The Buzz about Bee-Bots

Image from: http://southozsue.wikispaces.com/file/view/BeeBot_blinking-200x200.gif/193545904/BeeBot_blinking-200x200.gif

Bee-Bot’s flashing eyes after each step in a sequence!

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year level: F – 2

Strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Sub strand:  Creating solutions

Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004) – see link

Links to the resource

Bee-Bot official website (US)

Bee-bots and accessories Australian suppliers:

www.edex.com.au

http://www.teaching.com.au/catalogue?catalogue=MTA&category=MTA-BEE-BOTS-EARLY-YEARS-ROBOTICS

About Bee-Bots and their uses

http://codigo21.educacion.navarra.es/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/BeebotguideA4v2.pdf

http://www.teaching.com.au/resources/static/main/pdf/2015-Bee-Bot-Activities-LR-AU.pdf

http://barefootcas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Bee-Bots-1-2-3-Activity-Barefoot-Computing2.pdf

Cross curriculum priories and general capabilities

Literacy
Numeracy
Information and communication technology (ICT)
Critical and creative thinking

Links to other learning areas

Mathematics
English
Geography

All about Bee-Bots

Bee-Bots are programmable floor robots that are an interactive and engaging tool that allows students to learn coding and computational thinking through sequencing, estimation, problem solving and team work in a fun and hands-on way. They are designed for use with Early Phase and Primary students, ideally Foundation to Year 2. With an appealing colourful bee design, bright buttons, sounds and flashing eyes, students are able to enter up to 40 directional commands/steps to the bee-bot to send it on an adventure! The bee-bot accurately moves in 15cm steps and turn in 90 degree increments and its eyes flash after each command has been completed. Bee-Bots teach students how to code and create algorithms to complete tasks and activities in an engaging and exciting way!

How to use Bee-Bots

As mentioned above, Bee-Bots are robots which are designed to move in a sequence of steps and chosen by the teacher or student. This is done by using directional buttons: Forward, backward, left and right. The forward and backward buttons make the Bee-Bot move in that direction and left and right turn the Bee-Bot in 90 degree increments in the direction decided. The Bee-Bot can do up to 40 steps and only starts moving once the student hits GO. The students is also able to pause the Bee-Bot moving with the pause button and the ‘CLEAR’ button clears any steps which may be still in the Bee-Bots memory before use.

Watch this video below to see programming the Bee-Bot in action!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMorb_m_qK0

Using Bee-Bots in the classroom

There are a variety of classroom activities that can be conducted using Bee-Bots. There are a variety of mats that are available for purchase including an Alphabet mat, Treasure Island mat, and Busy Street mat. Many teachers choose to design their own mats, as the Bee-Bot only moves in 15cm increments, meaning a 60x60cm mat with a grid for each 15x15cm square can be totally customized for students’ learning needs.

Bee-Bots follow a sequence of instructions that are given by a teacher or student, so the activities that Bee-Bots can conduct ad students will love are only limited by the teachers imagination! One such activity could involve students planning and writing a series of steps (instructions) for the Bee-Bot to follow. Students can also solve problems like mazes made of blocks or other materials that they have to navigate the Bee-Bot through which takes planning, practice and representing a series of steps in a basic algorithm, making students learning visible!

A numeracy link can be made by using Bee-Bots to teach algorithms (steps to make something happen) which Bee-Bots are specifically designed to do. By giving the Bee-Bots commands, they are learning algorithms, computational thinking and sequencing in technologies and mathematics!

A link to literacy can be made through texts such as ‘We’re going on a Bear Hunt’ by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury where students create maps or locations for the Bee-Bot to navigate through like the characters in the book. Students program the Bee-Bot and see if they are able to follow the path correctly like those in the book! This type of activity can be done with a variety of novels.

Bee-Bots are a fabulous resource to have in the classroom that will motivate students to learn, fostered with imagination and creativity, creating learning experiences they are sure to enjoy.