Stimulate STEM in your classroom with SPHEROS

What are SPHEROS?

A sphero is a spherical robotic that students can program with ease using apps for the iPad or Android device.  The Sphero is highly engaging with its ability to roll at various speeds rolling. It also has engaging colour changing and sound features.

Using SPHEROs for learning

This durable, highly engaging robot provides a great entry point for inquiry,  inventive thinking and learning using coding in the following curriculum areas:

• Mathematics in determining speed, distance, geometry
• Geographical location and directions
• Design new vehicles incorporating the sphero 
• Create artworks
• Problem solving

Target student audience
Sphero can be used initially by students who may not know how to program and then  that learning can be extended to further develop the students' coding ability. We see that the sphero can be used in the early years but is probably best suited to learners in Years 3-6.

Programming the Sphero 
The main app for use with the Sphero is Lighting Lab but there is also the opportunity to use other apps such as Tickle and Tynker. When programming the Sphero

• Beginners can use the drawing tools to program a pathway for the Sphero to travel.
• Intermediate coders use block coding in a drag and drop environment, while
• Advanced users can utilise text based programming

Sphero Olympics - a case study from OLOR Kellyville:

Recently Stephen Bamford and his Year 6 students participated in a Sphero Olympic Challenge. For inspiration they used Nathan Jones iBook Sphero Olympics, available on the iBookstore. Thereafter the ideas flowed. The students were organised into twelve teams representing a range of countries - a Sphero Olympic Ceremony was devised. Competitive events included sprints, chariot racing, swimming, sailing, archery and also a Gymnastics floor routine event. Overall the Sphero Olympics proved to be an engaging learning experience for students which helped students engaged in coding to meet outcomes from both Science & Technology and Mathematics. Some videos from the challenge are available on Steve Bamford's Youtube Channel.

Planning your STEM integration at school

Are your thinking of getting started with STEM at your school?

If so, rather than jumping in and buying a whole lot of equipment, start a planning process to have a coherent strategy that you can take to your leadership and teachers to get them on board.

Plan
St Andrews Primary Marayong under the guidance of their technology coordinator Matt Haynes have developed a planning document that provides a continuum of STEM resources and how they might be integrated across each stage and across a 3 year period.  Links are also provided to support documents and lesson ideas for teachers.

Consult
Working with a small team of initially interested staff they then sought some advice about their strategy and elicited ideas around best ways to support teachers for the process and discussed initial ideas about curriculum integration.  Based on their strategy a number of STEM resources were purchased.

Involve the teachers
The next step St Andrews did was to present to staff.  "After running through a Keynote and discussing the importance of STEM (also giving them a chance to list concerns), the staff had a huge unboxing and just over an hour of play.  The staff were really responsive and keen for some change. "

Explore 
"The play really helped to settle any concerns and as a result all the staff are onboard for next year, with a lot of staff/grades already planning, and learning all about STEM during their RFF and in their own time. Some are teaching themselves coding (Scratch, Code.org), and developing units based around the 4 C's. There was a tonne of small talk about STEM and what they had found out on their own. 5 of the 7 grades chipped in and after discussion, a class set (15) of Blue-Bots and 3 good quality 3D printers are on order.  Teachers are also finding resources for their classes/grades and borrowing some of the grade resources purchased by us so they can teach themselves over the holidays. There is a really good buzz in the air".

Connections with curriculum

Their next step is to plan some professional learning around use, connection and integration with curriculum.
St Andrews recognise that "PD will play a huge role in the successful implementation next year to ensure the move from transmission to transformational learning."

Click on the image below to access the full document

Techgirls using their coding powers for social good

Three of our Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta schools out of 75 entries were finalists in this years national 2016 Tech Girls Superhero Challenge .

NSW Winner: Nagle College, Blacktown
Runners Up: Our Lady of Nativity Lawson ( Primary) ; St Patrick’s Dundas ( secondary)

The TechGirls challenge is for female students in years 4-12. Teams consisting of 3 to 5 young women identify a problem, create an app to solve it, code the app, build a company to launch the app in the market, and pitch their plan to experts­­ all in 3 months. 

This project­ based computer science and entrepreneurship curriculum reinforces digital representation of information, algorithmic thinking and programming, and emphasises the societal impact of information and information technology. It teaches girls life skills such as how to identify problems, design and test solutions, collaborate in a team and communicate to different audiences.

The 2016 theme for the challenge was:

Solve a problem in your local community: technology for social good. 

