Bee-Bot Club
Bee-Bot is an exciting little robot designed for use by young children. This colourful, easy-to-operate, and friendly little robot is a perfect tool for teaching counting, sequencing, estimation, problem-solving, and just having fun! Learning how to manipulate the Bee Bot is an important and useful step into learning about rudimentary basics of coding and computing.
As a part of our after-school lessons students are able to learn about the functions of the Bee Bot. They gradually learn to estimate how much it moves in each action and how to begin ordering it to carry out actions.
Our teachers spend time carefully explaining the way to teach the Bee Bot to move and there is plenty of opportunity for hands-on practice each week. We rotate in small groups between different Bee-Bot themed centers e.g. pre-made mazes that the students navigate through, plotting tracks through grids and maps, and using the Bee-Bots for mini competitions. Students learn to program their robot to create different shapes. In more advanced classes iPads are available for students to explore the Bee-Bot app as well. This has 12 levels encouraging progression.
Benefits
Bee Bots help with:Mathematics
- Number and Algebra -Counting Number and place value
- Sorting and classifying
- Measurement-direct and indirect comparisons, Length: Estimates, measures, compares and records lengths and distances using informal units, metres and centimetres
- Position: Represents the position of objects using models and drawings and describes using everyday language
- Working Mathematically (Applying Strategies): Uses objects, actions, imagery, technology and/or trial and error to explore mathematical problems. (Visualisation)
- Working Mathematically (Communicating and Reasoning) Describes strategies used to solve a problem using language, actions, materials and drawings.
English
- Helps to listen to and respond orally to texts and to the communication of others in informal and structured classroom situations.
- Recognise the letters of the alphabet and know there are lower and upper case letters.
- Students have the opportunity to use the following target language-Procedural language - Simple commands and command sequences ; e.g. “Go forward 3 steps, turn left, go forward 2 steps.”
- Phrases of Position/Location e.g. from the hive to the flowers; through the gate; along the path; etc.
- Directional phrases eg go forwards, backwards; right and left turns etc.
- Vocabulary eg recounts of an excursion; retelling of stories.
- Technical vocabulary /concepts associated with control technologies (eg commands, memory, buttons, pause, clear, forwards, backwards; right and left turns etc).
Watch Example Class
