Category: Ako | Learn

Elizabeth worked with Nigel’s numeracy group and they went on a Measuring expedition!  They ventured outside with their iPads.  They had to find the tallest object outside the studio…find something three times longer than their feet!  Then images were collated using PicCollage.

We’ve had a fantastic initiative that’s running at our school: a lunchtime Robotics Club for 12 of our Year 3 students. This club has been a huge hit, thanks to the fantastic Debbie from Imagination Station, who secured funding from GCSN to get it off the ground.

In Term 2, Debbie has been leading these sessions, and it’s been incredible to see the students’ engagement and learning. Each week, our Year 3 students have worked with a buddy to build and code various challenges using LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential kits. The focus has been on hands-on problem-solving, teamwork, and developing foundational coding skills in a fun and interactive environment.

Elizabeth will be taking over the club for Terms 3 and 4, building on the fantastic foundation Debbie has laid. Elizabeth is looking forward to continuing this journey of discovery and innovation with our young engineers!

What Our Robotics Enthusiasts Thought!

• I enjoyed the building aspect, especially the mini-golf challenge. I liked working with the base plates and motors to create the hitting mechanism for the ball. I did find the programming hard because it didn’t make sense at times.  Nehemiah
• ‘I loved it so much!” and it was “super fun” and I enjoyed building the helicopter. Josiah
• I loved the building side of things and using LEGO. The colour sensor was a challenge to work with. Ashley
• Both Jai and Eli liked working with a friend, having a buddy to build with and enjoyed making the boat.
• I found it fun to see what other people were building and seeing how they built with a buddy.  My buddy and I created a mini golf game and used a colour sensor to detect the colours of the pinballs.

We are so grateful to Debbie and GCSN for making this enriching experience possible for our students. We can’t wait to see what amazing robots and projects our Year 3s will create in Terms 3 and 4!

Students have been working with one of the Cool Rise Team teachers Elizabeth.   Our tamariki have been enthusiastically buzzing as they’ve delved into the world of coding and robotics with our trusty Bee-Bots.

Our journey began with students programming their Bee-Bots to navigate their way to land precisely on a putiputi (flower). It was fantastic to see their problem-solving skills blossom as they carefully planned their Bee-Bot’s journey.

Next, they worked collaboratively, with a buddy, students took on the role of writing a programme (using cards).  They used programming cards to create a sequence of instructions for their partner to follow. This activity not only reinforced their understanding of sequencing but also fostered fantastic communication and teamwork.

Then came the ultimate challenge – a Bee-Bot disco! Students were tasked with programming their little robots to dance to the iconic beat of ‘Staying Alive.‘ This was a tricky task, especially when they tried to coordinate two Bee-Bots to perform the same steps in unison! There were plenty of giggles, some fantastic attempts, and a whole lot of learning through trial and error.

Then they unleashed their creativity by designing their own games on large floor grids. Some interesting games emerged, with students programming their Bee-Bots to cleverly avoid the menacing Enderman while bravely trying to reach the Minecraft chests.

Our final session for this term saw the beginnings of a very special project: designing an outfit for our Bee-Bots to wear to a celebration! Students sketched their initial ideas and created drafts of their Bee-Bot attire. We can’t wait to see their imaginative designs come to life next term as they finalise their celebratory outfits.

Through these activities, our students have gained skills. They are learning to sequence a set of steps logically, how to programme a Bee-Bot to achieve a specific goal, and importantly, how to debug their programme when things don’t quite go to plan. 

Buzz…buzz…