Nagle College Blacktown pitched and created a prototype App called 'Amuse' to reduce stress for teenagers.  See their pitch video here.

Our Lady of Nativity Lawson pitched and created a prototype App called Mountains Adventurer to help families and children find things to do in the Blue Mountains. See their pitch video here.

St Patricks Dundas Marist pitched and created a prototype App called Appletic to help sports team manage participants and interact and check details with each other.  See their pitch video here.

To get involved, teams registered for the Next Tech Girl Superhero and submitted a pitch (through video) and other deliverables. After this, teams chose to enter the global 2016 Technovation competition to pitch against others internationally. School girls will learn skills to be a tech entrepreneur by working through set tasks to build an app. All teams are matched with a mentor.

Read all about the Finalists, runners up and special mentions here. 

Coding with Blue-Bots at Holy Cross Glenwood

Holy Cross Primary Glenwood have been exploring the use of Blue-bots to develop problem solving skills through coding.

• The slides immediately below show the development of their coding learning and how the teachers introduced the blue-bots and coding concepts.
• Further on you can see the culmination of the children's learning in a narrative they developed and filmed integrating the coding concepts. ' The Blue-Bot adventure story'

 

The Blue-Bot adventure story

As a culminating piece of work Year 1 students created a collaborative Blue-Bot adventure story integrating their coding knowledge.  The process involved:

1. Students wrote the story collaboratively (1 class wrote the beginning, another the middle and the other class wrote the end). 
2. Students then painted the 4 settings in the story. 
3. Students created the model for the story (using unifix cubes, tissue paper, paddlepop sticks etc.) 
4. Next photos were taken of the 4 settings on the blue-bot app and the student's problem solved to create a creative set of codes for blue-bot to travel across the story. The students had to use the story as a guideline for their commands. 
5. Lastly the story was filmed. 

The narrative adjacent is read along with the video below.  

Click the text image to download the full narrative.

Book week presentation

For the book week presentations there were narrators and the rest of the grade were the 'sound effects' so there was yawning as the sun rose up and the students created a crashing noise when the table collapsed, a triangle was used when Blue-Bot entered the enchanted path as well as the whoosh.

Power up your classroom coding with Blue-Bots

Blue-bots are the next iteration of Bee-Bots.  They add another level of features and functionality that provide students with an even better introduction to coding and control technologies.

If you have already been using Bee-Bots you would know of their use in learning for teaching sequencing, directions, computational thinking, coding, planning and problem solving and many other general capabilities across a range of curriculums

Blue-bots have all the same features as the Bee-Bot but have these other great features

• Programmable wirelessly (via bluetooth) from an iPad App which allows the students to make connections about how programming works without having to actually physically interact with a robot/control technology.
• The App has guided options providing a scaffolded introduction to coding as well as more open ended programming options to deepen learning.
• Student can then utilise other Apps like Explain Everything to record/ capture images from the Blue-bot Apps to extend their thinking on their coding
• Students can easily display their coding and share it with the class via Apple TV.
• Students can create and upload their own maps to the App to use with the blue-bot  which means they can create their own narrative agains which they problem solve.
• Students can save a limited set of their programs which provides them with a way to reflect and debug their program
• Ability to add voice commands to help students reinforce connection with language.
• 45 degree turns in addition to 90 degree turns.
• A clear shell allowing students to see the workings of the robot.

Using coding to add even more magic to the power of storytelling

This books uses the power of coding to create algorithms that personalise a child's book.  

It includes their name in a constellation of stars as well as a satellite map of where they live interweaved in the story.  

Our students may not all end up as coders in their future work lives.  However, students need to understand the concepts of coding and algorithms and have developed the problem solving and critical thinking skills to connect those concepts with other skills.  

So if we end up being a writer, or an illustrator, or a researcher we can communicate and collaborate with the programmers/coders to create an amazing product like this.

Dreaming of a Makerspace?

Makerspaces are popping up everywhere in:
 - libraries,
 - schools,
-  universities and more.

Why?
Because they help stimulate thinking and creativity.  Learning by doing is a powerful way to learn.

What is a makerspace?
There are lots of different types of makerspaces out there.  Some people believe true makerspaces are only those with tools on board, or must involve community or experts.

However, I like the wider definition from Renovated Learning:

'A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools (both physical and digital) and materials.'

Thus your makerspace can be high tech or low tech.   It might involve activities that run the gamut from coding or robotics to lego construction and duct tape craft.

