Teaching Robotics

Welcome to the world of robotics. You are about to embark on a unique adventure with your classroom where you and your students will discover creativity, problem solving, and group interaction. This unit is based on cooperative groups and task mastery. Everyone should be given time and support to successfully complete each task.

There are three steps to preparing to teach Lego Robotics.

1. Purchase your materials (see “Robotics Equipment” below).
2. Install RoboLAB on each computer being used for the challenge.
3. Review the teaching material.

Preparation of Equipment

You do not need to open each kit and sort the parts as the students can do this during their first lesson; however, it is recommended that you have RoboLAB installed and tested on each computer to be used in your classroom before introducing it to your students – even this can be done with the assistance of a student.

Preparation for Group Learning

In the Lego Robotic Challenge, the students will be working in groups of 3-4 students each. There are a number of key principles that you need to follow to help your groups be successful.

1. Cooperative Learning Principles – Working in groups is important. Your primary responsiblility as a coach is to be sure your group functions well. Cooperative Learning principles are great tools to apply to group activity.
2. Peer Coaching – A very effective tool to help your team discover their own solutions to roadblocks.
3. Team Roles – How to have each member of the team have a role the is significant to the success of the team.
4. Teaching Ideas – Never done this before and don’t know where to start? Here’s some basic assignments that you can give your team to help them discover and learn the art of robotic design and programming.
5. Your Role as a Coach – What your should and should not be doing as a coach.
6. Recommended Curriculum – Take your team to the next level! This curriculum will help your student master designing and programming robots and provide them the necessary tools to stand out as a top robotics team.