A Computing Partnership

Weilenmann School of Discovery has been awarded the Computing Partnership Grant for the next three school years beginning 2020-2021. The grant was available through the STEM Action Center and will fund the purchase of traditional and technology-supported 21st century maker spaces over the course of the next three school years. From grant proceeds WSD has already purchased tools, tables, 3D printers, resins, polymers, Lego STEM and robotics equipment, and other supplies, as well as scheduled training for all teachers through community and industry partners. We could not be more excited!

Ozobots

By Roni Ottley

WSD students in all grades are excited to utilize the newly installed Maker Space for technology-supported STEM projects. Recently, eighth grade digital literacy classes explored ozobots as a way to prepare to be mentors to third grade Maker Space students. Ozobots are small robots designed as an introduction to coding. The robots read color code and students use color combinations to move the ozobot on a path from one location to another.

Eighth graders worked with a partner of their choice and a packet containing colored markers, an ozobot, and a sheet of paper with instructions. Many students started out drawing lines and then placing the bots on the lines to see what they would do. After several minutes of trial and error, they found codes on the marker box and began to use those in the lines instead. It was a learning process for all, as the color codes must be a specific size.

Some students questioned why their codes did not work as expected, which led to problem solving based on the direction, combination, and size of the marks. Online students participated by creating and submitting online codes to the ozobot website, which were uploaded onto a bot. Students watched as the robot either danced or sang, depending on the student-submitted code. This is the kind of activity no one wanted to end, and students now look forward to training their third grade friends on this project in WSD’s new Maker Space.