However  it is about learning by doing, and should offer the opportunity to collaborate, share and build knowledge across the participants. Ultimately students should guide their own learning in a makerspace.

Dreaming your makerspace into reality
So have you dreamt of a makerspace but not sure where to start, or worried about having to manage a range of activities that you might not be skilled in?

Here are five ingredients to help you create a Dream Makerspace that will be sustainable for you and your school.

Design a magical but also practical space to foster imagination and creativity
- Furniture, equipment, whiteboards for brainstorming, collaborative hubs, fun practical flooring or curtains or blinds to set a scene.  If you have little or no budget think creatively, go to IKEA or Bunnings for ideas.
Plan a set of makerspace activities that you can get started with.  
- Initially use what you have or ask for donations or loans for activities.  Mix a few high tech with some low tech activities. For e.g. Robotics (High tech) and Duct tape creations (low tech)
Gather some interest from staff, students and families
- Show them what a makerspace can be.  Ask students for their input into what the space could look like and the type of activities. Ask teachers to be involved in the planning.
Decide on a strategy for use of the Makerspace 
-Timing (recess, lunch, after school) targeted groups, by invitation etc, who will supervise, who will help.
Utilise the expertise of others to help sustain the makerspace
- Ask staff, teachers, parents and other students to share their skills.  Ask for student interest in being a Makerspace mentor to help in the activities.

You can use the following slideshow to get staff interested and engaged in building your makerspace.


Once you have a few people interested copy the following planning template to get you started.

Encouraging diverse student involvement in your STEM program

Evidence suggests that the idea that science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM or STEAM) are "just for boys" starts at an early age for both boys and girls.  So it is critical that all students are encouraged and provided with a variety of opportunities to be involved in rich STEM learning opportunities including coding and robotics.  The Australian government recognises the need to increase the number of girls and disadvantaged students including Indigenous students in STEM  in their recent initiative 'Restoring the focus on STEM in schools'.

Girls’ achievements and interest in math and science are more often shaped by the environment around them as discussed in  Why so few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. 

In 'Girls rock STEM', the author outlines the three major obstacles that contribute to girls' decreased interest in the STEM fields.

'1. Stereotype threat. The idea that girls are no good at math is so engrained in our culture that simply "bringing to mind that stereotype can actually lower the performance of girls," reports Christianne Corbett, coauthor of Why So Few? Research shows that girls don't even have to believe that the stereotype is true for it to have a negative effect on them.

2. Implicit bias. "A lot of the evidence suggests classroom behaviors are skewed toward boys," says Dale McCreedy, director of gender and family learning programs at the Franklin Institute. Implicit bias is unconscious, he notes, and can be as subtle as teachers' calling on boys more often than girls or responding more enthusiastically to boys' responses.

3. Lack of awareness of the depth and breadth of STEM. Too many people still think that "science is on a bench; it's being in a lab coat," McCreedy says, when the reality is that STEM professionals work on everything from cell phones to pharmaceuticals, fragrance to food science, and bridges to biotechnology.'

There is also an extreme under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) people engaged in STEM. A number of programs via the CSIRO and the government provide some strategies to address this. However, schools can make a difference in attitudes towards STEM by providing culturally meaningful connections with STEM curriculum. 'STEM learning framed in local knowledge—in relation to local practices, and in land- and place-based ways—can enhance the relevance and meaning of STEM for Indigenous students and their communities'

There are a number of online resources available to teacher and schools to assist in developing

diverse involvement in STEM programs in your school:

National Girls Collaborative 

Techgirls movement

Provides a number of resources including a book (eversion also) that showcases real life women in tech.

Implementing Meaningful STEM Education with Indigenous Students & Families 

Schools can also access a number of books that can encourage students to get involved in STEM.  For example 'Coding for Beginners using Scratch' pictured below nd many more available in this area.

School makerspaces are also a great way of allowing students to explore a variety of STEM activities.

For practical activities to get started with coding activities see our Pinterest board.

References:

 Hill, C., Corbett, C., & Rose, A. (2010). Why so few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Retrieved 1st Feb 2016 from: http://www.aauw.org/files/2013/02/Why-So-Few-Women-in-Science-Technology-Engineering-and-Mathematics.pdf

Fink, J. W. (2015). Girls rock STEM. Instructor, 124(5), 22-25

This article available upon request from LEX library.

Implementing Meaningful STEM Education with Indigenous Students & Families,  Retrieved 1st Feb 2016 from: http://stemteachingtools.org/brief/11