of technology increased student engagement and was highly motivating.  Students had to listen to their peers and resolve conflict positively in order to complete their work.  Through their evaluations, students indicated positive interactions with their classmates.     
Picture
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Authors

    Reflections from teachers, administrators, and students at the Lighthouse Schools.

    Categories

    All
    Administrator
    Art
    Community Engagement
    Counselor
    Digital Citizenship
    Digital Tools
    Flipped Learning
    Language Arts
    Learner Centered Environment
    Maker Learning
    Math
    Music
    Personalized Learning
    Physical Education
    Professional Development
    Project Based Learning
    Real World Connections
    Research Skills
    Science
    Small Group Instruction
    Social Studies
    Student
    Teacher
    Technology

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

Team BCPS Logo

© 2015 Baltimore County Public Schools. All rights reserved. 

Proudly powered by Weebly