Bee-Bot Robot - A Teaching Tool Available at CanadianClassroom.com

Monday, December 11, 2017

Last week was Computer Science Education Week. It's one of my favourite times of the year because I get to ~~play~~ teach and share something I love so much - coding. This is the third year that I have participated in the Hour of Code and I love that students can easily switch the language to French on code.org. But sometimes, especially with my younger students, it can be a time-consuming task to have the students log on to the computers and get things started. Although it is easier on the iPads, they may already be reserved. And with 30 minute-periods, I want to take advantage of every minute I can get. This is why I was so thrilled to review a complimentary Bee-Bot programmable floor robot from Canadian Classroom.

I had first learned about Bee-Bot when I attended Steven Floyd's workshop at OECTA’s Technology Summit: Get Your Head Out of Your Apps conference last spring. I knew instantly that it would be the perfect tool for introducing programming to my primary French students.

With the exception of the "GO" button, the commands are symbols so you can use the Bee-Bot in virtually any language class. In fact, not only did I create French sequence cards for my new Bee-Bot, I also translated them into Spanish at the request of a teacher who I connected with on Twitter.

I printed them onto card stock and made multiple sets. Since I only have one Bee-Bot, the students could work in groups to collaborate on a possible sequence of commands (an algorithm) that will navigate Bee-Bot on the floor mat that I had created using two poster boards and black electrical tape to create a grid with 15cm by 15 cm squares.

When I first brought Bee-Bot to class, the room was abuzz with excitement. On the second day, I brought in some chips or markers and gave one to each student. Then I created various algorithms and students had to predict where Bee-Bot would arrive. I then invited students one-by-one to input a single command as we went around the circle and then watched Bee-Bot follow the sequence. It was a lot of fun!

Aside from the fact that Bee-Bot's expression is irresistibly cute, what I love most about Bee-Bot is that it is so easy to use. There are two buttons on the bottom, one to power on the motion, the other turns on the lights and sounds. You will also find the charging port to be used with the charging cable that is included with the robot. Plus, you can find so many great resources and ideas online, such as these Bee-Bot Teaching Cards and Bee-Bot Activities provided by Canadian Classroom.

Bee-Bot is available for purchase from Canadian Classroom for $123 and is suitable for children ages 3 years and up. And Bee-Bots are not only great for the classroom. They would make a great toy for the kids to explore at home, too! Check out this and other great teaching tools at canadianclassroom.com.

Disclosure: I received product to help facilitate this review. Any opinions expressed in this post are my own.